Chester Barrie: Company Info

Chester Barrie was a famous, respected men's clothing factory that was founded in England in 1935. CB made men's clothing by hand, just like tailors on the traditional Savile Row, but used ready-made sizes. This way, a customer could walk into the store and, after minor alterations, get a finished garment that was of excellent quality. The price was lower and the waiting time was much shorter than in tailoring shops. CB's cuts and style were always British, the fabrics were UK-made, and the clothes travelled to the colonies with the British. During the World War, the factory also made uniforms. For the most exacting customers, CB made clothes according to their own measurements.

In the 1950s, Chester Barrie founded a clothing company in Italy that followed the same manufacturing model. It was called d'Avenza and the quality of the workshop was as high as in England. In the 1970s, Chester Barrie was sold to the English clothing company Austin Reed. In its heyday, the factory employed almost 500 people and the success story lasted for decades. The clothes were made in batches: tailors specialized in doing a certain work stage, after which the outfit moved forward like on an assembly line. In the end, the suit had a style that was more than the sum of its parts. The factory had hundreds of size and style combinations, the goal of which was to have a ready-made garment that fit as many men as possible. CB was still a popular men's clothing company in the '80s for all who wanted the best, so to speak. It also subcontracted suits for the legendary tailoring company Huntsman and Ralph Lauren's Purple Label collection, for example.

Chester Barrie's factory tailoring model was later copied by Brioni, Kiton, Isaia and other most prestigious clothiers in Italy. However, CB's glory faded in the 2000s, when the company was sold several times, production was moved to China, the company became indebted, and finally went bankrupt in 2022. However, many great clothes have survived, and Pukimo Raivio proudly offers them to new owners. Chester Barrie still offers the highest quality of ready-to-wear made in the UK.