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Our exclusive tennis balls for iconic clothing line Fred Perry
Heritage brands collaborate
When we received a request from Fred Perry to create a batch of balls with their clothing brand’s iconic logo, we were naturally delighted here at Price of Bath. Striking the right balance between the past and the present is a strategy for the brand, so as the oldest surviving tennis ball manufacturer in the UK we feel our two companies make a perfect fit for a collaboration. The result, these beautiful black logo balls, are available exclusively at their Brentham Tennis Club in London, and like the famed Fred Perry polo shirt are fast becoming must-have items!
Fred Perry, the sportsman
The Fred Perry clothing brand was founded by the legendary UK tennis champion. He was quite a remarkable sportsman, achieving the heights of becoming world table tennis champion at just 19 years of age. Thereafter, he switched to lawn tennis, going on to win Wimbledon three times. A successful Davis Cup captain for the UK, he was also a winner of 10 major tennis tournaments and the first player to ever win a Grand Slam (all four major tennis titles) – he’s still the only British player to ever achieve this. It’s a unique and unrivalled contribution to British tennis, and he was very much the Andy Murray of his day in terms of his accomplishments. However, despite all these achievements Fred Perry was sadly never accepted by the tennis hierarchy of the day, even at Wimbledon, mainly because of his working class background.
The Birth of an Iconic Brand
Founded by Fred Perry in 1952, his clothing brand has been adopted by style-conscious Brits ever since. The inimitable laurel wreath has always been a badge for those looking for a style just a little outside the mainstream. Successfully blending streetwear with sportswear they have always been an authentic heritage brand with just the right amount of attitude. The label has always been the rock star brand of choice from Roger Daltrey through to Paul Weller. It’s subculture heritage is unrivalled; adopted by Mods in the 50’s, Skinheads in the 60’s, Punk in the 70’s, Two Tone in the 80’s, Brit Pop in the 90’s and Amy Winehouse in the 00’s. Being able to rely on this sense of street cool for popularity in these days of corporate sponsorship is quite simply priceless promotion.
The Laurel Wreath Logo
As a pipe smoker, Perry initially planned to use a pipe as an emblem, but was talked out of this plan when others thought it wouldn’t appeal to women. That u-turn must have been one of the best decisions he ever made with the laurel wreath logo going on to become one of the most iconic labels in British fashion. The logo was based on the original Wimbledon symbol, the signature Fred Perry polo shirt launching at the tournament in 1952. Perry handed out shirts to the players of the time, who found the slim fit a welcome relief from the baggy tops that were currently in use. It became an instant fashion classic and is still the brand’s top seller today. Nearly 70 years later, Fred Perry is one of the largest manufacturers of both sportswear and menswear worldwide. A strong part of the brand’s appeal is it’s sense of nostalgia and a timeless quality that has seen it’s appeal grow generation on generation.
Fred Perry Visit The Price of Bath Factory
Whilst their beautiful black tennis balls were in production we were really pleased to welcome Fred Perry’s Sammy Jones and Simon Martin to the factory to give them the lowdown on how their logo balls were manufactured.
You can read their article on their ‘Subculture’ blog here.
Visit the Fred Perry Website here
