Fred Perry steps into the limelight

The quintessentially British clothing label Fred Perry has been thrust into the limelight this week as its iconic polo shirt took centre stage at the two biggest events of the summer so far.

On Sunday night Blur made a triumphant return to the big time at Glastonbury and, as ever, lead singer Damon Albarn was proudly sporting the brand's laurel logo on his chest - and will do so again when Blur's reunion moves to Hyde Park.

The following evening millions tuned in to watch the great white hope of British tennis, Andy Murray, also clad in Fred Perry, as he put his fans through the wringer under the centre court roof at Wimbledon before booking a place in the quarter finals.

Fred Perry's head

of global marketing Richard Martin says the brand, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of Perry's birth earlier this year, has been given a fillip by the launch of Murray's classic kit and the return of Blur. "As far as brand recogition goes the reach of Glastonbury and Wimbledon is quite astonishing," he told The First Post.

He says that the Murray link has created a surge of interest among sports fans in different countries and that could help it re-emerge as a sports brand.

The brand was founded in 1948, 12 years after Perry won the last of his three Wimbledon titles, and was a popular label among tennis players until the 1970s. By then the classic polo shirt, featuring the distinctive two-colour trim, had become popular among mods and skinheads and remains a cult item of clothing for the fashion-conscious.

That Fred Perry became a label for popstars is perhaps fitting. Perry might have been a fine sportsman but his life was far removed from the Spartan existence of today's tennis players.

He was blessed with matinee idol looks and had a number of affairs with Hollywood actresses, including Marlene Dietrich, Clark Gable's former girlfriend Loretta Young and the original blonde bombshell, Jean Harlow.