Keeping it Real: Labels, Shirts & A Trip to Wales
Friends, guns, beaters and keepers,
A quick update from a drizzly Gloucestershire, where this week has already reminded me why transparency matters.
Two thousand care labels arrived this week for our sporting vests, shirts, and polos. Beautifully printed — except they'd missed off the care symbols entirely. We've had to remake all two thousand of them.
An error we can forgive because this label maker were the only ones willing to discuss their supply chain with us, giving us the reassurance that the raw inputs were not from the far east; either British or a European country rich in field sports.
It's these small details and depth of supply chain knowledge that matter, even when they slow everything down.
The irony isn't lost on me that the labels telling people how to care for their garments need careful attention themselves.
And then, on the other end of the spectrum, DHL didn’t deliver at all. I was expecting our updated sporting vest samples — both men's and women's — and they simply didn't arrive.
I'm working to understand what happened, but it's a reminder that manufacturing timelines rarely run smoothly, particularly when you're coordinating across multiple makers and suppliers.
But there has been some good news.
Last Friday took me south to our small shirtmaker — the team we've entrusted with our new shirts.
Watching the head machinist construct our first piece was genuinely humbling. This is craft far beyond anything I could attempt, the kind of skill that takes decades to master.
Each seam, each collar, each carefully set sleeve — there's a precision to it that modern manufacturing has largely forgotten.
The manufacturing insights were fascinating, and for those of you who would like to follow the process in a little more detail, check out our latest YouTube video.
Seeing TWELVEBORE sitting alongside some truly remarkable brands felt surreal, and I cannot wait to get these pieces to you.
This week has also taken me to Wales to spend time with one of our knitwear manufacturers. It was genuinely exciting to learn more about their process and what it takes to earn a Royal Warrant — knitwear is its own world entirely, with techniques and traditions that deserve proper attention.
These experiences — the label errors, the delayed deliveries, the careful pace of handmade shirts, behind the scenes of a Royal Warrant holder — are exactly why we share this journey with you.
Nothing about British manufacturing moves quickly, and perhaps that's the point. Every stitch matters. Every detail counts.
Thank you for your patience whilst we navigate these realities.