Sunspel
For us, taking a basic and improving its function through innovation, design and technology is key to evolving an essential wardrobe of staples. When it comes to the classic white T-Shirt, it would be impossible for us not to highlight British manufacturer Sunspel. A brand that we champion for their dedication to producing quality jersey that has remained uncompromised where others may have opted otherwise. Founded in 1860 by Thomas A Hill, Sunpsel had a very clear vision from its founder, to make simple, everyday clothing from beautiful fabrics. A revolutionary idea that lead to Sunspel becoming established as a pioneer in British craftsmanship by making underwear from soft, lightweight Egyptian cotton instead of traditional wool.
The construction of a Sunspel T-Shirt is almost identical to the original fifties model, the only update is the use of the Q82 fabric and some very minor edits. Always crafted from two fold single jersey cotton and double bound hems, the Sunspel classic T-Shirt has remained iconically simple.
For us, it’s the way in which Sunspel go about making their seasonal collections of everyday classic clothing that has to be commended. Since presenting Sunspel in store and online, it has amassed an army of regulars who rely on its traditional approach to basics while always striving to improve quality. It’s evident Sunspel are fanatical in improving what they do, perfecting the details to make their clothing and underwear unique, something that a customer notices and
returns because of. Writer, broadcaster and cultural commentrator, Robert Elms highlights this theme of appreciating clothing for nothing more or less than the garment itself in his book, The Way We Wore – A Life in Threads (1988), where he talks about the comforting and durable nature of Sunpsel clothes:
weaversdoor.com
Sunspel is a brand that can be admired for their
devotion to ‘do one thing’ and ‘do it well’. Whilst other clothing brands and designers look to new ventures to move forward, Sunspel look to dig deeper into their heritage and maintain a fine balance of innovation and tradition.
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Sunspel has kept to this ethos from its inception, making and refining undershirts since the mid-19th century in their Long Eaton factory in Nottingham. Following a period of innovation, Sunspel developed a cellulock fabric that resulted in their rise as the premium manufacturer of luxury underwear in the country. In particular, the invention of their Quality 82 fabric was
largely responsible for Sunspel taking the classic tee to a new level. Q82 is a unique fine jersey cotton fabric, a descendent of the original lisle cotton Sunspel used on some of their earliest T-Shirts. Constructed from taking two threads of the finest long staple Egyptian cotton and twisting them together to create a strong, smooth, very fine cotton thread that won’t tangle through wear or washing. It’s the twist that makes the yarn cleaner. The yarn is then passed over a flame to remove any overhanging ends to ensure the product has a flawless finish. The Q82 is then knitted on a circular machine and blowers are used to further remove any loose fibres, the result is a light, fine long lasting jersey that has a smooth handle.