In late 2022, a new Thomas Pink store arrived with great fanfare and a VIP pink carpet at 106 Jermyn Street, London. The plush new flagship, with its illustrated wallpaper and tasteful velvet furnishings, was a welcome addition to the iconic London street and marked the point at which Thomas Pink, the brand, had come full circle.

First, let’s rewind to 1984, when three Irish brothers working in the City saw a gap in the market and decided to shake up an industry that had barely changed in 150 years. James, John and Peter Mullen already had an insight into shirtmaking through their father’s shirt company in Dublin. Yet, it wasn’t until they were living and working in London that the brothers came up with the idea for a luxury British shirt that was equivalent to a beautifully tailored Jermyn Street version but at a more affordable price.

Quality was paramount to the brothers. They implemented a number of the craftsmanship foundations of a Thomas Pink shirt that are still upheld nearly 40 years later. The company refers to these as the “10 points of a Thomas Pink shirt”. They include sourcing the finest fabrics, as well as details only found in top-quality shirts, such as lock-stitched mother-of-pearl buttons and French seams with intricate 18 stitches per inch. And then there is the pink gusset tab: this eye-catching little triangle of fabric has been a hallmark of a Thomas Pink shirt since its inception. It acts as the shirt’s anchor and holds everything in place.

In a 1990 interview for Ireland’s national broadcasting company RTÉ, James Mullen explained, presumably with a wry smile: ‘We decided to make our [gusset] pink, which a lot of people rather enjoyed. We’ve heard stories of people pulling theirs out to show each other that they’ve been buying their shirts at the right place.’

Despite its Irish roots, Thomas Pink was designed with the London City worker in mind and took its name from a British tailor. Searching for a “traditional” name, the brothers came across the story of 18th-century Mayfair tailor Thomas Pink, who specialised in fancy, well-cut hunting coats. Those who could afford the wares of Mr Pink were said to be “in the pink”.

Tailored Fit Formal Twill shirt, £125

In the early days, Thomas Pink had a store on Jermyn Street, where it rubbed shoulders with the heritage brands it sought to disrupt. It may be a stretch to say that Thomas Pink democratised fine shirting, but it certainly made it more accessible. The first collections captured the spirit of the age: energetic, audacious and supercharged by the Square Mile. As well as beyond. This was the “greed is good” era of Gordon Gekko – from Oliver Stone’s 1987 film Wall Street – sporting loud striped shirts with contrasting collars. Thomas Pink introduced colour and pattern, marking it out from the more stuffy Savile Row and Jermyn Street shirtmaking stalwarts.

Now, Thomas Pink is proudly back on Jermyn Street, where it has been revived for the modern age. We may live in a very different world, but Thomas Pink still embodies innovation and knowledge of its customer. At Thomas Pink 2.0, shirts are still constructed from high-quality fabrics, still come in striking stripes and colours, and still feature those details that make all the difference. Including the signature pink gusset tab. The disruptors of Jermyn Street are back.

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