Fred Perry - the international playboy from Stockport!?!

We are very pleased to announce that Lapel Clothing is now an official stockist of the highly distinctive and renowned Fred Perry label.

Frederick John Perry was born in Stockport on 18th May 1909 and moved down to London with his mother and father when he was a young child. He attended school in Ealing which is where he fell in love with the sport of table tennis, and actually went on to win the World Championship at the tender age of 18.

Following his success at table tennis, Fred Perry turned his attention to lawn tennis and his domination of the British tennis scene began. In 1933 he helped England to their first Davis Cup victory for over 21 years, and the following year he went on to win both the Australian Open and Wimbledon. In fact, he won the prestigious Wimbledon title for 3 years running and took all four grand slam singles titles before turning professional in 1936 aged just 27.

Fred Perry sportswear began with an idea for a sweat catching wrist band invented by the Austrian footballer, Tibby Wegner, who approached Fred in the late forties looking for an endorsement. Following a few design tweaks, a few weeks later the first ever sweatband was born, and Fred Perry sportswear was in business!!! The brand grew quickly and diversified into other areas of sportswear designing shirts, polo’s and footwear to name but a few.

The Queen Mother once asked Fred why his shirts were better than anyone else’s, to which he replied, ‘Ma’am, it’s the shirt that fits’ cheekily quoting the company’s ad line of the time.

The famous Fred Perry laurel is the iconic trade mark of the label and features on every product. The motif is based on an old Wimbledon symbol and signifies the brands heritage is firmly rooted in tennis history.

On the fiftieth anniversary of his Wimbledon title win in 1934, the Somerset Road entrance at Wimbledon was renamed the Fred Perry Gates and a statue of Fred was unveiled – a fitting tribute to a great sportsman and a true gentleman.

Fred Perry sportswear has now become a British menswear classic, and the simplicity and quality of each design has made Fred Perry a must have for every wardrobe. We are very proud to stock this iconic label here at Lapels, so why not check out our website at www.lapelclothing.co.uk and see British design at its very best!?