Men's designer clothing - the Fred Perry brand

For many, Fred Perry is still one of the best tennis champions ever to grace the court at Wimbledon. For the younger generation, however, his legacy is in his clothing line, which has gone through some difficult times, but emerged with a range of collaborations and styles that has given many other men's designer clothing brands a run for their money.

The Fred Perry clothing brand grew from a humble sweatband. A fellow player gave a form of wristband to Perry, who made some tweaks and changes and produced the first real tennis sweatband. Once the tennis career was over, sports clothing was a new passion, and the first Fred Perry shirt was launched at Wimbledon in 1952. As far as men's designer clothing goes, that seems a long time ago, but going into the 1960s and 1970s, men's fashion was a growing market and Perry saw the possibilities in having a recognisable brand available to a wide range of people. He used the laurel leaves, which had been an old Wimbledon logo, and which was stitched into the garment, rather than ironed on, which was how Perry's main tennis clothing competitor, Lacoste, attached their own logo.

It's not often that men's designer clothing takes on a political angle, but the Fred Perry brand could do little about its adoption by some far right groups in the early 1970s. The company put itself at arm's length from the various groups who wore its clothing and adopted its logo, including aggressive football supporters and some far right groups. This proved to be a good position, as gradually, the brand was able to re-invent itself as a general men's designer clothing label and has worked hard over recent years to put a new spin on the brand. Working with leading artists and celebrities, the Fred Perry brand has produced some stunning individual designs and prints, giving it a real cutting-edge feel and establishing a unique position in the men's designer clothing market. With a music spin-off, supported by Paul Weller, Fred Perry is now a key brand on the high street and online, with new customers buying into the brand every day.

Northern Threads offers a range of men's designer clothing from its online store and from its hugely successful high street store in South Shields. Our owners have more than 20 years' retail fashion experience and are dedicated to bringing the best designer clothing to your door. With a great range of labels, including Lyle and Scott, Fred Perry, Moschino, G-Star, Nike, Diesel, Penguin and Hugo Boss, and the very best in customer service, you can be sure that however you choose to buy, you'll get a great experience. Call 0191 454 7358, email info@northernthreads.co.uk or browse online to find out more.