Cad and the Dandy
A London-based independent tailoring company specialising in bespoke suits and made-to-measure menswear.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Cad and the Dandy is an independent tailoring company founded in London in 2008 by former bankers James Sleater and Ian Meiers. The business was created around a shared interest in establishing a modern tailoring company with access to the traditions and skills associated with British bespoke clothing. Both founders had family connections to the tailoring trade, while their professional backgrounds gave them experience in finance and business development. They each contributed £20,000 of initial capital and began by conducting fittings in rented office space. The company’s early development followed a relatively asset-light path. Before opening its own premises, Cad and the Dandy arranged to conduct appointments at the Savile Row shop of Chittleborough & Morgan. This gave the young company an association with one of London’s best-known tailoring districts while it built its own customer base. In October 2009, it opened its first permanent store in the City of London. The business was subsequently recognised as an emerging enterprise, including inclusion in The Guardian’s Courvoisier Future 500 and an entrepreneur award received by the founders in 2010. Cad and the Dandy expanded its physical presence on Savile Row in July 2013, later operating a flagship location at 13 Savile Row. The company’s proposition combines traditional bespoke methods with a comparatively contemporary and commercially accessible presentation. Its core service is the creation of individually fitted suits, supported by fabric selection, pattern development, fittings, alterations and finishing. The business also offers bespoke and made-to-measure shirts, along with related tailoring and formalwear products. The company’s production model includes workshops and a tailoring workforce in London, as well as manufacturing support from MSR Garments in Sri City, India, which has produced the majority of its bespoke suits since 2016. Cad and the Dandy has also established an apprenticeship programme in London, linking its commercial operations with the development of new tailoring skills. Its Savile Row flagship was described as incorporating in-house cloth-weaving capability before the cloth was made into a finished suit, an initiative intended to reinforce the relationship between textile creation and garment construction. International expansion followed in 2018, when Cad and the Dandy opened a store on West 57th Street in New York City. In the same year, it acquired Götrich, described as Scandinavia’s oldest tailoring house, extending the company’s presence beyond Britain and connecting it with a historic Nordic tailoring name. The company therefore operates across a blend of traditional British tailoring, international appointments and distributed production. Cad and the Dandy’s positioning is premium bespoke menswear rather than mass-market fashion. Its identity rests on Savile Row heritage, personal service, hand-oriented craftsmanship and contemporary styling, while its operating structure allows it to serve customers through multiple locations and workshops. Publicly available reference material identifies London, City of London, Savile Row and New York premises, but does not establish a current complete store network, ownership structure, financial position or named current executive team. The company remains an active independent tailoring business focused on bespoke suits and associated menswear services.
History
Cad and the Dandy was established in London in 2008 by James Sleater and Ian Meiers, two former bankers who had separately been considering a similar tailoring venture. They met through a supplier and decided to combine their plans. Each founder contributed £20,000 in start-up capital. Their family connections to tailoring gave them familiarity with the sector and helped support the launch of a company that aimed to work within the traditions of British bespoke clothing while presenting the service in a modern commercial format. The business initially operated without a permanent shop, using rented office space for fittings. It later reached an arrangement with Chittleborough & Morgan that allowed appointments to take place at that firm’s Savile Row premises. This early presence on the street helped Cad and the Dandy establish a connection with London’s historic tailoring district before committing to its own retail infrastructure. In October 2009, the company opened its first permanent store in the City of London. The early business attracted public attention as an emerging enterprise. It achieved reported turnover of £1.3 million in 2010, was listed by The Guardian in the Courvoisier Future 500, and saw its founders receive the Bento Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 2010 Macworld Awards. These references place the company’s early growth within a wider period of renewed interest in British tailoring and independent specialist businesses. A major physical expansion took place in July 2013, when Cad and the Dandy opened permanent premises on Savile Row. Its flagship at 13 Savile Row became a central expression of the brand. The company described the location as including the ability to hand-weave cloth before turning it into a completed suit, connecting textile work with the later stages of bespoke garment construction. The firm also developed an apprenticeship programme in London for people seeking to enter the tailoring profession. Cad and the Dandy’s operations combine customer-facing tailoring in London with production across more than one workshop location. Reference material describes a London base, three workshops and a workforce of more than 30 tailors. Since 2016, MSR Garments in Sri City, India, has produced the majority of the company’s bespoke suits. This arrangement indicates a production model that combines British design, fitting and tailoring expertise with overseas manufacturing capacity, rather than relying exclusively on one workshop. In 2018, the company extended its retail and appointment network to the United States by opening a New York store on West 57th Street. It also acquired Götrich, identified in reference material as Scandinavia’s oldest tailoring house. The transaction broadened Cad and the Dandy’s geographic reach and added a historic Nordic tailoring name to its business interests. The company’s history is consequently defined by gradual expansion: a small founder-led launch, early use of partner premises, a City of London store, a Savile Row flagship, apprenticeship and workshop development, and eventual international growth through New York and the Götrich acquisition. Public references do not provide a complete current account of its ownership, senior management, financial results or present store footprint. Cad and the Dandy is nevertheless identified as an active independent tailoring company whose principal business remains bespoke suits and related menswear.
- 2018
New York expansion and Götrich acquisition
[1]The company opened a New York store on West 57th Street and acquired Götrich, a historic Scandinavian tailoring house.
- 2016
Production relationship with MSR Garments
[1]MSR Garments in Sri City, India, began producing the majority of Cad and the Dandy’s bespoke suits.
- 2013
Permanent Savile Row presence
[1]Cad and the Dandy opened permanent premises on Savile Row, later associated with its flagship at 13 Savile Row.
- 2010
Early business recognition
[1]The company was included in The Guardian’s Courvoisier Future 500, while its founders received the Bento Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
- 2009
First permanent store opens in the City of London
[1]After beginning with fittings in rented offices and partner premises, the company opened its first permanent store in October.
- 2008
Company founded in London
[1]Former bankers James Sleater and Ian Meiers founded Cad and the Dandy, contributing £20,000 each as initial capital.
Products and positioning
Premium independent tailoring combining Savile Row tradition, personalised fitting, bespoke construction and contemporary menswear styling.
Bespoke tailoring · 2008
Bespoke suits
The company’s principal offering is the individually commissioned suit. Customers select cloth and styling details through a consultation, undergo measurements and fittings, and receive a suit adjusted to the resulting pattern and construction requirements. The service is associated with Cad and the Dandy’s London and Savile Row identity, while production has also involved MSR Garments in India since 2016.
Shirting
Bespoke and made-to-measure shirts
Cad and the Dandy offers personalised shirts as part of its wider menswear service. Shirt appointments extend the brand’s fitting-led approach beyond suits, allowing customers to specify proportions, fabrics and design details appropriate to individual requirements. Public reference material identifies shirts as part of the company’s offering but does not provide a complete current product catalogue.
Tailoring services
Tailoring alterations and formalwear
The company’s tailoring proposition includes fitting, adjustment and related formal menswear services supporting its bespoke and made-to-measure work. These services are delivered through appointments and workshops rather than a mass retail model. Specific current formalwear lines and accessory ranges are not fully documented in the available reference material.
Brand decisions
2018
Acquisition of GötrichM&ABackground
Cad and the Dandy was expanding beyond its original London base and developing an international tailoring presence.
Action taken
The company acquired Götrich, described in reference material as Scandinavia’s oldest tailoring house.
Aftermath
The acquisition extended Cad and the Dandy’s business interests into Scandinavia and added an established historic tailoring name to its portfolio.
2018
Opening of New York premisesStrategyBackground
The company sought to serve customers outside the United Kingdom while retaining its London tailoring identity.
Action taken
Cad and the Dandy opened a store on West 57th Street in New York City.
Aftermath
The opening established a permanent United States location and expanded the company’s international appointment network.
2013
Establishment of a permanent Savile Row flagshipStrategyBackground
After beginning with rented offices, partner premises and a City of London store, Cad and the Dandy sought a more direct presence in London’s historic tailoring district.
Action taken
The company opened permanent premises on Savile Row, later identified with its flagship at 13 Savile Row.
Aftermath
The move strengthened the brand’s association with Savile Row and provided a dedicated setting for bespoke appointments and tailoring operations.
Sources2 sources
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