As a child, Phoebe Gormley would watch in fascination as her grandmother, a talented seamstress in South Africa, used her sewing skills to turn fabric into beautiful well-fitting garments. Watching her grandmother’s meticulous work instilled Phoebe with such a deep love for tailoring that she would go on to become the first women’s only tailor in the whole history of Savile Row.
Aged around 14, Phoebe started making clothes for herself by cutting up her dad’s unwanted suits. “I remember walking around feeling like I had created something amazing!” she laughs. When someone told her that she should aim for Savile Row, the seed was planted for what would eventually become Gormley & Gamble, the first Savile Row tailor’s run exclusively by women for women.
Knowing from a young age that tailoring was the path she wanted to follow, Phoebe started applying for internships as soon as she could and spent several summers working on Savile Row and Jermyn Street. After finishing school, she enrolled in a university course on bespoke costume design.
“I quickly realised I wasn’t the type of person who could sit in a classroom for too long. I told my parents I wasn’t happy and wanted to learn quickly and do something bigger than I could at university.” Phoebe convinced her parents to support her decision to drop out of university and to invest her tuition fees into starting her own womenswear tailoring business instead. This was ‘the gamble‘ in Gormley & Gamble.
“I was told women were ‘too challenging to please’ – but that only made me more determined to prove them wrong. I knew there was a real need for women to have access to the same level of tailoring that men had.”
When Phoebe arrived in London, she set up shop in a co-working space in Bank and focused all her energy on building a client base. “I reached out to everyone I knew and asked if they had any female friends or colleagues who were over 6ft tall. My thinking was that taller women often struggled with ‘ankle-bashing’ trousers, and they’d immediately understand the value of a bespoke suit.”
There was a real need for women to have access to the same level of tailoring that men had
She was right. Phoebe found clients who believed in her vision, but the pivotal moment came when she told James Sleater, co-founder of Cad & the Dandy, that her dream was to be on Savile Row. His reply – ‘We have a big shop; we can make space for you.’ So, in the autumn of 2015, the dream became reality.
Gormley & Gamble has now been creating bespoke perfectly fitting tailored garments that meet the needs of women for over 10 years. “We’ve never been busier. Over the years, I’ve seen a huge shift in the demand for women’s tailoring.
“Women today are excelling in their careers and business, and they want a suit that not only works in the boardroom but also looks effortless when they throw the jacket over a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. We’ve had so many fashionable women coming in, looking for unique pieces like a perfect burnt orange suit with horn buttons or a sage green double-breasted outfit.” says Phoebe.
Customers come from a wide range of industries – from CEOs and celebrities to artists and business leaders. “We create garments for all sorts of special occasions, from award ceremonies to barristers’ first days in court, and even for Saudi princesses.”
We stay tuned into the catwalk but we’re guided by our clients and their wardrobes
One of Phoebe’s most memorable pieces created was for a client who had gone through a double mastectomy. She was struggling with the changes to her body, and shopping on the high street had become an emotionally difficult experience. “We made several pieces for her wardrobe that not only made her feel incredible but also helped restore her confidence. She told us that the suits made her feel like a million dollars.”
The fit is what truly defines a Savile Row suit – there are no drag lines, the sleeves and jacket length are spot on, and the trousers hit the perfect length. Every detail is tailored to ensure it fits the individual perfectly.
A standard jacket will roughly take around 18 hours, trousers around 13, shirt 14, dress 17 – this includes pattern cutting, fabric cutting, sewing and quality control, working from blocks using the customers unique measurements.
At Savile Row, the hallmark of the garments is the incredible attention to detail and the significant amount of hand-sewing involved. A lot of handwork goes into each piece, particularly in the finishing process, to ensure the perfect fit and exceptional quality.
Clients also have the option to add special touches, like contrasting thread on the buttonholes or a ticket pocket, which give the garment that signature Savile Row character. At Gormley & Gamble, every suit is a reflection of the client’s personal style, while still honouring the traditional craftsmanship of Savile Row.
“We stay tuned into the catwalks to see what the big fashion houses are leaning towards, but ultimately, we’re guided by our clients and their wardrobes. We pay close attention to what’s missing, what colours they’re gravitating towards, and how we can add something new to their collection. We mix it up with different fabrics and colours, ensuring our suits don’t feel too traditional – they’re fresh, modern, and made to work with the lifestyle of the wearer” explains Phoebe.
With everything carefully considered, including the client’s hair colour and skin tone, the garment should get as much wear as possible, making it a more sustainable item. As home sewers we have the luxury of adapting similar methods to meet our own wardrobe needs.
Words by Michelle Rowley. Photos by Moeez Ali.
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