Our Clothing

Founded on friendship

Cotton Traders was founded in 1987 by two former England rugby captains, Fran Cotton and Steve Smith. During their heyday, playing in Bill Beaumont’s Grand Slam winning side of 1980, broad shoulders were an on-pitch advantage, but made buying everyday clothes a little awkward. So together, they set out to create quality casuals to fit all shapes and sizes, with a quality that only gets better with age.

Built on quality

Now into their fifth decade of friendship and our fourth decade of Cotton Traders, the company is about much more than rugby, although the commitment the guys showed on the pitch is evident in our pursuit of excellence and the incredible quality, style and value of our casuals, from our famous piques to our hardwearing rugby shirts, and the old classics to our contemporary women’s collections.

Cotton on to comfort

Our clothes are made to be lived in and loved for a long time, and you can be sure that we’ll never settle for second best. We go to great lengths to source skin-kind cotton that’s naturally breathable and comfortable, with a rainbow of colours and a huge selection of sizes to choose from – so whether you’re an XS or a 5XL, you’ll find something to suit you.

Want to know more about the team’s journey so far? Explore our Timeline

Read about our Corporate Responsibility here

Or shop with the click of a button online…