Sunspel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sunspel
IndustryFashion
Founded1860
FounderThomas Arthur Hill
HeadquartersUK,
Long Eaton, Derbyshire
ProductsClothing
Websitewww.sunspel.com

Sunspel is a British garment manufacturer and retailer, founded in England in 1860. The brand is particularly well-known for its range of boxer shorts, T-shirts and polo shirts.

History[]

Sunspel was founded in 1860 by Thomas Arthur Hill, who established a textile factory in Newdigate, Nottingham (the centre of the British lace making industry).[1] Since 1937 the company’s UK manufacturing base has been at Long Eaton, in Derbyshire.[2] In 1947 Sunspel first introduced the boxer short from the United States into the United Kingdom.[3] In 2005 Hill’s great-grandson, Peter Hill, sold the company to a former barrister, Nicholas Brooke, and his then business partner Dominic Hazlehurst. The pair sought to modernise the brand, without losing the appeal of its historical heritage.[4]

Notable products[]

T-Shirts[]

The earliest garments that Sunspel produced were tunics and undershirts, which were manufactured in their Nottingham factory at the height of the industrial revolution. They were amongst the very first t-shirts ever made.[5]

Boxer Shorts[]

Sunspel introduced the boxer short to the UK from the USA in 1947.[6]

In 1985, a Levis advertisement saw English model Nick Kamen wearing a pair of Sunspel boxer shorts.[7] This advertisement is widely attributed as being the moment that brought this underwear style to mass popularity in the UK.[5]

Polo Shirts[]

In 2006, Sunspel designed a custom polo shirt for the James Bond film Casino Royale. The shirt was based on a classic 1950s Sunspel polo shirt, which was selected and updated by award winning stylist Lindy Hemming.[8]

Recent developments[]

After the change in control of the company in 2005, the new owners focused at first on building its brand on the internet.[9] However, since 2010 a number of Sunspel stores have opened worldwide – at first in London, where five stores had been opened by 2013,[1] and more recently in Berlin and Tokyo.[10]

In August 2018, Sunspel announced the imminent opening of its first store in the United States, at 85 Mercer Street in New York’s SoHo district.[11]

Film and media exposure[]

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.[12]

In 2006 Daniel Craig wore a Sunspel Riviera polo shirt in his first James Bond film, Casino Royale.[13][14]

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.[4]

External links[]

Sunspel official web-site

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Sunspel official web-site, Sunspel History (accessed on 11 September 2018)
  2. ^ Financial Times, 19 January 2018, Factory floor: how Sunspel makes its signature T-shirt
  3. ^ Bill Prince, The evolution of men’s underwear; why boxer shorts are back, Daily Telegraph, 25 August 2016
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Sarah Shannon, Sunspel’s Second Coming, Best of Fashion, Business of Fashion, 14 November 2017
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "The story of James Bond's favourite T-shirt brand".
  6. ^ Prince, Bill (25 August 2016). "The evolution of men's underwear; why boxer shorts are back". The Telegraph.
  7. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q56M5OZS1A8
  8. ^ "Dress Like Daniel Craig with Sunspel's Newest James Bond Collaboration". 6 November 2015.
  9. ^ Leonie Roderick, Sunspel’s CEO on telling new stories as a heritage brand, Marketing Week, 21 December 2016
  10. ^ Oliver Guyat, Sunspel sets foot in Paris at PHM Saint Peres concept store, Fashion Network, 26 June 2017
  11. ^ Tars Hounslea, Sunspel to open first US store, Drapers, 20 August 2018
  12. ^ Simon Chilvers, Men's fashion: Sunspel launch design-it-yourself T-shirts, The Guardian, 18 November 2011
  13. ^ Felix Bischof, The story of James Bond's favourite T-shirt brand, The Week, 6 March 2018
  14. ^ Square Mile, Brand Watch: Sunspel, 25 June 2018
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