Henry Poole & Co is a bespoke tailor located on Savile Row in London, United Kingdom. The company created the first modern-style dinner jacket, based on specifications provided by the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) in the 1880s. Their headquarters is 15 Savile Row though they have multiple locations.

History

The business first opened in Brunswick Square in 1806, originally specializing in military tailoring, with notable achievements around the time of the Battle of Waterloo. The business relocated to Savile Row in 1846 after the death of founder James Poole. Henry Poole ran the business until his death in 1876, after which his cousin, Samuel Cundey, took over. The Cundey family legacy has continued through five generations, reaching the present-day owners, Angus Cundey and his son, Simon. The company holds royal warrants of appointment and supplies the Lord Chamberlain’s office with court dress. Their livery department also created uniforms for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Origins of the tuxedo

In 1860, Henry Poole made a short evening or smoking jacket for the Prince of Wales to wear at informal dinner parties at Sandringham. In 1886, James Potter of Tuxedo Park, New York, visited London and was subsequently invited by the Prince to spend a weekend at Sandringham House. He was also advised that he could have a smoking jacket made by the Prince’s tailor, Henry Poole & Co. When the Potters returned to New York, Potter wore his new smoking jacket at the Tuxedo Club, and fellow members soon started having copies made for themselves, adopting it as their informal uniform for club “stag” dinners. As a result, the dinner jacket became known as a tuxedo or tux in America.