Turnbull & Asser is a gentleman's bespoke shirtmaker, clothier and tie maker established in 1885. The company has its flagship store on Jermyn Street, St James's, two more stores in London, and two in New York City.
The firm has dressed figures such as Prince Charles, Sir Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, John Kerry, Charlie Chaplin, and Picasso. Although extremely traditional outfitters, the company is known for its particularly vivid colours in shirts, knitwear, socks, and ties, all of which are made in England.
Video Turnbull & Asser
History
Turnbull & Asser was founded in 1885 by Reginald Turnbull, a hosier, and Ernest Asser, a salesman. Together, they opened a hosiery under the name "John Arthur Turnbull" in St. James's in the West End of London. As the neighborhood was the site of numerous gentlemen's clubs and high-end haberdashers, Turnbull's business flourished. The name was changed to "Turnbull & Asser" in 1895.
In 1903, after continued success, Turnbull & Asser moved to its present location at the corner of Jermyn Street and Bury Street. In 1915, during World War I, Turnbull & Asser developed a raincoat which doubled as a sleeping bag for the British Military. It is known as the Oilsilk Combination Coverall & Ground Sheet. During the 1920s, as dress became less formal, men's dress shirts became more noticeable articles of clothing. Turnbull & Asser responded by focusing its business more on shirtmaking, for which it is most known today.
Between the 1920s and the 1970s, Turnbull & Asser grew its London business from a haberdashery to a clothier, expanding into sportswear, clothing (both bespoke and off-the peg), and off-the-peg shirts. As its symbol, it used a hunting horn with a "Q" above, which it called the Quorn, a name it shares with one of the oldest hunts in England. Many of Turnbull & Asser's articles were called by this name, such as the popular "Quorn scarf". During the 1960s, Turnbull & Asser even had been known for catering to the Swinging London set, with vibrant colors and "modern" designs. In 1962, Turnbull & Asser began to outfit the cinematic James Bond as first portrayed by Sean Connery, whose dress shirts had turnback cuffs fastened with buttons as opposed to cufflinks, referred to as Portofino, or cocktail cuffs, or James Bond cuffs.
In the 1970s and 1980s, however, Turnbull & Asser began reviving some of the more traditional aspects of its business. The company found that Americans increasingly were buying its wares, so it began offering trunk shows at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. Beginning in 1974, Turnbull & Asser sold ready-to-wear shirts in the United States through department stores Bonwit Teller and Neiman Marcus. For a brief period beginning in 1979, Turnbull & Asser even operated a small store in Toronto opened by Tony Carlisle and Kenneth Williams.
Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, has bought shirts from Turnbull & Asser since his youth. When, in 1980, the Prince was granted the power of bestowing royal warrants, his first issue was granted to Turnbull & Asser. He also wears Turnbull & Asser suits, made by the former Chester Barrie factory in Crewe, Cheshire.
Maps Turnbull & Asser
Today
Turnbull & Asser still make their shirts in the UK, from their factory in Quedgeley, Gloucester, which employs over 100 people.
See also
- Thresher & Glenny
- Arckiv
- Anna Valentine
- Jaeger (clothing)
References
External links
- British website
- American website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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