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.”
“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 | |||
...champion was good
enough for me.”
...champion
was good enough
for me.”
“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.
A part of British subcultural uniform since the 1950s,
adopted by each generation as their own.
The uniform of
the non-uniform.
Adopted, never forced.
Adopted,
never forced.
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
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 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.