Savile Row fights to stay relevant as suits in menswear fall out of fashion

The boundaries are blurred now between the office and the outside world. Photo: Instagram/Edward Sexton

When the governor of the Bank of England stood up to address 300 City bigwigs last month, there was a striking difference from previous Mansion House dinners – no-one was wearing black-tie.

The historic relaxation of one of London’s stuffiest dress codes was a relief to many attendees after temperatures struck a record-breaking 40 degrees Celsius earlier in the day. But heat waves and increasingly casual fashion habits pose a headache to one of the capital’s best-known industries on the other side of town: the tailors of Savile Row.