 | |
| Industry | Fashion |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1860 |
| Founder | Thomas Arthur Hill |
| Headquarters | UK, Long Eaton, Derbyshire |
| Products | Clothing |
| Website | www |
Sunspel is an English luxury clothing brand, founded in England in 1860. The brand is best known for boxer shorts, T-shirts and polo shirts. [1] It is based in Long Eaton, near Nottingham, where it has its own factory. [2]
Sunspel's origins date back to the mid-nineteenth century when the firm began crafting high-quality underwear in Nottingham - then the centre of the British lace and hosiery industry - from cotton, merino wool and silk. [3] The firm was previously named Thomas A. Hill Ltd after the owner, Thomas Hill who was a well-known industrialist. [4] Hill moved the firm from its original factory in Back Lane, Nottingham to a much larger building in Castle Gate, Nottingham.
With Hill's innovative direction, the new factory brought several marked improvements to working conditions including factory lighting, sanitation and fire prevention systems. Hill was among the first to introduce state-of-the-art steam-powered machinery to Nottingham's hosiery industry. [4]
Under his guidance the company grew significantly and earned a reputation for exceptional quality. [3] Towards the end of the century, the brand began using Sea island cotton, the world's rarest and finest extra-long staple cotton. [1]
At the beginning of the 20th century, the company began making and selling some of the world's first T-shirts. [5] Originally undergarments, they were designed to be cool and comfortable in the heat of tropical climates and were made with a high-quality Sea island cotton jersey fabric. [6] Upon Hill's death in 1909, he passed on the company to his son, also named Thomas Hill, and the business remained in the Hill family for the rest of the century. The brand continued its dedication to fabric innovation and in 1914, invented a unique cellular cotton fabric which was made on traditional lace machines and used for lightweight underwear, and it is still in the collection today. [2]
In 1935, the company was officially renamed Sunspel. The name was inspired by the quality control stamp of Sea Island cotton (with which the brand had become synonymous), featuring a sunburst through clouds.
The company moved its manufacturing base from Nottingham to nearby Long Eaton, Derbyshire, in 1937 and it has remained in the same factory ever since. [7] During the Second World War, Sunspel produced underwear and long johns for the war effort under the CC41 utility mark. [8]
In 1947 John Hill, the great-grandson of founder Thomas Hill introduced the boxer short to the United Kingdom. [5] He discovered the underwear style on his honeymoon in the United States and modified the design by adding a back panel, flattening the seams and using the highest quality cotton. [9] The underwear style gained widespread popularity after the 1985 Nick Kamen Levi’s advert in which he wore Sunspel boxer shorts. [1]
From the 1950s, the brand was stocked in renowned department stores such as Liberty of London, Harrods and Selfridges. [2]
In 2005 Hill's great-grandson, Peter Hill, sold the company to a former barrister, Nicholas Brooke. He sought to modernise the brand, without losing the appeal of its historical heritage. [10]
Shortly afterwards, Sunspel was approached by the award-winning costume designer and stylist Lindy Hemming, whose brief was to update James Bond's style as part of a reboot to the franchise. She tailored Sunspel's Riviera Polo Shirt to fit Daniel Craig for Casino Royale. [11] Craig wore Sunspel Riviera T-shirts which were also tailored to him. Hemming said of the brand:
“[For Casino Royale], I thought it would be a perfect collaboration of quality and Britishness to ask Sunspel to create all [Bond's] T-shirts, polo shirts and underwear, which they duly did, excellently. He looks very sexy and happy in their clothing.” [11]
Jonathan Anderson, who went on to become creative director for Loewe and founded his own eponymous fashion label JW Anderson, was the creative director for Sunspel between 2009 and 2014 and introduced the Loopback Sweatshirt to the collection. [12] More recently, Sunspel has collaborated with several British artists and designers such as Paul Weller, [13] David Shrigley, [14] and Charlie Casely-Hayford. [15] In 2022 it collaborated with supermodel Edie Campbell for a womenswear capsule. [16] Sunspel has also collaborated with a number of leading brands including Comme des Garcons, [17] Lemaire, [18] and Paul Smith. [19]
To this day, Sunspel still operates from its Long Eaton factory where it has been based since 1937. The factory employs approximately 50 people and it is where Sunspel handmakes its Classic T-shirts. [8] The brand continues to be stocked in leading global retailers and has its own retail stores worldwide.
The earliest garments that Sunspel produced were tunics and undershirts, which were manufactured in their Nottingham factory at the height of the industrial revolution. Made from Sea island cotton, they were among the very first T-shirts ever made. [5] Sunspel manufactures T-shirts in its Long Eaton factory and uses extra-long staple Supima cotton from California, which can be traced to the farm it comes from. [8]
Sunspel introduced the boxer short to the UK from the US in 1947 after John Hill, the great-grandson of founder Thomas Hill, discovered the style on his honeymoon in the US. [5] He modified the design in the process, adding a back panel, flattening the seams and using the highest quality cotton. [9] In 1985, a Levis advertisement saw English model Nick Kamen wearing a pair of Sunspel boxer shorts. [20] This advertisement is widely attributed as being the moment that brought this underwear style to mass popularity in the UK. [21]
In 2006, Sunspel designed a custom polo shirt for Daniel Craig in his debut performance as James Bond in Casino Royale. The shirt was based on a classic 1950s Sunspel polo shirt, which was selected and updated by award-winning stylist Lindy Hemming. [1] The Riviera Polo Shirt is made from extra-long staple Supima cotton that can be traced to the Californian farm of origin. [22]
In 1985 Nick Kamen starred in a celebrated Levi's advertisement, in which he removed his jeans in a launderette, to reveal a pair of white Sunspel boxer shorts. [23]
In 2006 Daniel Craig wore a Sunspel Riviera polo shirt [21] and Riviera T-shirt in his first James Bond film, Casino Royale. [24]
Christian Bale wore Sunspel in The Dark Knight Rises. [25]
In 2013, the Rolling Stones wore Sunspel T-shirts on their world tour. [26]
In 2016, the television football pundit Gary Lineker undertook to present the season-opening edition of Match of the Day in his underpants if Leicester City became Premier League Champions. He performed his promise in a pair of Sunspel boxer shorts. [27]
A leotard is a unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso from the crotch to the shoulder. The garment was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1838–1870). There are sleeveless, short-sleeved, and long-sleeved leotards. A variation is the unitard, which also covers the legs.
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body.
Preppy is an American subculture associated with the alumni of college-preparatory schools in the Northeastern United States. The term, which is an abbreviation of "preparatory", is used to denote a person seen as characteristic of a student or alumnus of these schools. Characteristics of preppy individuals include a particular subcultural speech, vocabulary, dress, mannerisms and etiquette reflective of an upper class and old money upbringing.
Brooks Brothers is an American high-end luxury fashion company founded in 1818, the oldest apparel brand in continuous operation in the United States. Originally a family business, Brooks Brothers produces clothing for men, women and children, as well as home furnishings. Brooks Brothers licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear, Paris-based Interparfums for fragrances, and Turkey-based Turko Textiles for its home collection.
Boxer shorts are a type of undergarment typically worn by men. The term has been used in English since 1944 for all-around-elastic shorts, so named after the shorts worn by boxers, for whom unhindered leg movement ("footwork") is very important. Boxers come in a variety of styles and design but are characterized by their loose fit.
Boxer briefs are a hybrid type of men's undergarment which are long in the leg, similar to boxer shorts, but tight-fitting like briefs. They emerged as a style in the 1990s and are commonly worn for sports and as every-day underwear.
A polo shirt, tennis shirt, golf shirt, or chukker shirt is a form of shirt with a collar. Polo shirts are usually short sleeved but can be long; they were used by polo players originally in India in 1859 and in Great Britain during the 1920s.
Lonsdale is a British sports equipment, textile and footwear brand focused on boxing and mixed martial arts established in London in 1960. Former boxer Bernard Hart started the brand as a boxing equipment company, but it eventually branched out into clothing as well. The company is named after Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, who in 1891 set up the first organised boxing matches with gloves, following the deaths of three boxers in bare-knuckle fights. As of 2020 the Lonsdale brand is owned and operated by Sports Direct owner the Frasers Group.
The Izod Corporation is an American midrange clothing company that produces dressy-casual clothing, sportswear for men, and footwear and accessories. It is a division of Authentic Brands Group, and is currently marketed and manufactured by Centric Brands under a long-term licensing agreement. Other Izod classics include the Harrington jacket G-9 model and V-neck and cardigan sweaters. Today, the Izod brand competes most directly with the similarly priced Chaps brand owned by Ralph Lauren Corporation, while competing more indirectly with U.S. Polo Assn.
Hanes and Hanes Her Way is a brand of clothing.
Briefs are a type of short, form-fitting underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where material extends down the thighs. Briefs have various different styles, usually with a waistband attached to fabric that runs along the pelvis to the crotch and buttocks, and are worn by both men and women. Swim briefs are a variation used as swimwear.
Gym shorts are an article of clothing typically worn by people when exercising. They are typically made out of fabrics that allow for maximum comfort and ease, such as nylon. Brands such as Nike, Under Armour, Gymshark, Adidas, and Reebok all make gym shorts. Cotton gym shorts were made popular by a cheerleading brand called Soffe. Gym shorts or sweatpants are required for many junior high and high school physical education courses.
Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled or damaged by bodily excretions, to lessen the friction of outerwear against the skin, to shape the body, and to provide concealment or support for parts of it. In cold weather, long underwear is sometimes worn to provide additional warmth. Special types of undergarments have religious significance. Some items of clothing are designed as undergarments, while others, such as T-shirts and certain types of shorts, are appropriate both as underwear and outerwear. If made of suitable material or textile, some underwear can serve as nightwear or swimwear, and some undergarments are intended for sexual attraction or visual appeal.
The thong is a garment generally used as either underwear or in some countries, as a swimsuit. It may also be worn for traditional ceremonies or competitions.
Nicholas Graham is a Canadian fashion designer, marketer and entrepreneur. Graham founded Joe Boxer in 1985, and is the founder and CEO of the Nick Graham menswear line, and of the SpaceOne lifestyle brand.
Wearing underwear as outerwear is a fashion trend popularized by celebrities, sports and media. It began as a practical and comfortable variation of clothing, such as the T-shirt and the sleeveless shirt, but later evolved into provocative, controversial fashion statements. 21st century versions include the display of thongs and bras in women's clothing, and the display of underpants under low-slung pants in men. Wearing underwear as outerwear has historical antecedents in the display of undergarments in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Ralph Lauren Corporation is an American publicly traded fashion company that was founded in 1967 by American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Headquartered in New York City, the company produces products ranging from the mid-range to the luxury segments. Ralph Lauren is known for marketing and distributing products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories, and fragrances. Known mostly for its flagship brand Polo Ralph Lauren, the company's brands include mid-range, sub-premium, and premium labels up to its highest priced luxury Purple label apparel. The company additionally owned Club Monaco from 1999 to 2021.
Fashion and clothing in the Philippines refers to the way the people of the Philippine society generally dress up at home, at work, travelling and during special occasions.
Orlebar Brown is a British clothing brand specialising in tailored men's swim shorts.
Thomas Arthur Hill was an English hosiery and underwear manufacturer and factory owner from Nottingham. His company, Thomas A. Hill Ltd later changed its name to Sunspel and is now a leading luxury British brand.