A Royal British Heritage

A remarkable British heritage.

Swaine Adeney Brigg - one of England's finest traditional makers and retailers of equestrian and country clothing, leather goods and umbrellas, established in 1750. 

An exclusive London retailer with an international reputation.
Situated at the heart of historic St James’s, just a Brigg's umbrella throw from The Ritz London, you'll find us in gentrified St James's. One of London's most quintessentially elegant areas, St James's SW1A (and bordering Pall Mall) are home to famous London gentlemen's clubs: Boodle’s, Whites, Brooks's, The Athenaeum, The Reform Club and the original St James's Club.

A few paces away lies Jermyn Street - where tailors outiftted the aristocracy at the nearby Court of St James's Palace. Here, long-established English shirt and suit makers, Dunhill, Thomas Pink, Hilditch & Key, fill their windows with rich silks and crisp cottons. As you turn the corner into Jermyn Street (passing Davidoff opposite us with its famous cigar collection) and head towards The Haymarket, the rich scents from Floris the perfumier waft ahead to greet you.

For visitors to London's West End searching for exclusive gifts and tax free luxury goods, this is heaven on earth! A far cry from shopping in Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus, this is all that "me time" is meant to be. Few crowds, courteous and attentive staff in exclusive stores and the pick of one-off designer pieces from luxury labels. 

No. 54 St James's Street is the West End showroom of Swaine Adeney Brigg. Step inside to find fine leather goods, handmade luggage, exclusive travel goods and the most British of umbrellas in the world - the famous Brigg umbrella.

With no pressure and no rush, you are invited to browse. Our Central London store provides the perfect relaxed environment for deliberating between a rich chestnut leather or a classic dark London tan on that attaché case, document cases, or luggage...

A Brigg Umbrella for British elegance. (And for our weather.)

London's pea soup fogs are fortunately nowadays only found in Sherlock Holmes mysteries. But rain does still stop play at Lords and at Wimbledon. We know that it's a national failing, but rainy days really are very British.

Why not embrace Britishness? Go forth armed with a Thomas Brigg umbrella! Briggs umbrellas have served Queen and Country impeccably for 250 years.

With beautifully burnished wooden handles, lustrous sterling silver nose caps and the finest hand woven silks, a Brigg umbrella is as English as the Eton Collar or the Bowler Hat.

Still carried by the City Gent, a Bigg umbrella is a badge of office. Just like the character Steed in the classic TV series The Avengers, a City Gent would never be seen without his classic Whangee umbrella. Some things are simply not done.

"I'd like you to listen to this umbrella."
Emma Peel. "The Avengers"

A Royal History Lesson

In the year 1750 John Ross founded a Whipmaking business at 238 Piccadilly, London W.1. James Swaine later purchased this business in 1798, having for some years been foreman of a successful whip making business in Holborn. A royal appointment to His Majesty King George III and to his sons, The Prince of Wales and the Dukes of York, Clarence, Kent, Cumberland and Cambridge quickly followed and Swaine Adeney’s reputation for quality and excellence was established.

The Royal appointments were renewed in the reigns of His Majesty George IV and His Majesty William IV. In the year 1835, James Swaine moved his business to larger premises at 185 Piccadilly. The business continued to flourish and in 1845 Edward Swaine took his nephew into partnership and Swaine Adeney was born.

An International Stage 

In 1851, Swaine Adeney decided to put its fine products on show to the world at the London Exhibition held at the newly constructed Crystal Palace. The Exhibition was the largest the world had ever seen (attracting over six million visitors to a space four times the size of St. Peter’s in Rome). Swaine Adeney won several prize medals at the London Exhibition, prompting us to show our fine goods at the Paris Exhibition of 1900 (at which further medals followed). Swaine Adeney’s reputation was now growing on a worldwide stage as the finest producer of leather goods.

Thomas Brigg and Son’s was established in 1836 at No. 23 St. James’s Street a stone's throw from Swaine Adeney Brigg's present location. The company specialised in the manufacture of the finest umbrellas, walking sticks and hunting crops. The store soon became a bastion of elegance for the fops and dandies of the day, who could not be seen come rain or shine without a fine umbrella.

By Royal Appointment

In 1893, Thomas Brigg and Sons received its first Royal Appointment from Her Majesty Queen Victoria and became the first umbrella maker ever to be honoured with an appointment. Further Royal Appointments were also bestowed by Her Majesty Queen Victoria and by His Majesty Edward VII.

During the Second World War, Brigg & Sons lost its Paris shop when France was occupied. Back home in London, help was at hand in the form of Swaine Adeney: the two firms joined forces mid-war in February 1943, to form Swaine Adeney Brigg & Sons Limited. 

Brigg umbrellas continue to keep Britain's Royal Family dry to this day.

A Calling Card

No. 54 St. James's Street London is still the choice of royals, ambassadors and business leaders worldwide. For those unable to visit us in person, we bring you Swaine Adeney Brigg on-line. It's the next best thing to seeing you in SW1A - and of course we hope that you'll call on us when next in town.

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