Week 8 Lecture: Pip Jenkins, Creative Director, John Smedley

John Smedley is a British Heritage brand that has been in business since 1784, and is now managed by the 8th generation of the Smedley family. Historically, four generations of men named John Smedley owned Lea Mills, near Matlock, Derbyshire. The most famous of these was John Smedley (1803–1874), who is considered the namesake of the brand. Long Johns were a creation of ‘Long John Smedley’ which is essentially ankle-length underwear generally for men.

As one of the oldest British apparel brands they are well placed to be able to see the evolution of the figure and proportions of the body. When asked, they affirmed that sizes have gradually risen over the decades but these changes have been very slow and incremental.

Their men’s sizes are S, M, L, XL

 however their women’s are only S, M, L

And in some cases there are only 2 sizes available

Why would a brand choose to offer such a restricted size range? When questioned, they claimed their main market is in Japan. However, as a British heritage brand that has operated its mill in the same location in the English countryside for an extended period, this explanation seems insufficient. It's difficult to believe that the British market isn't a significant focus for them, especially given their possession of two Royal Warrants. It seems more plausible that their decision aligns with the practices of luxury fashion houses like Prada and Gucci, which wouldn’t entertain the idea of producing plus-size clothing. This choice may reflect broader industry trends or beliefs about brand image and market positioning rather than geographical market.

Which leads me on to my next article; body size discrimination is the last socially acceptable form of prejudice.