Sunspel
luxury tees and underwear
Premium Basics · United Kingdom
Similar price, worse made
Quality
9/10
Price
$$$
Design
7 of 10
Reputation
7 of 10
Timeless · Quiet
John Smedley
John Smedley at a glance
Quality
Price
$$$Premium labels average 7.6
Value
7.3Better value than 95% of labels
Typical US prices
merino polos $250-300, sweaters $250-400
John Smedley is a British premium basics label best known for 30-gauge merino knitwear — quality 9.5/10, leaning very timeless and very quiet.
Editor’s note — Knitting in Derbyshire since 1784.
Quality 9.5 against reputation 7: better than its name suggests.
Scores
Design
7 of 10
Reputation
7 of 10
Style
Quality 9.5 — joint 1st of 22 premium basics brands (average 7.6). Value 7.3 — joint 18th of 370 for quality against price; not on the Value Frontier.
Scores last reviewed July 8, 2026 · Sources: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab), FashionUnited (opens in a new tab), Styleforum (opens in a new tab) · How we score
For less
Nothing cheaper in the index matches John Smedley's quality score and style. The similar labels below vary in quality and price.
Similar labels
How each compares with John Smedley on quality and price.
Hanro
Underratedluxury underwear and loungewear
Premium Basics · Switzerland
Similar price, same quality
Quality
9.5/10
Price
$$$
Design
6 of 10
Reputation
6 of 10
Timeless · Quiet
Cuyana
women's refined basics
Premium Basics · United States
Cheaper, worse made
Quality
8/10
Price
$$
Design
7 of 10
Reputation
6 of 10
Timeless · Quiet
CDLP
minimal underwear and loungewear
Premium Basics · Sweden
Cheaper, worse made
Quality
8/10
Price
$$
Design
7 of 10
Reputation
6 of 10
Timeless · Quiet
Mackintosh
Underratedraincoats and outerwear
Heritage Workwear · United Kingdom
Pricier, same quality
Quality
9.5/10
Price
$$$$+
Design
7 of 10
Reputation
7 of 10
Timeless · Quiet
Lisa Yang
luxury cashmere
Quiet Luxury · Sweden
Pricier, worse made
Quality
9/10
Price
$$$$+
Design
7 of 10
Reputation
7 of 10
Timeless · Quiet