&SONS | The Story
November 18, 2025Photographers spend a lot of time hunting for great shoot locations. Sometimes, it just takes a little detail to catch the eye, to create a mood, to spark an idea. For advertising photographer Phil James, it was a faded sign on a dilapidated building. The sign itself was barely readable, except for one fragment that remained stubbornly legible: '&SONS'. The ambiguity of those characters captured James' imagination immediately. In fact, it would lead to the creation of an entire clothing brand. That same evening, he registered the domain name. The fact that he had two sons of his own only deepened its resonance.
But the &SONS name was just the beginning of James' journey into menswear. The real catalyst was far more practical: frustration. As a working photographer constantly lying on the ground, kneeling in dirt, or shooting in remote locations, James needed clothing that could withstand the rigours of his profession whilst still looking presentable when meeting clients. "I wear hardworking clothes as I'm always lying or kneeling, shooting in the middle of nowhere but still want to look cool," James explains. "I have always been into workwear and a 1950s style but I was ordering from ten different websites to get the look I wanted."
James knew he couldn't be the only one with this problem – there had to be other creatives, craftspeople and artisans who wanted somewhere they could get a complete head-to-toe wardrobe of vintage-inspired, hard-wearing clothing, all available from one place. More specifically, garments that balanced the rugged aesthetic of traditional workwear with the comfort and fit that modern life demanded. "A lot of workwear can be stiff and uncomfortable," James notes. "We've tried to keep the style but add comfort and more tactile fabrics to the look."
From Sketches to Kickstarter
With no prior experience in fashion design or textile manufacturing, James began with a blank page – literally. He started sketching, drawing on inspirations including the aforementioned vintage workwear, along with greaser motorbike culture, the effortless cool of mid-century icons like James Dean, Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen, and the kind of clothing worn by people who genuinely got their hands dirty – painters, mechanics, barbers. These weren't meant to be costumes for weekend warriors but authentic work garments for modern-day pioneers.
Translating his early sketches into reality meant finding small-scale designers and manufacturers who shared James' obsession with quality and craftsmanship. He sought out British wool makers, partnered with Turkish denim specialists, and worked with other small, independent, family-owned businesses to create the full range of jeans, shirts, jackets, boots and accessories he'd envisioned.
In August 2016, &SONS launched on Kickstarter. The campaign raised £50,000 and, crucially, created a pool of potential customers who understood exactly what the brand was trying to achieve. The response validated James' instinct: there was indeed an under-served market of men – particularly those in creative professions – who had outgrown trend-chasing but still cared about what they wore.
The Layering Philosophy
At the heart of &SONS' design philosophy is the concept of layering – the same thing that underpins most technical clothing systems, from high altitude mountaineering to ocean sailing. But &SONS uses layering to build versatile, purposeful outfits. Rather than individual statement pieces, the brand creates a modular wardrobe system where each garment works in harmony with others. "Our collection is designed around a layering system," James explains. "With a base of a simple classic white t-shirt and our raw selvedge denim, you can layer up depending on the season or the occasion."
From here, you can add a waistcoat or vest, one of the brand’s signature chore jackets, perhaps a bandana or scarf, and finish with a baker boy cap, trucker or a beanie. Voila; you've constructed a look equally suited to a day in the studio or an afternoon in the pub. The brand's motto captures this ethos perfectly: "Taking the best from the past to create beautiful things for the here and now."
As with most high-quality products, the devil is in the detail. For example, the New Frontier 14oz Denim Jeans are made from heavyweight selvedge denim engineered to age beautifully, developing a unique patina that maps the wearer's experiences. A fold-out chore pocket accommodates tools and valuables, whilst turn ups feature a cinch strap for bikers. These are the touches that reveal &SONS as clothing made by creatives, for creatives – people who appreciate form, functionality and the odd artistic flourish too.
Quality Without Compromise
This meticulous attention to detail extends across the entire collection. Even the smallest elements matter because, as James and his team understand, these subtle touches are what ensures your clothes – and by extension, you – stand out from the pack. It’s what distinguishes true style from passing trends.
This commitment to quality stems from &SONS' core values around craftsmanship and authenticity. The brand celebrates artisan makers and traditional skills passed between generations – precisely the kind of hard-won expertise that fast fashion dismisses. By using only high-quality materials and natural fibres combined with the greatest craftsmanship, &SONS creates pieces genuinely built to stand the test of time.
That philosophy around longevity subsequently led to the launch of &SONS Preloved in early 2025, a platform where customers can trade their garments for store credit and keep clothing in circulation among other ‘pioneers’ rather than contributing to landfill. It's part of the brand's broader move towards increased sustainability and circular fashion – ensuring that every piece finds a home and continues its story.
Beyond Workwear
What began as one photographer's solution to a personal problem has evolved into a comprehensive lifestyle brand. The team has expanded to around ten people fully dedicated to &SONS, and the business has weathered significant challenges – including lockdown, which paradoxically brought record growth as people working from home sought comfortable yet stylish clothing for their new routines (and, presumably, had a lot more time to devote to shopping online).
The brand has expanded in several directions whilst maintaining its core identity. Newer collections like the Heartland line now draw inspiration from Britain's raw, rugged landscapes – the moors, mountains and coast that define the nation's character. There's a military-inspired range featuring cargo trousers and utility jackets, and even vintage gym pieces that nod to different eras of fashion history.
More significantly, &SONS has just launched DAMSONS, a womenswear line built on the same principles of quality, craftsmanship and timeless style. It positions the brand among the small handful of workwear companies that take women's needs seriously, recognising that creative pioneers come in all genders.
The brand has even experimented with omnichannel retail, launching its own app to complement its direct-to-consumer website and third-party retail channels (such as WildBounds). But &SONS also now has two bricks-and-mortar stores – one in the brand’s hometown of Cheltenham, and the other situated in the heart of London’s Soho district. These stores offer more than just shopping – they’re event spaces too, hosting everything from product launches to styling days.
Phil James calls them, “a three-dimensional environment where we can interact with customers and they can interact with our clothing. One of the hardest things about being an online business was demonstrating the quality of our clothing and the attention to detail. Now we get to see our customers pick up an item, try it on and feedback which is incredibly rewarding and insightful”.
The stores also give customers the chance to buy old, repurposed and discontinued stock – yet another reason to visit. After all, everyone loves a bargain. Just like the Preloved online store, this concept also gives &SONS garments a second chance and avoids anything going into landfill.
The Pioneer Community
Yet for all this growth, &SONS hasn't lost sight of its founding purpose: creating clothing for people who live authentically. The brand actively celebrates its community of 'Pioneers' – the barbers, photographers, mechanics, makers and craftspeople who don't just wear &SONS clothing but embody its values. Through films and content including an online Journal, the brand shares these individuals' stories, recognising that their customers aren't merely consumers but kindred spirits.
This authentic connection with a community of customers is something that all brands search for. But what sets &SONS apart in an increasingly crowded heritage menswear market is that James and his team aren't creating clothing they think will sell – they're making garments they themselves want to wear, with features they personally appreciate. That enthusiasm resonates because it's genuine. You only need to visit the &SONS website to see how this plays out – each and every product has an unique ‘origin’ story that reveals the inspirations behind its creation. Often it comes from cinema, art, literature or history; sometimes, it’s a fusion of multiple sources.
"The world needs pioneers," James asserts – people willing to try something new, break fresh ground, set out on uncharted paths. Whether those pioneers are creating art, building businesses, mastering traditional crafts or simply carving their own way through life, &SONS provides the uniform. Not clothing that pretends to be rugged, but garments built for people whose daily lives involve actual work, genuine creativity, real dirt under their fingernails.
From that chance encounter with a weathered sign to a thriving international brand, &SONS has remained true to the vision James sketched out years ago. Quality over quantity. Timeless style over fast fashion. Clothing that gets better with age, just like the people who wear it. It's a brand built not on trends but on enduring values – and for the pioneers who share those values, that's precisely what makes it a go-to brand.