Hawes & Curtis

Hawes & Curtis is a British fashion and tailoring company established in London in 1913 by tailors Ralph Hawes and George Frederic “Freddie” Curtis. The founders opened their first shop in Piccadilly Arcade, near Jermyn Street, an area that became closely associated with British shirtmaking and traditional menswear. From its early years, the company concentrated on shirts, evening dress and other formal garments, developing a reputation among aristocratic and fashionable customers for technically precise construction and classic styling. The brand’s early history is closely connected with the British royal household. Hawes & Curtis Hosiers received a royal warrant from the then Prince of Wales on 1 December 1922. A second warrant was granted by King George VI in 1938, followed by another in 1948 for Hawes & Curtis Tailors. The company subsequently received a warrant from the Duke of Edinburgh in 1957, which remained in place until 1985. These appointments helped establish the company’s heritage credentials, although the warrants are historical rather than a current indication of royal patronage. Hawes & Curtis became particularly associated with eveningwear and innovations intended to improve the fit and comfort of formal clothing. It is credited with introducing a backless evening waistcoat, a design associated with the “dress soft” approach popularized by the Duke of Windsor. The garment used bands fastened across the back to keep the waistcoat in position beneath a tailcoat while reducing bulk and discomfort. Historical accounts also describe Freddie Curtis as an authority on evening dress and praise the mathematical precision of the company’s shirts and waistcoats. The brand’s reported customers have included the Duke of Windsor, Cary Grant, Earl Mountbatten, Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire. These associations place Hawes & Curtis within the tradition of London formalwear houses serving public figures, entertainers and members of the British elite. They should be understood as historical customer associations rather than evidence of current endorsements. In 2002, businessman Touker Suleyman acquired the company through Low Profile Holdings for the symbolic amount of £1. Under subsequent ownership, Hawes & Curtis continued as a retail-led menswear business while retaining its emphasis on traditional shirts, jackets, formalwear and accessories. The company marked its centenary in October 2013. According to the referenced Wikipedia account, it operates 29 stores in the United Kingdom, including two on Jermyn Street, and has expanded its physical and digital presence beyond Britain, including a store in Cologne and operations serving customers in Germany, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. Today, Hawes & Curtis is positioned as a heritage-inspired, accessible-to-premium British formalwear brand. Its assortment centers on business and occasion shirts, jackets, suits and accessories, supported by online retail and international websites. The company’s identity rests on London tailoring heritage, formal dressing expertise, royal-warrant history and recognizable classic styling rather than on mass-market casualwear or performance apparel.

Hawes & Curtis was founded in London in 1913 by Ralph Hawes and George Frederic “Freddie” Curtis, two tailors who opened their first premises in Piccadilly Arcade at the corner of Jermyn Street. The location placed the new business in one of London’s established centers of traditional menswear and shirtmaking. The company developed around shirts, tailoring and formal dress, with Freddie Curtis becoming associated with technical expertise in eveningwear and the fit of formal garments. The company’s historical reputation was strengthened by a sequence of royal warrants. Hawes & Curtis Hosiers received a warrant from the Prince of Wales on 1 December 1922. King George VI granted a second warrant in July 1938 and a third in 1948 to Hawes & Curtis Tailors. In 1957, the Duke of Edinburgh granted a fourth warrant, which remained in place until 1985. These warrants reflected the company’s place in the royal and aristocratic formalwear market during the twentieth century. Hawes & Curtis is also associated with the development of the backless evening waistcoat. The design emerged during the period when the Duke of Windsor helped popularize softer, less restrictive formal dress. By removing the conventional back and securing the garment with bands and a buckle or button, the waistcoat could remain stable beneath a tailcoat while improving comfort. Historical accounts identify the company as an important specialist in evening dress and describe its shirt and waistcoat construction as both mathematically precise and fashionable. The brand’s reported customers included the Duke of Windsor, Cary Grant, Earl Mountbatten, Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire. In 2002, Touker Suleyman acquired Hawes & Curtis through Low Profile Holdings for £1. The acquisition marked a change in ownership while leaving the brand’s core identity rooted in British shirtmaking and formalwear. Hawes & Curtis later continued to develop as a retail and e-commerce business, maintaining stores in the United Kingdom and expanding its customer reach through websites serving Britain, Germany and Australia, as well as activity in the United Arab Emirates. The company celebrated its centenary in October 2013. The referenced account describes a network of 29 United Kingdom stores, including two on Jermyn Street, together with a store in Cologne, Germany. Its modern assortment remains centered on shirts and jackets, supported by suits, formal garments, ties and other accessories. The business therefore combines heritage signals—London origins, royal-warrant history, classic formalwear and celebrity associations—with a contemporary multi-channel retail model.

• 2013

  Centenary celebration

  [1]Hawes & Curtisen.wikipedia.org

  Hawes & Curtis celebrated 100 years in business in October.

• 2002

  Acquisition by Touker Suleyman

  [1]Hawes & Curtisen.wikipedia.org

  Touker Suleyman acquired the company through Low Profile Holdings for a symbolic £1.

• 1957

  Fourth royal warrant

  [1]Hawes & Curtisen.wikipedia.org

  The Duke of Edinburgh granted Hawes & Curtis a royal warrant that lasted until 1985.

• 1948

  Warrant granted to Hawes & Curtis Tailors

  [1]Hawes & Curtisen.wikipedia.org

  A third royal warrant was granted and remained in place during King George VI’s reign.

• 1938

  Second royal warrant

  [1]Hawes & Curtisen.wikipedia.org

  King George VI awarded the company another royal warrant.

• 1922

  First royal warrant

  [1]Hawes & Curtisen.wikipedia.org

  Hawes & Curtis Hosiers received a royal warrant from the then Prince of Wales on 1 December.

• 1913

  Company founded in London

  [1]Hawes & Curtisen.wikipedia.org

  Ralph Hawes and George Frederic “Freddie” Curtis established the company and opened its first shop in Piccadilly Arcade near Jermyn Street.

British heritage menswear positioned around classic shirts, formalwear and accessible-to-premium tailoring.

• Shirts

  Dress shirts

  Dress shirts are the brand’s central product category and reflect its historical specialization in formal British shirting. The range is associated with structured collars, classic fabrics and styling intended for business suits, evening dress and other formal settings.

• Shirts

  Business shirts

  Business shirts extend the company’s traditional shirtmaking proposition into everyday office and professional wardrobes. They are designed to work with tailoring and ties while retaining the restrained, conventional appearance associated with British menswear.

• Tailoring

  Jackets and tailoring

  Jackets and related tailoring broaden Hawes & Curtis beyond its shirt heritage. The category supports formal and business dressing through classic silhouettes intended to coordinate with the company’s shirts, trousers and accessories.

• Formalwear

  Suits and formalwear

  Formalwear represents the company’s long-standing connection with evening dress and ceremonial clothing. Its historical tailoring reputation includes evening shirts, waistcoats and garments designed to be worn with traditional formal dress.

• Accessories

  Ties and accessories

  Ties and accessories complement the brand’s shirt and tailoring offer, providing finishing pieces for business, formal and occasion wardrobes. They reinforce Hawes & Curtis’s positioning as a complete classic menswear destination.

• Formalwear innovation

  Backless evening waistcoat

  The backless evening waistcoat is a historically significant design associated with Hawes & Curtis. Bands secured across the back held the waistcoat in place beneath a tailcoat while reducing bulk and improving comfort. It is best understood as a heritage innovation rather than a confirmed current product line.

• 2002

  Acquisition through Low Profile HoldingsM&A

  Background

  Hawes & Curtis changed ownership when businessman Touker Suleyman acquired the company through Low Profile Holdings.

  Action taken

  The company was purchased for the symbolic amount of £1.

  Aftermath

  The brand continued operating as a British shirt and formalwear business under the new ownership.

  Acquisition price. £1 (2002)

  Source

1. 1Hawes & Curtisen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Hawes & Curtis official websitehawesandcurtis.co.uk