JOHN SMEDLEY LIMITED
Knitwear brand and manufacturer
A legacy of British fibres and British manufacturing
Established in 1784, John Smedley, holder of HM King Charles III Royal Warrant of Appointment, has built its name in crafting the finest merino knitwear in England for centuries — it remains the oldest, still operational factory in the world. Through its circularity project John Smedley is committed to responsible production and its mission to fulfil its own emission-reducing targets. In 2024, it invested over £4 million in machinery bolstering its production line in order to reintroduce third-party manufacturing which aims to encourage brands to bring knitwear manufacturing back to UK shores. John Smedley has been working with British wool for over 10 years including Blue Faced Leicester Sheep’s wool, Cheviot wools, wools from the Duchy of Cornwall estate and wools from the Sandringham estate and British merino wools.
What is so amazing about working with British wool? We can source, trace & feel confident in the authenticity and calibre of the product. Understanding the sustainability of the product, the CO2 emission, no more than 300 miles from farm to fabric. It enables us to create bespoke items with a unique touch.
If any/ what have been your challenges with working with British wool/ natural dyes and a local way of working?
Agreeing the correct blend
Creating a hand feel acceptable and comparable to our mainline products
Process adjustments in knitting and wet finishing that are reproducible
What gauge of knitwear do you sell? i.e. fine gauge 10-12gg or more chunky knits such as 7-5gg
18 gauge, 16 gauge, 7 gauge & 5 gauge
Do you finish onsite? If not is it convenient or what would be your ideal situation? We wet process all products on site, using the very latest technology to aid the reduction of energy, water & chemical and to give the best reproducibility in terms of dimensional stability and hand feel.
Do you find a lot of push back in the industry in terms of British wool? We don’t, we have been working with British wools in our main collections since 2015, the micron and yarn counts are a great supplement to our fine gauge products and we’re able to trace our products back to the individual farms, offering a core product with a carbon footprint of under 300 miles. British fibres and British manufacturing are the perfect pairing for those looking for products that are authentic, trace-able and built to last.
Do you find that customers are becoming more interested in British wool? We have been working with British wools since 2015 within our main range and limited-edition collections, Its properties and robustness make it an ideal slow moving fashion piece and we’ve seen growing consumer appetite for it, our British wool collections have grown by +50% due to increasing desire for the combination of British fibres and British manufacturing. We find the story telling element of showcasing the farmers, spinners and our own craftspeople are key to establishing consumer confidence in the fibre and our films telling these stories have some of the highest engagement rates across our channels.
On a scale of 1- 10 (1 being the lowest and 10 excellent) how much do you think your business has improved in the below areas as a result of good working practices and environmental standards?
Waste Production - 7 (off-cuts, production)
Plastic Pollution - 6 (packaging)
Water Waste - 9 (dyeing and finishing)
Energy Consumption - 9 (shipping, machinery etc)
Do you have any hero farmers or people in your supply chain you would like to highlight? The Natural Fibre Company in Cornwall were great to work with on our DUCHY of Cornwall Project. Laxtons in Yorkshire are also brilliant to work with on British and bespoke fibres.