UK manufacturing
Made by Britain
Made by Britain is a project run by the Associated Parliamentary Manufacturing Group intending to prove that great products are still made in Britain. 650 MP’s have been asked to find a product that is manufactured in their constituency today in order to draw up a comprehensive picture of a contemporary British manufacturing industry.…
Read MoreBarbour jackets in a post all of their own
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about British outerwear brands and a reader quite rightly pointed out that I had missed off Barbour. So, because of that, and also because it is raining AGAIN, I am going to write about Barbour and their waterproof jackets today… Started as a drapers shop at…
Read MoreAn interview with Faith Tilleray of Damselfly
I recently had a chance to have a chat with Faith Tilleray, who makes beautiful girlswear under the label Damselfly. Here is her story: Hi Faith, can you tell me a bit more about yourself and why you set up your company? Damselfly is a mother and daughter team (my daughter just completed a fashion…
Read MoreThe British clothing market: 10 shocking statistics
I have been reading Lucy Siegle’s book ‘To Die For’ recently, and it contains some shocking statistics that define how much we have become accustomed to buying cheap, mass-produced clothing and accessories in the UK. Britain has become a nation of shoppers buying worthless ‘fast fashion’ without a thought to where it was produced or…
Read MoreMade in Britain: British-ness in the news this week
Mulberry sees profits soar, as it announces a 69% increase in sales. The company, known for it’s British made handbags, is expanding production capacity at its Somerset factory, creating 50 new manufacturing jobs and adding 30% to UK production capacity. Anya Hindmarch, the British handbag designer, talks about her business, including the choice of factories…
Read More5 British outerwear brands all still made in the UK
The British weather – we are all obsessed about it, so no wonder we have always been so good at making rainwear. In fact, there are still a lot of manufacturers making great British outerwear. Here are five of those brands that excel in making great coats to keep you dry in a downpour Mackintosh –…
Read MoreScottish knitwear for kids from Pride & Joy
Given the thunderstorms that we are having in June (thank you British Weather), it seemed appropriate to write about Scottish knitwear for kids in this post, rather than summer frocks. And as I’ve just been introduced to Pride & Joy, who make children’s jumpers, that is what I am going to do. Hand knitted by…
Read MoreVintage inspired dresses by Suzannah
I’ve always been a lover of a vintage frock, but finding them in good condition at a reasonable price is getting more and more difficult these days. And then I discovered Suzannah. The Suzannah brand, designed by Suzannah Crabb, specialises in modern dresses made in the finest quality fabrics that have the look of vintage…
Read MoreBritish socks: One of life’s little luxuries
Why, on one of the hottest days of the year so far do I find myself wanting to write about socks? Snuggly, patterned, knee-high, knitted British socks? Socks have been on my mind a lot recently. Firstly because my under floor heating is off at this time of year, and there is nothing better than…
Read MoreEnglish shoes: Ten brands that are still made in Britain
English Shoes? Yes, there are some that are still made in Britain When I read that the British shoe company Clarks were thinking of bringing their manufacturing back to Britain, having made their last pair of shoes in the UK in 2005, it made me wonder which footwear you could buy these days that was still…
Read MoreBurberry – not as truly British as it once was?
There was a great post recently by Liz Jones at the Daily Mail about how Burberry is ‘trumpeting it’s British-ness’ with it’s drive to open super-flagship stores in prime London locations. These new stores will presumably act as a mecca for tourists from Asia, keen to snap up some British goods at local prices. Liz’s…
Read MoreCeltic Sheepskin Co – the British-made Ugg
The more I search around for stories of brands that are still manufacturing in the UK, the more I uncover tales of companies seeking to keep skills alive. The Celtic Sheepskin Co is one such company. Their story goes something like this: back in the days before the name UGG became synonymous with Australia, the…
Read MoreSome more interesting UK manufacturing statistics
Further to my post a while back with some interesting UK manufacturing statistics , I now have some more great findings* kindly given to me by Stoves, who still manufacture cookers in the UK from their Merseyside headquarters. Their survey found: Half of UK consumers think British brands should bring manufacturing back to the UK…
Read MorePrescott and Mackay: How to make a handbag
Whilst doing some detective work and ringing any contacts I could to find people with handbag manufacturing skills in the UK, I came across this website for Prescott & Mackay. These guys offer a unique range of short courses to suit all abilities, in Bag making, as well as Shoemaking, Belt making, Corsetry, Millinery and…
Read MoreBags Made in Britain: St Leonards
Whilst looking for factories manufacturing leather goods in the UK I have come across some fantastic brands. One of these great companies, who are keen to support UK manufacturing, is St Leonards. Based in, you guessed it, St Leonards, this design company produce traditional-looking, yet stylish, leather bags for both men and women. All of…
Read MoreMade In England: New Balance Trainers
In an effort to practice what I preach I am trying to only buy products Made in the UK, so when it com to trainers it has to be New Balance. Here is a great video showing the New Balance footwear factory in Flimby, Cumbria. It’s great to see the craftsmanship that goes into making…
Read MoreSearching for a handbag factory in England: Part One
As I mentioned in one of my first posts, we are trying to find a handbag factory in the UK that we can work with to develop our new British handbag brand. A few phone calls to some of the bag factories listed in the UKFT directory yielded several that were based in London. As…
Read MoreAn inspirational British brand: Old Town
Last Sunday I was invited to a unique shopping event in one of the gorgeous Huguenot houses in Spitalfields, held by Old Town, a fantastic British clothing company. Old Town are a clothing manufacturer, based in the beautiful Norfolk town of Holt, who make traditional British workwear. The sort of hardwearing, well constructed clothes that…
Read MoreSome interesting statistics on UK manufacturing
An article in this weeks Sunday Times, entitled ‘Made in Britain is so much sweeter’, has some interesting statistics on UK manufacturing. Apparently manufacturing accounts for only 11% of gross domestic product today, compared to 22% 20 years ago. There are also less than 2,000 factories in the UK that employ more than 200 people…
Read MoreFinding a handbag factory in the UK – the search begins!
Where to start to find handbag factories in the UK? A cursory glance reveals around a dozen potential manufacturers of bags in Britain, but my previous experience tells me that not all factories are made equal. The type of bag factory that we are looking for will need to fill the following criteria:- 1. Small…
Read MoreIs anything still Made in Britain?
…and what will happen when it no longer becomes cost effective to source from the Far East? These are a couple of the questions that I have been asking myself over the last few years. Having worked in fashion design and buying for the past two decades I have seen a seismic shift in the…
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