In this long established family business, old traditions die hard. The core tradition is that of quality and value for money. Another tradition is that Sam is not Sam, but Manu Melwani. The first Sam was his Father, who established the business. You are most likely to meet Manu in the shop or on one of his regular visits to Europe and the United States. It is important to him to maintain a good relationship with clients past and present- a good tailor needs to know a lot about you.

Sam's archive of customer names and measurements record the details of the rich and famous that have come to buy suits. Sam allows himself the little luxury of putting up pictures of some of his better known clients in the shop. The faces of HM Queen Elizabeth the II, Ronald Reagan, Princes Phillip and Charles, Presidents Ford, Bush Snr and Clinton, Prime Ministers Thatcher and Blair, John McEnroe, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Boris Becker, Bob Hawke, Kylie Minogue, David Bowie, and Richard Gere look on whilst you are fitted in your finery at Sam's.

Manu Melwani, Hon Phd., F. Inst. D., FRSA, Medal of Honour and recipient of Belgium's Golden Palms of the Order of the Crown, is nearly as well known as some of his clients.  A quiet man, he was surprised when he was asked for his autograph by one of his better known clients. "The first time it happened, I was just intrigued that such a a famous person had their own autograph book," says Manu. "Given the healthy egos of showbiz people, it makes you wonder why they look up their contemporaries. Her book was full of the signatures and messages of others who constantly make the front pages. I don't feel that I'm famous in that sense; I am only a tailor after all. But yes it's flattering to be asked, and hopefully it reflects well on Sam's as an entity."

Or maybe you will meet the next generation at Sam's Tailor. Manu's son Roshan, after a career in Finance and IT, is now measuring up customers in the shop alongside his Father. Roshan is discovering the problems of being Sam - after a recent client visit to the United Kingdom, he found himself photographed, interviewed and published in the Times of London.