20th century
At the beginning of the 20th century, the company began making and selling some of the world's first T-shirts.[5] Originally undergarments, they were designed to be cool and comfortable in the heat of tropical climates and were made with a high-quality Sea island cotton jersey fabric.[6] Upon Hill's death in 1909, he passed on the company to his son, also named Thomas Hill, and the business remained in the Hill family for the rest of the century. The brand continued its dedication to fabric innovation and in 1914, invented a unique cellular cotton fabric which was made on traditional lace machines and used for lightweight underwear, and it is still in the collection today.[2]
In 1935, the company was officially renamed Sunspel. The name was inspired by the quality control stamp of Sea Island cotton (with which the brand had become synonymous), featuring a sunburst through clouds.
The company moved its manufacturing base from Nottingham to nearby Long Eaton, Derbyshire, in 1937 and it has remained in the same factory ever since.[7] During the Second World War, Sunspel produced underwear and long johns for the war effort under the CC41 utility mark.[8]
In 1947, John Hill, the great-grandson of founder Thomas Hill introduced the boxer short to the United Kingdom.[5] He discovered the underwear style on his honeymoon in the United States and modified the design by adding a back panel, flattening the seams and using the highest quality cotton.[9] The underwear style gained widespread popularity after the 1985 Nick Kamen Levi’s advert in which he wore Sunspel boxer shorts.[1]
From the 1950s, the brand was stocked in renowned department stores such as Liberty of London, Harrods and Selfridges.[2]
