Fredrick John Perry was born on 18 may, 1909 in Stockport. He is one of the most celebrated British athletes of the 20th century who became famous for his powerful forehand shot which he often hit while running forward. For five decades Fred Perry has been the badge of British sub-culture. The origin of the Fred Perry brand began at the end of the 1940's when Tibby Wegner, a former Austrian footballer approached Fred with an idea for marketing a sweatband bearing the Fred Perry name. The original sweatband was made from bath towel material and weighed a ton but their redesigned product much light, soft and flexible. They convinced the top players at the best tournaments to wear the sweatbands on the court. It was a clever and successful marketing initiative. This marked the launch of the Fred Perry sportswear brand.

The Fred Perry clothing line has been popular for many years. In the mid 1950's and through the early 1960s many considered the Fred Perry brand of male tennis shirts to be one of the best available. The brand is well known for its laurel logo which appears on the left breast of tennis shirts. The Fred Perry laurel wreath has developed into one of the best and most instantly recognizable logos in the fashion world. Since winning Wimbledon in 1934 Fred had always worn the famous wreath and worn it with great pride. It is one of the most enduring and timeless logos in the world which is associated with authenticity, heritage and integrity. The Fred Perry shirt became a favored item of the skinheads. The shirt was not only flexible and high quality garment but the company had started adding piping to its collars and sleeves. The customers saw it, liked it and bought it.

The Fred Perry shirt straight away became the first crossover brand from sportswear to street wear. In 1977 a brand new look of the Fred Perry shirt came up in Manchester. Boys started calling themselves the Perry boys as they wore Fred Perry shirts with designer jeans, trainers and wedges. The Fred with its knitted cotton pique material and ability to retain shape became a valued item in everyone's wardrobe. It was perfect for dancing or simply standing around looking cool. Some of the famous people who have worn Fred Perry shirts are footballer Vinnie Jones, actor Ewan McGregor and musicians like Kelly Jones, Moby and Badly Drawn Boy. Today Fred Perry shops are located in London, Berlin, Nottingham, Tokyo, Osaka etc to name a few. As British street fashion influenced rest of the world, the Fred Perry shirt was worn in numerous countries around the globe. One thing has not changed, the brand still offers the same fabric as it was when the Fred Perry shirt was first launched, way back in 1952. The following statement was made by Britain's famous tennis player in the final years of his life, ' I have never worried that my name is better known worldwide, not for winning Wimbledon three times, but because of Fred Perry shirts and sportswear'.