Our history

1860 --- 1932 --- 1937 --- 1947 --- 1952 --- 1985 --- 2005 --- 2006 --- 2007 --- 2008 --- 2009 --- 2010

2010

Coming soon...

Ladies’ t-shirts to be available online
Make t-shirts, polo shirts for Pretty Green, Liam Gallagher’s new label (Liam’s a long-term Sunspel fan)
Make co-brand t-shirt range for Joseph
Work with stylist to provide t-shirts in forthcoming George Lucas independent film ‘Red Tails’
Work with Ben Saunders (polar explorer) to create a top quality technical garment suitable for polar exploration

Work with stylist to provide bespoke t-shirts for Christian Bale in ‘Batman - The Dark Knight’
Work with stylist to provide t-shirts and long johns for Tom Cruise in ‘Valkyrie’
Co-brand with Bergdorff Goodman in New York
Sunspel becomes available in more fashionable retailers in the UK including: Liberty, Aspecto, Sefton. These complement stores such as Selfridges and Harrods where Sunspel has been available for many years
Provide t-shirts and polo shirts for the making of ‘Quantum of Solace’

Exhibit at leading menswear show Pitti Uomo in Florence, the first time Sunspel has exhibited at a trade show since the 1970s
Work with Charlie Watts’ stylist to provide bespoke, tailored t-shirts for Rolling Stones European tour - t-shirts on each leg of the tour reference the colours of the national football team
Co-brand with Kris van Assche
Launch e-commerce website selling polo shirts, t-shirts and underwear

Work with Academy Award winning stylist, Lindy Hemming, to make polo shirts and t-shirts for Daniel Craig in ‘Casino Royale’
Co-brand with Paul Smith
Co-brand with Harrods
Make underwear for Richard James and Thom Browne

The end of an era as the ownership of Sunspel changes hands with the retirement of Peter Hill aged 83, great-grandson of the founder of the company
Sunspel bought by Nick Brooke and Dom Hazlehurst - two fans of the products - determined to revitalise the business and the brand
New photography replaces old imagery
Branding and packaging is updated - all underwear comes in smart boxes rather than 1970s-style plastic bags
Old fashioned styling is changed to make fits and styles contemporary while still classic

Nick Kamen removes his Levi 501s in the famous launderette advert to reveal his Sunspel boxer shorts

Sunspel introduces the boxer short to the UK following a trip by John Hill to America

The company is renamed Sunspel after its leading brand at the time and moves to its current location in Long Eaton, Derbyshire

Thomas A Hill becomes Sea Island Textiles Ltd
With the collapse of export markets following the Depression and outbreak of war between Japan and China, the company focuses on the finest Sea Island cotton underwear for the home market

Sunspel originates as Thomas A Hill Ltd. The company imports cotton from the West Indies and spins and knits it in England before making it into a variety of textile products
Some of its finest products are underwear made from fine lisle and Sea Island cotton. Much is exported as cool, lightweight underwear for warm climates. Ironically China is an important export market