The Tailor of Gloucester is a Christmas children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter, privately printed by the author in 1902, and published in a trade edition by Frederick Warne & Co. in October 1903.

[1] An elderly, impoverished tailor is commissioned by the Mayor of Gloucester to make a finely embroidered coat for his wedding on Christmas Day.

[2][3] The tale was based on a real world incident involving John Prichard (1877–1934),[4] a Gloucester tailor commissioned to make a suit for the new mayor.

[7] Potter later borrowed Freda Moore's gift copy, revised the work, and privately printed the tale in December 1902.

[8][9] She marketed the book among family and friends and sent a copy to her publisher who made numerous cuts in both text and illustrations for the trade edition, chiefly among the tale's many nursery rhymes.

However, Warne was delighted with the commercial potential of the endpapers because new characters hinting at future titles could be worked into the design at any time.

The journal's review appeared on Christmas Eve 1903:[...] we think it is by far the prettiest story connected with tailoring we have ever read, and as it is full of that spirit of Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men, we are not ashamed to confess that it brought the moisture to our eyes, as well as the smile to our face.

[10]In 1988, Rabbit Ears Productions produced a storyteller version with narration by Meryl Streep, drawings by David Jorgensen and music by The Chieftains.

Ian Holm played the tailor in a live-action TV adaptation in 1989 which included Thora Hird and Jude Law in an early part as the Mayor's stableboy.