E. Tautz & Sons

E. Tautz & Sons was a London menswear brand established by Edward Tautz in 1867. Its original premises were on Oxford Street in the West End, initially at 249 Oxford Street and later at number 485 following the street's renumbering. Tautz had previously worked as head cutter, or foreman, for the sporting tailor Hammond & Co., also located on Oxford Street. His experience shaped the new business's emphasis on practical clothing for sport, country pursuits and military use. The firm became E. Tautz & Sons in 1875, when Edward Tautz brought his son Frederick George Tautz into the business. It developed a particular reputation for breeches and other garments associated with riding, hunting and outdoor activity. Historical descriptions characterized the company as serving the hunting field and military customers, while also identifying it as a military tailor and wholesale tailor. The brand's expertise in trousers and sporting garments was sufficiently distinctive that Edward Tautz took legal action against counterfeiters. In 1886, he successfully established in court that a particular style of knickerbocker breeches was his original design. The label attracted prominent customers. Records indicate that Winston Churchill bought clothing from the firm between 1895 and 1897, spending a recorded total of £144 on breeches and trousers. American sportsman and public figure Anthony J. Drexel Biddle was also identified as a Tautz customer. The original Oxford Street premises were destroyed by a major fire in 1898, after which the company publicly announced that its premises had been completely destroyed. In 1968, E. Tautz was acquired by Norton & Sons, the established Savile Row tailoring house. The Tautz name subsequently remained connected to Norton & Sons rather than operating as an entirely independent company. A later revival began after entrepreneur Patrick Grant acquired Norton & Sons in 2005. Grant had come from a telecommunications background and did not initially have professional experience in fashion or tailoring, but he revived the long-dormant E. Tautz name as a ready-to-wear collection in 2009. The modern collection interpreted the label's sporting and military heritage through contemporary menswear. It combined the cutting traditions associated with Savile Row with practical, relatively simple garments, including shirts, trousers, outerwear, hats and scarves. The business stated that many products were manufactured in the United Kingdom and presented the collection as clothing made with an emphasis on workmanship rather than trend-driven fashion. The relaunch also involved collaborations with British designers including Kim Jones, Giles Deacon, Richard Nicoll and Christopher Kane. E. Tautz ultimately remained a specialist menswear label rather than becoming a large international fashion group. Its modern identity rested on the continuity between its Victorian sporting-tailoring origins, Norton & Sons' Savile Row heritage and Grant's interest in straightforward British-made clothing. The company was wound up voluntarily on 21 February 2022, bringing the brand's modern operating life to an end.

Edward Tautz founded the business in London in 1867 after working as head cutter, or foreman, at Hammond & Co., a sporting tailor on Oxford Street. He opened his own establishment at 249 Oxford Street, a prominent West End location that was later renumbered 485 Oxford Street. From the beginning, the business concentrated on clothing for sporting and outdoor activities rather than general civilian tailoring. In 1875, Edward Tautz brought his son Frederick George Tautz into the business, and the firm adopted the name E. Tautz & Sons. The company became particularly associated with breeches, trousers and garments for hunting, riding and military customers. Its historical clientele and trade descriptions positioned it as both a sporting specialist and a military tailor. The firm also operated as a wholesale tailor, indicating that its business extended beyond direct retail sales. Tautz defended the distinctiveness of its designs. In 1886, Edward Tautz brought a case concerning an original style of knickerbocker breeches and established his design rights in court. The episode reflects the commercial value of recognizable sporting garments in the late nineteenth-century clothing trade and the company's concern that competitors should not imitate its products. The firm counted notable customers among its clientele. Winston Churchill purchased garments from E. Tautz during the period from 1895 to 1897, with surviving records indicating expenditure of £144 on breeches and trousers. Anthony J. Drexel Biddle was also identified as a customer. In 1898, the Oxford Street premises suffered a devastating fire. Contemporary company communication stated that the premises had been completely destroyed, marking a major disruption in the history of the original retail operation. A significant ownership change occurred in 1968, when E. Tautz was acquired by Norton & Sons, a Savile Row tailoring firm. This connected the sporting label to one of London's established bespoke tailoring houses and preserved the Tautz name within a wider tailoring business. The label later became dormant or comparatively low-profile. Patrick Grant acquired Norton & Sons in 2005. Grant had previously worked in telecommunications and entered the business without a conventional fashion or tailoring background. Under his ownership, the E. Tautz name was revived in 2009 as a ready-to-wear collection. The relaunch translated the historical brand codes into contemporary menswear and involved work with British designers Kim Jones, Giles Deacon, Richard Nicoll and Christopher Kane. The revived label emphasized simple garments, handwork and United Kingdom production. Its stated design approach combined Savile Row cutting with the sporting and military traditions associated with the original company. The range included shirts, trousers, outerwear and accessories such as hats and scarves, alongside the brand's historically important breeches and sporting trousers. Rather than presenting itself as a mass-market fashion label, E. Tautz operated as a specialist heritage menswear brand with a strong British manufacturing and tailoring narrative. The modern company was ultimately wound up voluntarily on 21 February 2022. As a result, E. Tautz & Sons is now a defunct brand and historical label. Its legacy rests on its long association with British sporting dress, its Oxford Street origins, its connection to military clothing, its later relationship with Norton & Sons and its early twenty-first-century revival as a British-made ready-to-wear collection.

• 2022

  Voluntary winding-up

  [1]E. Tautz & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  E. Tautz & Sons was wound up voluntarily on 21 February 2022.

• 2009

  Ready-to-wear relaunch

  [1]E. Tautz & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Norton & Sons relaunched E. Tautz as a ready-to-wear collection with input from several British designers.

• 2005

  Patrick Grant acquires Norton & Sons

  [1]E. Tautz & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Patrick Grant acquired Norton & Sons, bringing the E. Tautz name under his ownership and creating the basis for its later revival.

• 1968

  Acquisition by Norton & Sons

  [1]E. Tautz & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  The historic label was acquired by the Savile Row firm Norton & Sons.

• 1898

  Oxford Street premises destroyed by fire

  [1]E. Tautz & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  A fire destroyed the company's Oxford Street premises.

• 1886

  Court recognition of a breeches design

  [1]E. Tautz & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Edward Tautz established in court that a particular knickerbocker-breeches style was an original design associated with his business.

• 1875

  The firm becomes E. Tautz & Sons

  [1]E. Tautz & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Edward Tautz's son Frederick George Tautz joined the business, which adopted the E. Tautz & Sons name.

• 1867

  Edward Tautz establishes the business

  [1]E. Tautz & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Edward Tautz founded the business at 249 Oxford Street in London's West End after working as head cutter at Hammond & Co.

A heritage British menswear label combining sporting and military clothing traditions with Savile Row tailoring, practical design and predominantly United Kingdom manufacturing.

• Sporting trousers · 1867

  Breeches

  Breeches were central to E. Tautz's original reputation. The firm served sporting and military customers and became particularly associated with garments designed for riding, hunting and other outdoor pursuits. Its historical specialization included knickerbocker breeches, one design of which Edward Tautz defended successfully in court in 1886.

• Menswear · 1867

  Trousers

  Trousers were a longstanding part of the label's sporting and military tailoring offer. The company was described historically as a breeches and trousers maker, and Winston Churchill's recorded purchases from the firm included both categories. Trousers also remained part of the modern ready-to-wear collection after the brand's revival.

• Contemporary menswear · 2009

  Ready-to-wear menswear

  The 2009 relaunch converted E. Tautz's heritage into a modern ready-to-wear line. The collection emphasized simple, practical garments influenced by Savile Row cutting and the brand's sporting and military history. It included shirts, trousers, outerwear and accessories and was presented as predominantly made in the United Kingdom.

• Menswear · 2009

  Shirts and outerwear

  Shirts and outerwear formed part of the modern E. Tautz assortment. These products extended the label beyond its historical trouser and breeches specialization while retaining an emphasis on functional British menswear, understated design and the brand's sporting and military references.

• Accessories · 2009

  Hats and scarves

  The revived collection also offered accessories including hats and scarves. These items supported the broader ready-to-wear wardrobe and carried the same heritage-oriented positioning as the clothing line.

• 2022

  Voluntary winding-up of the businessStrategy

  Background

  The revived E. Tautz operation remained a specialist menswear business rather than a large-scale fashion company.

  Action taken

  The company was wound up voluntarily on 21 February 2022.

  Aftermath

  E. Tautz & Sons ceased operating as an active brand and remains a historical British menswear label.

  Source

• 2009

  Revival as a ready-to-wear labelProduct launch

  Background

  After Patrick Grant acquired Norton & Sons in 2005, the long-dormant E. Tautz name was available for reinterpretation within a modern menswear business.

  Action taken

  Norton & Sons relaunched E. Tautz as a ready-to-wear collection, working with designers including Kim Jones, Giles Deacon, Richard Nicoll and Christopher Kane.

  Aftermath

  The brand returned to the market with shirts, trousers, outerwear and accessories, using British manufacturing and a blend of Savile Row, sporting and military references.

  Source

• 1968

  Transfer of the label to Norton & SonsM&A

  Background

  E. Tautz had developed as a specialist sporting and military menswear business before being acquired by the established Savile Row firm Norton & Sons.

  Action taken

  Norton & Sons acquired the E. Tautz label and incorporated it into its broader tailoring business.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition linked E. Tautz's sporting heritage with Norton & Sons' Savile Row tailoring identity and preserved the name for a later revival.

  Source

1. 1E. Tautz & Sonsen.wikipedia.org