Our Story

How It Started?

Jacob Dege was a successful German journeyman tailor who, came to England in 1855 to seek his fortune, after attempts to reform the German taxation system and impose censorship had driven many of its citizens from their Fatherland, in favour of a new life in England.

Ten years later, Jacob established his own business at 13 Conduit Street, W.1, (which thrived until the Luftwaffe bombed it in 1940!)

Jacob had a large family, business flourished and his three boys all went to Merchant Taylors’ School in Charterhouse Square.  The elder two entered the firm, while the youngest, Arthur, a good school friend of William George Skinner (George), whose family were tailors in Jermyn Street, decided to start their own business called Arthur Dege & Skinner in Grafton Street, W.1 in 1900, as there was no place for Arthur in the family firm.

TRAGEDY STRIKES

After a promising start, tragedy struck. Not once, but thrice. Arthur’s elder brothers both died unexpectedly and George was killed in a horse riding accident, aged 42, in 1913, leaving a penniless widow and two young sons to educate. “Tim” (also William George) and “Dud” (Halford Timewell), then aged 12 and 9.  Both attended Colet Court in Hammersmith; Dud went to St. Paul’s School and Tim to Ardingly College, where Jacob kindly paid for Tim’s education for two and a half years, before bringing him into J. Dege & Sons to learn the Trade – under a German cutter!

Arthur Dege & Skinner was forced to close at the start of The Great War and Arthur joined his father in J. Dege & Sons.

Anti-German feeling had been high in 1917 and after 52 years, Jacob relinquished the chairmanship. J. Dege & Sons Ltd became a private limited Company.

SUCCESS & Expansion

Tim Skinner’s excellent cutting skills continued a pace, along with his belief that his ability should enable his skilled coat, vest and trouser makers to earn proper wages and respect.

Determined to make this a reality, Tim launched his first trunk show to Cheltenham in 1928 and successfully expanded J. Dege & Sons to the North of England and Scotland; the latter continues to this day, including regular visits to the Royal Company of Archers in Edinburgh.

In 1939, J. Dege & Sons Ltd had bought Wilkinson & Son, Robe Makers by appointment to HM King George V1 and two years later, had the foresight to open outposts in the military garrisons of Aldershot and Catterick Camp. Military uniforms were and still are, vital elements for the firm’s survival.

Pioneering tailors

In 1967, Dege bought Rogers & Co., as well as John Jones. Both military tailors, this amalgamation of specialist military tailors created a force to be reckoned with in the industry, something that continues to influence the company to this day.

In 1964, Michael embarked upon the firm’s first overseas trunk show to USA in a pioneering move among the finest bespoke tailors of this country.  From then onwards, regular trunk shows have been made to the USA, Japan, Middle East and across Europe. Dege & Skinner holds Royal Warrants of Appointment to HM Queen Elizabeth II, HM The Sultan of Oman and HM The King of Bahrain.

And now?

In 2000, and in recognition of his family’s century-long contribution, Michael re-established the trading name of ‘Dege & Skinner’ and the company celebrated its 150^th anniversary in 2015 under the leadership of Michael’s son William.

William Skinner is the fifth generation of his family to join the bespoke tailoring trade and is now Managing Director. He is a past Appeal Chairman of the Master Tailors’ Benevolent Association and, more recently, Chairman of the Savile Row Bespoke Association.

In between, William was responsible for uniting the two trade charities as the Bespoke Tailors’ Benevolent Association. He is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors.

Making uniforms for a royal wedding has always been a historic moment for our family-owned, 156-year-old company.

Most recently we had the honour of making the uniform that HRH Prince Harry wore at his wedding to Meghan Markle.

He chose the uniform of the ‘Blues & Royals’.

For HRH Prince Harry’s frock coat alone it took military embroidery specialist and ‘QEST’ Scholar Sarah Wilkinson an entire week to hand-stitch the intricate sleeves.

So between HRH and the four replica pageboy uniforms, 150 meters of ‘Black Russia’ was used for approximately 65,000 hand-stitches. And that was just for the lacework alone!

‘QEST’, or The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, supports excellence in British craftsmanship through scholarship and apprenticeship funding.

Over the last 30 years QEST has awarded nearly £5million to 600 individuals working in 130 different disciplines.