Page 13: ‘Mediocre’ Melbourne men and casual dress blamed for high-end tailor’s closure

A South Yarra tailor says Melbourne men have lost their self-respect, from their dress to their behaviour. And the silver-spoon rich set are just as bad as the bogans.

Andrew Tolley.

It is officially the end of the Melbourne gentleman.

Our city’s last remaining “gentleman’s outfitter and tailor,” Tolley Savile Row in South Yarra, is shutting up shop after more than 30 years in the trade.

Crippling rent is a factor, but of far more concern is the “mediocrity” and “casualisation” of Melbourne men, bemoans owner Andrew Tolley.

“I’m retiring because my trade is now done,” says Tolley, who followed Savile Row trend setters such as Tommy Nutter and now the Cad and the Dandy.

“The only place where men need to wear a tie is if they are a criminal going to court or one of the men’s clubs — and I’m not talking about the ones in King St.

“I’m talking about the proper ones.”

Melbourne is still a haven, make that heaven for ageing gentlemen at the Melbourne Club, the Savage, the Australian Club and the Athenaeum. Women are obvious by their absence.

These bastions of male supremacy have their origins in the 19th century when if the streets of boomtime were not paved with gold, the pockets of the elite were bulging.

Those days have gone.

Tolley Savile Row tailors retains John F Kennedy’s measurements after forays to Washington to suit up the stylish American president.

But the times when gentlemen put some effort and thought into what they wore are no more, Tolley tells Page 13.

The death knell came when Merrill Lynch and other Wall St giants relaxed their dress code, allowing men to ditch their suits and come to work in “business-casual” attire.

“When the most conservative blue-blood Wall St firms started abandoning suits, well that was the nail in the coffin,” Tolley says.

“It might work in America where they might wear a lovely cashmere sweater and dress it up, but you give an Australian an opportunity to dress down and he will rock up with Khe Sanh on his radio, wearing shorts and thongs.

“Sometimes you can’t just let the horse run. It’s just not a good idea.”

Tolley will close the doors of his bespoke suits and shirts store on Toorak Rd in September after he sells his best bolts of fabric. He has a particularly nice tartan still available.

He will be sad to go but says, frankly, Melbourne men have lost their self-respect.

“It’s a whole generational change, it’s not just how they dress but how they behave.

“Everyone wants to lead some Instagram life where they rub shoulders with people with tattoos in expensive restaurants. They all drive black Porsche Cayennes and live in French style chateaus in the eastern suburbs or Bayside.

“They drive hundred-thousand dollar cars, but wear $300 suits.

“Everyone is aspiring to the lowest common denominator,” says the suave and sophisticated Tolley.

“There is no individuality. Even at the races all you see is a plain blue suit that is too short, without socks and turns up at the front, with too tight a shirt and a skinny tie if he has one.”

Tolley says all the high-end Australian menswear and suit specialists, such as Henry Bucks and bespoke Sydney tailor J.H. Cutler, are struggling because of casualisation and the way people present themselves.

“The saddest thing for me is when you walk through Melbourne, you see the women all dress beautifully. They all do their best. They put on stockings without holes in them and nice shoes.

“From the cleaning woman to the secretary, they make time to dress and present themselves well.

“Whereas the men have slipped. Look around, the women still have some standards the men don’t.

“I’m not saying bring back anachronisms but it would be nice in the modern age to dress well according to modern standards.

“Wear clean well-pressed, well-co-ordinated casual wear, but the men have failed unfortunately.”

It’s not just the tracksuit, polo-fleece wearing cashed-up bogans living in their McMansions.

The silver spooners are just as bland, says Tolley.

“Just look at them when they are travelling overseas. They stick out like sore thumbs. Aussies are either in a cheap polo or Bintang T-shirt, or if they are from Toorak, Gazman chinos, cheap boat shoes and a very cheap checkered shirt.

“When they roll up to a nice restaurant in Europe, the waiters recoil in horror.

“It would be nice if people tried to fit in with their surroundings; try and be a chameleon, not a Fosters can lying on the beach.”

Tolley on Savile Row in London.

Tolley says the rag trade is a lot to blame.

“Back in the 60s and 70s men had some fun with their wardrobe. They would wear colour, a red pant, a floral tie, even a safari suit.

“But then things became all too beige, or navy. For most of the 80s and 90s retailers were just serving up plain navy clothing. You never go broke selling navy jumpers.”

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“The aspirational aspect is what has dearly departed and the women share a lot to blame because they haven’t said, ‘hey you can’t go out with me looking like that’.

“It’s why handbag sales are so big in Australia, women like to have nice accessories.”

Men don’t have to be handbags, says Tolley. “But it’s an indictment on men that they aren’t partnering up and showing them respect.”

Aretha Franklin sang it. R-E-S-P-E-C-T!