A closer look at Sunspel's 20th century journey

The 20th century was certainly one of drastic change for Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com/us), much as it was in wider public life. It was a century that saw dramatic transformations in the lives of people across the world, encompassing politics, economics, culture, science, technology and medicine. Feminism demanded equal rights between men and women, while there was also a transition in common means of transportation from the horse to sophisticated automobiles and airplanes. And of course, luxury clothing also changed, almost beyond recognition.  

Sunspel was at the centre of such changes in quality clothing and associated attitudes. Few companies played such an instrumental role in the development and refinement of all manner of icon products like the boxer, T-shirt and polo shirt, made all the more impressive by the company's humble origins in mid-19th century Nottingham. Indeed, by the end of that century, the firm then known as Thomas Hill Ltd had already made a major impact in its creation of comfortable and durable underwear from the world's finest grade of cotton. It had even begun making some of the world's earliest T-shirts, ensuring that they were continually softer, lighter and more comfortable.

It was arguably the 20th century, however, as ownership of the company passed from 'Old Thom' to a succession of sons and grandsons, that saw the fledging Sunspel truly hit its stride. This was the century, after all, in which the Sunspel white T-shirt reached its ultimate point of iconic simplicity, with more recent designs having only subtly altered since the 1950s. John Hill, meanwhile, not only introduced the boxer short to Britain from America in 1947, but also took a lead in perfecting the modern design of boxer short. Double-turned and feldlocked seams eliminated rough or sharp edges, while the remaining excessive bagginess left over from the 1930s was also eradicated.

The 1950s also saw Sunspel begin to make classic polo shirts, as with the boxer short, again introducing this relaxed wardrobe staple to the British public. But the company also added its own touches to the basic polo shirt design for the American market, with a particular emphasis on simplicity and comfort. The result was a polo shirt effectively distilled to its core elements - short sleeves, a soft collar and three buttons - and shorn of the fussy extras favored by some other luxury clothing manufacturers of the period.

As the 20th century wore on, Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com/us) developed its reputation for the highest standard of British craftsmanship. It made the most of emerging overseas markets in the years before World War II, and before too long, was even issuing undergarments to the RAF. Later in the century, its heritage clothing became a common sight in the world's finest boutiques and stores and many talented designers began to join in with collaborative projects, establishing foundations for the current, flourishing Sunspel of the early 21st century.

Editor’s Note: Sunspel US (http://www.sunspel.com/us) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.