Technical Information and Glossary

Some of our products are self explanatory, however, many have details not easily seen or appreciated.   This guide provides some extra background information.

 Go to:   Ben Green Shirts
               Peter Jones Socks
               Hippocamp Cravats
               Hilditch & Key

Ben Green Non-Iron Shirts - Red Label - 100% Swiss Cotton Yarn - Are they really non-iron?

Only the finest raw materials are used in making the Swiss yarn used in these shirts:  Extra-long staple cotton combed fibres, typically 34-38mm in length, are spun using special "compact"  technology.   The resulting 50 count single ply yarn is clean, strong and exceptionally smooth .   The fabrics woven from this yarn are soft to the touch, breathable and absorbant.  All Ben Green Red Label fabrics then go through two additional finishing processes:  A "moist cure" step to give non-iron performance, and a "FLA" finish to ensure the fabric is kind to the skin.

Using a great fabric is the base of a good shirt, but the cut and making technology is just as important : 

All the shirt seams are sewn together incorporating a licensed "Taping" process.  This process prevents the seams wrinkling during and after washing, to give the best possible non-iron finish.  Ben Green has precise specifications for cutting, to ensure the best possible fit from a ready-to-wear shirt.  They call it "Custom Fit", as it does not follow the standard grading rules.  In our experience, it really does give a great fitting shirt - not slim fit, and not baggy - but comfortable to wear all day.  Please see the sizing guide for precise measurements.

We believe you'll be impressed by how crisp and wrinkle free these 100% cotton shirts still feel at the end of a hard day.  

PLEASE NOTE:  "Non-Iron" is a term used by many shirt makers to describe the properties of the fabric.  It is a personal judgement whether shirts with this description are completely non-iron.  Many customers find that non-iron shirts do benefit from a quick press - a job that is made rapid and easy due to the properties of the fabric.  If you like to have a crisp finish to your shirts, then you should expect to have to iron these shirts, however,  you will find that the shirts wrinkle less in wear than standard cotton shirts.

Peter Jones Socks

The well known TV personality and serial entrepreneur, Peter Jones, has collaborated with H J Hall, one of the UK's oldest hosiery companies. to create a distinctive and individual range of patterned and striped sock.    H J Hall proudly knits this range of men's socks in Leicester, England., using premium mercerised cotton blended with 30% nylon for strength.  The resulting flat-knit socks are super smooth to the touch, do not "bobble" in the wash and are supremely comfortable.  Available in two size bands from UK shoe size 7 up to 14.

Hippocamp

Hippocamp is our  "house brand".  Meaning seahorse in French, it  happened to be the name of the seaside bar in which the idea for this business was born!

Our Hippocamp brand stands for the "best in show" quality:  Merchandise made to our specification from the finest materials, wherever possible, sourced and made in the UK.   Hippocamp cravats are made from English silk woven or printed to our specification.  We believe they are the finest cravats available.

Hilditch & Key Shirts

The shirts are cut by hand, the bodies with shears, the collars with a knife. The body patterns and collars are Hilditch & Key's own design.  The shirts are manufactured in their own UK factory on flat sewing machines, using single needle seam construction.  The stitch length is very small, giving clean, strong, neat seams, without undue tension or puckering.

The two-piece collars (the most important part of the shirt) are all turned by hand, and have removable stiffeners.  The buttons are all real mother-of-pearl, and the shirts are pressed by hand.  The yoke is split at the back and cut on the bias for better shape, fit and comfort.  Extra fabric is stitched on both sides of the sleeve gauntlet to give a good overlap and finish.  Hilditch & Key shirts are up to 1" longer at the back than the front and the triangular gusset at the bottom of each side seam ensures extra strength and comfort over the hip.

If the shirt is manufactured from a striped fabric, the stripes are matched at the font and back of the collar, giving a clean leading edge, the split yoke where the shoulder meets the sleeve, and where the extra fabric is placed on the sleeve for the gauntlets.  Only the very finest fabrics are used in the production of a Hilditch & Key shirt.   All the traditions and skills of Jermyn Street shirt making are to be found at Hilditch & Key.