James Bond Wore This Brand

How Sunspel Made Briefs Luxurious and Stayed Timeless for 160 Years 

What makes a product ✨luxurious?✨Is it the price tag? The name stitched on the label? The influencer using it???

Or is it something deeper like something you can feel but can’t always see?

Sunspel is a brand that answers this question not with Marketing gimmicks, but with fabric, fit and an obsession over how a garment should feel against your skin.

Their story is one of quiet mastery.

Founded OVER 160 YEARS AGO, Sunspel has spent more than a century and a half perfecting the art of understated luxury.

They don’t chase trends or slap logos on their garments.

Instead, they craft pieces so well-made that people return to them for decades.

And that’s something we can all learn from.

This is… the story of Sunspel.

It’s 1860, and Thomas Arthur Hill is about to build something pretty remarkable.

Born in 1822 as the 11th of 12 kids, Hill grew up surrounded by the hosiery business before eventually making his way to Nottingham, which was the global hub for lace and hosiery at the time.

As the Industrial Revolution was changing the city, Hill became the managing partner at I. & R. Morley, one of the top hosiery manufacturers around. 

It’s there that he really got a feel for the business, gaining firsthand experience in what would become his lifelong passion.

But he wanted to do MORE.

Spotting an opportunity to strike out on his own and create top-notch underwear for the British Empire, Thomas founded Thomas A. Hill Ltd. in 1860.

What set them apart from the rest was that they didn’t just churn out the cheapest undies government money could buy. Instead, they took immense pride in both the products they made and the process behind them.

They were the first hosiery firm to use steam-powered production AND they innovated with fabric.

Aside from using cashmere, merino wool, and silk, one of their MAJOR breakthroughs was using a 100% cotton cellular fabric, which was pretty unique at the time.

On top of that, the company sourced cotton from the Caribbean, which was lightweight, breathable, and had a soft, almost spongy texture.

Perfect for staying comfortable while sailing the high seas.Hill’s underwear was a GAME CHANGER. 

But they weren’t done yet.

The turn of the century brought new styles and with them a brand new type of garment.

It had only recently hit the market, but Hill saw an opportunity to refine it, to make it better.

I’m talking about the T-shirt.

Using cotton sourced from the Caribbean, the company became the first to elevate the humble undershirt into a TRUE luxury item.

PUT IT IN PRACTICE Elevate your most overlooked product. Sunspel didn’t invent something new. They took what already existed and made it iconic. Today, pick one product or service in your lineup that’s been quietly performing. Not your flashiest. Not your newest. Just the one that’s consistently solid. Now brainstorm:     •    How would you tell its story if it were launching today?     •    What kind of creative would stop the scroll?     •    Who could wear it, use it, or represent it to give it a fresh glow?Then draft one post, ad, or email that reframes it as a quiet hero. No gimmicks. Just a spotlight on what makes it great. Because sometimes your strongest brand play is already sitting on the shelf.

Thomas would pass in 1909 leaving the company to his son, who would change the brand’s name to Sunspel, a reference to the ‘sunny spells’ of the islands where the cotton was sourced. 

But that was then, and this is now. 

And more than a century later, Sunspel hasn’t just survived.
IT’S THRIVED.

After more than a century of building a legacy, Sunspel was ready for a new chapter.

Enter Nick Brooke, a former Amex employee with big ideas (if there’s someone that knows luxury, it’s someone who works at Amex).

In 2005, Nick bought the business from the Hill family and brought a fresh perspective to an already prestigious brand.

With Nick at the helm, Sunspel started to embrace new opportunities while staying true to its roots. His vision? To make timeless luxury even more accessible without compromising the brand’s reputation for quality.

And what better way to do that then partner with international man of mystery  and arbiter of all things COOL??

I’m talking about  Austin Powers James Bond. 

In 2006, Daniel Craig graced movie screens in a brand-new Bond film, Casino Royale.

And with him, he brought a whole new era of style for the iconic spy. The sleek suits, the rugged sophistication and, of course, the Sunspel polo.

Yes, James Bond himself was now wearing Sunspel.

The collaboration was a masterstroke.

Bond, as a symbol, is the epitome of class and mystery. What better than for him to wear a a brand built on understated luxury? 

That polo, worn by Daniel Craig in the film’s opening scenes, became an instant icon. Bond’s influence made Sunspel’s luxury essentials feel even more essential to a new generation of consumers.

But it wasn’t just the Casino Royale connection. Sunspel, always focused on quality and longevity, found a way to marry that heritage with the modern age. Their clothes weren’t just worn in movies, they were embraced by style-conscious men who understood that luxury is about subtlety, not flash.

So, what’s the secret to staying relevant for over 160 years?

It’s simple: stay true to what makes you special, evolve when the time is right, and never underestimate the power of a well-timed partnership.

MARKETING CHEAT SHEET (WHAT TO LEARN FROM THIS GUIDE):

1️⃣. Turn basic into brand magic:

That T-shirt? That pair of briefs? That thing you think is too boring to market?

Sunspel made the most ordinary product the most luxurious.

A challenge for you:

Audit your current offering. What are you calling a commodity that could become a status symbol with the right positioning, materials, or narrative?

Because nothing is basic with the right storytelling.

2️⃣. Stick to your DNA, but remix the format:

Sunspel didn’t go viral by chasing every trend.

They stayed obsessed with quality and then rode smart waves like 007 coolness.

Your turn: Document what your brand actually stands for.

Then find modern moments like collabs, placements, or new formats to express it in a way your audience will feel.

Timeless doesn’t mean outdated. It means consistent.

3️⃣. Build quiet confidence into your brand:

Sunspel doesn’t scream. It whispers and still turns heads.

They didn’t slap logos everywhere or rely on gimmicks. They let quality do the talking.

Take this step: Audit your brand voice. Are you over-explaining or over-selling?

Sometimes, subtlety builds more trust than shouting from the rooftops.

In a world full of hype, quiet confidence feels like luxury.

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