Sir Plus is a sustainable menswear label that uses 'cabbage' or for
those of you unfamiliar with the term, off-cuts from shirts, strips
of silk and various fabrics that are upcycled to create an array of
dapper clothing, from waistcoats to boxer shorts, knitwear and even
fedoras. We spoke to founder Henry Hales about all things fuelled
by cabbage (not the vegetable) and what led him to creating the
label.
Displaying more than a touch of English eccentricity, Henry grew up
in a village in Warwickshire and moved down to London to start the
business and is very much "self taught in the industry", selling
online, at market stalls and at a few stockists, Wolf and Badger,
Young Thread and Cad and the Dandy to name a few. The fabric for
the boxers, waistcoat and t-shirt pockets are sourced by "going
around tailors and buying excess shirting," making every piece
unique in its own way. The cotton poplin boxers come with a little
bit of humour etched on the label and the whole ethos of the brand
is built on "injecting fun into design."
Despite having no background whatsoever in design, having studied
Real Estate at Oxford Brookes University, the passion for upcycling
and fashion is evidently shown with an energy and enthusiasm to
showcase the use of cabbage and making something out of nothing.
The line "expanded organically" from the boxer shorts to using
other surplus fabrics, such as tweeds and velvets to make
waistcoats, flat caps and baseball caps.
A sartorialist at heart, drawing inspiration from Madmen, Chariots
of Fire and well made clothing, there is ample use of paisley
print, which Henry loves as a pattern, with most of the material
sourced from tie makers and cleverly upcycled. The real focus is
the menswear line, although there is also womenswear and 2013 will
see the introduction of a few more styles to the waistcoat range,
which have a great cut.
There is a trend towards more smarter wear in men's clothing and
there is a "big movement for dapper clothing, but you know fashion
continually changes and I try not to have one look and make what I
wear and my clothing a bit more adaptable." There have been highs
and lows, as with any new business, but he is excited by the recent
video, "shot on a shoestring budget," that really tells us, in a
nutshell what Sir Plus is all about, you can view the spiffing
video on the website,
www.sirplus.co.uk, it certainly put
a smile on my face.
Interview by Nardip Singh