The Bite Magazine Issue 17

of Sweden A Different Cut Indeed! From the traditional suits of the early 20th century to the modern wears of today, Tiger of Sweden is still evolving as Jada Brookes discovers. T he Tiger of Sweden that we see today is very different to how the brand was back in 1903 when it was first created, probably because trends and styles have changed over the years. Although they were redefined in 1993, the brand declares they are still evolving and that’s good because being stagnant and old-fashioned is simply not the way forward. With a story that spans over a hundred years, the brand says their “true tale occasionally sways between golden years and pitch black prospects” that has more than once been pushed forward by a number of brave people with innovative minds. They go on to explain that these very people all practised what they describe as ‘A Different Cut’ – an expression that goes beyond what you can accom- plish with fabrics, scissors, threads and stitches. In their world, it’s a state of mind that began in a small town on the west coast of Sweden and they are more than ready to receive much more. As you probably could imagine, the orig- inal name of the brand was not Tiger of Sweden but rather Schwartzman and Nordström, founded by entrepreneur Marcus Schwartzman and business partner Hjalmar Nordström in Udde- valla located on Sweden’s west coast. Using a strategic method of going to the customer instead of waiting for the client to come to them, Schwartzman turned the traditional working methods of tailoring completely upside down. Through this move, customers were able to get their suits quicker and more easily than ever before without losing any quality in the service. But Schwartz- man was not satisfied; he knew there was something more he could do to help his clients. He recognised that trying on suits and being fitted was time consuming for the potential buyer and so believed ready-to-wear suits in top quality materials with a modern design was exactly what the market needed. It was this very concept that enabled the brand to increase its number of resellers and move to larger facilities three times over the next twenty-five years. ‘Tiger of Sweden’ was adopted when one of their early suit models was named ‘Tiger’ and became so popular that Schwartzman in a cocky mood had the sign ‘Tigerkläder’ meaning ‘Tiger Clothing’ mounted on the factory roof. The breakout of the Second World War did not even hinder Schwartzman from taking his brand forward. Soon they were sewing for the Swedish army and then realised that their concept of ‘A Different Cut’ could also be applied to the method of creating well-fitted uni- forms. Business was so good that Tiger of Sweden were able to build their own kindergarten and a boarding house for employees as well as give their staff an extra week’s salary as a Christmas present in 1944. When the war finally bite men TIGER