What Crew Clothing is known for
Founded in Salcombe, Devon, in 1993 by Alistair Parker-Swift, who ran a windsurfing school there and began selling navy-and-white rugby shirts sourced from a local supplier; first London store opened 1995.
Crew Clothing Company traces to the summer of 1993, when Alistair Parker-Swift, who ran a windsurfing school in Salcombe, Devon, had a run of navy-and-white rugby shirts made using materials from a local supplier. He began selling them at Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight before opening a shop, and the brand's identity — British sporting and yachting references, smart-casual rather than performance wear — grew directly out of that seaside, sailing-town origin. The company opened its first London store on New King's Road in 1995 and has since expanded into a national chain covering menswear, womenswear, and kids' clothing, built around rugby shirts, polos, coats, and deck shoes. Parker-Swift remained a major shareholder alongside private equity firm Livingbridge as the company grew; Louise Barnes served as chief executive by the mid-2010s. The Salcombe shop that started it all was remodeled in 2023 to mark the brand's 30th anniversary, keeping the company's flagship in the town where it began rather than treating the original location as an afterthought.
Best for — Coastal nautical polos
UK
Where next
- Pelikamo — Switzerland
- Carolina Herrera — New York
- Finsbury Shoes — Paris
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