About SUNSPEL

SUNSPEL is a venerable British luxury brand founded in 1860 by textile innovator Thomas Arthur Hill in Nottingham, originally operating under the name Thomas A. Hill Ltd. From its early days, the company specialized in high-quality undergarments made from rare materials like Sea Island cotton, and by the early 1900s became one of the world’s first producers of luxury T-shirts.

In 1947, SUNSPEL popularized the boxer shorts in the UK after John Hill, the founder’s great-grandson, redesigned the American style for comfort and quality. The brand gained iconic status when Nick Kamen stripped down to SUNSPEL boxers in a 1985 Levi’s ad, propelling their underwear into mainstream culture.

During its modern revival, SUNSPEL partnered with costume designer Lindy Hemming to dress Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), outfitting him in the now-famous Riviera Polo Shirt and T-shirts that blended British elegance with cinematic minimalism. By 2005, the brand had been acquired by Nicholas Brooke and Dominic Hazlehurst, who revitalized its heritage ethos and fine craftsmanship, while continuing to produce all garments—including their signature T-shirts—at their Long Eaton factory in Derbyshire.