Sunspel traces back to 1860 in Nottingham, England, when it began as Thomas A. Hill Ltd, a firm making underwear from cotton, merino wool and silk. It later became known for its Sea Island cotton, and around the turn of the 20th century made some of the world's first T-shirts, originally designed as undergarments for hot climates. The company took the Sunspel name in 1935, borrowed from its cotton quality-control stamp of a sunburst through clouds, and moved to its Long Eaton, Derbyshire factory in 1937, where it still manufactures today.