10 brands that prove English craftsmanship is still going strong

Made in England is a badge of honour that just a few select companies can still wear with pride. Mass migration of manufacturing to developing countries over the last few decades, has meant crafting products on our fair shores has become a rare feat and a cause worth championing. These are the elite names that still cut, sew, roll and most importantly craft on British soil:

Crockett & Jones

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Established back in 1879, the Cordwainer is specialist in Goodyear-welted shoes and is still to this day run by the same family. Nothing can beat a true Northampton-made shoe, as Crockett & Jones prove time and time again.

Floris

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The Jermyn Street perfumer counts royalty, Mr Bond and the original dandy, Beau Brummel as just a few names on an esteemed list of customers. With nearly 300 years in the business of smelling good, the same perfumery, set up behind the shop in 1730, is still in use, whilst production has been moved to the family-owned premises in Devon.

E. Tautz

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The Patrick Grant owned and led house was relaunched in 2009 and has gone from strength to strength since; it had dropped after the radar, treading water for years, after originally being founded back in 1867 and once counting Winston Churchill as a fan. The label is now flourishing and a stoic flag waver for ‘Made in England’. Grant even went as far to buy the factory in Blackburn which crafted his label’s products earlier this year.

Private White V.C.

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Named for WWI hero, Private Jack White, the Manchester made products give a distinct and discerning nod to its namesake’s militaristic and automotive exploits. Crafted using the finest regionally sourced fabrics and materials, Private White’s aesthetic is as high ranking as its undoubted quality.

Drake’s

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Established by its eponymous founder, Michael Drake in 1977, Drake’s brings a touch of class and quality to a very saturated men’s silk accessories market. Starting with scarves and moving on to the handmade ties and pocket squares it’s now known for, all crafted by artisans in London and Somerset-based factories.

John Smedley

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A prestige name in knitwear since 1784, Smedley knitwear has been spun in Derbyshire for over 200 years, and sources only the very best materials, such as the merino from New Zealand and the spring water local to the factory. Still owned by a member of the family, the brand is a quiet reminder that British is very often the best.

Church’s

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The Church family have been Northampton Cordwainers since at least 1675, although the eponymous company wasn’t founded until 1873. A family operation for over a century before being acquired by the Prada Group in 1999, artisan craftsmanship and ‘Made in England’ remain key to the brand ethos however.

Pantherella

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A detail so often forgotten, yet socks are often very literal anchor to many a look – despite current warm weather trends to the contrary. Pantherella has made high-quality men’s socks in England since 1937 and today manufactures in a family-owned factory in Leicester – with hand-linked toe seams a signature of the brand’s distinguished but humble product.

Globe-Trotter

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A company of real gentlemanly proportions, Globe-Trotter was founded in Saxony Germany in 1897 but moved to the U.K. in 1932, where it has remained since. A purveyor of timeless luggage options, the Globe-Trotter suitcase is an icon of style, as well as the preferred carry-on by many a man worthy of the title themselves. Best of all, they’re handmade in Hertfordshire using the original manufacturing methods, where it takes over 10 days to craft each piece.

Barbour

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An eminent name to close out a list of esteemed company, with a history tracing back to 1894 in South Shields. Today the 5th generation family-owned business remains in the North East and still manufacturers those quintessential wax jackets by hand in the same factory in Simonside.

For fifty of the best British brands, see here.

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