The cobbled streets of Long Eaton, some 10 miles east of Derby, are as quintessentially English as one could imagine. Not the soft-focus renderings of Constable’s Dedham Vale, nor the chocolate boxery of the Cotswolds, but an area that’s evocative of the real grit and soul of the British Industrial Revolution: rows of red terraced houses centred around factories with chimney stacks, straight out of a Lowry painting. And it’s here that the historic Sunspel factory has been for 86 years, a sprawling edifice and hub of the brand’s production, where its iconic T-shirts are handcrafted in a process that is painstaking and the very opposite of fast fashion.

Yet, despite its very English roots, the Sunspel operation is a thoroughly global one. Take the cotton, for example. It is farmed in California using sustainable practices, before being spun into yarns in India, then shipped to the UK, where the company’s skilled craftspeople begin the process of cutting the fabric to move to the assembly stage.

Sunspel’s international roots are further emphasised by its long-standing links to glamorous travel. It helps, of course, that one of its most steadfast ambassadors has been James Bond, with Daniel Craig famously wearing the brand in Casino Royale, packing it into his carry-on alongside his Beretta. The spy’s go-to has long been the Riviera polo shirt, created by Sunspel in the 1950s to cater for a new international jet set in need of holiday clothes that could feel relaxed yet still look the part in the glossy environs of the Côte d’Azur.

Holiday attire has come full circle in recent decades. From somewhat “slovenly” get-up and a predilection for sportswear, there’s been a gradual return to travel clothes that call to mind the original golden era of jet-set sojourns, giving rise to a cottage industry of brands catering to the well-heeled hodophile. It’s a market that Sunspel has long been catering for – its lightweight T-shirts come in colours that are dyed naturally in hues of yellow, peach, turquoise, cornflower and lilac to evoke the shades of summer.

Its offering for travel isn’t limited to T-shirts, however. Increasingly, brands are evolving a range of tailoring that hits a sweet spot between smart and relaxed, and Sunspel’s most recent endeavour has been to lend its excellence in soft fabrication to a series of lightweight suits in fabrics such as twisted merino wool.

They’re designed with a certain dynamism in mind; the soft shapes and non-crease fabrics mean they’re ideal for packing, and they are a wise choice if you’re heading from an early flight to a Geneva meeting then back in time for supper.

In addition, the brand uses the finest cottons blended with linen to make them more breathable than standard suit fare and so a more comfortable experience in warmer climes.

We might have watched the sun set on the truly golden age of international travel – Pan Am glamour and Our Man in Havana exoticism – but there’s no reason we can’t try our best to keep that spirit alive. And Sunspel’s on hand to help us do just that.

sunspel.com