History of Harvie & Hudson
An introduction to Jermyn Street’s only family-owned shirtmaker by Richard Harvie, third generation Harvie here at Harvie and Hudson.
As Jermyn Street’s sole remaining family-owned shirtmaker myself, my family and everyone here at Harvie and Hudson are extremely proud of our history. Since my Grandfather Thomas Harvie and his good friend George Hudson founded Harvie and Hudson three generations ago the world has changed a great deal. We of course have moved along with the times, but at our core are the values that my Grandfather established this company on – the highest quality in shirtmaking Jermyn Street has to offer.
Thomas Harvie and George Hudson opened our first shop in 1949 at 41 Duke Street. The shop was part of the old Cavendish Hotel which at the time was owned by Rosa Lewis, 'The Duchess of Duke Street'. This location, just around the corner from our current Jermyn Street premises, can be seen below and today houses the Willow Gallery. (INSERT PHOTO) With my Grandfather Thomas managing the shop, George Hudson cut the bespoke shirts for our customers with the two men creating quite the partnership. In 1964 they moved to 77 Jermyn Street and in 1965 they took on two larger stores at 96/97 Jermyn St and in 1987 started up at 55 Knightsbridge. Along with Andrew Hudson, George Hudson’s grandson, today I manage our 77 Jermyn Street shop while our cutters remain the only shirtmakers here on Jermyn St to still cut shirts on the Street. 60 years may have passed, but we still believe it invaluable to have our customers’ shirts to be cut amongst such rich history.
As a boy I remember coming to visit the shop at 77 Jermyn Street. Most of the shirts were made to measure, with the vast majority having detachable collars and neck bands. Furthermore, the fabrics were nearly all white, cream, plain blue and bengal stripes. It was however during this period that I first became captivated by the wonders of Jermyn Street’s charm, and having sold my first tie at 7 under the watchful eye of my Grandfather, I just knew I had to be part of the family business.
The 1960s saw a new era for Harvie and Hudson with my Father Jeff Harvie along with Derek and Howard Hudson at the helm. It was by fortune that our signature bold H&H stripe emerged after my Father had some shirts made up out of flamboyant pajama material for a window display. It seemed to captivate the style for both the modern and classic man, with many of the original patterns still being asked for to this day. Undeniably a true innovation on Jermyn Street, bright pink, red, yellow, green and purple were always combined to create something like nothing else on the Street. Today we still design our own exclusive patterns and strive to develop innovative bold stripes just as my Father and the Hudsons did.
2009 saw us open up a new store on Lime Street in the City of London near the busy Leadenhall market area. This shop is planned as an all-round gentleman's haven. Not only is the customer be able to buy the finest clothing available but the shop also boasts a men’s barber. With four shops now in London we certainly do keep ourselves busy – I know both George and Thomas would be amazed to see what they created all those years ago.
With our 65th anniversary in the not too distant future we are very proud of what previous Harvie and Hudsons have achieved. The combination of bespoke men’s wear and a shopping experience like no other, we look forward to seeing you in one of our shops soon.
With best wishes,
Richard Harvie
