The new rules of Autumn/Winter tailoring: 7 top tips from a Savile Row expert

Suncream is out, jumpers and jackets are in — the sun may be gone, but for anyone that finds their happy place in the warm embrace of a heavy knit rather than anxiety-inducing swimming trunks, it’s time to welcome back the joy of the autumn / winter wardrobe.

We’re all for cosy season at Shortlist, but walking the line between relaxed fits and pin-sharp style isn’t an easy one, especially when finding the balance with seasonal suiting.

So we’ve called in some help from Saville Row’s Richard James, the tailors responsible for dressing Tom Hardy, Stormzy, Daniel Radcliffe, Andrew Garfield, Sir David Beckham, Mark Ronson and Hugh Grant — to name just a few of their illustrious clients. Toby Lamb, Design and Brand Director of Richard James, sat down with Shortlist to talk through the dos and don’ts of A/W 2025 tailoring — and this year an easy fit goes hard.

“I’d say tailoring today isn’t about necessarily blending in, it’s about standing out in a way that feels natural,” says Toby.

“The best advice is to wear it with ease. A perfectly cut suit or jacket should give you freedom not restriction. Effortless, individual, and enduring.”

Here are, in his own words, 7 top A/W tailoring tips from Toby, as well as a look at the Richard James’ ‘Made For It’ autumn / winter collection.

1. Relaxed fits are in — but keep ‘em sharp

Menswear is definitely moving toward a looser, more fluid silhouette. For us at Richard James, it’s about evolving without losing sharpness. We’ve softened our tailoring, jackets with a little more drape, trousers that sit with ease with clean lines. Relaxed doesn’t mean sloppy, it’s about confidence and comfort working hand in hand.

Proportion is everything. Wider lapels, a slightly longer line through the jacket and shoulders that feel natural rather than rigid. It’s also in the balance, roomier pleated trousers paired with a jacket that still defines the waist. These subtle shifts create that relaxed elegance without tipping into nostalgia or parody.

2. Don’t be scared to add accent colours

Colour has always been our hallmark, and AW25 is no exception. The collection is grounded in rich, autumnal tones, dark brown, camel and olive green. Then we lift those with glacial blue and flashes of lilac and magenta which feel playful without being overwhelming. Fabrics like flannel, velvet, and British wool checks give those colours depth and texture. For men wanting to bring colour in without it shouting, my advice is to start with one accent, a lightweight lilac knit under a mocha coloured suit, or a magenta cashmere and silk scarf with a deep olive coloured jacket. Colour, when handled with confidence, feels natural rather than ostentatious.

3. Embrace the ’90s revival with British cloth and an elongated silhouette

For us, AW25 is about reviving and reimagining British cloth. We’ve gone back to our archive to pull out classic wool checks and stripes, but reinterpreted them for our today’s audience.

Stripes in particular are important, we’ve brought back the unmistakable ’95 multi-stripe shirt, immortalised by Noel and Jarvis in the mid-‘90s. We’ve also played with faze and multicheck silk textiles in accessories like pockets squares and scarves. Pattern and colour is our way of telling the story of the ‘90s in a way that feels tactile, personal, and current.

The ‘90s were when Britain rediscovered its self belief, and Richard James was at the centre of that energy. Savile Row suddenly became a place for musicians, artists, actors, and creatives. Oasis walking into our store in Savile Row during the mid nineties wasn’t just a fashion moment, it was a cultural one. With our AW25 Made For It collection, we wanted to recapture that spirit of creative excess and confidence. The ‘90s are a reference point, but the collection is about translating that mood, the swagger, the wit, the irreverence into something modern and wearable today.

The elongated silhouette in tailoring, the Champagne chalk stripe, the flannel checks all nod to the early archive. The ‘95 multi-stripe shirt, for instance, is iconic but for AW25 we’ve updated it in new fabrications and used the design across a variety of accessories. The point isn’t nostalgia but reinvention. The ‘90s were about personality and that’s what resonates now, giving our customers pieces that carry that same spirit of individuality.

4. Defy your generation by combining casual and formal wear

The younger generation comes with a curiosity and perhaps less attachment to rules. They’re perfectly happy to wear a double-breasted blazer over a hoodie, or to pair tailored trousers with trainers. Older clients may come with a stronger attachment to traditional codes but even they’re increasingly open to comfort and colour. What unites them is a desire for tailoring that feels authentic to them.

Think of tailoring as a toolkit rather than a uniform. A soft flannel blazer in chestnut can be worn with a shirt and tie or thrown over a cashmere crew neck. Pleated trousers in wool check can be polished with loafers or dressed down with sneakers. A statement double breasted coat in camel or dark navy becomes the anchor piece that works across contexts. Build around those flexible foundations and you have endless combinations.

5. Welcome the flexibility of streetwear and gender-fluid influences

Streetwear gave us the language of ease of movement, gender-fluid fashion opened up silhouettes. We’re seeing tailoring absorb those influences in ways that enrich it, softer cuts, more colour and styling that isn’t hemmed in by rules. In the ‘90s, Richard James did something similar — we put colour and wit into Savile Row at a time when it was all grey and navy. Tailoring today is less about strict codes and more about self-expression.

The five-day-a-week suit is rare but tailoring hasn’t disappeared, it’s transformed. Men now seek pieces that transition, a jacket they can wear in the office, at dinner or over a T-shirt at the weekend. The demand is for quality and versatility rather than uniformity.

6. Every wardrobe should have…

A double-breasted blazer cut with a softer shoulder can feel formal with a tie or relaxed over knitwear. Pleated trousers in a rich fabric like flannel, sharp enough for a meeting, effortless with a roll-neck. And a great overcoat, camel or Navy which anchors everything.

Accessories are where personality really comes through. Our 90s’ inspired faze and multicheck prints return as ties, scarves, and pocket squares adding vivid punctuation to tailoring. Knitwear is key, fine gauge merino roll-necks, chunky cashmere cardigans, even sleeveless knits under tailoring.

7. Express yourself

The ‘90s were about individuality which feels very relevant today. For AW25, we’ve leaned into that with bolder checks, distinctive stripes and accessories which allow for that personal expression. With Bespoke and our Made To Measure service there’s room for personality, the choice of cut, fabrication, lapel, trim etc. We’ve always stood for tailoring with character and our’ Made For It’ collection brings that philosophy to the fore.

• From Cigarettes & Alcohol to Cufflinks & Class: How Savile Row’s Richard James gave Oasis a sartorial masterplan