The British summer calendar is filled with weddings, sporting events and outdoor entertaining. Charles Tyrwhitt and Laithwaites have joined forces on a collaboration designed around those occasions. Rather than launching an exclusive collection, the partnership combines seasonal menswear with a selection of wines. The campaign offers ideas for everything from garden parties to formal celebrations.
The campaign also includes a competition, in-store experiences and a curated style guide. More importantly, it highlights the similarities between the two businesses. Both have spent decades building expertise in their respective fields. Charles Tyrwhitt is known for shirts and tailoring. Laithwaites has built its reputation on sourcing wines directly from producers. Both remain family-owned and continue to focus on quality and customer service.
The timing is significant. Summer remains one of the busiest trading periods for both menswear and wine retailers, with demand driven by weddings, sporting fixtures, holidays and outdoor entertaining.
Two businesses built on heritage and expertise
Although they operate in different sectors, Charles Tyrwhitt and Laithwaites have a lot in common.
Nicholas Wheeler founded Charles Tyrwhitt in 1986 as a shirt specialist. Since then, the company has expanded into tailoring, knitwear, footwear and casualwear. The business remains privately owned and today operates more than 100 stores worldwide. It is recognised for classic menswear, practical fabric innovation and an emphasis on fit rather than fast-changing fashion trends.
Laithwaites has an even longer history. Tony Laithwaite founded the business in 1969 after importing wines directly from small producers in Bordeaux. More than 50 years later, direct sourcing still sits at the heart of the company. Alongside its international portfolio, Laithwaites has expanded its English wine offering, with Harrow & Hope becoming one of its best-known home-grown producers.
The collaboration brings together two businesses whose customers often shop for the same occasions.
A style guide built around summer occasions
Charles Tyrwhitt and Laithwaites have organised the collaboration around different moments in the summer calendar. The focus is on occasions rather than individual products. Each outfit is matched with a wine selected to complement the occasion. Together, they create a seasonal guide rather than a traditional product launch.
The result is a collection of practical recommendations that cover everything from relaxed daytime gatherings to weddings, with the emphasis placed on breathable fabrics, versatile tailoring and wines suited to warmer weather.
Garden parties: breathable linen and English sparkling wine
The first look embraces one of Charles Tyrwhitt’s strongest summer fabrics. A relaxed cotton-linen short-sleeved shirt pairs with linen shorts and lightweight slip-on shoes, creating an outfit designed for informal outdoor occasions.
Linen remains a key part of the retailer’s warm-weather collection. Its open weave improves airflow, while its natural fibres absorb moisture and soften over time. Those qualities have made it a reliable choice for summer tailoring, especially for consumers looking to balance comfort with a smart appearance.
Laithwaites matches the look with Kew Gardens Blanc de Cabernet Brut. Produced in England, it offers fresh citrus flavours, red berry notes and crisp acidity. It works well with lighter dishes and relaxed afternoon gatherings.
Smart casual dressing for evenings in the city
For rooftop gatherings and after-work drinks, the collaboration takes a more contemporary approach.
A textured jacquard shirt is styled with Charles Tyrwhitt’s Ultimate Non-Iron Wicking Chinos, which combine crease-resistant fabric with moisture-management technology. The trousers stay comfortable throughout the day while maintaining a clean appearance. They suit occasions that move from the office into the evening.
Rather than recommending another sparkling wine, Laithwaites has chosen L’Occhiolino, a lightly sparkling red from Italy that is traditionally served chilled. While sparkling reds remain less familiar than rosé in the UK, they have become increasingly popular during summer thanks to their lighter body and bright fruit profile.
Dressing for a day at the cricket
Cricket has long been part of the British summer social calendar, with many spectators opting for clothing that is both smart and practical.
Charles Tyrwhitt’s recommendation reflects that balance. A breathable linen shirt sits beneath a lightweight merino sweater for cooler spells. Five-pocket trousers offer a more relaxed alternative to formal chinos. The combination works equally well for a full day at the ground or an evening in the clubhouse afterwards.
The suggested wine is Hunter’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024. Produced in one of New Zealand’s best-known wine regions, it delivers the citrus, passion fruit and gooseberry notes that have made Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc one of the UK’s most popular white wine styles.
Tailoring takes centre stage for the wedding season
Wedding season is a natural focus for Charles Tyrwhitt, with the style guide recommending sharkskin and Italian suits for grooms, styled with a white twill shirt, grenadine silk tie and suede penny loafers. Guests, meanwhile, are encouraged to opt for lightweight linen tailoring paired with non-iron poplin shirts and linen-blend ties for a more relaxed look.
The outfits are complemented by Harrow & Hope Sparkling Brut No. 9, an English sparkling wine produced in Marlow by Henry and Kaye Laithwaite using the traditional method. As part of the collaboration, customers attending wedding appointments at Charles Tyrwhitt’s Jermyn Street flagship will also be served a glass of Harrow & Hope in the executive lounge while discussing tailoring options with the store’s specialists.
A competition brings the collaboration to life
Alongside the style guide, the brands have launched a competition centred on summer entertaining.
One winner will receive two complete linen outfits from Charles Tyrwhitt following a personal styling appointment, together with 24 bottles from Laithwaites’ summer wine collection. Several runners-up will also receive the limited-edition “Case of Good Taste”, bringing together a selection of wines chosen for the season.
The competition reflects the campaign’s wider focus on helping customers prepare for summer occasions rather than promoting individual products.
More than a marketing partnership
For Charles Tyrwhitt and Laithwaites, the collaboration builds on strengths both businesses have developed over decades. They remain family-owned, have built expertise in their respective fields and share a customer base that shops for many of the same occasions, from weddings and garden parties to days at the cricket.
Instead of introducing a new product range, the campaign shines a light on collections and wines already central to each brand. Charles Tyrwhitt showcases its seasonal linen and tailoring collections, while Laithwaites highlights bottles selected for different occasions.
The addition of in-store experiences, styling appointments and a competition helps bring those products together in a practical way. Instead of encouraging customers to shop for clothing or wine separately, the collaboration presents both as part of the same experience.
Entries close on 9 July 2026, with the competition reflecting the campaign’s wider focus on helping customers prepare for summer occasions rather than promoting individual products.
For more information, visit charlestyrwhitt.com
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All images courtesy of Charles Tyrwhitt and Laithwaites.