Jamie Murray: Tennis player on his style makeover

Then there’s the matter of dipping a toe in the fashion waters when tracksuits, T-shirts and trainers are more within your sartorial comfort zone than ties and tuxedos.

Murray, 34, has recently signed up as a brand ambassador for Edinburgh-based Andrew Brookes Tailoring and admits it has proved an eye-opening experience. You might even have seen him sporting a Brookes-approved look at the premiere of his brother Andy’s documentary Resurfacing.

Fashion is not my strong suit, I tell him. “Me neither,” he quips. Although he has definitely picked up some great tips. Here – as part of an exclusive shoot – Murray shares his style makeover.

How would you describe your style?

Pretty casual. With travelling so much, there’s a limit to what you can take in your suitcase. Also, if I’m taking nice kit and it spends loads of time in a bag, that’s not ideal. I tend to keep it quite simple with jeans and sneakers, some T-shirts and hoodies.

What’s been cool about meeting Andrew [Brookes] is that he has taught me things like combining different pieces of clothing and how you can put it all together without needing loads of individual pieces for individual outfits; you can mix and match.

Do you have a favourite look from the shoot?

I really liked the tartan trousers. They are cool. I wore them to Andy’s premiere. The checked shirt with the blue cashmere sweater is nice. I can wear that with jeans, sneakers and a blazer-style jacket.

It was a new experience and I loved it. I was super excited about the results but the process itself was fun too.

How did the collaboration take place?

Andrew came down to London to take all my measurements and chat about the kind of things I would potentially like. He put together some clothes and brought them down, talked me through it all, then went away and did his final alterations.

I went up to see him in his Edinburgh studio to try everything on. I was so impressed. That’s why people go to Andrew as a tailor because they want that item of clothing to fit them perfectly.

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I’m a weird size. I have broad shoulders, long arms and a skinny body. If I went into a store to buy a jacket, it is not catered for me. Sometimes the arms will fit but I have too much space in the chest. It is nice to have something that is made perfectly for me.

Do you have a signature item?

My wife would say tracksuits and hoodies. But I want to get away from that and have a smarter look when I’m out and about. I now feel confident that I have a lot of nice outfits I can wear for all different types of occasions.

Biggest fashion faux pas?

I’ve definitely had some dodgy hair. There’s been hats – including a trilby – that have gone on top of that. I’ve had some dodgy waistcoats in my time too. I look back at photographs and think: “What was I doing?” At the time I thought I was cool. I realise now I should have given it a swerve.

Have you worn or owned any of the following: a shell suit, a bum bag or socks with sandals?

I wouldn’t go out in socks and sandals. But in the house? Probably. I had a bum bag when I was younger. My mum or dad would give one to me and Andy if we were travelling to tournaments to keep our money safe. As for a shell suit, probably when I was seven, eight, nine or 10, but not in adult life. I couldn’t put claim to that.

Did your mum ever dress you and Andy in matching outfits?

I don’t think so. That’s not something I remember, and I have never seen photographs of us dressed the same.

How has your style evolved over the years?

As you get older, you become less self-conscious and feel more comfortable in your own skin. You wear what you like and are less concerned about what other people are thinking. At the end of the day, if you look good, you feel good. Whether you look good to the outside world is perhaps a different story, but it brings confidence.

Who is the most stylish member of the family?

It has got to be me now.

Kilt or tartan trews?

It depends on the occasion. I loved wearing the tartan trousers and thought they were so cool. The kilt and wearing full Highlandwear are a much bigger effort. It feels good to put on a kilt now and again, especially for special occasions like weddings. The tartan trousers were quite ballsy based on the number of comments I got from friends about them, but I didn’t feel like they were at all.

What was your mum’s verdict on the outfits?

I think she liked them. Everyone has been pretty positive about the kit and the photos, so yeah, it’s been cool and definitely fun.

Which of the looks by Andrew Brookes have you worn the most since the shoot?

Probably the denim jeans with the white trainers and the blue jacket, worn with either the red check shirt or the blue floral shirt. That is what I have been travelling with on the road so far this year and they’ve been getting the most action.

Accessories: Yay or nay?

They can give your outfit a bit of X-factor, whether it’s a scarf or a pocket square. I wouldn’t say I’m a specialist in accessories but, again, I learned so much from Andrew when he would add certain things to make an outfit pop.

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Who is your style icon?

David Beckham. He always has his game face on. I’m sure a lot of effort goes into making sure he looks on point. I don’t think he necessarily wakes up in the morning and just throws on the perfect suit or outfit. He’s probably learned a lot over time being in that world.

Beckham has had some faux pas: that infamous sarong and the matching black leather outfits with his wife Victoria circa late 1990s?

I don’t think you can be 100 per cent perfect throughout your whole life. He’s at the forefront of fashion. He is going to have some errors, but it is all a learning process.

Do you have a lucky item of clothing?

Nah. Not at all.

What look is your all-time favourite or one you are most proud of?

Wearing the kilt with Andy at my wedding. When I see photographs of that day, it makes me smile. It was special and I always associate that with wearing the kilt. I wore the Murray of Atholl tartan.

What is the best advice you got from Andrew Brookes?

He gave me a clever tip for putting on a tie because something I struggle with is getting the length right. He told me to put it on and tie it at the neck – don’t tie it down at your chest and move the knot up.

Andrew said that if I ever had any issues when I was putting on an outfit, to call him and he would talk me through it.

ANDREW BROOKES, TAILOR

TAILORING is in the blood for Andrew Brookes. His father ran a successful gentleman’s outfitters in Falkirk where Brookes cut his teeth in the workshop and out on the shop floor. When his father retired, he took over the family business.

“He taught me everything there is to know about old-school classic tailoring: the cut, the cloth, fit, design, you name it,” says Brookes. “I’d always wanted my own label so created Andrew Brookes Tailoring a few years ago.

“Our signature style has a softer, more casual feel than your traditional tailor. Our garments are luxurious yet extremely versatile and wearable. There’s almost a Scandinavian and Italian feel to our brand with a focus on the cloth, fit and cut.”

How did the collaboration with Jamie Murray come about?

Who wouldn’t want to dress Jamie Murray? He’s a perfect ambassador for our brand: Scottish, successful, good looking, athletic and a bloody nice guy to boot.

What was it like to dress him?

We built a wearable wardrobe around a few key pieces to create more than 60 looks. It was interesting to meet Jamie and his wife Ali. I’m sure she won’t mind me mentioning this, but she was delighted to get his wardrobe sorted out.

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When he collected his OBE, he looked good, but he was wearing a three-piece suit from a high street store. It didn’t fit him nearly as well as his new tailored pieces from us.

He’s very athletic with long arms and square shoulders, so it’s harder for him to dress off the peg. Being slim and fit is actually harder to tailor as there’s more skill involved. Everything will kick out to the front, so it is all about cutting the pattern in the right way for the best fit.

The drape needs to be correct. If you cut the shape too slim on a frame like Jamie’s, it can just make him look tall and doesn’t accentuate his shape. There’s an art to creating and enhancing his frame.

Talk us through the different outfits.

We built a series of looks with staple pieces and accessories around a classic colour palette with grey, black, beige and navy. The cut of everything has been a slim fit, and we’ve kept everything to classic, soft and wearable tailoring that can transcend occasions.

There is a lovely dark navy two-piece suit in an Italian flannel which gives him a stylish suit, while the trousers and jacket can be worn as separates.

His blue velvet single-breasted jacket can be worn with a bow tie for a dinner look or paired with jeans. There’s no silk-faced lapel on it to avoid making it look too formal, but it does have silk buttons for a dress touch.

His handmade navy floral shirt is made from Thomas Mason pure Italian cotton. It looks great with a long-sleeved, navy cashmere V-neck with the cuffs on display and the shirt left untucked.

Jamie’s custom jeans in black and blue denim are gorgeous and exceptionally wearable as they’re made from a special stretch denim from Italy’s flagship denim mill Candiani. His handmade Italian chinos are in two colours – navy and beige.

We’ve also designed two single-breasted blazers. One in a grey-silver lightweight fabric and the other in beige with the ultimate Italian lightweight fabrics of elegance from Vitale Barberis, one of the top mills in the world in northern Italy.

What were the biggest challenges?

His frame. Jamie is tall, athletic and slim yet has broad shoulders and long arms. Defining and pulling out his own style and brand was a challenge too as he wasn’t sure where to take his off court looks when his tennis brand is so strong. He was happy to be led in terms of direction, but also had great input from start to finish.

And the most enjoyable aspects?

He’s a top bloke, very positive and amazing to work with. We’ve created a beautiful capsule collection for Jamie that’s given him so many wearable options.

Was the goal to push Jamie out of his comfort zone?

Absolutely. Initially Jamie wasn’t too sure about some of the looks such as the tartan trousers. Coming from Scotland, he was worried they’d look too traditional. But we cut them neat, hard and funky and put them together with leather sneakers. It’s a strong, confident look. He really loved that vibe.

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Who else would you love to dress?

The actor James McAvoy – he’s an icon in my mind. Prince Charles because his sartorial elegance is amazing. Soft shoulders, nice fits and the way he wears Highlandwear is better than anyone else ...

Thanks to Laings (laingsuk.com), InterContinental Edinburgh George Hotel (edinburgh.intercontinental.com), Printing Press Bar & Kitchen (printingpressedinburgh.co.uk). Visit andrew-brookes.com