AntonAAK
Practically Family
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I find it interesting that they say that Savile Row is where the word 'bespoke' originated, as does Wikipedia.
From Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors (written in the early 1590s) Act III Scene II - Angelo, a goldsmith brings Antipholus of Syracuse a gold chain he has made for him.
ANGELO
What please yourself, sir: I have made it for you.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
Made it for me, sir! I bespoke it not.
ANGELO
Not once, nor twice, but twenty times you have.
Later in Act IV Scene IV Adriana, the wife of the intended recipient of the chain complains about not having received it.
ADRIANA
He did bespeak a chain for me, but had it not.
Admittedly we are talking jewellery here and not clothing but the meaning is clearly the same so the following claim is rather a bold one.
"According to Savile Row lore, the word dates back to the 17th century, when shops on the street still kept their cloth on the premises and a customer would 'speak' for a particular length of fabric."
From Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors (written in the early 1590s) Act III Scene II - Angelo, a goldsmith brings Antipholus of Syracuse a gold chain he has made for him.
ANGELO
What please yourself, sir: I have made it for you.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
Made it for me, sir! I bespoke it not.
ANGELO
Not once, nor twice, but twenty times you have.
Later in Act IV Scene IV Adriana, the wife of the intended recipient of the chain complains about not having received it.
ADRIANA
He did bespeak a chain for me, but had it not.
Admittedly we are talking jewellery here and not clothing but the meaning is clearly the same so the following claim is rather a bold one.
"According to Savile Row lore, the word dates back to the 17th century, when shops on the street still kept their cloth on the premises and a customer would 'speak' for a particular length of fabric."
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