The post-War period - a momentous one for Sunspel

When World War II finally came to a close in September 1945, it was clear that the conflict had gone much further beyond even its deeply unenviable status as the deadliest in human history: it was one that had made a profound difference to the structure of the world. Many of the world's greatest cities lay in ruins, their people exhausted and straitened, and the United Nations (UN) was established with the aim of preventing future conflicts. Gingerly, Europe's economic gears began to whirr back into action - with the Englische mode manufacturer Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.de) playing its own role.

With the Japanese and Italian Empires crumbling as the United States and Soviet Union emerged as superpowers, European citizens opened their eyes to a new era of austerity. Along with the stresses and strains, however, came opportunity. The normally outward-facing Sunspel - that name having been adopted shortly before the War with its move to a factory in Long Eaton near Nottingham - was forced to turn its attentions firmly back to the home market. In doing so, the company began its rise to prominence as the country's premier manufacturer of luxury herrenunterwäsche.

Sunspel's associations with the military were not entirely over, with the emergence of the Cold War in the late 1950s and The War Office's continuing need for 'Drawers, Aircrew, Cotton, Short' for the Royal Air Force leading to the signing of a supply contract with the herrenbekleidung specialist. Nonetheless, much attention remained focussed on the development and refinement of what would become undoubted icon products for the business in the years to come.

For example, the company had been experimenting with the design of T-shirts since they first came to be in the late 19th century, but the 1950s saw them reach their definitive, simple look. No longer did they have buttons below the neck, or long sleeves. Any other decoration - whether in the form of collars, pockets or cuffs - was also long gone. The männer T-shirt had become a true classic, and the same basic design remains on sale in Sunspel stockists today.

Similarly, the polo shirt was making its mark as an unpretentious wardrobe essential, finely balanced between formality and informality, and Sunspel soon decided to make it, streamlining it to its essence without some of the fussy extras still favoured at the time by other manufacturers. This made the Sunspel männer polohemd - with its simple short sleeves, soft collar and three buttons - a design classic in its own right. 1947 also saw the introduction of the boxer short to the UK, thanks to a visit to the US by Sunspel's John Hill, who noticed the garment there and soon got to work on the simplification of the design for European sensibilities.

More was to come for the recovering Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.de) as the decades passed, but there was no doubt that the mode aus England firm had got its second half of the turbulent 20th century off to a fine start.

Editor’s Note: Sunspel DE (http://www.sunspel.de) 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.

The latest range of womenswear from Sunspel

There are so many reasons why Germans adore Sunspel’s (http://www.sunspel.de) mode aus England. For some people, it is the timeless aesthetic that the company has fostered in its icon products over the years, with an emphasis placed on the utmost simplicity shorn of unnecessary details. For others, it’s the firm’s considerable pedigree for fabric innovation and experimentation, and for many more individuals, it’s simply the fact that it’s Sunspel – a company that believes in a unique mix of traditional craftsmanship and a certain contemporary, pioneering approach.

Although the company has in many ways been mostly strongly associated with herrenmode, it should not be suggested that some part of its heritage does not also lay in womenswear, with even the son of the founder, Thomas Arthur Hill, having developed Sunspel’s reputation for impeccable quality women’s underwear. By 2005, however, with the purchase of the venerable company by Nicholas Brooke and Dominic Hazlehurst, it was decided that it was time to reapply lessons learned from the firm’s menswear to the needs of women.

Hence, a complete womenswear range was launched, and today, it continues to go from strength to strength, consisting of the likes of T-shirts, polo shirts, tops and vests, knitwear and trousers to flatter the female figure. More than that, however, Sunspel’s womenswear is consistently chic in accordance with 21^st century fashion sensibilities, while still sporting the beautiful fabrics and exacting craftsmanship that have long distinguished the firm’s luxus bekleidung.

It is thanks to the launch of the Sunspel womenswear range that the more discerning members of the fairer sex can now get in on the action with some of the brand’s most fabled icon products. Sunspel’s association with the T-shirt, for example, can be traced back to its mid-19^th century establishment, when it was making and refining cotton undershirts. By the 1950s, the Sunspel T-shirt had reached its final, instantly recognisable form, and womenswear customers can take advantage of classic T-shirts in a wide range of seasonal colours, also being made from incredibly soft Q82 Superfine fabric.

Sunspel also introduced the männer polohemd to the British public, and has made an impression more recently with its Riviera Polo Shirt, as worn by Daniel Craig as James Bond. The feminine version of this versatile wardrobe essential has had its pocket removed, while a soft knitted rib collar and cuffs have been added. The result is an effortlessly stylish complement to a pair of skinny jeans for a relaxed weekend look.

Women are also now able to shop at Sunspel for classic, versatile and flattering tops and vests, which provide an excellent foundation for almost any look. Alternatively, they may be more interested in the Nottingham company’s selection of supremely luxurious fine gauge knits, or even fresh and pretty dresses and skirts like the Ribbed Sleeveless Dress, which has a real athletic edge. These, too, are frequently a great foundation and provide just one more reason to shop for Englische mode at Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.de).

Editor’s Note: Sunspel DE (http://www.sunspel.de) 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.

The trials and triumphs of Sunspel: 1900-1950

Having been founded in 1860 by Thomas Hill, the purveyor of Englische mode Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.de) certainly has a strong association with the 19^th century and the revolutions in industry, telecommunications and the media that it wrought. However, those and many other changes that had a profound effect on European and worldwide public life certainly did not stop when that century became the 20^th, with Sunspel being at the heart of many of them.

When people think of the early 20^th century, they tend to think of the major global-scale conflicts that marked the period, specifically World War I and World War II. This was also the century in which nationalism became a major political issue, with many nations seizing their right to self-determination. Official decolonization certainly had its effect on a declining British Empire by the middle of the century, but all the while, Sunspel was continuing to make its name with its development of the most luxurious herrenbekleidung for everyday living.

Of course, the increasingly seasoned firm, the ownership of which passed through successive descendants of the founder, could hardly remain immune to the tumultuous changes taking place around it. It was in the first years of the 20^th century, for example, that Thomas Arthur Hill expanded the company’s outward-facing vision with the exporting of its undergarments to the emerging Far East markets. Before long, World War I was underway, and women – not having previously been allowed on the weaving frames – were pressed into action in the factory to replace the conscripted men.

Hostilities may have eventually come to an end, but a move towards greater financial independence for women did not. However, by 1917, the business did have other worries, with the cotton shortage brought on by the international conflict causing it to temporarily cease exporting. By the late ‘30s, the company’s name had been changed to Sunspel from Sea Island Textiles Ltd, and the factory relocated to Long Eaton. World War II followed, bringing with it new economic challenges and another vital role for the company, as it donated uniform items and underwear to troops and medical services.

Even the fall of Hitler did not bring Sunspel’s military associations to a complete close, as it began an association with the Royal Air Force, although for the most part, the latter part of the century was all about the continued development of the company’s kleidung für herren and increasing appearances in the world’s finest boutiques and stores. That was not before, however, the firm’s icon products came to resemble their ultimate forms, with its white männer T-shirts, for example, reaching their iconic simplicity by the ‘50s and the company also first making polo shirts and introducing the boxer short to Britain at this time.

The later years of the 20^th century may have helped to elevate the Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.de) brand to a whole new level of popularity, but the influence of the first half of the century on its well-engineered and highly wearable herrenmode remains undeniable.