Walters: formalwear hire, menswear and academic gowns

Walters of Oxford is a formal menswear shop on Turl Street, and it has been trading since 1870. It is part of the Shepherd & Woodward group. The shop covers three main areas: formalwear hire, menswear sales and academic gowns. On Google it has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 220 reviews, and the reviews mention helpful, friendly staff more than anything else.

For hire, the shop offers traditional morning wear, wedding suits, contemporary and traditional suits, tweed, black tie dinner suits, white tie and evening tails, and Highland wear. There are also accessories such as waistcoats, neckwear, handkerchiefs and footwear. Hire starts at £80, a typical hire costs around £175, and most prices sit between £100 and £200. Stock suits can be taken straight away, and there is an appointment scheme for personal consultations. One customer wrote that staff let them keep a suit for an extra week at no extra charge for a honeymoon in Rome. Another hired a white tie outfit for an Oxford commemoration ball and, after a problem with the suit, received a full refund with no questions asked. Groomsmen suits and quick alterations for a wedding were also praised, with one review thanking Ben.

The sales side stocks Barbour and other outerwear, jumpers, jackets, formal and casual shirts, trousers, British-made shoes, socks, nightwear, belts, braces, ties, bow ties, silk scarves and hats. Made-to-measure suits are available, and the Etch Custom Suits range starts at £349, with more than 120 fabrics to choose from. The academic side is a major part of the business. Walters has supplied gowns for the University of Oxford for more than 159 years and also supplies the University of Tokyo. Most of the academic clothing is made in its own workshops in and around Oxford. Gowns come in polyester, wool, cotton, silk and velvet, and custom embroidery is available for school, college, name, year or initials. The shop also stocks college wear for many Oxford colleges, including rowing blazers, scarves and caps, and supplies gowns for civic, livery and legal occasions. One review from 22 April 2026 describes Michael letting a customer try on a BA graduation gown.

The main store is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm and closed on Sundays. The barber shop has standard hours of 8.30am to 5pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 8.30am to 4pm on Wednesdays. There is no parking at the shop itself, so the Westgate Shopping Centre is the suggested option. You can find the shop at 10 Turl Street, Oxford OX1 3DN, or call 01865 241848.