Reveal my tailor? It would ruin him, says Clarke

There can be few of us who, in surveying the generous frame of Kenneth Clarke, have not wondered where he gets his suits. Sadly, the answer is that we will never know.

The former Chancellor has refused to reveal his tailor's identity. He reasons that any association with his sartorial failings will ruin the mystery man's - or woman's - reputation.

In an interview with The Oldie magazine, he said: "At the height of my career, people suggested I go to image consultants and a better hairdresser. I treated the advice with total contempt and I regard makeovers as utterly ridiculous.

"I have quite good suits. They are quite expensive. They always fit me when I leave the tailor, but like most men I treat the jacket as a handbag substitute and the pockets of my jackets are hopelessly overloaded," he added.