I remember my early childhood days that my Dad had instilled in me to dress and look sharp. I remember him taking me to his local barber for a haircut then to his exclusive tailor in Escolta and he will asked his favorite tailor to do me a bespoke trousers and button down shirts to accompany my Luciano custom made shoes.
At first i thought that it was an ordinary routine for me and my dad to do this kind of thing. But as time progress I've noticed that he has an affinity for good clothes and he wanted me to do the same which is to look good. I used to see him wearing tailor made trousers a dozen pair of Levis jeans bunch of different Adidas rubber shoes and some Italian leather shoes but what caught my eye was his plimsolls and his shirt with a big embroidered laurel leaves. And i can't help to ask my dad what it was and he told me that the laurel leaves on the shoe and shirt was a symbol of achievement and he told me that the brand was Fred Perry Back then looking dapper was not on my list of priorities little did i knew then that later on in my 39 years of existence that the father and son bond and his shirt will have a profound impact in my life And now i am teaching my kids how to dress properly and even bought my youngest one a white with pink twin tipped shirt last christmas.
The famous shirt came into fruition when Tibby Wegner an Austrian footballer approached Fred Perry to design a shirt with form and function which is durable, looked great and very comfortable. They introduced the M12 polo shirt, known as the first shirt to carry a collar tipping to the sporting world. Its popularity with football fans saw West Ham fans request their own custom colorway in maroon and blue.
Unwittingly, the company had also produced the perfect accompaniment to the fledgling Mod movement, whose members were quick to pick up on the shirt’s suitability for their nocturnal activities. It was bloody stylish and could be worn under a suit, cardigan or jumper and durable enough to wear all-night and still look good when the sun came up the next morning. From there, Fred Perry made its way into subcultures such as Northern Soul in ’63 and Punk in 1976.
The shirt instantly changed from sportswear to street wear it became one of the most iconic brands to be embraced by mods to skinheads, punks to soul boys, indie kids and almost everyone in between. It started one of the longest relationships between British youth culture, steadily spreading out across Europe and the rest of the world.
And now to celebrate the unique street and music relationship. The most beloved brand in the world is launching a campaign called TELL US YOUR STORY showcasing the brand’s heritage and link with various music subcultures these past 50 years. if you have photos or videos of any images that illustrate the brand’s unique relationship with music and street culture. then submit a video of yourself wearing the iconic shirt add a short story about your own memories of a true fashion classic. Log on to www.fredperrytellusyourstory.com. for more details.
FIVE THINGS ABOUT FRED:
1. Before Perry's first semi-final appearance at Wimbledon in 1931, he was hounded by a practical joker who stole his clothes, organised phantom photoshoots and even started buying a house in Perry's name. He never found out who the culprit was.
2.Perry had a screen test for the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie Top Hat. That was as close as he got to a Hollywood career.
3. Perry never voted in an election, despite his father being a highly regarded MP. He blamed his mother's death on the pressure of electioneering and vowed never to cast a vote.
4. Perry was married four times in 17 years - to an actress, a model, an alcoholic socialite, and the daughter of a Surrey stockbroker - although he kept the first three quiet in later life. He also dated Marlene Dietrich, above, teaching her tennis "with rapid kissing between flying balls".
5. The Fred Perry logo was nearly a pipe rather than a laurel wreath. The inveterate smoker's business partner talked him out of it on the grounds that "the girls" wouldn't like it.
