Ben Sherman
Encyclopedia
Ben Sherman is a British based clothing company, designing shirts, suits, shoes, accessories and other items that are, in common with many British brands, now made overseas, largely in the Far East. Their designs sometimes feature the Royal Air Force
roundel
which is often called the mod target. Some of the recent Ben Sherman shirts have unusual and complex designs, and have a Carnaby
-style fit. The company makes clothing predominantly for men. It has been owned by Oxford Industries
since 2004.
. He emigrated to the United States in 1946, via Canada, and changed his nationality to American. He married the daughter of a Californian clothes producer and later returned to Brighton, where he bought a shirt factory. Sugarman had realised that early 1960s London-based modern jazz fans were eagerly buying the Oxford-cloth American button-down shirt brands such as Brooks Brothers
, Arrow and Hathaway
, as sported by visiting American jazz artists like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. At the time, these were only available from official importers who had in effect, cornered this growing market.
Sugarman decided to produce a version of these shirts, along with a collection of the colourful resort-wear vacation clothes that were growing in popularity, in both the post-war US, and Mediterranean Europe. Mods responded immediately, especially as Sugarman was using higher-quality materials and stitching detail than the imported shirts. The Ben Sherman Originals label was created, and by 1965, the company had opened a small office on the upper floors of a shabby office-block in a London backstreet. This acted as the showroom for their shirt and beachwear collections. By the late 1960s, the shirt was adopted by the skinhead
subculture, and
starting in the late 1970s, the shirt became popular with mod revival
ists.
On 11 October 2010, Ben Sherman opened a store at №39 Savile Row
.
As of 2011, it is heavily planned that Ben Sherman are trying to set up several chain stores all around the Latin America due to their massive demand in that area.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
roundel
Roundel
A roundel in heraldry is a disc; the term is also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of different colours.-Heraldry:...
which is often called the mod target. Some of the recent Ben Sherman shirts have unusual and complex designs, and have a Carnaby
Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in London, United Kingdom, located in the Soho district, near Oxford Street and Regent Street. It is home to numerous fashion and lifestyle retailers, including a large number of independent fashion boutiques...
-style fit. The company makes clothing predominantly for men. It has been owned by Oxford Industries
Oxford Industries
Oxford Industries, Inc. is a clothing retailer in the United States that specializes in high-end clothing and apparel. The company carries many major labels, including Tommy Bahama, Ben Sherman, Lilly Pulitzer, Oxford Golf and Lanier Clothes.-History:...
since 2004.
History
The company was founded in 1963 by Arthur Benjamin Sugarman (1925-1987), who was born in BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. He emigrated to the United States in 1946, via Canada, and changed his nationality to American. He married the daughter of a Californian clothes producer and later returned to Brighton, where he bought a shirt factory. Sugarman had realised that early 1960s London-based modern jazz fans were eagerly buying the Oxford-cloth American button-down shirt brands such as Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers is the oldest men's clothier chain in the United States. Founded in 1818 as a family business, the privately owned company is now owned by Retail Brand Alliance, also features clothing for women, and is headquartered on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York City.-History:On April 7,...
, Arrow and Hathaway
C. F. Hathaway Company
C. F. Hathaway Company was a private manufacturer of shirts for men and boys, located in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1837 and made uniform shirts for Union soldiers during the American Civil War. It is most famous for its "man with an eye patch" advertising campaign, which was created by...
, as sported by visiting American jazz artists like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. At the time, these were only available from official importers who had in effect, cornered this growing market.
Sugarman decided to produce a version of these shirts, along with a collection of the colourful resort-wear vacation clothes that were growing in popularity, in both the post-war US, and Mediterranean Europe. Mods responded immediately, especially as Sugarman was using higher-quality materials and stitching detail than the imported shirts. The Ben Sherman Originals label was created, and by 1965, the company had opened a small office on the upper floors of a shabby office-block in a London backstreet. This acted as the showroom for their shirt and beachwear collections. By the late 1960s, the shirt was adopted by the skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
subculture, and
starting in the late 1970s, the shirt became popular with mod revival
Mod Revival
The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries . The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence has lasted for decades...
ists.
On 11 October 2010, Ben Sherman opened a store at №39 Savile Row
Savile Row
Savile Row is a shopping street in Mayfair, central London, famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. The term "bespoke" is understood to have originated in Savile Row when cloth for a suit was said to "be spoken for" by individual customers...
.
As of 2011, it is heavily planned that Ben Sherman are trying to set up several chain stores all around the Latin America due to their massive demand in that area.