Best selling Shirtings of 2015
In 2015 we celebrated 40 years of supplying fine fabrics and as we take time to reflect on the year, as one does in January, it is interesting to see what our customers bought from us over the year.
It is difficult to condense the fabric choices made as there is such a diversity of design, colour and weave on offer – not to mention a spectrum of demographics covering geographical, cultural and usage factors – however, we have endeavoured and here is the list…
In at Number 5…
Last year (2014) this position was taken by the checked fabrics but 2015 saw a growing popularity for our range of printed shirting fabrics. Prints have been popular for several years now (thanks to Alan Davies, James May and Noel Edmonds) however the design of the print has evolved from florals to more simple, smaller geometric shapes. The small dot design of Hampton 301 and the slightly larger 302 have been the most popular (so much so that they are sold out but are coming back into stock again soon!) as they are classical in nature but have a contemporary feel to them right now. The success of these prints has promted us to develop our interpretation of the classic polkadot (pictured) which will be available soon – if you wish to register your interest in receiving samples when it is ready, get in touchÂ
In at number 4…
Think Pink…
Pink fabric is a colour that most women would like to see a man wearing but most men wouldn’t choose or think that they wouldn’t be able to “carry it off”. In the film Alfie (2004) the remake of the original 1966 classic, Jude Law is getting dressed, he takes a pink shirt from his wardrobe and lovingly combines it with a handsome navy suit, “A man who is certain of his masculinity need have no fear of pink,” says Law. It would seem that in 2015, our customers were doing just that. Within the broad category of “pink” it was the fine 2/160’s Grasmere that emerged as the favourite classic pink shirt.
In at Number 3…
Classic Stripes and Conservative Checks…
By far the largest category in our collection, classic stripes and checks always have a place in a person’s shirt collection. The choice is tremendous here and so too is the selection made by our customers. It’s no surprise that anything “blue” was popular. The list reads like a “who’s who” of classic shirt fabric weaves and designs. Twills, End on ends, Hairline stripes, Bengals, Herringbones and Plain colours in various shades of blue were all requested more so than in 2014. There was a clear winner, though – End on End new blue was purchased more frequently than another other blue.
In at Number 2…
Oxford (Not just for buttondowns)…
One of the oldest fabric constructions and certainly one of the most identifiable, Oxford holds a place in most afficianado’s hearts. It is robust yet soft – it can be both casual or dressed up. It can take whatever you throw at it and still looks “box fresh” every time, in fact it improves with wear(speaking from personal experience – I’m an uber fan!) It is the classic Brooks brothers OCBD (oxford cloth button down) but it has earned enough respect to be worn now with a classic collar – even in the office and not just on a Friday! Oxford is popular with our new, younger customers also as it is the right look at the moment and there is a continuing trend to look for rugged, aged, utility, workwear types of fabrics. The plain blues and the plain white were the most popular, followed closely by the stripes such as the Bengal and the Ivy.
Number 1 Bestseller in 2015, again…
The Classic White…
Once again the white shirting fabric triumphed in 2015 and I’m pretty sure will be a contender in 2016. Thanks to the success of TV series such as “Mad Men”, where, although set in the 1960’s New York, everyone wore white shirts – it looked right again for today. In fact in my numerous trips to Savile Row in 2015, I wore white shirts and the majority of my London clients also chose to go monochrome. There were many different weights, textures, designs and qualities selected but the most popular ones were: Pinpoint (both Classic and Royal); Oxford (both Classic and Royal); Monarch ( also the Grange); Grasmere (also Windsor) and Marcella
If you do want to purchase any of our fabrics, a good place to start is the “special offer” section. Here you have the opportunity to try a variety of fabrics at a reduced cost so that you can get an appreciation of the different qualities and how the fabrics are to work with.
