This is an excellent example of a suit manufactured by Montague Burton, the famous tailoring empire, later known as Burton. Raymond Burton (Montague’s son) bought it in 1935 before he went to Cambridge University. The suit is made-to-measure and is an illustration of excellent tailoring techniques and fashionable design of the period. The trend-setting details include turned-up trouser legs, single-breasted opening and flapped pockets. Although the waistcoat was not originally part of the suit, Mr Burton bought it in the 1940s to replace the original which had become moth-eaten.

The fabric is a good example of Harris Tweed, a type of cloth handwoven in the islands of the Outer Hebrides, off the northern coast of Scotland.

Sir Montague Burton (1885-1952) was one of several Russian Jewish immigrants who founded hugely successful businesses during the early 20th century. He opened his first men's clothing shop in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, in 1904. His tailoring business went from strength to strength with a chain of shops selling ready-to-wear and bespoke suits. By 1917 the firm had become ‘Montague Burton’. It continued to grow, with its Leeds factory said to be the largest clothing factory in the world.