Stanley Ley

Stanley Ley is a legal outfitters established in 1903. In addition to their wig and gown business, they also had a shop on Holborn which sold mens’ off the peg business suits of their own design that had a certain flair to them. The shop on Holborn is gone now, although there is still a legal outfitters on Fleet Street, but they have what could only be described as an outlet store for mens suits near Petticoat Lane.
Stanley Ley suits all have working cuff buttons; buttons for braces and waistband adjusters (so you don’t need to wear braces); no belt loops; generally flashy linings; A big badge panel on the inside proclaiming Stanley Lays legal outfitter credentials and crest.
I have four Stanley Ley suits and in my opinion they are as good as my other suits from Crombie, Gieves and Hawkes and Daks. Styling aside, the difference is they cost less than a third of the price. There always seems to be a sale on and generally speaking you can pick up a suit for between £165 on sale and £250 when it isn’t.
The man that works in the shop is an old school gentlemen’s outfitter type and he will know the size of suit you wear by the time you are through the front door. Regardless of your size and build they will have a selection of suits that fit you. They also sell double cuff shirts, ties and some rather cool cufflinks. This is an amazingly easy business suit buying experience. You walk in, look at the vast number of suits of various cloths and cuts, point at one, the man hands you one in the size that’s right for you, you try it on, he measures up the trousers, you pay then pick them up a day or so later either hemmed or with turn-​ups.
This is the only place in the immediate vicinity of Petticoat Lane that you can buy a suit if you work in The City. The shop isn’t pretty, but I imagine the rent is low which enables them to keep their prices the same way. The neighboring places just don’t sell anything that you could wear without embarassment on a dark night in Bagdad let alone in the boardroom, but if you have to get suited and booted for work, this little shop is worth travelling to.