Friday Favourites - Men's t-shirts and underwear special: Robert Owen, Hamilton Hare, The White T-Shirt Co.

Robert Owen

Made from bamboo fabric (rayon) mixed with elastane (Spandex), Robert Owen's undershirts are made in London, England. The fabric has a soft, silky feel and comes in four colours and five sizes. I find them very useful as the weather turns colder and, unlike many thermal undershirts, they stay  reasonably odour-free in warmer weather. Prices from £22.

For more information, see Robert Owen's website.

Hamilton and Hare

Hamilton & Hare's men's boxer shorts are now made in the UK. The Frank collection takes inspiration from the original boxing short. Made from 100% two-ply cotton, they're priced at £35, the shorts can be personalised, as mine were.

A donation of 10% of proceeds from profits from the collection is given to Carneys Community, a London charity that gets disadvantaged and excluded young people away from crime through community boxing projects. 

For more information see Hamilton & Hare

The White T-Shirt Co

Makes just that; organically-made cotton t-shirts in white. A wardrobe staple, these shirts are simple and ethical in concept and design. Price £35 for men and women. Customers can trace the complete supply chain and see the workmanship that goes into each t-shirt on their website (see below).

See the website for more information or to buy.

Hamilton and Hare - Grey Fox upgrades his underwear

A year of after embarking on my search for style in middle age, I realised that there is one aspect of my wardrobe that has been totally ignored; my underwear. This, of course, is inexcusable, but perhaps understandable as, like most men, I have had decades of solid, if unexciting, support from my M&S shorts.

I am now the proud owner of a luxury pair of boxers from Hamilton and Hare (thoughtfully provided in grey) and my eyes have been opened to the possibilities of exciting and high quality underwear for men. Maybe it's not just ladies who can have fun in that department.

Image Hamilton and Hare

It was partly this gender inequality that prompted the founding of Hamilton and Hare by Olivia Francis, who was running several global brands at M&C Saatchi when she spotted the opportunity that this presented. While women's smalls receive a huge amount of attention (men would say justifiably so), men's underwear is largely ignored. Olivia has set out to do something about this.

One of the most pleasurable parts of writing this blog has been hearing from new British businesses designing and marketing high quality products, using home-grown skills and materials. Designed using the skills of Savile Row, Hamilton and Hare's boxers have been carefully made for comfort and durability. I agree with them that there is scope to get men (and women) more interested in male underwear - it is through quality and design that this will be achieved  Why spend time trying to look more stylish on the surface, when underlying it is a shabby pair of boxer shorts? (I have to own up to this myself - but no more, thanks to Hamilton and Hare.)

For more information on this exciting new brand; prices, colours and designs, see here.

Image Grey Fox