Win a £150 Frank Rostron shirt

Where is it?
39 Princess Street
Manchester
M2 4FN

History
Frank Rostron set up his bespoke shirt business in Manchester in 1968. He retired five years ago and is now based in Florida. Having acquired a large client base in the United States following a visit from an American lawyer followed by word of mouth, the business now operates equally on both sides of the Atlantic.

New director and co-owner Adam Dooley took over 12 months ago and splits his time between Manchester, London and the United States. Entering the industry straight from school, Adam did one year’s handover with Frank before taking up the role. His hard work has resulted in an 18 per cent increase in sales in 2009- an accomplishment he puts down to a refurbishment and something called the Frank Rostron experience.

“Every customer is fussy. If they weren’t fussy they’d be in Debenhams” he says.

“It’s about making it as easy as possible. The fabric choice is the most important part. The measuring time period is the same process every time- it’s the fabric selection which is the long part. Then it’s onto styling. A lot of the time the customer will have an idea of what he wants- it’s down to us to try and get a pattern that first of all compliments their height and shape and secondly to look as sharp as possible. They then have two fittings. We make the suit 40 per cent complete and it’s tried again at this point with one sleeve of. The process then starts again, pretty much from scratch, ready for the final fitting. Ninety per cent of the tailoring is done here on the premises. “

What does it sell?
The main lines are bespoke shirts and suits. Shirts range from £150-£175 and suits go upwards from £850. Whilst we often see men about town in suits which look ten a penny, Adam explains that there are certain trends- even in the tailoring world.

“Butchers stripes have come back into fashion and really bold city stripes. Last year when the recession was in its height everybody ordered plain white shirts because they all wanted to stay off the radar. They wanted to go unnoticed at work and in a bright or bold shirt the boss might walk in one day and say ‘Who’s he over there? Why is he still here?

“Everyone was also buying button cuffs last year because they didn’t want to wear the flash Cartier or Gucci cufflinks. Everybody toned it down, but now everyone is back to buying pinks, lilacs and greens again.”

As well as the suits and shirts, Frank Rostron also provide the UK’s only bespoke tie making service and have also introduced luxury product lines including cashmere wools, handmade shoes, Italian silk ties and cufflinks. They also provide an office service whereby Adam and his colleagues visit busy business men at work to get them measured up.

Who shops there?
A variety of men in both the UK and US, looking for anything from their first shirt for a new job, to their twentieth suit to add to their collection. However, Adam says there is a definite distinction between customers from each of the countries.

“In America it’s more the Wall Street types. They’re very big on monograms- having your initials embroidered onto your cuff. English men aren’t into that as much at all. One American customer orders 50 shirts at a time, and pays extra to have his initials embroidered on to the tale of the shirt at the bottom. He then tucks it into his trousers so no one ever sees it. I asked him why he has the initials and he simply replied ‘I know it’s there.’

“We also have a lot of customers from places such as the Congo. They might be in Manchester for a couple of weeks and they order really bright yellow, orange or pink suits. Crazy suits. For outlandish shirts, we sell a lot of florals.Peter Kay was in the shop recently for a shirt fitting which he wore on Jonathan Ross’ Friday night show. He also wore a Frank Rostron shirt at the Brit Awards.”

Why go there?
Manchester was built on the cotton industry and England is renowned for tailoring. It’s no wonder that the American’s are after this all-English experience which we have right here on our doorstep. As Adam quite plainly puts it: “The quality is better in this country. Top end in fact. And it’s done by hand.”

Future
Luckily for us, Frank Rostron will forever remain a Manchester based shop only. The long term plan is to expand their tailoring service to more cities in the United States, but this won’t include any additional premises.

Adam says: “We made everything upstairs for 15 years but now it’s done in Ardwick, just around the corner. We’re taking it to the empty building next door which was a sushi shop so were going to have the top three floors upstairs and you’ll be able to walk through and see the girls making the shirts.”

Girls?

“Yes- the cutters are men but the girls are the machinists. Saville Row has actually just got the first female cutter, which could change the face of tailoring. It’s all the well trained Polish girls that have come over because in Poland it’s a woman’s trade whereas in England it’s a guy’s trade. They’re pushing all the guys out so it’s only a matter of time until it’s all women.”

Verdict
We’re giving one reader the chance to give their own verdict on the Frank Rostron experience by giving away a shirt worth £150. The winner will receive a voucher which will entitle them to a consultation at Frank Rostron and select the shirt of their choice. To be in with a chance of winning, please click below.