They are a brand as distinguished in reputation as they are in history. As their lavish marketing will tell you, their wool may come from New Zealand Merino (always a good news) and their cotton may come from North America, but their manufacturing takes place right here in England’s Green and Pleasant Land.
In Derbyshire to be precise. Since 1784. A time that is the very cutting edge of Britain’s industrial revolution and the birthplace of the modern world.
But don’t let that lull you into thinking these guys are crusty. John Smedley keeps ahead of the pack even now, debuting at London fashion week in June 2017.
For a fashion nerd such as myself, I find it fascinating that they knit the cuffs and collars separately and ceremoniously add them on at a later date. As if bringing back together the separate sections of a beautiful piece of engineering before revealing the final, working aircraft.
Be warned however, that your English heritage quality doesn’t come cheap. You can expect to pay over a hundred for your finest Finchley.