HENRY POOLE AND CO
The reputation of Savile Row as "the golden mile of tailoring" is thanks in large part to this extraordinary store. Founded in 1806, Henry Poole has dressed tsars, shahs, and Charles Dickens, not to mention many members of the royal family. King Edward VII invented the dinner jacket here in 1860 (it arrived in America, at Tuxedo Park, in 1886, lending it its alternate title). Today, Henry Poole remains without parallel in the art of bespoke. Drop by the elegant showroom, get measured up, and experience the magic of a custom-made suit. Take loads of money. See henrypoole.com
EDWARD SEXTON
Selfridges Department Store on Oxford Street in London at dusk. Credit: Getty Images
If Henry Poole represents the hallowed tradition of Savile Row tailoring, then Edward Sexton is the more rebellious side. In 1969, with the legendary Tommy Nutter, he helped open a store that dressed the Beatles and Jagger in suits so remarkably flamboyant that they became a sensation. Nutter died in 1992 from AIDS, but Sexton still works out of a small atelier on Beauchamp Place, in Knightsbridge. Recent clients include Harry Styles, and Sexton once mentored Stella McCartney. If there is a more talented tailor alive in London, this writer has yet to find them. See edwardsexton.co.uk
TURNBULL AND ASSER
"Bespoke" doesn't necessarily only mean suits: Turnbull & Asser, on Jermyn Street, is famed for its custom shirts, worn by everyone from Prince Charles and James Bond to – before he died – Picasso. If you don't have time to have your own pattern made, the ready-to-wear line is as about as luxurious as it gets in menswear. The hand-stitched ties, meanwhile, are miniature works of art, and have been ever since a peculiar man named Mr Fish introduced extravagance to the business at the height of the Swinging Sixties. Turnbull and Asser is the place to go shopping for the man who has everything. See turnbullandasser.com
JOHN LOBB
If you want to make a splashy statement with your shoes, wear red-soled Louboutins. If, however, you want to wear the best shoes in the world, understated and elegant, try John Lobb in St James. At this famed institution, founded in 1866, every pair is built from scratch by several craftsman to such high standards that the firm retains two Royal Warrants. This is the true definition of luxury: having wooden models made to match your feet so you can attain the perfect pair of Ghillie brogues. You'll pay for the privilege, but these are shoes that will literally last a lifetime. See johnlobbltd.co.uk
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
Vivienne Westwood crashed the London fashion scene in the mid-1970s, opening a legendary punk boutique on the King's Road with Malcolm McLaren and dressing the Sex Pistols in ripped up t-shirts and bobby pins. Over the years since, Westwood has refined her style, but it has never been anything less than daring and relevant. It takes a certain type of person to pull off the look: Famously, Naomi Campbell once fell over on a catwalk in a pair of 12-inch Westwood heels. But if you're feeling bold and adventurous, there's no better place to purchase some threads. See viviennewestwood.com
SELFRIDGES
Other than New York, London has more iconic department stores than any other city in the world. For clothing, though, you can't go past Selfridges on Oxford Street, which is something like a hyperactive temple to fashion. All of the hottest designers have a place beneath the roof, making this a convenient way to survey the city at large. Plus, the store's management are not averse to experimentation: Recently, Selfridges hosted a unisex fashion installation where all of the clothes were hidden in brown paper bags. Shopping meets art at this fabulous mainstay. See Selfridges.com
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