Sunspel x Nigel Cabourn

The winter season allows us to work with the nation’s finest knitwear producers, drawing on centuries of wool-working heritage. This beautifully soft sweater is crafted not far from Long Eaton in Leicester from luxuriously thick Merino wool.

The design is inspired by vintage US sweatshirts. Sportswear has also always been a source of inspiration for Cabourn. A lifelong Scunthorpe United fan, he cites maverick sports stars like the Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin as influences on him growing up. This piece reimagines a jumper from 1954. “Germany won the World Cup in 1954,” he says, “4-3 I think. Anyway, this feels great on, you can really feel the pure wool and it’s cut nicely too. I’m pleased to say I’m wearing it now – I hope that doesn’t affect sales too much!”

Spun in Yorkshire not far from our factory, this unique coat is made with a refined blend of cashmere and wool and is mill-washed to soften the fibres for a beautifully soft handle. “Comfort is really important for us,” Sunspel’s creative director David Telfer explains, “We began as a luxury underwear brand so the way things feel has always been crucial to our products.”

Cabourn adds that this is one of his personal favourites from the collection. “It’s got a piece of my favourite fabric Ventile on the back which gives a really nice contrast to the herringbone. It’s great that it’s made with British wool too. I don’t already own one of these but I really want one!”

Ventile is a unique fabric. It was used by the RAF during the Second World War to make flight suits and today its 100% cotton composition and unique waterproof properties mean Sunspel has used it in recent seasons. It’s one of Cabourn’s favourite fabrics too. “I’ve used it throughout my career,” he explains, “It was invented in 1939 by the Shirley Institute with a gentleman called Stan West whom I knew very well – he lived to 102.”

This jacket reimagines a piece Cabourn first made in 1981. Featuring a Japanese military-inspired, single front pocket, it’s lined with a luxurious mesh which gives it a smooth feel to wear. “The Sunspel archive is full of mesh,” Telfer explains, opening a draw to bring out a soft, cream-coloured mesh fabric from the 1930s, “We’re from Nottingham which used to be the lacemaking capital of the world, so mesh has always been an important part of our brand.”

“I’m very proud of this garment,” Cabourn nods as he tries it on, “It’s a real lifetime piece. Top of the range.”

Sunspel made some of the world’s first T-shirts in the early 1900s and we’ve been perfecting our collection in our Long Eaton factory ever since. We still handmake every one of our Classic T-shirts here using knowledge and skills that have been passed down through the generations.

Inspired by vintage military ringer T-shirts, these heavyweight T-shirts are the latest in our collection. Handmade in our factory “with tender loving care,” as Cabourn puts it, they’re crafted from a super-soft Supima cotton fabric that’s been carbon brushed for a luxuriously soft finish. “This is one of the highlights because Sunspel are very famous for their jersey,” he continues, “These T-shirts are wonderful, made with specially developed fabric that feels really quality.”

“This is a proper old-fashioned roll neck,” Cabourn tells us, “in a typical Cabourn stripe, something I’ve always loved. I often do a stripe across a sweater or a jacket so it was nice to do a fine stripe on this roll neck. This is also made right here in Long Eaton and it looks really strong. I’ll definitely be wearing this piece.”

It’s made in the same Supima cotton carbon-brushed fabric as the T-shirt. Grown in California, this unique cotton is one of the highest-quality extra-long staple cottons in the world. “I’m really proud of working with Sunspel’s jersey experts,” Cabourn finishes, “You don’t get this quality anywhere else.”