Just a few weeks ago I was doing a little shopping and came across some seriously cool rugby style shirts made by a company called Canterbury of New Zealand. I couldn't wait to tell my friends who play rugby of which I have many. I had never heard of this company, which shows how little I know about rugby. So it turns out that Canterbury of New Zealand is the official purveyor of rugby team uniforms for many of the world's top teams. Of course all of my rugby friends know this, which is embarrassing since I am supposed to be the fashion expert. But what they didn't know is that they have launched a new “Off Field” collection in the U.S. that blends elements of rugby style with contemporary flavor.
So for those who don't know, Canterbury of New Zealand was established in 1904 in Canterbury, New Zealand by John Lane, Pringle Walker, and Alfred Rudkin. They started out making woolen garments and uniforms during World War I. Today the brand is the largest dedicated rugby brand in the world. The company still outfits thousands of leading rugby teams and will dress Australia, South Africa, Japan, Ireland and Scotland for the World Cup Championships in France in 2007. All of this makes the “ready-to-wear” collection particularly compelling due to its authentic vintage looks and details.
Canterbury of New Zealand draws on its 100 plus years of rugby history, and incorporates such rugby-centric details such as rubber buttons, loop collars and triple bar tack stitching into each piece. Even more interesting is that in the 1970s the company had a huge roster of team clients, and a large amount of fabric remnants as a result, so they made “practice jerseys” made from the pieced together fabric remnants. No two shirts were alike, and these patchwork shirts, known as “Ugly Jerseys,” became very popular and are now synonymous with Canterbury of New Zealand. This is partially the inspiration for this collection being marketed in the U.S.
Aside from traditional rugby shirts, they are also doing cashmere, lamb's wool and super fine merino. To make the collection complete, they have created washed cotton trousers and cargos as well as coach's jackets and other retro-inspired outerwear. Overall I think this is a really cool brand with something unique to offer, especially those who like athletic or collegiate inspired clothes--a refreshing alternative to Abercrombie and the like.
