Untitled
Askew and Co Ltd
Category
Costume
Date
1900 - 1940
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Order this imageCollection
Shaw's Corner, Hertfordshire
NT 1275439
Caption
As with so many of his literary contemporaries, the clothing choices of Irish playwright, critic and political commentator George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) were as much a part of his character and legacy as his words. For much of his life, Shaw was a committed follower of the rational dress movement. He paid particular attention to the teachings of Dr Gustav Jaeger (1832–1917), who theorised on the best fabrics to wear for health and hygiene. Jaeger’s work had been translated by Lewis Tomalin (1849– 1915), who established the clothing brand in London inspired by Jaeger’s teachings. Shaw purchased his first Jaeger suit in 1885 and followed Jaeger’s philosophies on fashion for the rest of his life. His russet-brown woollen suits were designed to encourage perspiration – in 1897 Shaw wrote to his friend Ellen Terry (1847–1928): ‘I want my body to breathe … I always have the window wide open night & day; I shun cotton & linen & all fibrous fabrics that collect odours … .’ This suit was made by Askew and Co., a Savile Row tailor specialising in Jaeger fabrics. Helen Antrobus
Summary
Brown three piece woollen suit by Askew and Company Ltd, c. 1900-1940, made for George Barnard Shaw (1856–1950).
Makers and roles
Askew and Co Ltd, manufacturer
References
Antrobus and Slocombe 2025: Helen Antrobus and Emma Slocombe, 100 Things to Wear: Fashion from the collections of the National Trust, National Trust 2025, pp. 148-149.