Name: Thomas Mason
Founded: 1796 by Sir Thomas Mason in Leeds, Lancashire, England
Headquarters: Albino, Bergamo, Italy (heritage rooted in England; production now under Albini Group)
Quick Facts
Specialty |
Luxury cotton shirting fabrics – crisp poplins, twills, oxfords, and fine jacquards with British-inspired patterns and colorways |
Range / Collections |
Silverline (accessible luxury), Goldline (premium bespoke-quality shirtings), Journey (easy-care), Wrinkle Free, and Archive-inspired limited editions |
Product Types |
High-thread-count cotton fabrics, 2-ply yarn shirtings, stretch blends, and fine poplins for bespoke and ready-to-wear tailoring |
Archive Size |
Over 700 volumes of historic fabric designs dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries |
Reputation |
One of the world's oldest and most respected shirting brands; favored by heritage tailors such as Turnbull & Asser and global luxury houses |
Mill History
Thomas Mason was established in 1796 in Lancashire during the early years of the Industrial Revolution as one of the first factories dedicated to producing fine cotton shirting fabrics. From the outset, its fabrics were prized by London's West End tailors and the upper echelons of British society.
Over the 19th and early 20th centuries, Thomas Mason built a reputation for refined weave quality and stylish, striking shirting patterns. In 1936, the brand became the exclusive fabric supplier to Turnbull & Asser, the renowned London shirtmaker favored by the British royal family. During World War I, Thomas Mason contributed experimental fabric technologies (e.g. waterproof, fireproof, camouflaged cotton) to the war effort.
In 1992, Thomas Mason was acquired by the European shirting fabric manufacturer Albini Group of Bergamo, Italy. Under Albini's stewardship, Thomas Mason's archives were transferred to Italy, and the brand's design ethos has been preserved while leveraging Albini's technical and finishing capacity.
Today, Thomas Mason fabrics are produced in Albini's integrated facilities, using fine raw cottons with precision finishing and careful quality control. The brand is known for its iconic shirting collections and for combining British style heritage with Italian textile execution.
Why We Love Thomas Mason
Thomas Mason is one of the finest mills in our shirting collection, falling in the luxury range of our selection. They're excellent at creating a very soft finish for an extremely elegant looking shirt. Their cloths are very refined, but they also do basics like solids, blues, whites, and pinks very well.
If solids feel too safe for you, Thomas Mason is also exceptional at casual patterned shirting – they are famous for their tartans and madras cloths. Their signature patterns add interest and depth to a look, while still being refined and finished at the same level as the elegant, more formal fabrics in their collection.
While being on the higher end of Shepherd's shirting selection, our master fitters cannot overstate the quality of their cloth. Thomas Mason shirting wears, washes, and irons beautifully – they are very easy for a man on the go to take care of and maintain.