THE JOURNAL
In all likelihood, Sunspel will be familiar to you because of the brand’s iconic white T-shirt. Perhaps as an admirer of timeless design – you’re at MR PORTER, after all – you favour its athletic grey sweat. Hero pieces such as these deserve heroes to sport them; no doubt you will have caught the British brand’s Riviera polo shirt on the big screen, originally tailored for Mr Daniel Craig in his first Bond movie, Casino Royale.
Like 007, Sunspel is a British classic with enduring appeal. Founded more than 160 years ago, the same sustainable principles that shaped the brand then define the specialist pieces it produces in Britain today. Things have evolved obviously, since Mr Thomas Hill, the son of a hosier maker established Sunspel in 1860. At that time his factory in Nottingham was one of the first steam-powered operations in the country. Since then, much has changed including location (classic pieces are now crafted in the brand’s Long Eaton factory, down the River Trent, and its headquarters since 1937). But the brand’s commitment to style and simplicity have remained constant. That iconic white T-Shirt, for example, is still crafted by hand.
The great British factory is the foundation on which the brand was built and informs best practice now. “The Classic T-shirt utilises the 160 years of our own factory knowledge into crafting the perfect T-shirt,” explains Sunspel creative director Mr David Telfer, “Having your own factory gives you a unique perspective on what goes into a product and total control of the process, from the fibre and fabric through to the stitch length and finish.”
This kind of forensic oversight ensures sustainability is built into the very fibre of the business. The Classic Sunspel T-shirt is crafted from Q82 jersey, two-fold 80s yarn made from fine Supima cotton, sourced from California where it is sustainably grown. The raw materials are produced in a manner that doesn’t waste water. The final product is also considerate of waste; the yarn is layered to create a two-fold, so the fibres don’t fuzz or fray. It makes for a much harder-wearing – and long-lasting – product. “We always approach every product from the fibre-first perspective as the most important decision you make on a garment is the quality,” says Mr Telfer.
The loopback sweat, meanwhile, has a classic collegiate style with a modern, relaxed feel. “We try and approach every product with the thought that it could be timeless,” notes Mr Telfer. “Mainly due to the quality we know it will last, but we also strive to make sure customers look as good in it now as they would in five or 10 years.”
The making of another modern classic saw Sunspel enjoy its big screen moment. For Craig’s first outing as Bond, costume designer Ms Lindy Hemming wanted to use a British brand whose style would tell a story about a fresh, contemporary incarnation of the iconic spy. This concept of a real James Bond suited the products Sunspel were making at their factory, says Telfer. “When Lindy visited the factory, she found a polo shirt that we had developed back in the 1950s using one of our unique cotton-mesh fabrics. She loved the style and tailored it to Daniel Craig by slimming the body, shortening the sleeves and refining the details.” Mr Craig also wore the Riviera crew and V-neck T-shirts in the film, but it was the polo shirt that went on to define this new-era Bond style. “It is often seen as the piece that told the story of the modern Bond,” says Telfer.
Like modern day movie making, Sunspel is an international endeavour these days. Production of its handcrafted pieces in the UK is supported through partnerships with specialists in Portugal, France and Italy. But Sunspel’s foundations remain very much on home soil. Its lambswool is still knitted in Scotland using yarn from one of the world’s oldest spinners. Long Eaton remains the place for Sunspel classics. “We are incredibly fortunate that our founder back in 1860 had a very modern principal of making essentials using the world’s finest fabrics,” says Mr Telfer. “Those principals are incredibly relevant today where people want clothing, especially essentials, to last.” Long, as they say, may it last.