All posts filed under “Uncategorized”

Student participating in a course learning bespoke tailoring
February 3, 2026

2026 Summer School

Our Summer School is an intensive class for those wishing to learn from the best: draft the cutting pattern, cut and tailor a classic, fully bespoke jacket at Savile Row standard, the highest level in the UK. The course offers 150+ hours of expert tuition at our state-of-the-art premises in Cheshire, England. It delivers rare, transferrable skills and the sought-after heritage techniques that are used by master craftspeople in both men’s and women’s tailoring. Please be aware we work in the metric system.

Entry requirement is prior sewing experience: we expect participants to be able to construct everyday garments and have experience with hand sewing. We use thimble* and needle for hand stitching tasks and advise that you familiarise yourself with these tools prior to the class. Previous experience in tailoring or knowledge in pattern drafting is not required. It is your responsibility to ensure you can work at the required level. Please contact us to discuss your circumstances if in doubt. No special adjustments can be made should you be unable to follow.

Also required for participation is a sewing kit including pins, needles (size 10 to 12) and a small pair of scissors. *Tailor’s thimbles can be purchased at Merchant & Mills or H. Webber & Sons. All other equipment, including heritage tailoring tools, mannequins, heavy tailoring irons and industrial sewing machinery is provided exclusively to each participant. A workbench is allocated to each student.

All materials, including a high-quality, British woven suiting cloth, linings and tailoring trimmings are included in the course fee. A complementary online pattern construction class will facilitate the drafting of your bespoke cutting pattern prior to the course start. You can choose to participate live, or use the recording we make available after the event. Full-scale pattern in hand, just turn up on the first day of the class, enjoy four weeks of tailoring at the highest level in the UK, and make friends in the process!

This year, for the first time, we provide optional accommodation with the class: four fully serviced, high quality apartments in walking distance to the academy. Measuring between 29 and 52 sqm they are exclusively available to our students during the month of August, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please click here for more information and contact details.

The Summer School is open to 18+ learners and takes place from Monday 27 July to Saturday 22 August 2026. The Course fee is £2,795 (incl. VAT). Class size is limited to only six participants to ensure a personal learning experience. Please click this link to apply for your place. We ask about your prior experience, preferred figure type and your chest and waist measurements. Please see our measuring guide for details.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with any queries you may have – we are here to help!


    January 13, 2026

    NEW: Kilt Making

    Officially recognised as an endangered craft by the Heritage Craft Foundation, kilt-making is characterised by a set of unique hand skills that only few craftspeople master today. This summer, we are exited to bring you these rare skills in an intensive two-week class, delivered by a Scottish kilt maker. Learn to hand-tailor a fully bespoke kilt for yourself, at the highest standard available in the UK. The class takes place at our workroom from 13 to 24 July.

    The course offers 70 hours of expert tuition at our state-of-the-art premises in Cheshire, England. Learn the sought-after techniques in a professional, supportive learning environment. Limited to only six participants, the class provides a rare opportunity to learn from the best and create a legacy kilt for yourself (or one lucky model) in the process. Intermediate garment making experience is required for participation. All materials are included.

    Pick your preferred cloth from a range of heritage Clan Tartans by House of Edgar and let us do the rest. Just turn up and enjoy two weeks of world-class tuition at our state-of-the-art workroom, making memories in the process! The course fee is £1,295 including all materials. You can find all details on Ticket Tailor, our booking platform.

    A student participating in Open Day 2025
    October 18, 2025

    Open Day 2025

    Thinking of a professional career in bespoke tailoring, film or stage production or high end fashion?

    The Level 5 Diploma in Bespoke Tailoring (RQF) is the ultimate in UK tailoring training: developed by the Savile Row Bespoke Association and the UK Fashion and Textile Association,  the qualification offers a modern day alternative to the traditional apprenticeship: vocational training at the highest level, with strong focus on practical skills.

    If you are interested in bespoke tailoring as a career path following a Level 3 qualification or equivalent (including informal prior learning), this could be the course for you! The full skill set is delivered in a structured curriculum, in just one year. Our graduates are highly sought after by bespoke tailoring houses, theatre, opera and film production, as a well as in high end fashion. Follow this link to see progression routes of previous students.

    Come and visit our studio for Open Day on Sat 22 November, meet students and tutors, get an overview of the programme and learn about funding options. And if you fancy a little practice right there and then, take part in our mini-workshop, where we teach you to stitch a hand buttonhole!

    Book your place by scanning the QR code or follow this link.

    Are you based outside the UK? You may be eligible for the Level 5 Diploma under the UK Youth Mobility Scheme. Alternatively, you may wish to consider applying for our International Program, which delivers the same curriculum, approved by UKFT. Please contact us below to arrange an online alternative to the Open Day.


      February 9, 2025

      The Factory Next Door

      I was intrigued to be invited to a chat with Steve Duke, BBC journalist and award-winning  podcaster on his show The Factory Next Door. He had already portrayed some of Britain’s greatest makers and producers, and was interested in the Tailoring Academy as the institution that teaches heritage bespoke tailoring skills at the highest level in the UK. He struck me as a natural ally in our pursuit of putting vocational education back on the nation’s radar.

      When Steve arrives, having climbed the four flights of stairs to the top of one of Macclesfield’s old silk mills, it’s like greeting an old friend. Being the pro he is, of course he has his microphone ready the instant he sets foot in the workroom. I’m notoriously queasy in any on-air scenario but somehow he manages to make this feel normality.

      And so the conversation starts, a meandering chat about all things tailoring, that time superstar tenor Pavarotti walked through the door and, of course, the making of a proper suit that lasts a lifetime. We also listen to a cameo recording of Duane MacLeod‘s account of his time at the academy and learn how he took his skills home to his small island community off the coast of Maine, to start his own bespoke tailoring business, aged 70 – what a legend! Reminiscing about past students and their achievements, I feel my chest swelling with pride.

      But when we eventually arrive at Steve’s final question ‘What’s next?’, I have trouble keeping my voice steady. Because next up are The Golden Shears Awards, the ‘Oscars of the Tailoring World’ and I have just been told two of our graduates who entered the prestigious contest have made it to the finals! Their work will be judged against stiff competition from Savile Row as well as Costume and Fashion Design colleges from around the country. For me, this means I need to get to work myself and make a proper suit, to wear at the awards next month.

      When you tune in to this episode, put your feet up, enjoy and please consider buying Steve a coffee, to help keeping this wonderful show on the road. And if you would like to learn more about how to become a proper bespoke tailor in 2025, why not share your own story below:


        December 15, 2024

        New Year, New Class

        Building on the success of our Online Tailoring class, which is dedicated to the classic bespoke jacket, and upon request from some of our most aspiring students, we designed a new course: from February 2025, we will once again take to Zoom, to teach you the pattern draft for and the construction of a pair of bespoke trousers.

        Limited to 12 students only, we will guide the class through the process step-by-step, over 18 weeks, with a fitting at the half-way point. The concept is tried and tested and, as before, we will make recordings available to participants who prefer to catch up in their own time. A chat channel with direct access to the course tutor is available, to support students with any queries that might come up between sessions.

        The course fee is £995 incl. VAT and includes comprehensive PDF literature, recordings of each live class and access to tutors between sessions. Places are allocated on a first come, first serve basis to eligible candidates.

        For all the relevant information and the booking form, visit the dedicated webpage or drop us a line below:


          Finalist of the Golden Shears Awards 2023
          October 28, 2024

          Victoria wins at Golden Shears!

          Victoria joined our class of 2022 with no formal previous experience, but a love for meticulous hand craft, a clear idea of what she wanted and determination to achieve that goal. Following her graduation, to nobody’s surprise, she signed with bespoke tailors Samuel Brothers, holders of a Royal Warrant and Tailors to King Charles III. One of her first jobs was to take measurements at Buckingham Palace, in preparation for the King’s coronation in May 2023.

          Before she committed herself to her role as tailor to the Royal Household, however, Victoria followed her ambition and entered the 2023 Golden Shears Awards, the famous competition between tailoring students and apprentices, also known as the ‘Oscars of the Tailoring World’. The rest is history: Victoria went on to win the Silver Shears as runner up in a prestigious field of 20 finalists. Following her success at the awards, Victoria reflects on her journey:

          “If anyone had told me a couple of years ago that I would be where I am now, I wouldn’t have believed them. To be honest, I still keep pinching myself. Looking back to the time when I made my life-changing decision to apply for a place on the Level 5 Diploma course, I couldn’t have chosen a better path to enter the tailoring world. For me, the ultimate beauty of the course was in the structured way of providing information – something that made it stand out from other options. All of the scattered pieces of knowledge that I gained from so many step-by-step tutorials were topped with bespoke techniques and assembled in a foundation, upon which I can confidently build anything.”

          Are you interested in starting your tailoring journey? Get in touch below:


            An under collar, marked for proposed adjustments following the forward fitting.
            October 26, 2024

            Online Tailoring

            Can it be done on screen? That is the question when considering an online course, especially learning practical skills. Having had to switch to remote delivery during the pandemic, we learned there are even upsides to learning on screen: we now use ‘Zoom-in-the-Room’ even for classroom demos. Our full-time students never miss a detail as every process step is shown close-up. Any queries are directly addressed via the interconnected sound system.

            The same applies to Online Tailoring, a class attended by students from around the world: they either follow live every Friday, or catch up using the recording we provide. Between sessions, they discuss queries with tutors using our dedicated chat channel. Over the course of a year, our students learn to draft, cut and tailor a bespoke jacket from beginning to end! But don’t take our word for it. Here is Justin, student on the course, on his experience:

            “The course is well structured and the quality of teaching is excellent. Every point is carefully explained, time is always made for questions, and tutors take real interest in students’ progress. The presentation of content is excellent and the online experience has been carefully considered.

            The recordings allow me to recap and the well monitored chat forum makes me feel part of a real class. The dedication for teaching really shines through as praise and encouragement. I will benefit this experience long into the future. If you are interested in bespoke tailoring, you could not choose a better course.”
             Photo credit: Titilayo Okujago

            Once he had completed the 34-week course, Justin chose to stay on programme: he enrolled on our full-time
            Level 5 Diploma course, to qualify as bespoke cutter and tailor under the Regulated Qualification Framework.

            Our next Online Tailoring class starts 12th September 2025. Get in touch if you are interested:


              October 19, 2024

              Bespoke Ingenuity

              One of the most pertinent questions to ask when embarking on a course of study is ‘Where will it lead me?’
              Well, Duane MacLeod, 2023 graduate of our first intake for the International Programme, has just shown how he puts his new skills into practice, in the most fulfilling way: by starting his own business.

              As reported in the fall edition of Threads Magazine and also picked up by Robb Report, since leaving the academy, Duane didn’t miss a beat: along with his new company Hold Fast Bespoke, he set up his tailoring workshop, kitting it out with the tools and equipment he had become familiar with during his time in our workroom, and got to work.

              Using the industry contacts he established during his time in Britain, he was able to liaise with suppliers he knew would provide him with the heritage cloth and trimmings he had become accustomed to work with: custom coated wool cloth from Holland & Sherry in the Scottish Borders region and horse hair canvas from Dugdale Bros in West Yorkshire, to name just a few.

              Linking up with long-standing clothiers David Wood in his local Portland, Maine, Duane was able to take his bespoke offer to a wider audience, and is now catering for discerning customers appreciative of his unique skills set. Duane’s hand-sewn, fully canvassed jackets now start at $3,200, with accompanying trousers at $1,350.
              If that isn’t making good use of talent, ingenuity and competence, we don’t know what is.

              Where would your tailoring journey take you? Get in touch and let us know: