Company

Why do I know that company name?

Thresher & Glenny has been tailors and outfitters for over three hundred years. Today’s business takes its name from Richard Thresher who took over the firm in 1780. Thresher & Glenny is also well known throughout the old commonwealth countries, as they are a key supplier of legal wear from Barristers’ wigs through to gowns, shirts, collars and cuffs. As recently as the 1990s it was a thriving and respected business among the City and legal worlds.  Since then it has been serving the legal world quietly but efficiently and has a small and loyal following.
The Thresher & Glenny name is synonymous with quality, longevity and tradition.

When was the company founded?

Thresher & Glenny can trace its origins to London in the Strand in 1696, during the reign of William III.

Is it still a family business?

It is still a private business, but not in the hands of the original family. The last family member was Henry John Glenny, who died in 1938.

Who owns the company today?

Mark Finch brought the firm in November 2006. Mark has worked in the clothing business all his life, running the family business in Yorkshire. He heard that Thresher & Glenny was for sale and wanted to restore the business to its former glory. Other business interests have kept him from addressing the Thresher & Glenny restoration until 2011.

How many staff are employed at the company?

Four, directly, with many others involved and with plans for that to grow.

What does the company hold the Royal Warrant for?

Thresher & Glenny were first issued with a Royal Warrant in 1783 by King George III. Since then every succeeding Monarch has renewed the Royal Warrant for their households. The current Royal Warrant ‘Tailors & Shirtmakers to HM The Queen’ is believed to be one of the longest surviving Royal Warrants held by any private trader.

Have there been any famous customers over the years?

In addition to the Royal Family, famous customers have included Horatio Lord Nelson, Doctor Livingstone, Garibaldi, H.M. Stanley, Buffalo Bill, President Roosevelt, Baden Powell, Fred Perry, Pashas of Egypt, Viceroys of India, Emperors of Japan.

Who are today’s target customers?

Professional gentlemen who recognise and require a combination of English tradition, quality, service and value – and those who either influence them or buy for them.

Where is Thresher & Glenny based?

The shop can be found through a small pedestrian gate off the Strand at 1 Middle Temple Lane, London, EC4Y 9AA; the website is www.thresherandglenny.com and on Twitter @MRThresher. The head office is in West Yorkshire.

Has the company always been based in Middle Temple?

No, it has been at various sites all over Central London. For two centuries and until the 1930s, the main shop was in the Strand. There have also been shops in the City of London, the Haymarket, Conduit Street and on Savile Row.

Where does the Peacock come from?

The bodice maker’s shop (opened 1683) was described in 1696 as being situated ‘at the sign of the golden peacock’ next to Somerset House in the Strand. It is thought that the peacock refers to The Golden Peacock, an ancient inn that had formerly been on the site.

Who do you see as your competitors?

Thresher & Glenny see themselves as filling the gap between Savile Row and the top end of the high street, providing fine quality, style and service at the best possible prices – in line with a 300-year-old philosophy.

What is the company’s main point of difference?

The company’s main point of difference is the way in which its key founders – and Mr Clemdan – put their stamp on how the business is run today.

The Spirit of Mr Thresher

Mr Thresher was always the go-ahead sort. These days clothes conceived in a “Thresher” spirit will appeal to the faster set among our clientele: those to whom “black tie” is an invitation to improvise, for whom the suede shoe is not confined to weekends.

The Spirit of Mr Glenny

Mr Glenny tended towards the conventional. If you seek the orthodox response to all those pressing questions - how many buttons, how wide the trouser, double or single for evening wear, midnight blue or black – his sage advice will ensure you raise no eyebrows.

The Spirit of Thresher & Glenny

Most of us balance both impulses. We may have Thresher days and Glenny days: Thresher occasions and Glenny functions.

As in a well-regulated Parliament with two strong parties, it’s this essential tension that keeps us in balance.

Too much of one is never ideal, while an absence of either is a recipe for dullness or, heaven forbid, dandification. Self-expression is one thing, self-indulgence quite another – as both Mr Thresher and Mr Glenny would agree. 

Ready For Service

The essential gentleman’s wardrobe, straight off our stylish pegs.

Mr Clemdan was the chap in charge of Thresher & Glenny’s pioneering ready for service collection over a century ago. He made such a good fist of it that when he retired we kept his name on. Much like the clothes themselves, it’s lasted rather well.

All Clemdan clothes are produced to the same standard as their made-to measure cousins, just without the fidelity to one’s precise whim. There are many who find these “Essentials” quite sufficient.

They still bear distinctive T&G details: each shirt comes with a separate collar, each suit with side adjusters.

Products 

What does the company sell today?

Thresher & Glenny sells bespoke, made to measure, made to order and ready for service suits, morning coats, dinner jackets, sports coats and blazers, shirts (full bespoke, made to measure, made to order and ready for service), ties, handkerchiefs, socks, boxers, cufflinks and other accessories.

The company’s aspiration is to be able to offer a full service proposition (in garment terms) appropriate for an English gentleman at home or travelling, whether for pleasure or on business.

What is the company’s philosophy?

The company has always believed in outstanding quality at realistic prices – in the words of Mr Thresher ‘How reasonably can our products be sold?’ But always with a keen understanding of what constitutes a false economy. In today’s world this means embracing all the best bits from history, while at the same time taking the full benefit from the latest concepts and most modern approaches.

What do ‘bespoke’, ‘made to measure’, ‘made to order’ and ‘ready for service’ mean? What are the differences?

Bespoke, made to measure and made to order are all made especially for you while ready for service is Thresher & Glenny’s version of ‘off the peg’.

Bespoke – The traditional way to make an English suit by hand, hailing from times when hands were all one had. The result bears a less uniform, noticeably “handmade” feel - which, even in these days of excellent machines, some still cherish. Accordingly, we continue to offer the service.

Beware of those who misuse the term, claiming to offer Full Bespoke for Made to Measure prices! Nobody can offer genuine Bespoke without involving skilled craftspeople, time and several fittings, and it can’t be done for less than really quite a lot. We may be more reasonable than most, but still far from inexpensive.

Made to Measure – A T&G tailored suit will fit you perfectly, marking you out as one who has his clothes made to his personal taste. You will be measured by an expert: a unique specification  will be produced, from which a unique suit will be made with all details chosen by you – with advice on hand in the spirit of Messrs T and G.

Three or two buttons? Side or centre vents? Subtle or dramatic lining? Each choice says something about the chooser. We guide you through this semiotic minefield to emerge intact and fitted out to face the world.

We only offer outstanding fabrics, usually from Britain except in the rare cases where somewhere else offers something more suitable. All will hang better than inferior cloths: most will outlast them.  

Made to Order - If you’ve a 43 chest with a 33 waist, most people’s suits won’t fit you.

A quick squint around any morning train carriage will reveal that the majority of men don’t mind this. We do. 

Our Made to Order service allows you to wear a suit that really fits, configured exactly as you’d like, without the same wait as for Made to Measure. 

The difference is in the appointment.  There isn’t one. We fill your measurements into our Configurator and we set to work (or alternatively if you’re online, you supply the measurements).

Ready for Service - Mr Clemdan was the chap in charge of our pioneering ready-for service collection over a century ago. He made such a good fist of it that when he retired we kept his name on. Much like the clothes themselves, it’s lasted rather well.

All Clemdan clothes are produced to the same standard as their made-to measure cousins, just without the fidelity to one’s precise whim. There are many who find these “Essentials” quite sufficient.

They still bear distinctive T&G details: each shirt comes with a separate collar, each suit with side adjusters. 

What’s the process for buying each in terms of cost and time?

Price is dictated almost wholly by choice of material (the prices below are estimated on mid-market fabrics).

Please always check that comparative price also are VAT inclusive.

Made to measure and made to order lead times can be reduced to 2-3 weeks for a premium.

Why does it take so long to make a bespoke suit?

Made to measure suits can be ready in as little as a month to six weeks  however a bespoke suit involves a number of fittings and a lot more handwork and can take from eight to twelve weeks from first fitting and cloth selection to completion.

Where are the bespoke, made to order and made to measure items actually made?

Thresher & Glenny has always had classic English standards and style as its benchmarks. These days, whilst the style remains quintessentially English, we find the balance between quality and price best served by a number of overseas suppliers. For full bespoke suits and shirts all garments are made in Britain.

Made to order, made to measure and ready for service suits are made in Portugal and the Czech Republic.

Where are the shirts made?

Thresher & Glenny source their shirts from a number of outstanding suppliers from all over the world. Bespoke, made to order and made to measure shirts are mostly made in England.

How long does it take to have a shirt made from start to finish?

About four to six weeks.

How much does it cost to have shirt made?

Fine Egyptian cotton made to measure shirts costs about £175.

Why is it so expensive to have a suit or shirt made?

A large part of the cost is in the quality of the material: we hold the view that it is only worth having clothes made for you if you choose excellent cloth. The other significant factor is the time and manpower involved in the process.