A traditional tailor has hit back at the BBC's decision to ask top talent to dress down - saying wearing a suit is "aspirational". Michael Territo, 39, says the store he runs in Bristol with his dad is "busier than ever".
And he rejects the theory that younger people don't like dressing smartly. Presenters at the BBC have been encouraged to look more sweaty and dirty while out in the field for authenticity, reports say.
But Michael said: "I think the BBC is dumbing the [suit] industry down. It's aspirational for people when they see someone else wearing a suit and an individual looking really good.
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"We have customers in their mid-20s buying suits made according to their own style. That's how we know the suit isn't going anywhere."
Territo Tailoring opened on Union Street in 1967 before moving to its current premises on Park Street in 1981. Sicilian-born Jack Territo's shop quickly became a byword for class in Bristol - and remains so today. The founder is aged 78 now.
But he's still very much involved in the process with son Michael, who joined 15 years ago. The pair sell bespoke suits for men and women for up to £3,000, making around two a month.
They have about 50 garments on the books and a jacket takes 70 to 80 hours of careful work. Their current waiting list is an impressive seven months - and business has been booming since the end of Covid.
Michael said: "We're busier than ever. If only I could keep up with everything that comes through the door. It's absolutely crazy. I can't take on anything new until September and that's probably optimistic.
"A really great suit still makes people stop and look - and it always will. People are still really into suits. People wear them because they enhance the best attributes of your figure and make you feel confident."
However, Michael said they've noticed a decline in sales at certain prices. "It's the middle-range product that's seeing a drop-off," he said.
"It's the way this cost of living crisis is panning out for middle earners. It's go cheap or buy better." Michael and Jack have taken various interesting requests from people.
One wanted to dress like their dad's in the 60s, and another requested for a Victorian-style lady's coat. But most customers are also embracing more modern styles like collarless.
Michael said: "It's as varied as it's ever been. What's traditional is the way it's made. People come here because they want to be a shepherd not a sheep. They're going for an individual look.
"People assume that stuffy types buy and wear suits but that's not true. Very often the person in the queue who looks least like they'll wear a suit is the one that actually buys one.
"It's not at all just people wanting to look like Winston Churchill. There are so many variations. People can choose what they want to wear and what makes them feel good. If there's been any change, it's less black suits - maybe. And the Instagram 'painted on' look has gone."
A senior manager at the BBC has told camera-facing staff they should feel free to dress down when on location, according to newspaper reports. But newsreaders and presenters have attracted criticism in the past when they have opted for more casual dress.
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