The Idea
Ben started making shirts for other people. But soon his creative flair took over and he started designing his own shirts. Then in 1963 he was ready to launch the first Ben Sherman shirt.
The Shirt
Its basic design was influenced by the classic American Ivy League shirt, but Ben’s design vision added the back hook, the button on the back of the collar—but most importantly, his feel and passion for fabric, pattern and color created a unique garment.
Color was something that particularly intrigued Ben, so he used Oxford fabric in pale shades—pale pink, yellow, and blue. He used candy stripes, again, using pale pinks, greens, and blues. People’s initial reaction to all this color was not positive, but Ben Sherman pushed ahead as he wholeheartedly believed in his ideas.
He wanted the best quality fabrics, so the special fabrics used were all from America. He also decided to box each shirt individually, which was, in those days, against the grain.