Fred Perry

Fred Perry was founded in 1952 by the British tennis champion and his business partner, Tibby Wegner. Their work began with a practical tennis accessory, the sweatband, before expanding into sportswear. The piqué tennis shirt became the defining garment, its embroidered Laurel Wreath giving the label a recognizable signature.

The shirt’s importance extends beyond the court. Its simple outline offered a way to look smart while retaining the ease of sports clothing, making it adaptable to different ways of dressing. Adopted into British subcultural wardrobes, it became associated with music and the street as well as tennis. The same basic garment could mean something different depending on who wore it and how.

That relationship between continuity and individual expression informs the wider menswear collection. Knitwear and outerwear extend the wardrobe around the shirt, while sportswear details maintain a connection to the brand’s origins. The Laurel Wreath acts as a shared reference across clothes that can belong to very different personal styles.

Based in London, Fred Perry has developed its relationship with music through its Subculture platform and work with artists. Designer collaborations offer further interpretations of its established forms. The brand’s lasting appeal lies in that openness, with a recognizable sporting garment becoming part of identities its founders could not have prescribed.