Birchin Lane has a rich history of bespoke tailoring and drapery, spanning hundreds of years. The lane and its wider location has been revered for excellence in crafting tailored clothing from Medieval times to the present day.
Predating Savile Row by over two hundred years, Birchin Lane, along with its immediate surrounding streets and alleyways, formed the original site of London’s tailoring excellence, and remains a high quality, traditional tailoring hub to this day.
Investing in a Kale Bespoke tailored suit is not just a fantastic experience that results in beautifully made garments, but also an opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich history that tailoring enjoys in this unique area of London.
Book a consultation via the button below or scroll down for a deeper dive into the history of Birchin Lane and its centuries of trading at the heart of the City's tailoring scene.
EARLY MENTIONS: TRADE AND COMMERCE
In
John Stow’s 1598 Survey of London, a monumental work documenting the City of London, Stow notes that Birchin Lane was
“well stored with shops of mercers, haberdashers, and merchants of all sorts,” reflecting its prominence in trade.
In 1609,
Thomas Dekker’s The Gull’s Hornbook makes a passing reference to Birchin Lane as a place where a fashionable young man could find the latest styles, indicating its importance in the fashion economy:
"If thou desirest to attire thyself like a gentleman, go to Birchin Lane, where ready-made suits hang, as it were, in garrison, to be called forth on any pressing occasion."
The reputation of Birchin Lane as a tailoring hub was also immortalised in literary references. As far back as 1591, Birchin Lane featured in
The London Prodigal, a comedic play attributed to William Shakespeare.
"Thou sayest thou has twenty pound;
go into Birchin Lane;
put thyself into clothes"More literary works from the distant past, refer not only to the tailoring trade in the locale but also a range of other commercial professions and traders.
‘No sooner in London will we be,
But the bakers for you, the brewers for me,
Birchin Lane will suit us,
The costermongers fruit us’.Thomas Heywood Edward IV (play), 1600
THE 17th AND 18th CENTURIES: TAILOR'S WALK
During this period, Birchin Lane earned its nickname
“Tailors' Walk” for its concentration of clothing shops. It was mentioned frequently in literature and documents as a go-to destination for fashionable and affordable attire.
Samuel Pepys, in his Diary, frequently mentions visiting Birchin Lane for clothing, underscoring its importance to London’s economy and social life.
"Thence by appointment to meet Mr. Creed at a tailor’s in Birchin Lane, where I am much pleased with the suit he hath made me."
Henry Peacham’s The Art of Living in London (1642): Peacham humorously described the lane’s dual reputation for quality and affordability:
"Birchin Lane, where men may be decently appareled for a reasonable sum, but beware, for some garments are more promise than proof."
THE 19th CENTURY: A CHANGING LANDSCAPE
By the Victorian era, Birchin Lane had begun to shift away from tailoring toward other trades. However, its association with clothing persisted in historical retrospectives and fiction.
Though not one of his novels, in Charles Dickens’ 1879 Dictionary of London, he wrote about the City of London, mentioning Birchin Lane as a place where tailors were once concentrated:
"In days not long past, Birchin Lane was synonymous with cheap fashion, a bustling artery of trade that now dwindles under the shadow of Lombard Street’s bankers."
The City of London as a whole has long been associated with the textile and clothing trade. Key streets like Cheapside, in addition to Birchin Lane and Cornhill, were home to many drapers, mercers, and tailors. These trades were closely tied to the rise of London as a commercial and financial hub during the late medieval and early modern periods.
The Worshipful Company of Tailors and
The Worshipful Company of Drapers, two of the historic livery companies of the City, were instrumental in shaping the trade. These companies regulated apprenticeships, quality standards and trade practices, ensuring that the City maintained its reputation as a center for high-quality textiles and tailoring excellence.
By the 19th century, the City of London’s prominence in tailoring and drapery began to shift with the rise of larger shopping districts in London's West End, like Oxford Street and Regent Street. However, the historic importance of Birchin Lane as a centre of trade and craftsmanship remained a point of pride in the City’s commercial history.
The legacy of tailoring and drapery in Birchin Lane, Cornhill, and the wider City of London underscores the city's enduring role as a global centre for commerce and fashion innovation. From the medieval guilds, mentioned above, to modern retail, the story of these trades mirrors London’s growth, adaptation and evolution over many centuries.
The Great Fire of London , in 1666, devastated much of the City, including Cornhill and Birchin Lane. Tailoring and drapery shops, along with many other businesses, were destroyed.
Birchin Lane played a role in the fire, both as a site of destruction and as part of the city’s subsequent rebuilding efforts. Situated close to the epicentre of the fire at Pudding Lane, Birchin Lane’s bustling mix of tailors, haberdashers, and merchants made it particularly vulnerable to the inferno that consumed much of the City.
BIRCHIN LANE BEFORE THE FIRE
Birchin Lane was lined with wooden buildings, many of which had overhanging upper stories. These structures, typical of the time, were highly flammable due to their timber frames, close proximity to one another, and tarred roofs. Additionally, shops and homes often stored flammable goods such as cloth, paper, and oils, which further heightened the fire risk.
THE FIRE'S IMPACT ON BIRCHIN LANE
The Great Fire of London broke out in the early hours of Sunday, September 2, 1666, at Thomas Farriner’s bakery on Pudding Lane, less than 300 yards from Birchin Lane. Strong easterly winds rapidly spread the flames westward and northward through the densely packed streets.
The fire reached Birchin Lane early on the first day, fuelled by the abundance of flammable materials in the area. By the morning of September 3, the street was entirely consumed by flames. The nearby Royal Exchange and Lombard Street also succumbed to the fire, devastating the heart of London’s financial and commercial district.
According to contemporary accounts, many merchants and shopkeepers in Birchin Lane attempted to salvage their goods. Some transported their wares to the outskirts of the city, while others loaded them onto carts or boats on the Thames. John Evelyn, in his Diary, noted the desperation of Londoners fleeing the fire with their belongings:
"The conflagration was so universal, and the people so astonished, that from the beginning, I know not by what despondency or fate, they hardly stirred to quench it."
AFTERMATH AND REBUILDING
The fire burned for four days, ultimately destroying over 13,000 buildings, including 87 parish churches and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Birchin Lane, like much of the City of London, was reduced to rubble and ash. The financial losses were catastrophic, with businesses and livelihoods obliterated.
Following the fire, King Charles II and Sir Christopher Wren spearheaded efforts to rebuild the City. A new urban plan was proposed, with straighter and wider streets to prevent future fires. Although ambitious designs were considered, the pressure to quickly restore London’s economy meant that much of the city, including Birchin Lane, retained its pre-fire street layout.
By 1670, Birchin Lane was rebuilt with more fire-resistant buildings made of brick and stone, as mandated by the Rebuilding Act of 1667. The street quickly regained its status as a hub for tailors, merchants, and financiers. The new buildings featured uniform façades, marking a shift toward the neoclassical architectural style that became characteristic of post-fire London.
LEGACY OF THE GREAT FIRE ON BIRCHIN LANE
The Great Fire of London was a transformative event for Birchin Lane. It destroyed a thriving commercial hub but also provided an opportunity for renewal. The street’s rebirth after the fire symbolised London’s resilience and determination to rebuild as a safer and more modern city. The fire also marked the end of the old medieval cityscape of wooden houses and narrow alleys, ushering in a new era of urban planning and fire safety.
Birchin Lane’s survival as a commercial street into the 18th and 19th centuries stands as a testament to the enduring importance of the City of London as a center of trade and innovation.
At Kale Bespoke, we feel incredibly proud to be able to continue the tradition of crafting the finest in bespoke tailoring, in an area known since medieval times as the place to go for the highest quality bespoke clothing.
