Fred Perry

Fred Perry the man

It’s not often we Brits have a sportsman to shout about but Fred was a working class hero from a socialist background in the North of England who, despite the prejudices of the All England Club became the best tennis player the UK has ever seen winning four grand slams. Fred faced the disapproval of the establishment not only because of his origins but because he always dressed impeccably on court and was not afraid of ‘gamesmanship’ in fact he’d do anything to win. Fred played as an amateur until 1936 when he became an American citizen and coached the likes of the Marx Brothers, Chaplin, Flynn and Niven. A damaged elbow brought the end to his playing career when he became a commentator for the BBC.

Fred Perry the brand

In 1941 Tibby Wenger asked Perry to endorse one of his products and after some deliberation Perry decided to become a partner in the brand. The first iconic sports polo shirt with its slim line shape came into being in 1952 when in a cute marketing move Fred handed his shirts out to Wimbledon players …it was the first time Wimbledon was televised and his product placement ensured that the brand would be a huge success.

Fred Perry the logo

The laurel wreath originated from the Lawn Tennis Association and was the logo which appeared on Davis Cup clothing back in the 1930s. Fred approached the LTA who agreed he could use the insignia and it is now one of the best known logos worldwide.

Who wears Fred Perry
Fred’s astute marketing came to the fore when he began to initial shirts (two letters only) for celebrities which dissuaded them from selling them. There were only three exceptions to this rule, Perry himself, John F Kennedy and Billy Jean King.

This classic garment has been adopted by music genres since its inception; Mods, Skinheads, Suedeheads, Soul Boys, Rude Boys, Punk, New Wave, Britpop, Electronic Rave, Indie revival. The natural progression for the brand was to become involved in new music initiatives which it did with Subculture. The iconic shirt has been cherished by the likes of
Paul Weller, Rankin, Norman Cook, Badly Drawn Boy and the sadly missed John Peel. You can now buy into this brand at Aspecto.

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