London Origins of Gloverall

London has long been the birthplace of countless fashion and lifestyle brands, the city streets have been home to more designers and craftsmen than many other cities combined.

Many fashion brands, even if they are not currently based in London, have a past that is in someway intertwined with London’s illustrious history.

Gloverall’s heritage dates back to the early 1950’s, when it was first finding its feet in Cricklewood, North West London. Since the beginning, the brand has placed a premium on sourcing the finest fabrics and producing products in the UK.

After initially suffering hard beginnings as a result of the postwar lack of labour and materials, Gloverall eventually started to see their stocks rise with an increased amount of sales to civilian customers.

As a result, factories were found in the Hackney and Tottenham areas of London, to keep operational processes and quality control as tight as possible.

In late 1955 Dufflewear Ltd, the production company behind the brand, opened a factory in the City of London in an old pre-Victorian building on Carter Lane and production began in earnest.

Such was the growth of the business, that by 1960, Gloverall found itself in need of further expansion to cope with the increasing demands being placed on the business.

In a twist of fate, a Government policy forbade the brand from opening a new factory in London, and Gloverall found itself in need of a relocation, finally settling on Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

This wasn’t, however, the last that London and Gloverall were to see of each other. At the turn of the 1990’s Wellingborough had lost a large part of its manufacturing workforce, so Gloverall had to return to London to find workers and workshops to continue manufacturing. Elthorne Gate in Pinner was chosen as the new location.

Many of Gloverall’s skilled craftsmen learnt their trade in London and the city has been pivotal to the brand being able to keep its manufacturing processes within the UK and not lose any of its identity or prestige.

In many ways, Gloverall’s story is similar to plenty of other British brands who have been involved with London at some point in their history.

Whether through sourcing people and materials, or serving as inspiration, London has been key to the success of brands and boutiques alike.

Despite there not being a Gloverall store in London, the products are sold in numerous retail outlets, many of which have had their own part to play in shaping the landscape of this fashion capital.

London has always served as a hub for creativity and much of 1950’s London is still evident in the industrial influences behind the design of the iconic Gloverall duffle coat.

The formula for Gloverall’s enduring success has been relatively simple: sticking to classic designs with a superior quality and construction and avoiding from excessive experimentation that would stray too far from the identity of the brand.

Heritage and craftsmanship have always been integral to the Gloverall brand, aiming to create good quality clothes that aren’t subject to the whims of fashion and have remained outerwear staples for the past 70 years or so.

This is reflected by many of the collaborations that Gloverall has been involved with over the years, having worked with brands such as Pretty Green, Fred Perry, Bastong and YMC.

After nearly 70 years, the brand is still going strong by sticking to its principles and delivering quality goods with a reliable service. The classic duffle is still a bestseller, but there are also a number of more fashion-forward designs that bring a youthful energy to the brand.