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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.
Despite increasing rents forcing many traditional tailors out, Savile Row continues to be recognised as a byword for quality tailoring, globally. In Japanese, 
one word for suit is "sebiro", a corruption of "Savile Row." In the 1962 movie "Dr. No," the first in the James Bond series, CIA agent Felix Leiter asks Bond where he was fitted for his Walther PPK, and Bond responds, "My tailor, in Savile Row."
The Beatles and Apple Corp.
The offices of The Beatles' Apple Corps were located at 3 Savile Row; with numerous artists (and the Beatles) recording at Apple Studios in the basement, including the tracks: 'The Long and Winding Road' and 'Get Back'. The Beatles' final live performance was on the roof, on 30 January 1969. You can follow the action of the impromptu concert in the documentary film 'Let It Be', which shows the crowds gathering in Savile Row below. An excerpt is included here.
(If you want to watch other tracks from the concert, hover your mouse cursor in the lower third of the screen to see a carousel of choices)
Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus, Green Park or Oxford Circus
