Paul Weller's 150 Candy shirts avoid a dutty fate
After designing a range of polo shirts for Fred Perry and shoes for Hudson, Paul Weller's latest launch, the Candy shirt has almost sold out with just a handful of the 150 individually-numbered shirts left in stock at the Ben Sherman flagship shop in Carnaby Street. Unlike recent limited edition releases - Anya Hindmarch's Sainsbury's bag - Weller's designer duds have avoided being hijacked by re-sellers.
The 150 shirts went on sale priced £120 in individual boxes accompanied by letters of authenticity at the Ben Sherman flagship on April 25th. On Wednesday May 9 there were 9 left in stock: two pink/white size small , two pink/white mediums and five blue/white size small. Many buyers have been purchasing the shirts one size-up as it was designed on a slim block. No shirts have been sold by Ben Sherman online and only a few of the limite edition Candy shirts have so far appeared on ebay.
The shirt is based on the Ben Sherman he was given by Love Affair singer Steve Ellis. "I wore it at Glastonbury in '94. A proper Sixties one, beautiful – turquoise with chocolate-brown stripes." The limited edition shirts have button-down collars, double cuffs and a back pleat made in England from 100% Oxford cotton and are hand-finished in Brighton, the home of Mr Ben Sherman himself.
Alongside the numbered Candy shirts, Ben Sherman has also released Candy shirts in its mainline collection. Priced £55 they are being sold at Ben Sherman stockists across the UK (but have sold out on the Ben Sherman website) and we're told they will not be re-issued. Not every one of the 150 shirts went into Carnaby Street though because the website has one up-for-grabs in a competition which ends May 31st.
The success of the Weller Candy shirts echoes the Fred Perry launch last summer when 10,000 people signed-up online for the opportunity to buy one of 750 polo shirts designed by Weller who gave a cut from each sale to The 100 Club.
Words: Marian Buckley.
Photo: Lawrence Watson.
Ben Sherman stockists, telephone 0283 832 4121.
Recommended reading: My Favourite Shirt - A History of Ben Sherman Style by Paolo Hewitt & Terry Rawlings.
Enter the Ben Sherman Candy shirt competition here.
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"Weller's designer duds have avoided being hijacked by re-sellers."
They only resell what will make money, Ben Sherman shirts aren't that hot, having something in a limited edition doesn't make it desirable.
S'all about our history man.
Well said Noble, Ben Sherman is proper historic. Not sure if you'll be able to get hold of that colour combination though...
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Editor of fuk.co.uk
knew i shouldnt of 'snoozed'...i was on these the day they hit the b.s site. 
(goes off to watch quadrophenia again to ease the pain)
Quadrophenia - according to Paul Gorman's The Look, Lloyd Johnson and Roger Bruton who supplied the wardrobe were "let down with the way the clothes came out in the film.They had actors in NATO raincoats and other things which were totally wrong. Jack and Roger made full-length suede coats with leather collars and pocket flaps in maroon, navy blue, brown and black, which were dead right for the time. The producers refused to believe that people would have worn them so they weren't used."
Not to spoil an ace film...
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Editor of fuk.co.uk
Still fancied Lesley Ash something rotten tho.
Those shirts look so nice....i did a picture of both in the 'yay or nay' thread a while back....might grab one (the pictured one here) before they sell out.