The Brand

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Brandbook

The Man

Fred Perry was the son of a cotton spinner,
who went on to become world table tennis champion at 19,
before switching to lawn tennis and winning Wimbledon
three times with a killer forehand.
He honed his self-taught shots at his local public courts
in west London, going on to be a successful Davis Cup captain,
winner of 10 majors and the first player to win a Career Grand Slam
- Fred remains the only British player ever to achieve this.

Fred Perry was the son of a cotton spinner,
who went on to become world table tennis champion at 19,
before switching to lawn tennis and winning Wimbledon
three times with a killer forehand.
He honed his self-taught shots at his local public courts
in west London, going on to be a successful Davis Cup captain,
winner of 10 majors and the first player to win a Career Grand Slam - Fred remains the only British player ever to achieve this.

Yet still, his success was always unexpected, and despite his unprecedented contribution to British tennis, Fred was not accepted by tennis authorities until later in life due to contrasting sharply with the privileged background of most players associated with the sport. In 1984, a statue of Fred was unveiled at Wimbledon – a permanent tribute to the champion.

“The strokes are the same,
the angles are the same,
the spins are the same.”

“The strokes
are the same,
the angles
are the same,
the spins
are the same.”

The Man - Fred Perry
Fred Pery - Wimbledon 1935
Fred Perry Wimbledon Winners Medal 1935

“I didn't aspire to
be a good sport...

1928 World Table Tennis Champion
1929 World Table Tennis Champion
 
1933 US Open Champion
 
1934 Australian Open Champion
US Open Champion
Wimbledon Champion
 
1935 Australian Open Champion
French Open Champion
US Open Champion
Wimbledon Champion
 
1936 US Open Champion
Wimbledon Champion
Fred Perry with Trophies

...champion was good
enough for me.”

...champion
was good enough
for me.”

Fred Perry - Time Magazine Cover
Fred Perry - The best dressed player
Fred Perry close up
Fred Perry relaxing

“I was generally regarded
as the best dressed player
of my time...

“I was generally
regarded as
the best
dressed player
of my time...

 

...I'm a great believer
in trying to look the part.
It's a fetish with me.”

The Fans

What inspired Fred also inspired a generation of tennis players.
And then inspired a generation of rebels, musicians, film-makers,
and full-circle back to sports stars. But always at the heart of it,
just above the heart of the player, was the Laurel Wreath.
The shirt that you can recognise from across a room,
across a dance floor, across a football stadium.

One shirt, for ever.

One shirt,
for ever.

Fred Perry Laurel tattoo

A part of British subcultural uniform since the 1950s,
adopted by each generation as their own.

Paul Weller wearing a Fred Perry Shirt
Pete Doherty wearing a Fred Perry Shirt
Mike Skinner wearing a Fred Perry Shirt

The uniform of
the non-uniform.

Amy Winehouse Foundation Collection
Ska Girls
Donn Letts - Musician and Film Producer
Damon Albarn - Musician

Adopted, never forced.

Adopted,
never forced.

Terry Hall - Musician

The Laurel Wreath remains a signature
of both individuality and of belonging,
from elite sportsmen to fringe subcultures.

The Laurel Wreath remains a signature
of both individuality and of belonging,
from elite sportsmen to fringe subcultures.

 

The Shirt

Fred Perry promoting one of his own brand shirts
Fred Perry original clothing tag
The World's Five Best Men's and Women's Tennis Players
Fred Perry tournament image
Fred Perry Sportswear Graphic
Fred Perry Tenniswear Mark of Excellence
Fred Perry Menswear catalogue
Fred Perry early promotional material
The original one colour Fred Perry shirt
Fred Perry Wins article
Fred Perry article - Them Perry Shirt, Too!
Chosen by Champions Fred Perry Sportswear
Fred Perry early advertising
Fred Perry original style M1211 clothing tag
All Star Tennis article

The M3

The original one colour Fred Perry shirt.It's the first chapter in the story and it's pure Fred Perry.Fred designed it and wore it himself, perfectly fusing practicality
and wearability both on and off the tennis court in 1952.
The 'Fred Perry fit' - a simple, streamlined silhouette and a focus
on lightweight functionality.
Proudly made in Leicester, England.

The original one colour Fred Perry shirt.It's the first chapter in the story and it's pure Fred Perry.Fred designed it and wore it himself, perfectly fusing practicality
and wearability both on and off the tennis court in 1952.
The 'Fred Perry fit' - a simple, streamlined silhouette and a
focus on lightweight functionality.
Proudly made in Leicester, England.

The Original Twin Tipped Fred Perry Shirt

The M12

The original twin tipped Fred Perry shirt.Legend has it, that a buyer from Lillywhites requested unique
shirt designs in football team colours. White / Ice / Maroon
and White / Ice / Navy remain to this day.
The first shirt to carry our signature twin tipping.The shirt that took Fred Perry from sportswear to streetwear.A piece of British subcultural uniform since the 1950s, adopted
by each generation as their own.
Made in England.

From sportswear
to streetwear

It's not about pulling
on a shirt, it's a rite
of passage.