Savile Row Granted 'Protected Status'.

For several hundred years Savile Row has been the byword for English tailoring excellence (of course Alcester comes a close second :o) but over the past decade multinationals have been creeping into the famous London street pushing rents up and traditional Tailors out. 

Today, The Evening Standard, reports that Savile Row is among five 'historic London addresses' that will gain a degree of protection under "new planning rules introduced by Westminster Council".

In order to open a new store on Savile Row businesses:

• cannot open if they replace "bespoke tailoring uses"
• must "sell, bespoke, unique, limited edition or one of a kind products"
• and must be "complementary  to the character and function" of the street

In a world where everyone wants to jump on the band wagon of the magic the term 'Savile Row' evokes, we feel this protection is much welcomed to safeguard the heritage of such a Tailoring institution.