Want a fit that will do you proud? There are terrific tailors and suit shops in Leeds that will leave you looking a million dollars.
Whether you want a suit for work, a three-piecer for a wedding or just something swish for the Christmas party season, there are people out there with tape measures waiting for you. Off-the-rack whistles, bespoke tweed efforts – you can have it your way with an array of options and fabrics that would dazzle the dreamcoat-wearer Joseph himself.
Jacob Brian Tailors
I’m 6 foot 2 but far from being slim, so most off-the-peg suits simply don’t work for me. Happily Jacob Brian Tailors specialise in made-to-measure clothing no matter your shape. Max, the tailor I met, told me about a customer told elsewhere he was ‘too fat for a suit’. Max sorted him out.
So, whether skinny or not-so-mini, there’s a suit here for you – they’ll work with your wishes and ideas, but also give you a firm, experienced steer when it comes to cuts, how to wear a suit, accessories and more. You’re in safe hands from the very first appointment.
The fabric range is vast, with everything from vintage tweeds to contemporary cashmere/wool mixes and all points in-between. Measuring takes into account everything from basics to your body’s idiosyncrasies (one of my shoulder slopes more than the other, I learned for the first time).
Shirts aren’t neglected either, meaning you can get a complete fit for a wedding or special occasion. Like to shoot your cuffs like me? It’s all taken care of, including long shirts that will stay tucked in all day long. It’s just another example of the end-to-end approach here.
Best for: High-quality made-to-measure suits and coats for all shapes and sizes.
Prices: Made-to-measure suits cost dependent on measurements and fabric. Hire options from £90-£215.
Where? Jacob Brian Tailors, 10-12 New Market Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6DG.
Hemingway Tailors
One of the key things to bear in mind if you’re new to buying a suit is that made-to-measure isn’t the same as bespoke. The latter includes a paper pattern being created by hand, more measurements and will fit better. However, it also takes longer and costs considerably more.
At the veteran Hemingway Tailors, you can opt for either approach, depending on your budget. They’ve been doing this for many years, so they know their way around an inside leg and neck circumference. Want a two or three-piece suit? They’ve got you covered.
Made-to-measure begins with a pre-made pattern that is then adjusted based on what you want and your vital statistics. Bespoke is, as you’d imagine, hand-made from the first stitch to the last, a process that, they say, takes at least 55 hours.
They’ll advise you on accessorising from socks to shoes, and suggest how you wear everything from buttons to cufflinks. It’s important to book early, especially if you’re going for a bespoke suit, as you want to leave enough time for fittings before the big day.
Best for: Savile Row style up north.
Prices: Prices will depend on style, fabric and measurement.
Where? Hemingway Tailors, Prestige Court, Beza Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 2BD.
Skopes

Credit: Skopes
Another company that’s both a link to the past and utterly contemporary is Skopes. They were founded in Leeds back in 1948 and they’re still going strong three quarters of a century later, with a fresh headquarters recently opened in White Rose Centre.
All that knowledge and experience is brought to bear on a suit range that can feel like a bit of a steal. It’s off-the-peg, sure, but the quality is high and you’re also tapping into help from their expert staff who have a keen eye for what will suit you and what won’t.
Want a sober suit in a classic charcoal grey for work? Something a little snazzier for a day at York races? They’ve got it all here and it won’t make a massive dent in your salary. The shoe range sets it off perfectly, with high-shine patent dress shoes through to stylish brogues, so you can put your best foot forward.
Best for: A Leeds success story that can serve up the perfect look.
Prices: Two-piece suits £149-£289.
Where? Skopes, White Rose, Dewsbury Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS27 8PU and Cross Green Garth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 0SF.
Crown to Cuff

Credit: Crown to Cuff
One thing that’s important in tailoring – or at least in the marketing of it – is heritage. Companies are keen to tell you about their generations of experience, dating back to when children were being sent perilously under spinning Jennys.
Crown to Cuff walks it like it talks it, however, as owner and travelling tailor Gareth Beckwith has been cutting cloth for over a quarter of a century. His reputation is such that Leeds sporting icons such as Chev Walker and Jack Harrison are among the many celebrities who’ve worn bespoke Crown to Cuff suits.
If you haven’t got pockets deep enough for bespoke, you can go the made-to-measure path, which usually take two or three fittings rather than multiple repeat visits. If you have got the budget for bespoke, then you’re going to get the full artisan experience.
It doesn’t end with the suit. Crown to Cuff also specialise in made-to-measure shirts – a bit of monogramming, perhaps? – overcoats and bespoke shoes across a range of styles. Want your page boy or usher to look the bit too? They’re fab at kid’s suits.
Best for: Bespoke craftsmanship for suits that almost wear you.
Prices: Price will depend on fabric, suit style and measurements.
Where? Crown to Cuff is a travelling tailor, covering a range of locations across Yorkshire and beyond.
Slaters
You’re not going to get a suit that fits you like a glove at Slaters – but if you want something that fits like a glove, buy a glove. Instead, you’ll find a great and varied range off the peg outfits at one of Leeds’ biggest suit shops, perfect for dressing on a budget.
If you haven’t hired a suit in a while, it’s worth knowing that, in many cases, it’s cheaper to buy than to rent. I needed a tuxedo for a murder mystery night and was quoted well over £100 for one-off use, whereas I could buy one from Slaters along with shirt and dress shoes for not much than that.
Okay, you’ve don’t get fitted to within an inch of your life, but you’ll get friendly, personable service and a range that takes in many high-street names such as Herbie Frogg, Farah and Barbour. They do all the kilts, shoes and accessories, and you can look a million dollars with change from £150.
Best for: Choice, keen pricing and hire options.
Prices: Two-piece suits from £85 to £340.
Where? Slaters, 83 Albion Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5AP.
Charles Tyrwhitt
A solid choice for men’s suit in Leeds, Charles Tyrwhitt is very much a notch or two above your Slaters and Moss Bros, but still a lot more affordable than bespoke and made-to-measure options. It may sound like an old, traditional company, but in fact it only started trading in 1986.
It’s come a long way from mail order through to a Jermyn Street store and now a nationwide presence. That speaks to the affordability and solid quality you’ll find, with an especially nice range of shirts to set off your look perfectly.
It’s all off-the-peg, but there is an alteration service (for a small charge) if you need a tweak, and their range can suit you up for weddings, a day at the races, something sleek for work and can handle slim and classics fits too. Want that traditional British linen look? Yep, they have that in stock too.
The shirts, ties, shoes and waistcoats in store mean that you can get your complete outfit in one. There are frequent offers and deals on shirts. My tip? If you’re getting married in summer, get a two-for deal and have a spare ready for spillages/sweat marks.
Best for: Traditional men’s tailoring.
Prices: Two-piece suits from £329 to £549.
Where? Charles Tyrwhitt, Trinity Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5AT.
Moss Bros.
From corduroy to tweed, single-breasted to double, slim to capacious, Moss Bros are masters of stocking every kind of suit imaginable, and their Leeds shop boasts a wonderful selection across a wide range of price points.
While they might be seen a high street off-the-peg specialist, they do actually offer a custom service. You can book an appointment to get fitted by an expert, and you can get a good idea of the options and price with their nifty online design tool.
If that’s not for you, just drop in to their Commercial Street shop and grab something that takes your eye. From cheap but stylish suits perfect for a job interview to black tie and evening wear, their decades of experience means that they’ve got pretty much every box ticked.
Best for: A great selection and a wide price range.
Prices: Two-piece suits £179 to £999. Hire available.
Where? Moss Bros, Commercial Street, Trinity Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5AT.
Hawes & Curtis
It doesn’t matter if something is a chain – there are at least 13 branches of Hawes & Curtis in the UK – stick it in a nice part of the Victoria Quarter and it takes on a whole different vibe. This isn’t putting lipstick on a pig, however, as this is still a fine destination for men’s suits in Leeds.
Their bread-and-butter is very much their shirt range, but the suits are well-made and at the sober, restrained end of contemporary spectrum. Opt for slim, tailored or classic fits, then refine further through a material range that goes from breathable cotton through to cool linen and sharp Italian wool.
Often the proof of a suit is in the feel, so nip in to get your hands on the fabric yourself. Whether Harris tweed or Italian wool, it’s all impeccably sourced, and they offer alteration of shirts and suits in their Leeds store.
The pricing is keen for off-the-peg suits of this quality and – good news alert – there’s an extra 10% off for key workers. The accessories range can complete the look too – I picked up some cricket bat and ball cufflinks to wear to a cricket event recently and was delighted to hear them called ‘natty’.
Best for: Classic, quality restrained formal wear.
Prices: Two-piece suits from £329 to £599.
Where? Hawes and Curtis, 22-24 County Arcade, Victoria Quarter, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6BN.
Brightbart Tailors
Tucked above a shop opposite the Grand Theatre, the Brightbart brothers are veritable veterans of the tailoring business, with over half a century of knowhow. This isn’t your polished tailors – it’s rough and ready, with Leeds rugby and football memorabilia spread around – but it is an expert one.
Full disclosure: I paid to get my wedding suit made here a couple of years ago, and they were more than flexible when the wedding date got moved around frequently due to a certain pandemic. They also fitted out my son, Sammy, in a matching suit, and made him feel at ease during the fittings.
Their base is basically one square room but still feels like a rabbit warren of fabric samples, and while they might have been around the block, they can do you a suit that’s completely contemporary – as opposed to the ‘jazz age’ style I went with for some reason.
Pricing is keen for this level of service – they cut costs down by sticking to what they know. Don’t expect social media, a website or a gin and tonic while you get fitted. But do expect a top-notch suit that’s made to fit, and a link with Leeds’ proud past as the UK centre of suit-making.
Best for: The last traditional Jewish tailors left standing in Leeds know their fabric.
Prices: Men’s tailored suits start at around £350.
Where? Brightbart Tailors, 51 New Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 8JD.
Michelsberg Tailoring

Credit: Christopher Thompson
James Michelsberg is the owner of his eponymous tailoring company, with an enviable Victoria Quarter location and an approach to customer service that will make you wish you’d gone the bespoke route years ago. Serious about a suit? It all starts with a two-hour consultation.
The best clobber decisions are taken over a dram, so you’ll imbibe something nice while you run through your options and narrow your choices until you find the perfect suit for your occasion. Hard of choosing? Maybe start with one of their ‘house styles’ whether relaxed or more structured.
Got another couple of hundred quid burning a hole in your gorgeously lined jacket pocket? Ensure that suit doesn’t get ruined by an ill-fitting shirt. Michelsberg’s bespoke shirts are offered in a dazzling array of collar styles and fabrics, stitching option and buttons. It’s like a sweet shop of style.
Once the process is in motion, it will take six weeks, give or take, for your suit to be ready. You’ll then have a final fitting, with time for any last-second tweaks before delivery. And then you’ll look the absolute business.
Best for: Expert tailoring with next-level service.
Prices: From £900 for a two-piece suit, depending on cloth and construction.
Where? Michelsberg Tailoring, 24a Queen Victoria Street, Victoria Quarter, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6BE.
Edit Suits Co.
Just around the corner from the Leeds-List office (where, naturally, we all wear bespoke suits made from impossibly rare fabrics), you’ll find Edit Suits Co’s Leeds showroom – you’ll need to make an appointment to kickstart the made-to-measure process.
During your one-to-one appointment you can run through what style of suit you want, sift through some fabric samples and then you’ll get measured. But this isn’t just inside leg, waist and chest – they take over 30 measurements so that the suit is really made for you.
3-5 weeks later and – voila – your suit is ready. You’ll get to try it on and the tailor will make any last-minute adjustments you might need – this happens because sometimes a weekend on the burgers and beers can add an inch you really didn’t factor in.
Like most made-to-measure suit fittings in Leeds, it pays to turn up with some ideas of what you want. That might be in terms of pattern, weave, number of buttons, single or double-breast, shoulder style, monogram and lining – the permutations are endless and they’ll be led by you.
Best for: Customisable suits with options galore.
Prices: Two-piece suits from £479 to £1199.
Where? Edit Suits Co., First Floor, 21 York Place, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 2EX.