Charl Knitwear is putting the soul back into British Made.

A story of British heritage, manufacturing and the sea…

Charl Knitwear launches its first woven collection, made in Norfolk in the original Yarmouth Oilskins factory.

A long, straight road eastwards eventually leads to the sea in Great Yarmouth. This is the region where the Norfolk fishermen lived, working the surrounding waters, so it was the natural choice for producing the first Charl Sailor’s Stripe Dress and Sailor’s Smock top.

Yarmouth Oilskins have been making maritime clothing for more than a century, their heritage, expertise and passion is second to none, it also felt apt to make the woven pieces in my collection, in the town where the original Gansey knitters – the Scotch Fisher Girls created their iconic jumpers.

This is where you will still find the Yarmouth Oilskins factory, with its original Victorian shop front which now looks into the cutting room. This ramshackle building leads you up and down through rooms where sails were once made, down to cellars where the wicker fishing baskets were stored and up to the top floor where the seamstresses still sew, because this is where you’ll find the best light.

Each garment is cut and packaged up into a “kit” which is collected by each of the seamstresses who then transforms it into a finished garment. This way of making – where each person makes a whole garment from start to finish (rather than working on a production line on only one part of the process) means more satisfaction for the maker and ensures a continuity throughout the garment’s journey through the factory. 

This is where I wanted to make my new Sailor Stripe dress and Smock, in the capable hands of Sharon and Sophie and their team of female seamstresses. There will be more woven pieces arriving in time for the autumn and a new season, so that you can wear your jumpers, pullovers and cardigans with Norfolk dresses and tops all year round!

Making in Britain, and in this case Norfolk, is so important because it creates employment and investment in our local economies, empowering people and keeping local traditions and industries alive. In addition to our British Wool jumpers and British Wool Knitwear more generally, I’m so proud to be able to offer you British made dresses and British made tops now too!

Look out for the “Made in Britain” and “Heritage” stamps on the product pages in my collection.