Ben Sherman: 50 Years Of Ben Sherman
If there is one brand of Clothing which is instantly and quintessentially Mod, it's Ben Sherman.
Ben Sherman, world famous for their Shirts, today it's so much more than a Mod Shirt. Every Mod gent should have a Ben Sherman Shirt, but every Mod gent should also have a range of Ben Sherman Polos, Jackets, Tees, Trousers, Jumpers and Cardigans in their wardrobe too!
2013 is Ben Sherman's 50th Anniversary. To celebrate, they have reissued several archive prints for new Shirts for Autumn and Winter, and they are something rather special! Featuring archive floral, paisley and Retro geo prints, plus all the classics - the Ben Sherman Gingham, the Ben Sherman House Check Shirt and the Ben Sherman Oxford Shirt, this season's collection is surely not to be missed! For more about this, check our Ben Sherman info center page.
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Founded in 1963 in Brighton, England by Arthur Benjamin Sugarman, BEn Sherman is as strong, stylish and sophisticated as it ever has been! The original 'Ben Sherman', Arthur Bernard Sugarman was born in Brighton in 1925, the son of a Jewish salesman. Emigrating to the USA in 1946, he had a string of marriages, the third of which was the daughter of a Californian clothes manufacturer who taught Sugarman about The Rag Trade. At this time he legally changed his name to Ben Sherman - a name he chose for its all American sound - in a bid to become an American citizen.
Moving back to Brighton in 1962 when his mother became ill, Ben Sherman opened Shirt factory and in 1963 the BEN SHERMAN Button Down Shirt debuted.
In the early Sixties London-based modern jazz fans were eagerly buying the Oxford-cloth American button-down shirt brands such as Brooks Brothers, Arrow and Hathaway, as sported by visiting American jazz artists like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. At the time, these were only available from official importers who had in effect, cornered this growing market. Realising this, Sugarman decided to produce a version of these shirts. The Mods responded immediately, especially as Sugarman was using higher-quality fabrics and stitching detail than the imported shirts.
The BEN SHERMAN ORIGINALS label was created, and by 1965, the company had opened a small office on the upper floors of a shabby office-block in a London backstreet called Carnaby Street. This became the showroom for their shirt and other Clothing collections.
With yet another wife, Sugarman's fourth marriage, the 'Sherman's' built a Clothing empire and in 1967 BEN SHERMAN opened their first stand-alone shop on Duke Street in Brighton.
By the late Sixties and into the Seventies, BEN SHERMAN was adopted by the Skinhead, Mod Revival and Punk sub cultures, where the BEN SHERMAN Shirt became an essential garment, and THE Shirt to be seen in.
In 2009 the Ben Sherman Tailoring range of Suits and formal Shirts was launched; featuring styles from your one button smart work suit, right up to your all singing, all dancing, sharp as a knife Mod Suit. Check out the latest Ben Sherman Tailoring range here.
The BEN SHERMAN shirt remains the essential Mod Shirt, and well, you can't really consider yourself a Mod until you have a BEN SHERMAN Shirt on your back!
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Ben Sherman Shirt Fits
BEN SHERMAN MOD FIT
BEN SHERMANS 'Regular' fit and the most common fit in the Ben Sherman range. This is a little wider in body fit than Soho Slim Fit (see below) but still has a clean and slim silhouette. The waist is not as shaped, making it an easy shape to wear. On the back the Mod fit will usually be plain, feature a sewn-down box pleat at centre back or a pressed open box pleat at centre back underneath the yoke.
BEN SHERMAN UNION FIT
BEN SHERMAN'S bigger, 'Easy' Fit, designed for comfort. The body and sleeves are little wider offering a more relaxed fit. The Union is never plain on the back; it will carry either two-side knife pleats sitting under the yoke or a pressed open box pleat at the centre back under the yoke.
BEN SHERMAN SOHO FIT
BEN SHERMAN'S Super Slim fit, designed with the trend conscious fashonista in mind. The waist on the Soho is shaped so it outlines the natural waist of our customer. The Soho fit always carries two darts on the lower back of the garment helping to keep the back of the garment clean against the body. Depending on design, some Soho styles will carry a sewn down box pleat at the centre back. The sleeve is slim and shaped at underarm to keep the slim silhouette throughout the garment.
Archive Print Paisley Shirts - Reissued Archive Prints for Ben Sherman's 50th Anniversary. In stock now.