Acre & Row are stripping back the formality of custom tailoring
From finding the right fit to the importance of colour, founder Dav Sehra is demystifying the world of made-to-measure
On the surface, men’s tailoring can seem straightforward (a suit is a suit, after all), but Acre & Row is part of a growing shift in made-to-measure menswear that challenges what actually makes a garment “good” in the first place.
“I think a lot of guys struggle with jumping from ready-to-wear into any sort of custom clothing because it can seem quite intimidating,” says founder Dav Sehra. “What I’m trying to do with Acre & Row is make it a simple and comfortable process.” From finding the right fit to choosing colours that work, the tailoring savant guides us through the world of custom clothing.
Brand Origins
Founded in 2020, Acre & Row emerged from Dav Sehra’s growing interest in the nuances of menswear.
His path was unconventional, beginning with night-school study in pattern cutting, initially focused on streetwear and understanding garments from the blueprint up. That curiosity eventually led him to shadow a London tailor, where he experienced those finer nuances firsthand.
Now with locations in Bedford and Mayfair, the brand has grown into a made-to-measure service that reflects this detail-driven approach across an entire menswear wardrobe, from suits and coats to shirts and trousers.
The Consultation
The process at Acre & Row begins with an initial consultation, framed as a collaborative exchange between the client and tailoring experts.
“The more you talk to informed people, the more you understand clothing,” explains Sehra, positioning the experience as a way of cutting through the noise of trends.
It’s here that Sehra grounds the focus in the realities of how a garment functions within a wardrobe. He approaches made-to-measure as something that should be both versatile and timeless. Sehra emphasises how a suit works as a complete look as well as how its individual pieces can function as separates within an existing wardrobe.
Colour Matters
Once the tailor takes initial measurements, the process moves on to finding the right colour. The consultation allows clients to browse swatches from exclusive cloth mills, including Loro Piana and Harrisons, ensuring quality sits at the core of each piece.
“Always pick a colour that already exists in your wardrobe,” he says, explaining that it can be tempting to opt for something more daring when investing in a made-to-measure piece for the first time.
At Acre & Row, the focus tends to stay on classic, wearable tones. For the founder, navy is a favourite, alongside versatile shades of brown and black that can easily sit alongside lighter neutrals like sandy hues, linen, and dusty pinks.
Finding Your Fit
Within the world of Savile Row tailoring, each house has its own signature “house cut” that defines its approach to tailoring.
“For us, it’s very much a collaborative process,” says Sehra, noting that while Acre & Row has a naturally relaxed approach to tailoring, each piece is still carefully adjusted to the client’s individual preferences.
To help find the right fit, Acre & Row offers the opportunity to try on existing garments as a starting framework.
From there, measurements become a pattern and then a finished garment over the course of four to six weeks. A fitting appointment is then scheduled for the tailor to make final adjustments, ensuring fit is refined to perfection.
Building a Custom Wardrobe
Unlike the trend-driven world of ready-to-wear, Sehra sees made-to-measure less as a one-off purchase and more as an evolving system that adapts to a client’s needs over time. “We’re so used to instant gratification that it’s almost a mindset issue,” he says.
Acre & Row keeps each client’s individual pattern on file, meaning it can be reused and refined for future garments. This makes the process significantly easier the second time around.
Repeat clients often return first for business wear, before expanding into more casual pieces. “Once you get the fit right, without compromising on certain aspects, that’s where the capsule wardrobe really starts to make sense,” he explains. “We fill in the gaps.”
To book a consultation and learn more, head to acre-row.com.