Harry Kamp: A Living Legend You Ought to Know

In some ways, local clothier Harry Kamp is a living legend.

The septugenarian tailor is a master craftsman who perfected his skills on that most sartorial of meccas, London’s Savile Row, in an era when men’s fashion was dominated by masculine grace and incredible fit.

And since the truth is that any man can look like a billion dollars without spending much if he has a master tailor fitting him and advising him, then Harry Kamp is one living legend local businessmen and professionals should get to know.

Harry Kamp has been tailoring 66 years – since he was 12. He promotes honest work for a reasonable price for men’s and women’s suits.

“We fit our customers professionally,” Kamp says. “We give alterations and personal service. Experience counts a lot in tailoring and fitting.”

And that’s what matters. Tailoring is a fine art, something one gets better at with age and no one in the Pasadena area can excel over the “old school” touch of Kamp.

“Honest work is important, too,” Kamp says. “I make sure I never sell a suit that doesn’t fit.”

Kamp worked with his older brother when they were children in Greece, then moved to London shortly after World War II with his family. Eventually, the very famous Gieves and Hawkes at Number 1 Savile Row hired him and there he tailoring for members of Parliament and royalty from around the world.

Kamp moved to Pasadena in 1964 and opened shop in the lobby of the Pasadena Hilton in 1969. He worked in that space until recently, in March of last year, when he opened a men’s clothing shop in Arcadia on Foothill Blvd.

“I’m getting older,” he says with a mild laugh, though he’s got the mind of a steel trap and loves friendly banter. His hands don’t shake and he shows very few signs of being 78.

In the shop, he offers a large range of made-to-measure suits, sportscoats, trousers and shirts and also sells some of the finer labels of suits and men’s wear – Hart, Schaffner and Marx and Givenchy included – most at a slight discount.

What a man gets from Kamp is sound expert advice, best value for his wardrobe money, and the comfort and fit only a tailor with Kamp’s experience can possibly provide.

Harry Kamp Clothiers is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about Kamp’s shop give him a call at (626) 793-1600, or visit the website at www.harrykampclothiers.com

Harry Kamp Clothiers, 292 East Foothill Blvd., Arcadia. (626) 793-1600.