John Smedley
Established 1784Founded in 1784 by John Smedley, John Smedley is the oldest manufacturing factory in the world and maker of the most iconic hand crafted knitwear. In the early years, long before the industrial revolution, John Smedley started producing simple muslin fabric and spinning cotton. In 1825 more complex garments followed, using one of the first ever fully fashioned knitting machines. In 1914 John Smedley began exporting and established himself as one of Britain’s most famous clothing brands. Within the 1950’s and 60’s John Smedley became the brand of choice for Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and the Beatles amongst many others.
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