Savile Row was built in the 1730s as part of the development of the Burlington Estate. Initially, the street was occupied by military officers and their wives and William Pitt the Younger was a notable early resident. During the 1800s, fashion and elegant tailoring came to the fore amongst the privileged classes; with Beau Brummell being the model of a well-dressed gentleman. He patronised the tailors on the Burlington Estate and by 1803 some were occupying premises in Savile Row, though none of those original tailors survive today.

Gieves & Hawkes is located at №1 Savile Row and represent the traditional face of British bespoke tailoring. The business was formed by the merger of Gieves (founded in 1885) and Hawkes (founded in 1771). Its early commissions were for the British Army and the Royal Navy, and it was also the first Savile Row tailor to provide ready-to-wear clothes. Gieves & Hawkes hold all three Royal Warrants (the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales).
In 1969, Nutters of Savile Row overhauled the traditional reserve of Savile Row tailors and in the 1990s designers like Richard James and Ozwald Boateng relocated to the street.

Established in 1834, it moved to its current site in 1851 after capitalising on brisk trade at a stall set up for the Great Exhibition of that year. The company expanded rapidly, but the initial buildings were destroyed by fire in 1883. A new temporary building was quickly built and in 1898 the store installed the first escalator (more of a leather conveyor belt), where brandy was offered to customers to revive them after their 'ordeal'. The present building was finished in 1905 after 11 years in construction.