Fred Perry Padded Zip-Through Jacket

Fred Perry is one of the most notable and iconic British brands in history. It has built solid foundations and became known globally thanks to its authentic style, which had been shaped by not just sports, but a variety of subcultures too.

The brand gets its name from one of its founders, Frederick John Perry. Perry, who had reigned tennis courts, had an extraordinary career – he won 10 major tournaments, including 8 Grand Slams, 2 Pro Slams and was World Number 1 for three consecutive years. Prior to Andy Murray in 2013, Perry was the last British player to win men’s Wimbledon championship in 1936 and the last Briton to win a men’s singles Grand Slam title, until Andy Murray won the US Open in 2012.

As a tennis player, Perry would wrap medical gauze around the wrist of his right hand to wipe sweat off his face during a competition. In the late 40s, Perry approached the Austrian footballer Tibby Wegner with the idea of creating an anti-perspirant band that could be worn on the wrist. This collaboration laid the foundation for the birth of the Fred Perry brand, which is considered to have been launched in 1952 with the introduction of the Fred Perry M3 shirt, now considered a classic of the British design, to the world. It was a simple all-white cotton pique polo-style shirt. It made its debut in Wimbledon, when Jaroslav Drobny played during the men’s final in it coupled together with a pair of sunglasses. The shirt gained huge fame and became an instant success.

Whilst Drobny had given the Fred Perry shirt a stylish debut, it was with the emerging Mod movement (a youth culture with a particular focus on fashion and music) in the late 50s and early 60s when Perry truly had its leap. Pairing tennis shirt with their suits, they created an entirely new informal look trend. Before this, pairing a casual sporting garment with formal attire was unheard of. This is how Fred Perry shirt became a staple in any self-respecting young person’s wardrobe.

As time went on, customers began to request different colours of the M3 tennis shirt. Fred Perry took note and responded by offering a number of different shades, which were also suitable for table tennis players (as white was not forbidden for them). The new colours were not only worn by Mods and table-tennis players; Sean Connery wore a navy M3 as James Bond in 1965’s Thunderball. At this time, Bond was considered to be the arbiter of all things stylish, and his wearing of the Fred Perry shirt was yet another reason for Fred Perry gaining popularity. With time, the brand also moved with the working-class sub-cultures of Skinheads, Punks and football Ultras.

The Fred Perry brand has repeatedly managed to present its rich history, explore it from a different point of view and direct its experience to new and unique collections, in collaboration with such famous names as Commes des Garçons, Raf Simons, Art Comes First, Margaret Howell, George Cox, Beams Plus, Gwen Stefani, Amy Winehouse and many others.

Fred Perry, which has earned its icon status in the realms of fashion and leisure, remains at the heights and is appreciated all over the world for its unique style, which has become part of numerous cultures, and for its high-end quality.