Copyright hellomagazine
In the quiet heart of London’s Savile Row, where heritage, craftsmanship and elegance intersect, a new voice is redefining what it means for a woman to wear a suit. Molly Anderson, daughter of legendary tailor Richard Anderson, is among a growing number of women cutting on the Row. In just six years, she has carved out her own name, reshaping an institution long synonymous with menswear. "I began working at my father’s company, Richard Anderson at 13 Savile Row, in 2019," she recalls. Her apprenticeship began on the shop floor. "I started out the first year front of house with my dad’s business partner, Brian Lishack, so it was learning a lot about the cloth and watching him sell, which was just amazing. He’s been on the Row for I don’t know how many years, but it’s like watching a true old Hollywood salesman at work." Then came the pandemic, and an unexpected test. "It was me and Dad keeping the company ticking along. He was teaching me a little bit in the shop with the doors closed, and at home in the garage he would teach me how to strike and cut." What began as necessity evolved into passion. "Once it started to gradually open, it was just the two of us in the shop. As I was wearing suits, we had more ladies saying, 'Oh, you do womenswear?' so it just snowballed." Today, Anderson cuts in the shop, travels to the US several times a year and has her own clients, both men and women, but following in her father’s footsteps wasn’t always the plan. "After uni I wanted to do something more creative and learn a skill. I was a bit sheepish but I said, 'Dad, would you consider?' I think he probably wanted one of my brothers to go into it, but they weren’t fussed at all. He sat me down and said, 'You’re going to have to work really hard.'" That hard work paid off. "I just wanted to learn a skill and do something with my hands," she says. "You see something that’s created from start to finish. It’s quite niche, quite cool. I love the creative part of it and it’s also quite mathematical, so you’re thinking every day." Savile Row is steeped in a legacy of menswear, but Anderson’s work reflects a new era. "I think it helps that I’m surrounded by so many amazing women," she says. "I’m on a board of women in tailoring with some of the most wonderful, powerful people in the industry. There’s Kathryn Sargent, who is the world's first female Master Tailor and was the first female head cutter on the Row." Her father was quietly ahead of the curve. "He was taught at Huntsman. Hammick and Hall were the head cutters and they cut for women. Obviously it wasn’t as much as men, but their male clientele would bring their wives and daughters in, so my dad just knew how to do it." When Molly joined, women began to take notice. "I think there’s a misconception that women’s tailoring is just a man’s suit brought in, or that it can be frumpy, but we have so many cool customers. From young to old and in creative industries - they just choose fun stuff." Today, she estimates her work is "about 70–30 men to women", but it’s growing all the time. "Dads are bringing their daughters in and they like the story of meeting my dad and me. Women’s is growing, especially out in the States." For Anderson, tailoring for women opens creative space rarely found in traditional menswear. "There are so many rules with men’s tailoring, colours you shouldn’t wear, how much shirt should show, lapel patterns. With women’s tailoring, you need to know the rules to play with them, but if anything, women’s tailoring offers more freedom." That freedom extends to how she styles a suit. "I always like when women get three-piece suits because they can wear the waistcoat as a top in the evening. I think that’s such a cool look," she says. "In the day, I’d wear a favourite shirt, maybe even a tie if you’re feeling it. For evening, I’d go with a crisp open white shirt, a vest top, or the waistcoat on its own." And as for footwear, she has a clear favourite. "I do think heels," she admits. "It depends on what you’re comfortable in, but the suit is traditionally very masculine, and I think especially if you’re getting a suit for the first time, heels will make you feel more confident. I wish I could do stilettos, but I can’t wear them, I like a block heel." And when it comes to the perfect suit? "It should always be evolving," she insists. "The curse is that once something fits, you’re like, 'Oh, nothing else has fit in my entire life.' If you can find a jacket that fits you around the bust, you’re on to a winner." Her advice: "Try to go against what’s on the high street. Everything is telling you it needs to be a short coat, but just go a little bit longer. It’ll make you look taller and slimmer. It’ll be a game changer." Anderson remembers vividly the first time she felt powerful in a suit. "I’ve got it with me. It’s an RAF blue, almost like denim, which I love. It was my first 'quiet suit' - I had a lot of bold checks and bright colours - and I could wear it with anything. It was January 2023, my father and I went to New York, and honestly, the reception was amazing. People were like, 'Who is that?' I felt brilliant. It was an androgynous style with the blue, but then the cut was so feminine." The Richard Anderson house cut, she explains, "is very similar to the men’s in that we cut with a very high arm and a very nipped in waist. We have two darts in the women’s coat to create shape and a one button front. It’s very clean, very timeless." When it comes to defining luxury, Anderson’s take is as refined as her craft. "Honestly, I think luxury is very quiet. If it’s a beautiful suit that a woman is wearing and it’s the right cloth, beautifully tailored, and it fits perfectly, she’ll walk into a room and people don’t notice the suit. With luxury, people don’t know what it is, but think that woman just has it. Is it the suit? Is it her hair? Her makeup?" The right cloth, she notes, "is different for every person. A lot of these beautiful suits, you go for nine or ten ounce super 120s. It's the quality of the cloth that makes it very quietly luxurious." This autumn, Anderson is loving the resurgence of 1970s-inspired hues. "Everyone is wearing brown, which I just love. It goes with everything, that '70s vibe is back. Everyone is wanting browns and greens at the moment." If you’re buying your first bespoke suit, she offers some clear guidance: "For men, black is the cardinal sin - you shouldn’t wear it unless it’s a tuxedo or for funerals, but for women I think it’s the opposite. Get yourself a black suit, and you can wear everything as separates too. I do think a rich navy is also very useful." And her signature trouser? "A really high-waisted wide-leg trouser. It brings you in at your smallest point, then widens out and takes you from day to evening. It has a lovely flow when you walk, it’s very feminine." Confidence is central to Anderson’s philosophy. Whether wearing a tie ("If you see one and you’re like, 'I love that,' just wear it") or choosing a lining ("I think lining is such a nice way to show your personality"), her approach marries precision with individuality. As she looks ahead, her optimism for women’s tailoring is palpable. "I think it’s just growing, it’s fabulous. There are shops now that are female-focused, so it’s ever evolving." Savile Row, once the domain of men in pinstripes, now has a new kind of energy. Molly Anderson stands at the forefront of that shift, scissors in hand, quietly rewriting the rules.
