From behind a grey façade on Queen Street, in Edinburgh’s New Town, the warm glow of brass orb lamps invites you into another world. Here, the swish of tailor’s shears, the scent of chalk dust on Harris tweed and the dazzling colours of clan tartan transport you to a bygone sartorial era. Inside glass cabinets, silk ties are rolled into roses, bell jars show off starched shirt collars and kilt pins wink at handsomely dressed busts puffing out their chests.
Stewart Christie has been in operation as a tailor’s since 1720, kitting out everyone from the high constables of Holyroodhouse and the royal archers to figures such as Sir Walter Scott – who, according to the order book, is yet to settle an invoice for a pair of trews. Contemporary fans include Saoirse Ronan, Ewan McGregor and Richard E. Grant, whose orders are still written out by hand in the large ledger, its pages bulging with swatches of fabrics, trimmings and measurements.
The predominantly bespoke service means that customers are brought into the creative process of making clothes. Someone after a kilt, for example, could witness the artistry as the tailors gradually transform a piece of flat fabric into a living thing ready to flounce its pleats and spin into a reel. Fittings take place in a changing room with a secret stash of whisky hidden behind the mirrors, and those from out of town can even retire to a Stewart Christie bedroom, the Chaumer Abide, to stay overnight for appointments.
Decked out as a Victorian parlour, this accommodation is just one of several initiatives brought in by Vixy Rae and Daniel Fearn, who took over as co-owners six years ago and are breathing new life into the institution. Rae, the first female member of Edinburgh’s Incorporation of Tailors, began building up the womenswear department in the former saddlery on the lower-ground floor, an off-menu service that previously had to be asked for, usually by the wives of male clients. The pair also decked out a quirky red telephone box outside the shop in aid of Save the Children and acquired the space next door as a tearoom.
It quickly became apparent that womenswear was a crowd-pleasing addition, though it needed a street presence and natural light to show off the depth of the cloth’s colours. So it was decided: the tearoom would make way for a proper ladies’ tailoring shop. The store’s other half opened this summer: the same warm wooden cabinets and glass counters echo the style of the gents’ side, and there’s still a space allocated for taking tea at the back of the shop, creating a relaxed atmosphere in which to sit and soak in the various fabrics and styles.
Customers can run their fingers over samples of subtle tweed, feeling its beautifully robust texture. Or else flick through books of tartan, that statement fabric that wends its way through fashion history, from Queen Victoria’s love affair with Scotland to 1970s punk, 1990s Alexander McQueen to the contemporary catwalk (WoI March 2023). With today’s increased consideration over where and how our clothes are made, this atelier with all its tradition feels relevant and timely. A new dawn for the time-steeped tailor’s shop.
For more information, visit stewartchristie.com
