We have the skill and expertise to create any garment a client desires. Yet every great tailoring house has a signature style that defines its legacy, a cut that captures the essence of its craft and history and style. For Huntsman, that defining hallmark is the One Button Cut, a silhouette that has become synonymous with refinement and sophistication.
It was once said that one Huntsman customer could recognise another in the street by the cut of their suit. Over a century in evolution, it was the visionary Head Cutter Colin Hammick who defined the house style as we know it today. It is his legacy we continue to honour with our house style.
The Anatomy Of The Cut
The Huntsman signature cut is instantly recognisable: a single-button fastening at the waist, a strong, structured shoulder with high armholes that give way to a naturally structured chest, and a subtly suppressed waist.
The line of the jacket creates a clean, streamlined profile, emphasising elegance and authority. The placement of the button flatters the torso, offering balance and proportion, while the proportion of the lapel and longer, slightly flared jacket skirt lends sophistication and gravitas.
Every detail is considered for both style and practicality; the jacket moves fluidly with the wearer, ensuring comfort without sacrificing poise. The single fastening reduces clutter, letting the cloth, cut, and craftsmanship speak for themselves.
From Equestrian Origins
Before establishing as a destination tailor for Europe's most sartorially discerning clientele, Huntsman was a ridingwear and breeches maker. Our history is rooted in equestrian wear, and the one-button cut owes much of its structure to the classic hacking jacket.
Designed originally for riding, the hacking jacket featured a longer skirt, high armholes, and strong shoulders for ease in the saddle, though notably with three three-button fastenings instead of one.
Huntsman carried these principles into its tailoring, refining them into a sleeker, more formal silhouette. The result is a jacket that retains the athletic, elegant stance of its sporting ancestor, while embodying the refinement of Savile Row craftsmanship.
The Visionary Hammick
The contemporary one-button cut owes much to the genius of Colin Hammick, Huntsman’s legendary Head Cutter.
A true visionary of Savile Row, throughout the 1960s Hammick refined Huntsman’s house style at a time when men’s fashion was evolving rapidly. He retained the cut’s equestrian roots; its strong shoulders, elongated skirt, and athletic balance, but introduced subtle refinements that gave the silhouette a modern edge. By refining the waist and perfecting the placement of the single fastening, Hammick created a jacket that was sharper, sleeker, and more versatile than its predecessors.
This evolution transformed the Huntsman style into the contemporary icon we recognise today: a jacket of timeless elegance that balances tradition with modernity. Under Hammick’s eye, the cut became synonymous with confidence and individuality, worn by some of the most discerning and iconic figures of the era. His legacy endures in every Huntsman jacket, ensuring that the house style remains as relevant now as it was when he first redefined it.
The Benefits to the Wearer
The beauty of the Huntsman One Button Cut lies not only in its style but also in the way it enhances the wearer. Each element of its anatomy is designed to flatter, empower, and provide comfort without compromise.
Strong, structured shoulders project confidence and authority, while high armholes allow ease of movement and a close, comfortable fit.
A subtly suppressed waist sculpts the body into an athletic silhouette, balanced by the longer skirt, a nuance inherited from the equestrian hacking jacket, which lends both practicality and grace.
The single fastening at the natural waist creates a clean, elongated front, its sweeping lapels directing the eye to flatter and elongate the figure. Together, these features give the wearer stature, elegance, and poise, combining timeless design with comfort and durability in a cut that is unmistakably Huntsman.
Colin Hammick at his cutting board, sporting the house cut and a statement tie.
A member of the Huntsman team, standing in the shop at 11 Savile Row, wearing the signature house style.
A Legacy Contined
Today, every Huntsman cutter is trained in the principles of the house style. While we can craft any garment to meet a client’s desires, this silhouette remains the cornerstone of our house identity, a symbol of precision, proportion, and elegance. To wear it is to wear a piece of Huntsman history, a design that has defined our legacy and continues to shape the future of Savile Row tailoring.
