An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

459. The Suit, Savile Row, and Smartly Dressed Men

June 09, 2024

Description

"His clothes seemed to melt into each other with the perfection of their cut and the quiet harmony of their colour. Without a single point of emphasis, everything was distinguished" The suit has...
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Books Referenced

Jeeves Takes Charge

Author: P.G. Wodehouse

Context:

Referenced at the opening of the episode as the 1916 story in which Bertie Wooster and Jeeves first meet, used to illustrate the dynamic around suit-wearing and fashion standards.

The Three Piece Suit and Modern Masculinity

Author: David Kuchter

Context:

Explicitly described as 'the brilliantly named book' when discussing Charles II's invention of the suit as 'a royalist appropriation of Republican opposition to fashion.'

Diary of a Nobody

Author: George Grossmith and Weedon Grossmith

Context:

Described as 'that brilliant comic novel' about Mr. Pooter, a clerk who lives in Holloway, used to illustrate the tension between traditional frock coat wearers and those adopting the newer lounge suit style.

The History of Savile Row

Author: James Shepard

Context:

Explicitly mentioned as 'a brilliant book' that the speaker read while researching, providing information about the early history of Savile Row including that it was initially occupied by doctors.

House of Nutter, the Rebel Tailor of Savile Row

Author: Lance Richardson

Context:

Explicitly described as 'a brilliant book' about Tommy Nutter, quoted to describe Nutter's limited technical tailoring skills and the revolutionary style of Nutters of Savile Row.

Around the World in Eighty Days

Author: Jules Verne

Context:

Referenced when discussing Savile Row's global reputation, noting that the fictional character Phileas Fogg lives at seven Savile Row.