Historic British Brand Sunspel: The Secret Behind the Cool Touch of the "Ice Cotton Polo Shirt" Lies in Ultra-Fine Yarn

When the muggy, unpleasant season arrives, that's exactly when you want to wear performance clothing. Of course, you'd rather opt for something high-quality if given the choice.

This time, we interviewed Yaz Suzuki, Representative Director of Sunspel in Japan, about the "Ice Cotton Polo Shirt", which is perfect for the coming seasons. We dug into details like the material production process, the mechanism behind its cooling effect, and the brand's future plans.

A New Sunspel Standard: Stay Cool with Natural Materials

Since its founding in 1860, Sunspel has continued to create high-quality everyday clothing as a prestigious British brand. It's renowned for making the world’s first luxury T-shirt and popularizing boxer shorts globally.

Among its offerings, the production of the Classic T-shirt is fully handmade by artisans at factories in the UK—a single shirt encapsulates the brand’s time-honored craftsmanship.

Embracing that tradition, one of Sunspel’s new items for the Spring/Summer 2025 season is the "Ice Cotton Polo Shirt".

With the global heatwaves intensifying year after year, brands everywhere have been racing to release cooling wear using the latest technologies and materials.

However, this "Ice Cotton Polo Shirt" being introduced today is distinct in its use of only natural materials. Let's explore how this shirt achieves its uniquely cool touch without resorting to synthetic fibers.

Traditionally, Sunspel has placed utmost importance on the flexibility and delicacy of their fabrics. However, the focus of this material shifted towards coolness, which initially sparked debate within the company when product development began.

Yet, with the pace of global warming accelerating, the decision was made to develop products aimed at providing greater comfort in hot conditions. To that end, the brand set out to create a polo shirt that would be comfortable even in heat and humidity—thus development began.

“While researching materials, we discovered 'Ice Cotton,' developed by the esteemed Swiss mill 'Spoerry' between the early 2000s and 2010. Our design team began developing summer-oriented products using this innovative material.

'Ice Cotton' features a unique structure: the use of tightly twisted 'high-twist yarn' made from cotton and a loosely knit fabric. This construction enhances breathability and thermoregulation, producing an instant cool-touch sensation—known as ‘contact cooling’—when the material comes in contact with skin.

The name for this fabric is quite literal, inspired by the cooling effect itself."

It’s also highly durable, maintaining its functionality and shape even after multiple washes.

“The supremely comfortable, cool touch is something you’ll understand when you try it on for yourself—we highly recommend experiencing it firsthand.”

To begin with, "Ice Cotton" refers to an ultra-lightweight yarn: super fine gauge Supima cotton—silky like silk—is subjected to a strong twisting process (high-twist), resulting in a unique lightweight thread.

This twisting technique ensures excellent breathability and easy temperature regulation, resulting in a breezy, cooling feel.

By densely twisting the Supima cotton, the fabric develops Ice Cotton’s signature dry, crisp texture.

The strong twisting also creates a clean finish on the yarn surface, giving the 100% natural material a technical fabric-like feel.

Proposing the Appeal of Wearing Premium Everyday Clothing with Sunspel

The design and silhouette of the "Ice Cotton Polo Shirt" are, simply put, timeless basics that have been loved for many years. The silhouette maintains a classic impression that never goes out of style, and it is finished along the same lines as Sunspel's iconic standard series.

"Not only is the knit incredibly delicate and clean, but to enhance its refined mood even further, elegant mother-of-pearl buttons have been used."

The "Ice Cotton Polo Shirt" stands out best when worn simply, to highlight the quality of its materials. The elegant presence of this shirt makes it look effortlessly stylish, even on its own.

"As a fine gauge, short-sleeve knit polo, it’s extremely versatile and perfect to wear by itself during the summer. We suggest styling it with tailored shorts or trousers.

On cool spring days, you can layer it over a classic lightweight T-shirt and combine it with light-colored twill pants or chinos for an elevated look."

The online shop is currently the main sales channel, but you can also find it at Hankyu Men's Osaka and Isetan Shinjuku Men's Building in Japan. Even wider availability is expected moving forward.

"We're eager to open our own shops soon, creating spaces where customers can always see Sunspel's full lineup for themselves.

Of course, along with this latest Ice Cotton Polo Shirt, our range includes the classic T-shirt, the Riviera Polo Shirt famously worn by James Bond, boxer shorts, and other high-quality everyday pieces fit for refined tastes. We hope everyone gets to experience their exceptional feel against the skin."

Sunspel has long been appreciated for its superb materials and enduring comfort. Unfortunately, a culture of valuing great innerwear has yet to take strong hold in Japan. However, as Sunspel continues to gain traction, it's likely this will reshape the values of Japanese men in the near future.