Sunspel

Sunspel is a British clothing brand whose reputation begins with the fabric against the skin. Founded by Thomas Hill in Nottingham in 1860, the business grew out of hosiery and underwear manufacturing, developing lightweight cotton garments at a time when comfort was becoming a subject of textile innovation. Sea Island cotton helped establish its early reputation, laying the foundation for a label best known for making everyday clothes feel unusually good.

The company moved to Long Eaton, Derbyshire, in 1937, and its factory there remains central to the production of its classic T-shirts. That manufacturing history gives Sunspel’s simplicity a practical basis. The interest lies in the cotton, the fit, and how a garment feels after hours of wear, with little need for conspicuous branding.

Its Riviera polo offers a more public expression of the same approach. Developed in the 1950s using breathable mesh cotton, the shirt was later adapted for Daniel Craig to wear as James Bond in Casino Royale. The association brought cinematic appeal to a garment designed for warm weather, giving Sunspel a place in Bond’s wardrobe beyond the dinner jacket.

Across T-shirts and knitwear, Sunspel approaches luxury through clothes intended for regular use. Its enduring subject is the everyday wardrobe, and how much attention an apparently simple garment can reward.