Ben Sherman Rebels and Roots
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 had become one of the leading casual men’s clothing lines by the 1970’s, and most of this came from the subcultures and the rock-n-roll scene that was sweeping England and the United Kingdom. The punk scene of the UK gravitated to the Ben Sherman line because of the fact that it was associated with rebellion and that was what the youth in the punk movement were all about. It was also in the 1970’s that Ben Sherman expanded to include boy’s casual wear along side the Ben Sherman men’s casual wear. But for the Ben Sherman line the adventure in the world of fashion was just beginning.
When punk died and Ska took over in the 1980’s Ben Sherman became the clothing of the new rebels and the new bands of the time. Ben Sherman continued to evolve and integrated the looks of the 80’s with the Mod fashions that started it all. The one thing that set the Ben Sherman Company apart was that they never lost sight of the roots that had started it all, and continued to offer the classic Ben Sherman button down shirt.
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.
While Ben Sherman has incorporated a woman’s line, fragrances, sunglasses, and much more, the Ben Sherman Company has stayed true to what made them a household name. The Ben Sherman Company loves the rebel and loves the music. Ben Sherman will continue to grow and evolve, but will always remain loyal to the classic Ben Sherman button down shirt.