The journey taken by Sunspel's high quality polo shirts

The 1950s were an intriguing time for Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com) and the country as a whole. First the Labour administration of Clement Attlee, and then the Conservatives of Winston Churchill occupied Downing Street, while many ordinary families were still dealing with post-War austerity. A new world was emerging, but not one free of conflict, as the emergence of the Cold War showed. Meanwhile, as it continued to do its bit for Queen and country by supplying issue undergarments to the RAF, Sunspel kept building a reputation for innovation in the rest of its quality clothing.  

That much was evident from the fact that the company had only recently introduced an exciting new undergarment, the boxer short, to Britain for the first time. That arose from a late 1940s trip to America by John Hill, and by the 1950s another member of the famed Hill dynasty, Peter, took notice of a certain other increasingly fashionable garment. Way back in 1926, French tennis superstar Rene Lacoste had turned up at the US Open in what is now known simply as the polo shirt.

It seemed to change everything - whereas tennis players had previously depended on a uniform of uncomfortable, long-sleeved buttoned-up shirts and long flannel trousers, this shirt was short-sleeved and made from lightweight, breathable piqué cotton. It also had a soft collar and a three button placket, and fitted loosely, but comfortably. It was a drastic improvement on the restrictive tennis clothing of the past - and yet, Peter Hill wasn't quite satisfied. He saw that the piqué cottons that remained popular in 'sports' polo shirts into the 1950s could be swapped for a material even lighter.

As with so many inventions that are taken for granted today, there was certainly some self-interest about Hill's intervention, as he had wanted a softer and more lightweight fabric to keep him cooler on his trips to the French and Italian Riviera. The outcome, making the most of expertise from the local Long Eaton lace industry, was the warp knit cotton fabric now known within Sunspel as Quality 75.

Demonstrating the fabric's continued relevance is the fact that it is still knitted in a unique structure that retains its shape when washed, but that allows for its colour to change and appearance to improve with the passing of time. The fabric was even used in the creation of suitably comfortable and well-engineered mens polos to be worn by Daniel Craig in two of his outings as James Bond, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. These Riviera polo shirts are also now on sale to the public.

Mindful of the polo's status as a flexible wardrobe essential and contemporary design classic, Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com) has kept refining it over the years with an eye to ensuring simplicity and comfort - shorn of unnecessary extras. In recent years, a chic collection of women's polos has also come on stream, showing the continued relevance and versatility of this unpretentious item of heritage clothing.