Alfred Brown: Weaving fine worsted cloth since 1915
27/06/2022
Alfred Brown is a family owned business weaving fine worsted cloth since 1915 and today the company is global in its reach, exporting all over the world.
The mill is based in Bramley, near Leeds where, from its humble beginnings in the early 1900s supplying military and service uniforms, it now supplies some of the top fashion houses of the 21st Century. The business benefited from the heyday of British textile manufacturing with sales of the ready to wear suit growing in British retail stores. Cloth orders were large and the need for mix and match quality became all important. The mill became known in the trade for exemplary consistency and reliability with the brand’s woven labels proudly donning the suits making Alfred Brown a recognised brand in men’s tailoring.
The mill is an example of true British craftsmanship with its success coming from unrivalled quality and consistency. A highly efficient and flexible weaving mill, proud to employ skilled people from the local community, just as a generation of Brown family have done so before.
The Collection
The A/W collection comprises 100% merino wool fabrics including Super 100s, Super 110s and Super 120s micron wool, in clear cut finishes, milled and double milled flannels.
Designs across the collection include a variety of checks in different scales, pin stripes in a variety of widths, chalk stripes and plain colour ranges reflecting the seasonal colour trends.
Minimum order quantity 335mts/colour.
Alfred Brown boasts a comprehensive stock supported collection in classic business suiting designs and formal hire wear fabrics.
- Classic Collection: 100% wool 250gms-420gms showcasing the most popular fabrics offered in a wide range of classic designs.
- Golden House Collection: Super 100s wool and Super 120s wool in elegant designs. Woven name edge included.
- Tropical Worsted: High twist open weave fabric stock supported in a range of plain shades. Suitable for humid climates.
- English Linen: soft wool and linen blend fabrics combining linen’s natural texture with superfine merino wool for a relaxed aesthetic.
- All Season and Classic Collection: A range of stock supported piece dye fabrics from light weight wool gabardine to heavy weight baratheas for formal wear attire. Bespoke dyeing available on request.
Minimum order quantity for stock support 35mts/colour.
Alfred Brown 2022 Sustainability Report
Weaving fabrics that are sustainable has always been at the heart of Alfred Brown’s ethos. The company takes pride in the fact that its fabrics are not fast fashion and are designed to perform. At the heart of all fabrics is Merino wool, which the mill has been working with for over 100 years.
Merino wool is a naturally sustainable product but the firm believes that to build and maintain a truly sustainable business, more than just the materials used should be considered. Alfred Brown’s sustainability report looks at each stage of the production cycle and outlines current practices, and what the firm intends to do in the future. Some of the highlights are below.
Raw materials: Currently Alfred Brown uses 91% wool in its collections and all wool comes from non-mulesed sources. The company is currently working with suppliers and the Textile Exchange to source Responsible Wool Standard certified (RWS) wool with the aim to produce a fully traceable fabric. At the moment this is only available on custom production runs with longer lead times, but the firm is working at increasing the availability.
Factory: Since 2016 the factory has been powered by electricity supplied by wind farms and in 2019 Alfred Brown completed a multimillion pound investment to upgrade the weaving and warping departments. New machines have been installed to improve productivity and efficiency. All waste wool is recycled and all cardboard is recycled or re-purposed. Alfred Brown has a close relationship with local Universities and support them and up and coming young designers by donating surplus sample lengths.
READ THE FULL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT HERE
Find out more about Alfred Brown at www.alfredbrown.co.uk