The Interview: Declyn Cooper of Slater Menswear on its 50th anniversary
Slater Menswear is a household name for affordable tailoring in Scotland, northern England and the Midlands, albeit with a strong branded casualwear offer as well. It was founded in Glasgow in 1973 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. At 40,000 sq ft, its Glasgow store is still accredited by the Guinness World Records as being the largest menswear store in the world, and the retailer added a 27th store in July 2023, in York.
Additionally, in March 2022, the retailer created a new higher end dedicated ‘Made to Order’ suiting room at its Glasgow flagship to elevate its offer. Following a successful launch year, it added the new concept to its Manchester store in spring this year and other selected branches are now being pencilled for a measured roll-out.
The new concept was the brainchild of the retailer’s Head of Tailoring, Declyn Cooper, and Mark Slater, the son of Managing Director Paul Slater, who in turn is the son of Ralph Slater, the founder of the company.
Declyn Cooper talks us through all the retailer’s latest developments and how interest in sharp suits is very much on the up.
How long have you worked for Slater Menswear?
I’ve been with the company since 2009, joining as a weekend member of staff at our store in Ayr. Then, in 2014, I became a full-time buyer for the business – at the head office in Glasgow. I am now Head of Tailoring, which covers buying and developing our ranges.
When did the new Slater Menswear store open in York?
We opened the new store in York three weeks ago. It’s our 27th store and it’s 10,000 sq ft, located at 1-5 Davygate – across the road from Betty’s Tea Room. York has always been synonymous with culture and a fantastic range of independent stores, including menswear. The city itself is a stunning location and it just felt right that we opened a store there. The reception of the new store has been fantastic. We have already started to get lots of new wedding parties coming in for their attire, which is a great start. We haven’t put our new Made to Order concept in there for now, that is just in our Glasgow and Manchester stores at the moment.
Why was the Manchester store selected to open the first Made to Order room outside of the Glasgow flagship in spring this year?
The 15,000 sq ft Manchester store opened about 26 years ago, so that is probably our most established outside of Scotland, and that’s why we decided to bring our new Made to Order concept there this spring – following a successful launch of it in the Glasgow flagship in March 2022. The Made to Order room in Manchester is about 300 sq ft, while the Glasgow room is about 250 sq ft. Manchester just felt right, it’s a large store and we have a strong customer base there. The Made to Order room brings a different ambience to the whole tailoring department, with comfortable seating and hot and cold drinks, as customers discuss all their tailoring needs. We’ve had quite a few footballers and rugby players in, as well as the World’s Strongest Man, Tom Stoltman, and his older brother Luke, who up to last year was Europe’s Strongest Man. That was an interesting suit fitting session for sure!
How does Made to Order work?
We brand it as Slater Made to Order – that goes in a woven label in the suit. We have ready made samples in the room in a plain navy fabric. When a customer comes in for an appointment, we measure them up and put a sample suit on them and then make the relevant adjustments. From there, the customer picks the fabric, buttons, lining and anything else he wants – including embroidered initials inside if wanted. Once everything is selected, we then complete the order and that then goes to be made. Our Made to Order service has a quicker turnaround time of between 6-8 weeks compared to a tailor’s made to measure service, which takes more like 9-12 weeks.
Declyn Cooper fits a customer for a suit
What spurred your decision to launch a Made to Order service in the first place?
Pre-pandemic we were getting a lot of grooms coming in the store wanting something a bit different for their big day, compared to the rest of their wedding party. A bride gets a special and different wedding dress compared to her bridesmaids, so why shouldn’t a groom stand out too? Initially, we bought in some different ready-made suits to cater for a certain look, which proved relatively successful. However, I just felt that people were willing to spend that little bit more on a more personalised service – creating their own suit. So, during Covid and the first two weeks of Lockdown 1, I was at home speaking to one of my suppliers on the phone and came up with the idea of Made to Order. From there, I contacted Mark Slater and the two of us started to formulate plans as to how it would work. Whereas it was initially targeted at grooms, it soon developed into something more – for anyone wanting something a bit more special for an event, or just a unique suit to make them feel good. It’s given us the opportunity to target a different customer, and it’s been a big success so far.
What price are the Made to Order suits?
The Made to Order suits start at £499 for a two-piece suit. On average they are about £800 for a three-piece suit, which actually still offers incredible value in the market, but they can go up to £1,300 – depending on the fabric selected, the details and the size. That’s a considerable difference to what we’ve always been known for. The fabrics we use are some of the best in Europe, including Vitale Barberis, Canonico, E. Thomas, Harris Tweed, Carlo Barbera, Marlane, Reda and Di Fabio. For our Made to Order service, the suits are made by a supplier that we already work with in Morocco. It’s a family business which has been on the go for as long as Slater Menswear has, so we have a real connection. They make quality suits at the higher end and we are now doing a lot of business with them due to the demand.
What other customer benefits are there for the Made to Order service?
The service is special as the customer gets a one-to-one appointment where they can select from over 350 Italian fabrics. An initial consultation with a Made to Order Executive, who takes all the alterations needed to ensure the best possible fit, takes between 45 minutes to an hour, and all additional details are discussed and noted. It’s very popular with grooms due to the customisation options, including adding the wedding date as embroidery.
Are there plans to roll out the Made to Order service to other Slater Menswear stores?
We’re happy with the way it’s going but we’re taking our time with its expansion. We will be picky as to which stores the Made to Order concept goes in, with the next ones probably being Liverpool, Norwich, Chelmsford and Birmingham.
On the main Slater Menswear shop floor what percentage of your suiting offer is own brand compared to third party brands?
About 70% is own brand these days. We do still carry suiting from the likes of Ted Baker, Chester Barrie, Herbie Frogg and Magee, but we have a few different in-house brands, such as 165, which relates to our store and head office in Glasgow, located at 165 Howard Street – where Slater Menswear was founded in 1973. Before it became Slater Menswear, the same address housed a factory that manufactured suits that was owned by founder Ralph Slater. It was in 1973 that he made the decision to go into retail, and it just grew from there with other branches opening over the years.
Our other own tailoring brands are Samuel Slater – named after founder Ralph’s uncle I believe – and Guthrie & Valentine, though we also carry some casualwear, particularly knitwear pieces, across Guthrie & Valentine. Our own brand casualwear adds to our third party mix which includes Barbour, Levi’s, Wrangler, Jack & Jones and French Connection. We also carry a lot of golf apparel, from the likes of Nike, Adidas and Under Armour. Overall, our product offer is about 75% tailoring compared to 25% casualwear. That works for us.
What’s the difference between the own brand suit ranges?
The different own brands target different customers. The 165 offer has a lot of poly/viscose garments, aimed at a younger consumer who is maybe going to a graduation or prom. Guthrie & Valentine is aimed at our more mature customer who wants a good solid work suit – with a focus on poly/wool fabrics for comfort. Then our Samuel Slater offer has more high end fabrics, including wool and cashmere blends. A three-piece suit from 165 – all sold ‘nested’ so not as separates – costs between £125 - £155. A Guthrie & Valentine suit costs between £175 - £185, while a Samuel Slater suit sells for £299. All three of those suiting offers are on the main shop floor, but the Made to Order suiting is different and in a designated area.
What are the suiting trends at the moment?
We follow the trends and we’re seeing a lot more slightly wider lapels coming in, but the biggest thing for us is still a three-piece suit with a two-button single-breasted jacket with a notch lapel, a single-breasted five-button waistcoat, and flat-fronted trousers – all in a very slim cut. That’s what we continue to sell a lot of, especially to wedding parties. We haven’t seen the wider trouser come in for us just yet. The trend is certainly out there, but it’s still very high end at the moment.
What else is new at Slater Menswear?
We are also now doing Made to Order suits for kids, and we’ve added Made to Order shirts to our offer in Glasgow, soon to be introduced at our Manchester store too. There are various options on collars, cuffs and colours as you’d expect. For the 50th anniversary we have also just launched three special suits (not part of the Made to Order service), which have different looks. The suits are named after the three generations of the Slater family in the business, so there’s the ‘Ralph’, the ‘Paul’ and the ‘Mark’. It’s a nice bit of marketing for the 50th and again offers our customers something a bit different.
