Turnbull & Asser: a visit to their English shirt factory

A trip to Gloucester to see the Turnbull & Asser shirt factory last month added to my growing list of visits to great British menswear manufacturing centres. Founded in 1885, Turnbull & Asser quickly established itself as a leading tailor and shirtmaker and today holds an enviable place in the history and tradition of British menswear. With a Royal Warrant granted to HRH The Prince of Wales (who occasionally turns up to make his own shirts, see image below) and shops in central London and New York, the brand goes from strength to strength.

A visit to their factory shows why they do so well. The picture above of Prince Charles, who has worn their shirts for years, is proudly displayed in reception. Next to that is a wall of photos of long-serving employees. This loyalty reflects the care that Turnbull & Asser takes of those whose skills are so essential to what they do. Without the studied attention to detail, so obvious as I looked round and spoke to people working there, the shirts would be very ordinary. The skills of the machinists, the pride and attention given to steps such as sewing on buttons (Turnbull & Asser's process means they almost never fall off) means that they produce shirts that are among the best you can find, whether you buy off the peg or bespoke.

Images taken on my Turnbull & Asser factory tour - remarkable skills and care

The level of individual attention is remarkable. You can specify everything from shapes of collars and cuffs, stitching colour, buttons, cut and fit. It's no wonder customers keep coming back. The quality of the cloths is clear, soft, silky cotton makes these a pleasure to own and wear. And if your shirts wears out in years to come, it can be repaired as pieces of the cloth are carefully stored for future repairs.

Cutting collars and cuffs

Shirt account for some 60% of sales, with knitwear, pyjamas and underwear (also made at the Gloucester factory) and tailoring account for most of the balance. I was recently in touch with their Designer, Dean Gomilsek-Cole, in connection with a piece I was writing for The Rake and his design vision for the company promises much for this very British company. He is aware of the great competitiveness of this market and sees the need to offer quality and style that are unrivalled.

To find out more about Turnbull & Asser, see their website here.

[Note: Turnbull & Asser paid most of my fare to Worcester. Otherwise this post is unsponsored; my comments on the shirts are from observation, not ownership or wearing.]