Viyella

Name

Viyella

Legal name

Iconic British Brands Limited

Website

https://viyella-online.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1784

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Menswear

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Broadwoven Fabric Mills (313210)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAAAAAL

Textiles, Fabrics, Trims & Components Suppliers

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Apparel Brands & Manufacturing

Keywords

• Heritage menswear
• Cotton wool shirts
• Branded fabric
• British clothing
• Classic shirts

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Viyella generates revenue through direct e-commerce sales of shirts, socks, and accessories to consumers. The company sells directly through its official website viyella-online.co.uk to customers in the UK and internationally.
2. Multibuy Offers: Volume-based promotions including Summer Shirts 3 for £100, 3 Formal Shirts for £150, and 2 Pairs of Socks for £25 / 3 for £36, incentivising larger purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Viyella manufactures and sells heritage British men's shirts built around its proprietary 80% cotton / 20% merino wool blend fabric, alongside formal cotton shirts, polo shirts, ladies' blouses, wool and cotton socks, and heritage accessories (handkerchiefs, scarves, ties, gift boxes). Sales are conducted primarily direct-to-consumer through the official UK e-commerce storefront viyella-online.co.uk with worldwide shipping. The brand leverages 240 years of heritage, a Royal Warrant, and proprietary fabric technologies such as Aerolite cellular mesh to position itself in the premium heritage menswear segment.

Product overview

Viyella is a heritage British menswear brand established in 1784, operating as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform selling primarily shirts along with socks and accessories. The product portfolio centers on shirts—available in multiple fits (Classic, Regular, Tailored) and materials (80% cotton/20% wool signature blend, 100% cotton, Supima cotton/linen)—across various patterns (tartan, tattersall, plaid, checks, stripes) and styles (long sleeve, short sleeve, polo, overshirt, formal). The 1784 Collection represents a notable Tailored Fit line launched in 2020. The brand extends its heritage fabrics to ladies blouses using matching patterns and constructions. Complementary categories include socks (plain, Made in England, no-elastic) and accessories (handkerchiefs, scarves, ties, gift boxes), with multibuy promotional offers driving bundle purchases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 80/20 Cotton-Wool Blend Shirts Men's shirts in classic, regular, and tailored fits crafted from Viyella's signature 80% long-staple cotton and 20% merino wool blend, available in tartans, tattersalls, checks, stripes and plains. Targeted at heritage menswear consumers seeking durable shirts that improve with age.
• Formal Shirts Tailored fit 100% cotton formal shirts in plain, stripe, and check patterns, designed for business and formal wear with a silk-like hand-feel. Priced at approximately £60 each.
• Aerolite Polo Shirts Short-sleeve 100% cotton polo shirts constructed using Aerolite cellular mesh — a specialist yarn-twisting technique forming an open geometric lattice for enhanced airflow. Originally developed in the 1930s.
• Pinpoint Oxford Shirts Authentic Oxford Button-Down (OCBD) shirts with crisp, densely woven cotton construction in the heritage Ivy League style. Targeted at consumers seeking classic American-style dress shirts with British quality.
• Overshirts Heritage-inspired shirt-jackets with soft brushed velvet-touch fabric, twin chest pockets, button-through front, and lofty insulation without weight. Inspired by 1950s/60s sports shirt jackets.
• Tropical Wool Summer Shirts Lightweight summer shirts using a fine cotton and lightweight wool blend offering natural breathability, moisture-wicking, UV protection, odour resistance and antibacterial properties. Originally developed as military service shirts.
• Knitted Shirts Knit-construction shirts offering a different texture and drape from traditional woven Viyella shirts, expanding the brand's casual offering.
• Tartan Shirts Heritage tartan-pattern shirts in classic and tailored fits featuring traditional Scottish tartans from the Viyella archive including Black Watch, Royal Stewart, Holyrood, MacGill, MacMillan, and MacDonald patterns.
• Tattersall Shirts Classic tattersall check pattern shirts in various colourways, including mini tattersall designs, in classic and tailored fits.
• 1784 Collection (Tailored Fit Shirts) The brand's contemporary tailored-fit shirt collection launched in January 2020, offering slimmer silhouettes, shorter body length, narrower sleeves, and softer cutaway and button-down collar shapes in the signature 80/20 cotton-wool blend.
• Ladies Blouses Women's blouses inspired by original archive designs, using the same signature fabrics and tartan/tattersall patterns as the men's shirts but in flattering ladies' fits with soft relaxed collars, front placket and side vent detail. Priced at approximately £90.
• Socks Men's socks in plain styles, Made in England wool and cotton collections, and No-Elastic comfort socks, priced from £13.99 with multibuy bundle offers (2 pairs £25 / 3 pairs £36).
• Handkerchiefs Handmade UK-produced handkerchiefs in the signature 80% cotton / 20% wool fabric, sold in presentation boxes of three.
• Scarves Heritage scarves sold as part of Viyella's accessories range, complementing the shirt and sock collections.
• Ties Heritage neckties sold as part of Viyella's accessories range, complementing formal shirts.
• Gift Boxes Branded empty gift boxes designed for presenting Viyella shirts as gifts, priced at £4.99 each.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards redeemable against any product on the Viyella e-commerce website.
• Ivy League Silhouette Shirts 80% cotton / 20% wool shirts cut in an Ivy League silhouette, reintroduced for the Autumn/Winter 2024 collection to reconnect the brand with its mid-20th century heritage of supplying Ivy League shirtmakers.
• Viyella x Jake's London Capsule Collection A limited capsule collection of 80% cotton / 20% wool shirts co-designed with London bespoke shirtmaker Jake Wigham (Jake's London), launched December 2023, that sold out within 24 hours.

Quantifiable outcome

• Viyella shirts are made to last a lifetime with fabric that improves with age
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Jake Wigham (Jake's London)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with London bespoke shirtmaker Jake Wigham resulted in a Capsule Collection of 80% Cotton/20% Wool shirts launched in December 2023. The designs sold out within 24 hours of launch, demonstrating strong market reception for the heritage brand meeting contemporary bespoke craftsmanship.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe serves as the primary payment processor for Viyella's e-commerce platform, handling credit and debit card transactions securely with 3D Secure authentication support.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayPal is accepted as an alternative payment method on Viyella's e-commerce platform alongside Stripe card processing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Proper Cloth: Online-first custom and heritage-inspired shirt brand targeting modern professional men. Comparable as a digitally native DTC shirt brand competing for the same online menswear customer, but with customisation rather than heritage-blend technology.
• Private White V.C. British heritage-inspired menswear brand (founded 2014) manufacturing in Manchester and selling premium shirts, knitwear and outerwear DTC online and via select stockists. Comparable as a heritage-credentials, premium-priced DTC British shirt brand targeting a similar menswear enthusiast.

Direct peers

• Turnbull & Asser: Heritage British shirtmaker and menswear brand established in 1885, holding a Royal Warrant. Directly comparable to Viyella as a premium British heritage shirt and accessories brand with global DTC and flagship-store distribution.
• Gieves & Hawkes: Heritage British menswear and shirtmaker based on Savile Row with multiple Royal Warrants. Overlaps with Viyella in classic shirts, formal wear and heritage menswear positioning aimed at the same upper-middle/affluent British customer.
• Charles Tyrwhitt: British heritage-inspired shirt brand built around high-quality cotton shirts sold via DTC e-commerce and showrooms. Closest like-for-like in product mix (formal and casual shirts), pricing band and online-first model.
• Hawes & Curtis: British heritage shirtmaker (founded 1913) known for formal shirts and quality fabrics, with Royal Warrant history. Comparable to Viyella in target customer (formal/business menswear), price positioning, and DTC + flagship retail mix.
• Sunspel: Heritage British basics brand (est. 1860) specialising in premium cotton shirts, T-shirts and undergarments sold DTC online and through premium wholesalers. Comparable as a British heritage cotton specialist reinventing itself for contemporary consumers.
• John Smedley: Oldest factory in the world (founded 1784, same founding year as Viyella) producing fine British knitwear. Comparable as a heritage British textile manufacturer with cotton/wool blends and a DTC international e-commerce channel.

Broad incumbents

• J. Press: Heritage American Ivy League menswear brand established 1902, known for OCBD shirts, tailoring and tweeds. Comparable to Viyella in Ivy League heritage aesthetic and classic shirt focus, but operates broader menswear assortment.
• Brooks Brothers: American heritage menswear icon with deep shirt business, OCBD heritage, and global DTC and retail footprint. Comparable as a much larger, broader incumbent in the heritage shirt space, including the Ivy League silhouette Viyella is now re-entering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/viyellaofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/viyella_1784
• Xx.com/viyella_1784

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Viyella