Ellie Dyson

About

In 2015 I attended the Open Day at Savile Row during Wool Week, which was open to all the public.  I had entered the Bespoke Tailoring House ‘Huntsman’, but after looking around I was approached by a member of staff and asked to leave, their reasoning being that several other customer’s had made complaints about my female presence. As  I  was shown the door, I noticed a group of my male classmates being handed a selection of canapés as they were taken on a tour around the establishment. The indignation I felt then has stuck with me to this day. Bespoke Tailoring is steadfast on keeping tradition, particularly with how it started out as a male space. In present day, this alienates women who take an interest in dressing with the authority as  men do. Throughout this tailoring course I’ve seen the challenges which tailoring presents to women. My goal is to eradicate them.

Looking at the origins of power dressing, the looks have only been powerful because they mimicked men’s attire. Workwear was created when only men were allowed to work. I feel women deserve the respect to have their own style of authoritative dressing celebrating both their femininity and strength.

As a generation who commutes, lives a busy city life, and with an increase in working mothers, the current style of work-wear is outdated. Women’s professional attire needs a new format to fit the modern generation's fast-track lifestyle. It needs to realise that women do not need to copy male style to garter respect.

And what of those black body-con dresses every woman is sold to wear to events and occasions?  I’d like there to  be a new way of flaunting feminine power through more expressive garments.

​

                                                           - Ellie Dyson