20 years of Regent

There’s no neat way to sum up twenty years.

It doesn’t follow a straight line. Instead, it’s a collection of moments, some planned, many not, stitched together over time. The kind of years that only really make sense when you stop and look back. Moments that have all played their part in bringing us to where we are today.

At Regent, we’ve always believed that things built properly take time and hard work. The past twenty years have been no different.

Where it all began

It’s hard to pinpoint one exact beginning, but it always comes back to something simple.

The idea of buying well, of looking after what you own, and repairing rather than replacing. We believe in good clothes, tailored to your body and your needs, pieces that will stand the test of time. These weren’t grand principles, just everyday habits, but they stayed. And they continue to shape everything we do at Regent.

There are still pieces that carry that feeling. Jason’s grandad’s camel jumper and Bengal shirt are clothes that hold memory as much as function. Garments that are worn properly, kept, and returned to over time.

That connection to craftsmanship runs deeper still. Jason’s grandfather was butler to Ian Fleming, and from an early age there was an awareness of what good tailoring looked like and how it should feel. That early influence, paired with time spent learning the craft at Ede & Ravenscroft, shaped an understanding of tailoring that balances tradition with a more contemporary eye. The kind that you can’t find anywhere else.

A family home in Henley-on-Thames, with its proximity to London, created a natural link between city and country style, and this balance remains at the heart of Regent today.

Regent’s visual identity reflects that same sense of tradition. The original gold and black logo set against a deep burgundy, has quiet nods to our classic cricket jumper and burgundy striped Regent socks that remain a staple in-store. Something understated, familiar and enduring. A certain kind of British craftsmanship that doesn’t need to announce itself, but makes its presence known when you step inside the shop.

Regent has never been about one particular look. It’s about helping people find their own, with the right guidance, the right pieces, and the confidence to wear them well.

 

Early days: show mayhem & dodgy weather

In the early years, getting the name out there meant physically being out there.

Shows were everything. Larkhill, the New Forest Show, Wilton. Setting up gazebos in the snow, watching them catch the wind with expensive stock inside. Standing in mud that crept up and over wellies. On some days, it felt like you were almost telling people not to come.

One Easter Monday at Lambourn Open Day, the van had to be towed into the field just to get set up, only for it to start snowing again once everything was in place.

And yet, those were the moments where some of the best relationships began. Conversations in the cold. Customers met in those conditions who are still with us today.

The New Forest Show had its own rhythm. Farmers’ barbecues in the evening, sleeping on the stand, early morning showers borrowed from a nearby hotel spa. At one point, a makeshift arrangement at Balmer Lawn meant someone inevitably ended up on the floor.

It wasn’t always glamorous, but it worked – with a big helping of fun mixed in for good measure.

 

Further afield

The same approach extended when we travelled even further afield to build the Regent name.

Trips to Punchestown racecourse in Ireland meant long days, and occasionally longer nights. One particularly cold evening ended with sleeping on the stand itself, followed by a cold shower in the grooms’ block the next morning before finding somewhere more comfortable to stay.

Reputation didn’t arrive all at once. It was built gradually. People began to come back, and then they brought others with them. It is this simple process that has allowed Regent to grow.

Building something that lasts

The early base at the Boathouse was as practical as it sounds. A warehouse at Mellow Business Park, just large enough to hold stock, house the beginnings of made-to-measure, and fit a van in and out. At one point, pallets of Hunter wellies arrived for a country show, filling a space that already felt stretched.

It wasn’t designed to impress; it was designed to work.

Then came the move to Winchester Street, around fourteen years ago. A proper shop space, helped along by people like Ruth Cross, and a step towards something more permanent.

From those early beginnings in a garage on a Salisbury industrial estate, Regent has gradually grown into its current home: a Grade II listed building beside the gates of Salisbury’s thirteenth-century cathedral.

Today, that space has grown into what many now know as Regent. A shop that unfolds across three floors and seven rooms, each with its own character. Tailoring sits alongside workwear, knitwear, outerwear, and a carefully curated selection of accessories, gifts and objects.

It’s somewhere to explore. Somewhere to take your time. Somewhere people return to.

There are small details that stay with us from those early days. Radiohead’s In Rainbows playing on repeat. Routines forming without much thought. The sense of something gradually taking shape.

 

    

The people along the way

Regent wouldn’t be what it is today without the people.

They truly define the past twenty years. Customers who first came to us in their fifties and are now well into their seventies. People we’ve dressed through their entire working lives. That kind of relationship doesn’t happen quickly, and it’s something we genuinely value.

There are a few moments that have stayed with us.

A quiet afternoon sitting in the suit room with Lord Margadale of Tisbury, not for a fitting, but simply for conversation. A reminder of a certain kind of politeness, of time taken, of an old-fashioned sense of respect. Or the Marquess of Milford Haven flying into Old Sarum by helicopter for a fitting. Unusual and perhaps a little dramatic, certainly, but also a reflection of the trust placed in what we do.

It has never really been about transactions. It has always been about people.

Moments that found us

Over time, there have been moments that arrived almost unexpectedly.

Features in How to Spend It, Condé Nast Traveller and GQ brought a wider audience. One piece, tied to Ian Fleming, briefly overwhelmed the website, a reminder of the power of word of mouth. There have been quieter moments too. A wax jacket bought by David Gandy’s brother-in-law. A wedding suit made for Lord Pembroke, later mentioned in Tatler.

These weren’t moments that were heavily chased. They came as part of building a reputation through consistency, trust, and doing things properly over time.

A business built around people

Regent has always been shaped by the people within it.

In the earlier years, that included people like Will Tattersall, who first came to us as a customer at a Cheltenham show and became part of the business not long after, staying with us for the next 8 years, helping shape the early days of Regent.

Over time, that sense of closeness has remained, but the shape of the business has naturally evolved.

In the past 4 years or so, Lula joined, bringing with her a different perspective. As Jason’s daughter, she has grown up around Regent but sees it through a more contemporary lens. A younger, fresher way of looking at things, particularly in a world that has become increasingly digital. She brings her own sense of style too, something that sits comfortably alongside what Regent has always been.

What remains unchanged is the feeling behind it. A business built around people, relationships, and a genuine interest in doing things well.

Coming full circle

Interestingly, things have come back around.

Shows, which were where it all began, have once again become an important way of connecting with people. For the familiarity, the interaction, and the conversation. There’s a sense of nostalgia in it. A reminder of where things began, and how much of that still remains.

Twenty years on: a moment to reflect

It hasn’t always been straightforward. The landscape has changed, the way people shop has shifted, and it’s not always easy out there. We encourage people to continue to shop local and support independent businesses. It’s often only when they’re gone that their value is fully realised. At Regent, we will continue to offer knowledge where it matters, treat people well, and build something that lasts.

Twenty years feels like a good moment to pause, if only briefly. It has been, at times, a bit of a nightmare and a bit of a dream, often both at once. But above all, it is something we are truly proud of.

A small thank you

To mark twenty years, we wanted to do something simple. Until the end of Sunday 26th April, we’re offering 20% off across the entire site, both in-store and online. Not as a grand gesture, but as a way of saying thank you.

We wouldn’t be here without the support. Here’s to the next twenty.