Sarah Ann Murray, a stylist synonymous with sartorial elegance, imparts priceless women’s tailoring wisdom.
Today a leading Europe-based fashion stylist, creative director and luxury specialist, Sarah Ann Murray first cemented a respected reputation in the world of tailored menswear during her tenure as fashion editor at the bible of sartorial style, The Rake magazine.
Sarah Ann Murray was a street style blog favourite during her time attending the menswear collections in London, Paris and Milan. (Photographed by KE Guerre, founder / editor of No Chaser magazine.)
At The Rake, Sarah styled memorable editorials featuring leading actors including Charles Dance, Martin Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, Kit Harrington and Andrew Lincoln, sportsmen Andy Murray and Eric Cantona, and LVMH scion Antoine Arnault, among numerous others.
When dressing figures such as these, or putting together her own ensembles — looks that have long dominated top street style blogs — Sarah says the tailored jacket is key. “It’s so versatile, from dark and structured for the evening, to navy and safe for office wear, to loose with colour and pattern for more fun and relaxed moments. Even before you style it your own way, a jacket can help you create your look, express your character, reflect your mood.”
In 2015, Sarah styled this cover shoot for The Rake, featuring actor Martin Freeman.
When she started working for The Rake, Sarah says, “I was able to tap into the heart and soul of tailoring.” Joining the magazine as a stylist in Singapore, she immersed herself in the sartorial arts, experimenting with the spectrum of fits and structures — from sharp, martial Savile Row lines to soft Italian deconstruction. By 2014, she was back in her native England, playing a key role in establishing the magazine’s international office in London before eventually going it alone as a freelancer in 2016.
In the years since, she’s worked with celebrities such as Queen’s Sir Brian May, actor/comedian Sir Lenny Henry, Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker, and brands including New & Lingwood, Private White VC, Marks & Spencer and Floris London, plus an array of noted publications.
Sarah’s affinity for tailoring goes beyond admiration — it’s a personal style statement. Her passion for classic ‘mannish’ style stretches back beyond her college years. After completing a law degree at Birmingham University, Sarah pivoted to style and commenced studies at the London College of Fashion, choosing to specialise in menswear because of her longstanding love for tailored silhouettes.
Sarah says there are many elements of men’s tailoring that need to be tweaked to flatter the female form. (Photographed by KE Guerre, founder / editor of No Chaser magazine.)
She reckons there’s liberation and empowerment in women adopting what might traditionally be considered masculine pieces. “You hear women declare that showing as much skin as possible is a declaration of freedom. However, I also find that the opposite can be true,” she says. “To put on a suit jacket, the ultimate symbol of power, wealth and success in menswear, can also ring true for women — I love that.”
Adapting menswear for a woman’s body presents unique challenges, and Sarah has plenty of hard-won wisdom to impart to women looking to execute tailored looks successfully. Her numerous conversations with tailors have revealed the nuances of working with female physiques. “A woman’s body changes so much throughout the month — as much as two centimetres in differing places,” she notes.
As these images attest, Sarah often favours a bold check cloth — much like Paladino’s OP2202 Windsor.
These fluctuations can impact the bespoke process, especially with more figure-hugging garments. “If a slim cut is your preference, it’s worth noting fluctuations when you have those fittings,” Sarah counsels.
Women’s curves also require particular tailoring techniques, like darts in shirts or centralised button placements to prevent gaping at the chest. “Those are just some details you wouldn’t necessarily think about on a man’s shirt,” Sarah says. “As for a jacket though, we seem to be in a great time where we can embrace the boxy blazer, which looks great worn nonchalantly with loose trousers or jeans for a bit of a nineties look.”
In Sarah’s experience, certain trouser styles that suit most gentlemen can be difficult for a woman to pull off. “I struggled with high-waisted pleated tapered trousers,” she recalls. “It’s a shape adopted in the menswear community that looks great on guys with narrower hips, but I have hips and curves so whilst I have tried that look, the billowing front and form-fitting cut following the shape of the hips just isn’t for me.”
Instead, “I prefer a lower rise pleat with loose-cut leg. I prefer a trouser to skim and hang rather than follow my own natural shape. It’s a good reminder that we can be influenced by menswear but we don’t have to replicate it exactly,” Sarah notes.
Her fabric choices reflect a pragmatic yet stylish approach to menswear. Sarah says her navy blazer made from an open-weave Vitale Barberis Canonico fresco fabric — “with half lining, soft structure and subtle shoulders,” she elaborates — is a favourite. “It’s versatile, doesn’t crease, is breathable, and takes you through spring to autumn.”
As a nighttime staple, Sarah says, “I always have a heavy gabardine or wool black jacket, tailored with more structure, slightly longer in the skirt, and with a stronger shoulder. It’s the equivalent to little black dress but far more versatile.” For daywear, meanwhile, “I often have a softer structured black jacket in a tight weave wool, worn boxy and loose, which is more comfortable and has a more fashion-forward, dramatic boxy shape.”
Sarah recommends a jacket in a densely-woven black cloth such as OP2173 Black Panther for daytime wear.
Citing as her style icons the likes of former J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons, French model and music producer Caroline de Maigret, and ascendant British bespoke tailor Kimberley Lawton, Sarah says these chic individuals inspire her with their relaxed, eclectic approaches to appropriating elements of menswear.
“Jenna Lyons’ mix of preppy-chic and runway glamour is brilliant,” Sarah shares. Meanwhile, Kimberley Lawton’s edgy Saint Laurent-meets-Savile-Row aesthetic is redefining tailoring for the next generation, in Sarah’s view. “And Caroline de Maigret’s effortless French cool, short jackets, skinny jeans and ballet flats, her edgy masculine/feminine Vogue-esque combinations are sublime.”
Among Sarah’s cherished tailored pieces is a bespoke ensemble from the late, great Edward Sexton — legendary London tailor to the icons of the Swinging Sixties and Seventies. “He made me a deep emerald-green velvet tuxedo jacket with tonal green silk facings, a navy waistcoat designed to be worn shirtless, and black-watch tartan evening trousers,” she reminisces.
The ensemble, crafted with Sexton’s masterful verve and sense of swagger, possesses inestimable sentimental value for Sarah. “That Edward is no longer with us gives these pieces greater significance. I wear them with fond memories and enormous appreciation for the craft of tailoring.”
