Cad and the Dandy
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| Private | |
| Industry | Tailoring |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founders | James Sleater, Ian Meiers |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Website | www.cadandthedandy.co.uk |
Cad and the Dandy is an independent tailoring company based in London, England with premises on Savile Row and in the City. It sells bespoke suits, manufactured from English and Italian fabrics, and using traditional tailoring methods, at a lower price than the traditional Savile Row houses. The company was founded in 2008 by James Sleater and Ian Meiers, two City of London bankers who were both made redundant from their jobs in the 2008 financial crisis. It has attracted local, national and international press coverage, including being listed by The Guardian in the Courvoisier Future 500, and in July 2010 the founders won the Bento Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Macworld Awards.
Cad and the Dandy was founded in 2008. The founders met through a supplier as both pursued a similar business idea independently, and they agreed to work together to start the company, each contributing £20,000 of initial capital. Both had family connections to the tailoring industry, giving them knowledge helpful in launching the new company.
After initially conducting fittings in rented office space, they came to an arrangement with Chittleborough & Morgan to allow appointments in their shop on Savile Row. In October 2009, the company opened its first permanent store in the City of London.
The company achieved a turnover of £1.3M in 2010, and was listed by The Guardian in the Courvoisier Future 500. In July 2010 the founders won the Bento Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Macworld Awards and in July 2013 they opened permanent premises on Savile Row.
Based in London, where the company employs 10 tailors in three workshops, it also employs an additional 40 in a workshop in China where most of its entry-level, machine-sewn suits are made. All suits are made from British or Italian cloth, and are available either in "machine grade" or "hand stitched". Suit prices vary based on the cloth that is used as well as the amount of hand-stitching that is done on the suit. The fully hand-made suits require around 50 hours of stitching, include a basted fitting, and conform to all the specifications for a bespoke suit suggested by the Savile Row Bespoke Association. Prices are kept lower than the average for bespoke tailors by requiring payment up-front. This allows Cad and the Dandy to negotiate discounts of 30% to 40% with their suppliers.
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