Draft:Robert Old

Robert Old is a menswear retailer and tailors based in Bournemouth, Dorset. First established in 1909, it is a family-run business which is now run by the fourth generation of the Old family.

History

Robert Old was born in 1878 into a mining community in Haverigg, Cumberland. Mining in the region had declined and so at 12 years old he became an errand boy for a greengrocer. At 14 moved up the coast to Workington and began a tailor’s apprenticeship. After several positions in the south of England, by 1902 he was managing an exclusive tailors for expatriates in Lausanne, Switzerland. While there he studied economics alongside Benito Mussolini. By 1909, Old had moved back to England, turning down the opportunity of a partnership with Davis & Sons in Savile Row in favour of opening his own business in Bournemouth.

That year he won the prestigious Gold Medal First Place in the National Tailor & Cutter’s annual competition. By 1916 Robert Old had moved his business into what was then called Westover Parade. The ladies gown shop next door, Madame Campbells, was experiencing financial difficulties due to anti-German sentiment directed towards the owners during wartime, and so he purchased the business. By 1932 the shop was expanded into purpose-built premises close by.

Second Generation

The Second World War created difficulties that forced reconstruction by Robert Old’s son Bertram, and in 1948 the larger part of the premises and the ladies clothing business was disposed of, and a tailor’s shop in Boscombe was purchased to be used as their work rooms. In 1949 Bertram Old met pre-war employee Kenneth Trott, who had flown a Typhoon for the RAF during the war and was looking for work after demobilisation. He agreed to rejoin the company and remained with them for the next fifty years, including an appointment as Chairman.

Due to England’s postwar economy the shop could only make purchases based on the previous week’s sales, packing and string was always kept to be reused, and fortnightly trips to London were required to source goods. Supplies were very limited and practical clothes were essential. This approach was able to sustain the shop through the economic downturn until 1952, when business had improved enough that a further shop was opened in the seaside town of Swanage. More significantly in 1962 the Westover Road store was considerably enlarged by adding the neighbouring unit.

As confidence in the economy returned, British manufacturers developed clearer identities. The leading manufacturers that Robert Old worked with in that era were Chester Barrie, Benjamin Simon, and Magee for ready to wear tailoring along with Bladen’s country tailoring, Gannex, Grenfell and Burberry for raincoats and Invertere for Country Coats, Peter Scott, Pringle, Alan Paine and Coxmore for knitters of men’s cashmere and knitwear, Derek Rose Pyjamas, along with Smedley and Sunspel Underwear, Viyella, Van Heusen, Rocola, Chard, and David Jonathan for Shirts, Holliday and Brown, John Comfort and Paul Salgo for Ties. Shoes were from Northampton, and Churches, Crockett & Jones, and Edward Green were the main suppliers when GC Pitman & Son were incorporated in 1962.

Third Generation

Despite the advance in UK-based fashion spreading from Carnaby Street, the larger home market of many European manufacturers enabled them to become progressively more successful. Robert Old, now managed by the third generation, began long associations with Odermark, Konen, Hugo Boss of Germany, Jacobson and Eton of Sweden, Paul Fortique of France, Gant and Timberland from the USA and Henry Cotton’s from Italy. Due to the bulk of sales being made from the Westover Road store, the decision was made to close the two satellite shops.

As Italian fashion came to the market, companies such as Armani, Canali, Brioni, Cerruti, Loro Piana, and Ermenegildo Zegna began to offer their customers a total wardrobe from suits and jackets to casual wear.

In 1997 Robert Old added a tailoring floor.

Fourth Generation

In 2004 the fourth generation of the Old family took over running of the business. They created an e-commerce store in order to sell their selection of luxury menswear world-wide, with a focus on men’s cashmere sweaters from Scotland and handmade English shoes including Alfred Sargent and Crockett & Jones.

Location

Robert Old is based in central Bournemouth, UK. Initially occupying two floors of the building on Westover Road, in 1997 they expanded to include the top floor, giving them three floors in total.

Stock and specialisms

Robert Old’s store stocks ready to wear garments which are tailored in Italy using the traditional “canvas technique”. They offer a selection of ready-to-wear suits, jackets, trousers, coats, dress wear, tuxedos and casualwear.

Tailoring

Robert Old offers a specialist Made-to-Measure Service using cloth made in Italy. They also have ready to wear and made to measure from Italian tailors Belvest, of Piazzola sul Brenta, near Venice.