Inside the Shop IV: Ede & Ravenscroft Oxford

Ede & Ravenscroft's Oxford shop is one of those rare establishments one finds which simply exudes character. Tucked away between a pair of beautiful aged oak mullioned windows, one enters into a deeply comforting and traditional space filled with ornate oak panelling and exquisite Persian rugs - the architecture of which doesn't appear to have changed for the best part of a hundred years.

That's about the age of the store now too. The shop was first occupied in its current form by what was by all accounts an extremely charming independent country tailors founded during the early years of the twentieth century named 'Hall Brothers'. Hall Bros. was bought by Ede & Ravenscroft in the mid eighties, and Ede & Ravenscroft retained the store's original character, its purpose as a tailoring establishment and many of Hall Bros. staff. As we wander through the oaken doorways which separate the casual and formalwear departments, Assistant Manager Andrew Manning is keen to show me the thoroughly retro photographs in pride of place, depicting Mr. Carter (the shop's previous owner) and his bespoke tailoring in all its glory during the mid 40s. Similar photographs and fashion plates which Andrew charmingly refers to as 'the store's living history' decorate each and all of the shop's nooks and crannies and certainly bring home to the curious customer the rich history of the shop. They also reveal the origins of Ede & Ravenscroft itself; a number of ancient illustrations of the academic, legal and clerical robes which were the original products of Ede & Ravenscroft adorn the walls too. The company was formed in 1689, not as a civilian tailors, but as a specialist robe makers, this being something which the firm still specialises in today. Indeed, so great is the firm's specialist knowledge that Ede & Ravenscroft can claim to have provided ceremonial robes for the coronation of almost every British monarch over the last three hundred years.

Towards the rear of the store in the made-to-measure department, alongside the wealth of swatch books, tape measures and shirting collar samples stand three framed letters sent to the store both from the Principals of Magdalen and Balliol colleges and from none other than the Prince of Wales, all of which are thanking the late Mr. Carter for his services. Hall Bros. is thought to have been the very creator of the infamous 1920s 'Oxford bags', an attribution which Ede & Ravenscroft guard proudly to this day. Readers will see in my forthcoming article on the company's recent London Collections: Men presentation that next year's spring/summer collection will feature a number of rather lovely linen Oxford Bags, the designs of which come directly from the Hall Brothers archives.

Andrew and I return to the front of the store and talk through a few of his favourite pieces of the moment. 'One piece I've particularly enjoyed this season is our new Edinburgh contemporary fit two piece' - Andrew shows me a handsome, lightweight suit cut in a rich, glossy indigo plainweave which I've admired in the shop window many times before. 'The Edinburgh cut is perfect for this season. It still has structure but the chest piece is lighter and the shoulder has a slightly softer roll.' The suit also features single button closure, a slighter closer cut than Ede & Ravenscroft's classic block and more suppression in the waist for a marvellously elegant and effortless summer suit.

It is at this point that Andrew confidentially imparts to me the secret of the company's mastery of understated elegance: 'we try to put only one piece of extravagant design into each garment. On this, because the cloth is very rich in colour, the cut must remain understated. If we started adding ticket pockets or huge peaked lapels, the suit's understated quality would be lost'. This attitude is what makes Ede & Ravenscroft such a wonderful modern gentleman's outfitter - every piece is thought through meticulously and is intended to provide an effortlessly elegant product for the customer - something which can be worn with confidence and the minimum of effort, to produce a very stylish, easy sartorial aesthetic.

The company's new 'Urban Tweeds' are the ideal example of this easy sartorial style. Proudly displayed on mannequins throughout the Oxford shop are a number of lightweight tweed jackets, made up once more in softly structured, contemporary cuts, this time from beautifully soft milled tweeds, woven exclusively for Ede & Ravenscroft by the prestigious Scottish tweed specialists Lovatt, in warm blues and greys. The result is a highly versatile jacket, ideal for wearing in all seasons and environments - hence the concept of its being an 'urban' tweed for use in town as well as country. Perfect for the debonair, modern gentleman.

It is highly exciting to sense the company's pride in its extraordinary history and heritage, but also exciting is the sense that Ede & Ravenscroft is focused on transforming itself into the quintessential modern outfitter, one which is seeking not just to provide traditional clothing, but to mix tradition with the contemporary and with modern menswear design. The Oxford shop epitomises this combination, filled with archival material and oozing a palpable sense of history and heritage, whilst catering to the quintessentially modern, forward thinking gentleman.

www.edeandravenscroft.co.uk