A man whose reputation precedes him, we’re honoured to introduce you Mr. Tom Purdey, the inspiration behind our new House tweed.

Tom was the chief salesman for Purdey for over 30 years, selling not only to British and European clients, but travelling the length and breadth of America from the Roaring Twenties to the Golden Age of the 1950s, a time of great transformation.

With a gregarious personality, Tom is amongst the most magnetic characters in Purdey history; he attended and held infamous parties, sharing a dram with several of the 20th century’s biggest names.

In 1936, Tom wrote The Shot Gun with his brother Jim, which gives a wonderful insight into their characters – one of his pearls of wisdom advises the reader to carry a flask of “cold tea” (a pseudonym for whisky, Tom’s drink of choice) and exercise care as to whom it was offered to!

“Clothes should be the best your pocket can afford.
Let them be quiet in colour, and have them loose.
Don’t wear light coloured shirts and bright colours
– birds see about a hundred percent more than we do.”

- TOM PURDEY, THE SHOTGUN 1936

“Among the most magnetic characters in Purdey history, and one that many of the team would still love to share a drink with, Tom Purdey was a natural choice. With a gregarious personality, he was a discerning man of great taste and considered a leading tweed aesthete of his time. His classic and refined personal style had the versatility to take him from days outdoors in the Highlands to infamous parties across the pond; Tom mixed in some very interesting circles. It’s this balance of sophistication and high spirits that we wanted to capture in the creation of the new House tweed.”

- GILES DEACON, PURDEY CREATIVE DIRECTOR