The Westcote Overshirt - Made in England
As is well-documented, the legacy of the first half of the 20th century can be seen extensively in clothing. Most of the garments we wear today are descended from military or sportswear, which was originally devised with an actual use in mind. In those austere years, consumerism was far from what it later became. The industrial revolution not only enabled mass production, but also fuelled it.
Manufacturers of clothing and sportswear were merely reduced to just that. Marketing as we know it was in its infancy, with roots in the work of Sigmund Freud being used largely in the U.S. In short, the public were about need rather than want.
This neatly sums up the early part of the history of Admiral as a brand. Making garments for military and sporting institutions was focused on innovation and quality rather than brand values or slick marketing campaigns. Through Admiral Sporting Goods there's a desire to evoke this era where quality and comfort were key.
While classic English sportswear remains the beating heart of the ASGco. DNA, the Westcote Overshirt demonstrates yet another string to the bow of the current custodians of the brand. Faithfully adhering as much of this garment to the era that inspired it, the team behind ASGco. have steadfastly remained committed to manufacturing the Westcote Overshirt not just in the UK, but close to the midlands heartland of Admiral which was famously founded just outside Leicester in Wigston.
While there's clearly a need to show the virtues of the product, in this garment you'll find that honest commitment to craft and construction that used to be more than enough to convince consumers of its worth.
Though many of the elder statesmen of the clothing cognoscenti will refer back to the 1970s and 1980s when regarding Admiral, the real roots are in the decades that preceded this era. The Westcote Overshirt is proud of the brand that birthed it, and isn't shy of sharing branding, but like the items that inspired it, fitness for purpose and its sheer wearability are its real plus points. The best examples of design are always unfussy and functional.
Sometimes slick marketing and psychology aren't needed and the Westcote Overshirt is a shining example.
Words by Mark Smith
