In 1963, a man by the name of Alfred Benjamin Sugarman decided to make a change, and change he did. He changed his name to Ben Sherman, then took his innovative ideas for shirts and created the Ben Sherman shirt, which is commonly called the Oxford button down shirt. The Ben Sherman clothes company began in Brighton, England, but within six years had to move to North Ireland because of the incredible success of the Ben Sherman button down shirt. The Ben Sherman shirt has become an icon of the decades from the 1960's until now, evolving with the times while staying true to their roots.
The young men of England wanted to have a look far from their parents, and thus created the Mod fad of the 1960's. The Ben Sherman shirt was picked up by this trend setting group, but the Ben Sherman shirt was also associated with other subcultures including skinheads, and of course the music business. The suits with Ben Sherman shirts and torn jeans and boots with the Ben Sherman shirt started the association of Ben Sherman with rebellious youth, but it was the Beatles, the Who and the Rolling Stones that helped Ben Sherman break into the music business.
Ben Sherman expanded again in the 1970's to incorporate all forms of clothing. The Ben Sherman line began manufacturing casual men's wear and became one of the biggest manufacturers of casual men's where in the United Kingdom and the United States. It was during this decade that the punk generation grabbed hold of the Ben Sherman clothing line and remade it to be their own. The look continued into the music and through it all became a staple for young musicians and youth of the day. The expansion of Ben Sherman in the 1970's also included the creation of a boy's clothing line that was an immediate smash.
Then comes the 1980's and the differences in music still exist as does Ben Sherman on the side of the rebels. The Ska brand of music picked up where the punk scene left off and finished the branding of Ben Sherman clothes with the working man. The Ben Sherman clothing kept its roots in the Mod fashion but took it a step further to incorporate it into the style of the 80's rebellious generation.
Indie bands of the 1990's were constantly clad in Ben Sherman clothes. Bands like Oasis that made a name for themselves helped the Ben Sherman clothing line to stay entrenched in music and the rebel movement of the youth. The fashion stayed in touch with the working man and the young and Ben Sherman was the preferred clothes for many youth of the day.
Even today, Ben Sherman is evolving, and now includes women's clothing as well as fragrances, underwear, sun glasses, and other such items. However, they have never lost their roots and their association with music. The Ben Sherman rebel image lives on and will grow as they expand into more lines and more Ben Sherman clothing. The one thing they will never stop doing though is the Ben Sherman Shirt that started it all. - 15432
The young men of England wanted to have a look far from their parents, and thus created the Mod fad of the 1960's. The Ben Sherman shirt was picked up by this trend setting group, but the Ben Sherman shirt was also associated with other subcultures including skinheads, and of course the music business. The suits with Ben Sherman shirts and torn jeans and boots with the Ben Sherman shirt started the association of Ben Sherman with rebellious youth, but it was the Beatles, the Who and the Rolling Stones that helped Ben Sherman break into the music business.
Ben Sherman expanded again in the 1970's to incorporate all forms of clothing. The Ben Sherman line began manufacturing casual men's wear and became one of the biggest manufacturers of casual men's where in the United Kingdom and the United States. It was during this decade that the punk generation grabbed hold of the Ben Sherman clothing line and remade it to be their own. The look continued into the music and through it all became a staple for young musicians and youth of the day. The expansion of Ben Sherman in the 1970's also included the creation of a boy's clothing line that was an immediate smash.
Then comes the 1980's and the differences in music still exist as does Ben Sherman on the side of the rebels. The Ska brand of music picked up where the punk scene left off and finished the branding of Ben Sherman clothes with the working man. The Ben Sherman clothing kept its roots in the Mod fashion but took it a step further to incorporate it into the style of the 80's rebellious generation.
Indie bands of the 1990's were constantly clad in Ben Sherman clothes. Bands like Oasis that made a name for themselves helped the Ben Sherman clothing line to stay entrenched in music and the rebel movement of the youth. The fashion stayed in touch with the working man and the young and Ben Sherman was the preferred clothes for many youth of the day.
Even today, Ben Sherman is evolving, and now includes women's clothing as well as fragrances, underwear, sun glasses, and other such items. However, they have never lost their roots and their association with music. The Ben Sherman rebel image lives on and will grow as they expand into more lines and more Ben Sherman clothing. The one thing they will never stop doing though is the Ben Sherman Shirt that started it all. - 15432
About the Author:
Ben Sherman began with a designer named Alfred Benjamin Sugarman. Ben Sherman Shirts have evolved from the traditional button down oxford into a piece of British Mod culture.
