Dege & Skinner
Corporate brand
UnclaimedDege & Skinner is a historic London bespoke tailor and shirt-maker specializing in gentleman's clothing, military uniforms, and related formalwear.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Dege & Skinner is an English bespoke gentleman's tailor and shirt-maker based at 10 Savile Row in London. Established in 1865 as J. Dege & Sons, the firm is among the oldest continuously operating bespoke tailoring businesses associated with Savile Row. Its work combines traditional hand-cut and hand-finished tailoring with a business that serves private clients, military institutions, royal households, and international customers. The company's early business was strongly connected to the British Army and Royal Navy. That military specialization helped establish relationships with the British establishment and the British royal family, while also giving the firm expertise in the construction of ceremonial and service uniforms. Dege & Skinner has continued to make military and state-related clothing alongside civilian tailoring. Its historical work includes dressing Peers of the Realm for Queen Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation, producing uniforms for the Royal Oman Police's first camel-mounted pipe band, and making the Blues & Royals uniform worn by Prince Harry at his 2018 wedding. In 2023, the firm made a doeskin tunic for Prince Louis for the coronation of King Charles III. The firm's present identity developed through the long involvement of the Skinner family. William Skinner Jr., known as Tim, joined in 1916 and later assumed control of the business. Michael Skinner, who joined the trade in the 1950s, became managing director in 1970 and later chairman. His son William G. Skinner joined in 1992, entered the board in 1997, became managing director in 2001, and later served as chairman of the Savile Row Bespoke Association. This succession made the company a multigenerational tailoring business rather than a fashion label built around seasonal designers. Dege & Skinner has also expanded its customer reach without abandoning bespoke production. The company began holding trunk shows in northern England and Scotland in 1928 and developed overseas client visits, including regular travel to the United States. Almost half of its customers have historically been based outside the United Kingdom. In 1977 it signed its first design contract in Japan, and in 2003 it entered a licensing arrangement with Ohga Co. Ltd. for Dege & Skinner-branded clothing in Japan. The firm operates across several tiers of clothing. Bespoke tailoring remains central, with garments individually cut and made for a client. Bespoke shirt-making is a particular point of distinction: in 1994 Dege & Skinner opened what it described as Savile Row's first permanent on-site bespoke shirt-cutting service. Since 2014, the business has also sold ready-to-wear clothing, giving customers an option beyond fully individualized commissions. Its offering is complemented by military tailoring and ceremonial uniforms. Dege & Skinner has held royal warrants connected with the Sultan of Oman, the King of Bahrain, and Queen Elizabeth II. The firm's royal and institutional associations, its Savile Row location, and its emphasis on traditional craftsmanship position it as a heritage luxury tailoring house. It is not a mass-market apparel company or a department-store private label; its relevance lies in bespoke clothing, formal dress, military uniform expertise, and continuity of craft practice.
History
Dege & Skinner traces its origins to 1865, when it was established as J. Dege & Sons. From the beginning, the firm's work was closely associated with the clothing requirements of the British Army and Royal Navy. This institutional foundation distinguished it from civilian-only tailoring houses and contributed to later relationships with royal and governmental circles. William Skinner Jr., known as Tim, joined the firm in 1916 and eventually took over the business. In 1928, the company began presenting trunk shows in northern England and Scotland, extending its services beyond London. Its connection with royal ceremonial clothing became particularly visible in 1953, when Dege & Skinner dressed the Peers of the Realm for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. The same year, Tim Skinner became a grantee of a royal warrant from the Queen. Michael Skinner entered the trade during the 1950s. He received a tailoring qualification in 1956 and began formal cutter training at the Tailor & Cutter Academy in 1957. His first overseas customer visit to the United States took place in 1964, beginning an international client-service practice that continued through later decades. In 1967, the firm acquired Rogers, John Jones Ltd., and Michael Skinner became managing director in 1970. The company continued to participate in the development of professional tailoring. Its Delta Line suit style was introduced at the 1975 World Congress of Master Tailors in Rome, and in 1977 it signed its first design contract in Japan. Dege & Skinner also undertook specialist uniform work, including the design and manufacture of uniforms for the first camel-mounted pipe band of the Royal Oman Police in 1985. The firm moved to 10 Savile Row in 1989, the location it continues to use. This address became important to its modern identity and its ability to combine traditional cutting with an on-premises customer experience. In 1992, Michael Skinner's son William G. Skinner joined the family business. In 1994, Dege & Skinner introduced a permanent bespoke shirt-cutting service inside the Savile Row premises, described by the company as the Row's first permanent on-site bespoke shirt service. William G. Skinner joined the board in 1997. In 2000, the trading name changed from J. Dege & Sons Ltd. to Dege & Skinner. Michael Skinner became president of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, and in 2001 William G. Skinner became managing director while Michael became chairman. The transition represented the continuation of the Skinner family's role in the business into a new generation. In 2003, Dege & Skinner signed a licensing agreement with Ohga Co. Ltd. to produce and sell branded clothing in Japan. The company was also a founding member of the Savile Row Bespoke Association when that organization launched in 2004. Michael Skinner's professional standing extended beyond the company. In 2004 he became Master of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, reportedly the first practicing tailor in more than three centuries to hold that position. He later served as president of the Windsor, Eton & District Royal Warrant Holders Association. William G. Skinner chaired the Savile Row Bespoke Association from 2016 to 2021. The company broadened its commercial offer in 2014 by adding ready-to-wear clothing to its established bespoke tailoring, shirt-making, and military businesses. It nevertheless retained bespoke work as its defining activity. Dege & Skinner's continuing royal and institutional profile was reinforced by garments made for prominent occasions. In 2018, it made Prince Harry's Blues & Royals uniform and miniature uniforms for page boys. In 2022, the firm's managing director appeared in the documentary Quintessentially British. In 2023, the company made a doeskin tunic for Prince Louis for the coronation of King Charles III. The firm remains an active Savile Row tailoring house serving British and overseas customers.
- 2023
Coronation tunic for Prince Louis
[1]The firm made a doeskin tunic for Prince Louis for King Charles III's coronation.
- 2018
Royal wedding uniform
[1]Dege & Skinner made Prince Harry's Blues & Royals uniform and miniature replicas for page boys.
- 2014
Ready-to-wear collection introduced
[1]The firm began selling ready-to-wear clothing alongside bespoke and shirt-making services.
- 2003
Japanese licensing agreement
[1]The company signed a licensing contract with Ohga Co. Ltd. for Dege & Skinner clothing in Japan.
- 2001
William G. Skinner becomes managing director
[1]William G. Skinner became managing director, while Michael Skinner became chairman.
- 2000
Trading name becomes Dege & Skinner
[1]The legal trading identity changed from J. Dege & Sons Ltd. to Dege & Skinner.
- 1994
Permanent bespoke shirt service introduced
[1]Dege & Skinner opened a permanent bespoke shirt-cutting service within its Savile Row shop.
- 1989
Move to 10 Savile Row
[1]The firm relocated to its current trading premises at 10 Savile Row, London.
- 1977
First Japanese design contract
[1]The company signed its first design contract in Japan.
- 1967
Acquisition of Rogers, John Jones Ltd.
[1]Dege & Skinner acquired the tailoring business Rogers, John Jones Ltd.
Products and positioning
A heritage Savile Row bespoke tailor positioned around traditional craftsmanship, individualized service, military and ceremonial expertise, royal associations, and international private-client relationships.
Bespoke menswear · 1865
Bespoke gentleman's tailoring
The firm's core service is individually commissioned men's tailoring. Garments are cut for a specific client and made through the traditional Savile Row bespoke process. The service covers suits, jackets, trousers, and other formal wardrobe pieces, with fittings and adjustments used to refine the shape, balance, and finish of each garment.
Shirting · 1994
Bespoke shirts
Dege & Skinner operates a dedicated bespoke shirt service at its 10 Savile Row premises. Introduced as a permanent on-site shirt-cutting service in 1994, it provides individually specified shirts made around the customer's measurements and preferences. The service forms a distinctive part of the firm's offer alongside suit and uniform tailoring.
Uniform tailoring · 1865
Military and ceremonial uniforms
The company has longstanding expertise in military and ceremonial clothing developed from its historical work for the British Army and Royal Navy. Its documented commissions include uniforms for the Royal Oman Police's camel-mounted pipe band, the Blues & Royals uniform worn by Prince Harry, and coronation-related garments. These projects require specialist construction, formal insignia placement, and adherence to institutional dress requirements.
Ready-to-wear menswear · 2014
Ready-to-wear collection
Since 2014, Dege & Skinner has offered ready-to-wear clothing in addition to bespoke tailoring and shirt-making. The collection gives customers access to the firm's house identity without commissioning a fully individual garment. It complements rather than replaces the company's bespoke and military businesses.
Licensed apparel · 2003
Dege & Skinner Japan licensed clothing
Under a 2003 agreement with Ohga Co. Ltd., Dege & Skinner-branded clothing was produced and sold under license in Japan. The arrangement extended the name into a market where the company had already established design and customer relationships.
Brand decisions
2014
Expansion into ready-to-wearProduct launchBackground
The firm's established activities centered on bespoke tailoring, bespoke shirts, and military clothing.
Action taken
Dege & Skinner added a ready-to-wear collection to its product offer.
Aftermath
The business could serve customers seeking the house's style without ordering a fully bespoke garment.
2003
Japanese licensing partnershipM&ABackground
The business had developed overseas relationships and had signed a design contract in Japan in 1977.
Action taken
Dege & Skinner signed a licensing contract with Ohga Co. Ltd. to make and sell branded clothing in Japan.
Aftermath
The licensing arrangement was reported as continuing, extending the brand's presence in Japan.
1994
Permanent bespoke shirt serviceProduct launchBackground
The company sought to broaden its specialist offering while retaining bespoke production at its Savile Row premises.
Action taken
It launched a permanent on-site bespoke shirt-cutting service.
Aftermath
Bespoke shirting became a prominent standalone part of the company's service portfolio.
1989
Relocation to 10 Savile RowStrategyBackground
The firm had operated as a long-established English tailoring business and moved to a permanent address on Savile Row.
Action taken
Dege & Skinner relocated its trading operations to 10 Savile Row, London.
Aftermath
The address became the firm's continuing London base and a central part of its Savile Row identity.
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