ShortList is supported by you, our amazing readers. When you click through the links on our site and make a purchase we may earn a commission. Learn more

10 British-made menswear brands that deserve a place in your wardrobe

10 British-made menswear brands that deserve a place in your wardrobe

10 British-made menswear brands that deserve a place in your wardrobe
24 March 2016

We present to you ten homegrown, homemade and bloody fantastic brands that all produce their highest quality clothing right here in Great Britain, and prove a 'Made In GB' tag still carries a helluva lot of weight. Take a look, and buy your wardrobe a tasty slice of patriotism… 

Hiut Denim

“Cardigan is a small town of 4,000 good people,” Hiut’s website reads. “400 of them used to make jeans. They made 35,000 pairs a week. For three decades. Then one day the factory closed. It left town. But all that skill and knowhow remained. Without any way of showing the world what they could do. That’s why we have started The Hiut Denim Company. To bring manufacturing back home. To use all that skill on our doorstep. And to breathe new life into our town.” We can confirm, personally, that these jeans, made in Cardigan, may be the best jeans you’ll even own. 

The Hack Organic Slim Fit, £130, hiutdenim.co.uk


Carrier Company

This excellent workwear has been handmade in Norfolk for over two decades now, and garms like this tough, durable and dead good-looking plaid wool shirt will almost definitely survive when the robots inevitably rise up and eradicate humanity. 

Handmade Plaid Wool jacket, £240, carriercompany.co.uk


Tricker’s

You know who we’d go to for advice on buying a killer pair of brogues? Prince Charles. Prince Charles definitely knows what’s up when it comes to brogues, so much so that he goes to family-run brand Tricker’s. A whopping 265 different operations go into making each pair, all completed in the Northampton factory that has been doing the same high-quality production since 1829. Don’t think these are just for fusty old royals, though – Tricker’s has recently collaborated with some major players in modern menswear too, such as Norse Projects and Japanese brand Sophnet.

Stow Country Boot, £390, trickers.com


John Smedley

You need to be a pretty big deal to be able to pull off a claim like being home to “the world’s finest knitwear”. Thankfully, John Smedley is a big deal. Established back in 1784, their Derbyshire manufacturing factory (where they’re still based to this day) is not only the oldest in Britain, or Europe, but the whole entire world. They’ve decked out the likes of Marilyn Monroe and The Beatles, and have remained family-run since day one. So yeah, a big deal indeed.

Redfree in Navy/White, £139, johnsmedley.com


Private White V.C.

You can’t get more British than a homegrown war hero. As this brand's namesake, Private Jack White earned the Victoria Cross (the highest military award for valour that the British Army hands out) for his bravery in World War 1, and approximately 100 years later, his name has come to mean top-drawer clothing quality, too. You’ll want to buy up everything from basic tees to live-forever jackets here.

Plain Crew Neck T-Shirt, £59, privatewhitevc.com


Quba Sails

Based in the sailing town of Salcombe in Devon, Quba employs eight expert craftspeople to create a wide range of products made from sailcloth. We’re talking deckchairs, cushions, holdalls, and really really hardwearing jackets that, unsurprisingly, keep the elements out big time.

Handmade Original Recycled Sailcloth Jacket, £399, quba.com


New Balance

That Union Jack on the front of many a fresh pair of New Balance isn’t just there for decoration. Sporting that means you’re rocking a pair made in Cumbria, from a factory that the brand are still super proud to be making their kicks in. Sure, the brand might have its roots in Boston but they also lovingly pump out 28,000 shoes a week in Cumbria. There, they claim they create their “most premium product, constructed from superior raw materials to the highest quality.” US brand yes, but where do they go for quality expertise? Good ol' Blighty.

1500 Made in UK 90s, £120, newbalance.co.uk


Percival

With a cosy little shop in the heart of London’s Soho, Percival “makes as much as we can within the UK, often working with manufacturers in the London area”. They even use a full spectrum of British textiles, and have a basic triple-headed brand ethos that we totally buy into – lasting design, quality workmanship and local production. Go pay them a visit this weekend, and you’ll find more than enough to give your wardrobe a full refresh. 

Key Pattern Knit, £155, percivalclo.com


Marwood

Which tie is gonna help you walk into that meeting room and ace that next big job interview: a bargain bucket Tie Rack tie that you picked up from Paddington station in a blind panic, or a hand-crafted English number with a real tasty and dead smart diamond pattern? Precisely. Yes, it carries a big price tag, but you’ll be making that sorta money back in no time, Mr Vice President Of The Company.

Knitted diamonds tie, £120, marwoodlondon.co.uk


McNair

If you’re planning a daring adventure up a mountain, where are you going to buy your hardy, warming outerwear from? A little shop in an icy Norwegian fishing town? The base of Everest? Try Huddersfield. That’s precisely where “the best mountain shirt in the world” is ethically and traditionally made, by the extreme dudes at McNair. Each shirt promises to keep out the cold, wind and snow, and threatens to force your go-to outerwear jacket into retirement.

Mid-Weight Merino Fell Shirt, £335, mcnairshirts.com