Our History
Long Eaton England (EST. 1937)
Over 160 years of British craftsmanship and pioneering fabric innovation goes into every Sunspel garment. Here is our story.
1860
Formation of the business
Thomas Hill, c.1870.
1890
The business goes global
The Thomas A. Hill Ltd factory in Nottingham, c.1890
1900
Sea Island cotton
Sea Island cotton is one of the world’s finest raw materials, requiring specialist skills to grow and spin.
1908
The world's first luxury T-shirt
Lighter and cooler than traditional undershirts, Sunspel’s innovative luxury T-Shirts proved popular in hot climates.
1914
The invention of Cellular Cotton
1935
The company name is changed to Sunspel
1937
The Sunspel factory moves to Long Eaton
1939-1945
Sunspel during the war
1947
The British Boxer Short
1965
Sunspel’s global reputation is restored
1985
Nick Kamen at the launderette
2006
James Bond wears Sunspel
2010
The first Sunspel retail store
Redchurch Street, Shoreditch
2012
Sunspel reintroduces womenswear
2017
Sunspel celebrates 80 years at Long Eaton
Sunspel factory in 2017
1860
Formation of the business
Thomas Hill, c.1870.
1890
The business goes global
The Thomas A. Hill Ltd factory in Nottingham, c.1890
1900
Sea Island cotton
Sea Island cotton is one of the world’s finest raw materials, requiring specialist skills to grow and spin.
1908
The world's first luxury T-shirt
Lighter and cooler than traditional undershirts, Sunspel’s innovative luxury T-Shirts proved popular in hot climates.
1914
The invention of Cellular Cotton
1935
The company name is changed to Sunspel
1937
The Sunspel factory moves to Long Eaton
1939-1945
Sunspel during the war
1947
The British Boxer Short
1965
Sunspel’s global reputation is restored
1985
Nick Kamen at the launderette
2006
James Bond wears Sunspel
2010
The first Sunspel retail store
Redchurch Street, Shoreditch
2012
Sunspel reintroduces womenswear
2017
Sunspel celebrates 80 years at Long Eaton
Sunspel factory in 2017
Over 160 years since its foundation, Sunspel remains fundamentally the same business created by Thomas Hill. An innovative maker of luxury wardrobe essentials – renowned worldwide for quality but rooted in English craftsmanship and the manufacturing expertise of its local community.