Shopping bag
OUR ROOTS
As the last remaining clothing factory from the world’s first industrial city we have a remarkable story to tell.
Manchester or ‘Cottonopolis’ - as it was dubbed back in the 19th century - has been our home since we opened our doors in 1853. Over the years we have made for kings, and queens, for presidents, and prime ministers, for rock stars, musicians, sporting greats and Hollywood icons. In 1916, we supplied the Allied Forces with cotton gabardine trench coats, and in the 1940s we were commissioned by the Ministry of Defence to supply the RAF with waterproof parkas. In more recent times we have been outfitters to the most established tailoring houses on Savile Row and have manufactured for pretty much every British luxury outerwear brand you can think of.
Of course there have been bleak periods, but we have weathered those storms thanks to a wealth of skill, determination and the hard work for which the city of Manchester is renowned. We still do everything from the same red-bricked building on the banks of the River Irwell, a few minutes stroll from where the Commonwealth’s Cotton Exchange used to stand. For us not much has changed. Nothing is outsourced, everything is handmade, checked and controlled by us.
We make clothes in Manchester. We make clothes for Manchester and for the world. And we will build on that proud heritage for the next 100 years.
ONE FACTORY IN MANCHESTER
=
3m+
Garments made over the past century
40
Hours of wages a week, every week for every worker
18
People with over 20 years’ experience
17
Nationalities
11
Languages
1
British Bulldog
ONE FACTORY IN MANCHESTER
=
3m+
Garments made over the past century
40
Hours of wages a week, every week for every worker
18
People with over 20 years’ experience
17
Nationalities
11
Languages
1
British Bulldog
OUR WORKFORCE
We have everything we need under one roof and take total ownership of the entire manufacturing process. Without our highly skilled workforce however, this wouldn’t be possible. Our customers often tell us they can always trust in the quality of whatever they buy from us, and that’s all thanks to the knowledge and expertise of our team. The technicians in our factory have honed their craft over many years (decades even) and we make sure their wages reflect their passion, their professionalism, as well as their dedication to producing garments of the highest calibre.
derek
Fabric Cutter
23 years of loyal service
OUR WORKFORCE
We have everything we need under one roof and take total ownership of the entire manufacturing process. Without our highly skilled workforce however, this wouldn’t be possible. Our customers often tell us they can always trust in the quality of whatever they buy from us, and that’s all thanks to the knowledge and expertise of our team. The technicians in our factory have honed their craft over many years (decades even) and we make sure their wages reflect their passion, their professionalism, as well as their dedication to producing garments of the highest calibre.
derek
Fabric Cutter
23 years of loyal service
LIFETIME REPAIR SERVICE
Unusually, for a clothing company, we don’t want you to keep buying from us. Or at least, we hope you don’t feel the need to. Why? Well it’s because we make our garments to last a lifetime, and if they don’t, we’re here to fix it, or refurbish it.
LIFETIME REPAIR SERVICE
Unusually, for a clothing company, we don’t want you to keep buying from us. Or at least, we hope you don’t feel the need to. Why? Well it’s because we make our garments to last a lifetime, and if they don’t, we’re here to fix it, or refurbish it.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
THE STORY OF PRIVATE JACK WHITE V.C.
The founder of our Manchester factory was born in Leeds in 1896. At the tender age of 18, he joined the Royal Lancaster Regiment and became Private Jack White. On 7 March 1917 his unit were detailed with crossing the Dialah River in Mesopotamia during battle. The two pontoons ahead came under heavy fire and when Private White reached the mid-stream point, he realised he was the only soldier who wasn’t fatally injured or already dead. Summoning tremendous courage, he jumped overboard with a copper telephone wire tied around his waist and dragged the pontoon safely back to shore whilst under attack from persistent enemy gunfire. Commended as a WWI hero, Private White’s bravery saved the life of his commanding officer and preserved the valuable equipment aboard the pontoon.
After his service in the military, he returned to Manchester and began work a trainee pattern cutter at the local garment factory. On completion of his apprenticeship, he rose through the ranks to become General Manager, and then factory owner. In the years that followed, his influence led the company to specialise in the manufacture of garments made from fine woollen cloths made in the neighbouring region of Yorkshire – as opposed to specialising in cotton raincoats and mackintoshes that were more commonly made in Lancashire at that time
Following WWII and with failing health, Jack was forced to retire and passed away in 1949, aged 52. Remarkably, in 1997, Private Jack White’s great grandchildren joined forces to bring the company back to family ownership. More than 60 years after his death, they are once again championing the virtues of Manchester’s garment making industry
In 2017, a commemorative stone was laid for the late Private Jack White at the Manchester Jewish Museum to mark the centenary of him being awarded the Victoria Cross for his courageous actions in WWI – the highest and most prestigious honour bestowed on British and Commonwealth forces.