The Explorer

How Jake’s turned admiration into craftsmanship

I’ve always admired Jake’s shirts. But when I saw he’d given one of his beautiful shirts to a true hero of mine, I had to talk to him.

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I was probably about eight years old when I saw Life of Brian on TV, and it completely changed me. Before I was a menswear nerd, I was a comedy nerd. Monty Python was my religion. I laughed at jokes I didn’t quite understand, and it taught me so much subconsciously about things I knew little about—odd bits of history, art, literature, and more. Michael Palin has always been my favourite Python.

Me with Michael Palin, I’m probably at 20 years old here. Me and my friend suddenly saw him appear in the distance before a show and very nervously asked him for a picture - hence the shaky camera!

I’ve known Jake Wigham a little while now—I interviewed him for a radio show a few years ago, and I DJ’d alongside him not long after.

He’s a really nice guy with a tonne of enthusiasm for creating the best possible garment with his own two hands. That dedication brings with it a wealth of knowledge. So rather than me telling you all about it, let’s hear from the man himself.

Let’s start with Jakes itself. When you first set up your studio, what did you hope to offer that other brands weren’t?

I’d been collecting vintage shirts since my early teens. And because of my height (I’m 6 foot 4), I always struggled to find long-sleeve shirts that actually fit me properly.

When I started making my own shirts in my early twenties, I pulled together everything I’d learned from those vintage examples and combined all the details I loved into my own interpretation.

I like to think we make something that others don’t really offer.

Jakes has always felt more like a creative studio than a fashion label. Has that been a conscious approach, or just the way you naturally work?

My approach is just to make things to the best standard we can. We only use reputable cloth merchants and the best trimmings we can possibly get.

Obviously, the brand is completely mine, but ideas come from all kinds of people and places, and I always appreciate input from friends and peers.

There’s a clear thread of subcultures, music, and film in what you make. Are you someone who collects references, or do the ideas just come as you’re making?

I’ve always had a massive passion for youth subcultures since I was a teenager. I think it’s got to the point now where I’ve gathered so many resources in my head that it all just comes naturally.

Things like films, album covers, old images, and adverts are always feeding into it.

When you’re designing something new, where does it usually start—a fabric, a reference, a feeling?

It can start with a fabric swatch, a vintage advert or image, or even just seeing someone in the street wearing something interesting.

I’ve been watching The X-Files quite a lot recently and absolutely love the big ’90s fits, especially on Mulder and Skinner.

There’s a clarity to your shirts—every detail feels like it’s earned its place. What’s your process when it comes to refining a garment?

It definitely comes from collecting. I don’t actually own many vintage shirts anymore because I’ve gradually replaced them with my own.

But I do look very deeply into garment construction and details—always have!

Do you think about how your pieces will be worn in five or ten years? How they’ll soften, fade, or even be repaired?

I still wear quite a lot of things I made five or even ten years ago. Most of the time, they get better with age.

I’ve got some cotton trousers I made years ago that are so nicely beaten in. The same goes for the Oxford shirts. Everything looks better after plenty of washes and wears, in my opinion.

You work with traditional materials and hands-on processes. What’s one element of making clothes that you think people overlook?

I think a lot of shirt companies don’t get their stitch density correct. There are also loads of corners cut when it comes to mass production.

We make every shirt one by one and don’t cut any corners.

Let’s talk about the Explorer shirt. Where did that idea start? Was there a specific kind of shirt you wanted to bring back?

The idea was actually Alex Natt’s—my good friend and photographer. He brought an image of Michael Palin to me, and we made him the first sample about five years ago.

We didn’t actually produce the shirt for customers until about a year ago, so it was a properly tried-and-tested style.

What was it like handing the shirt to someone who’d inspired it? And more broadly—what does it mean to see something you’ve made worn by people you admire?

It was a really nice full-circle moment for me, and something I’m really proud of.

It was made even better being able to do it alongside Alex, who’s a huge Palin fan and was the person who brought this specific style to my attention.

Last one—favourite Michael Palin moment? Could be Python, could be him getting lost in the Andes…

I’ve been rewatching Around the World in 80 Days recently on iPlayer, and it’s just full of wicked fits from Palin.

Most are obviously of their time (late ’80s), but I love the functionality of the outfits he puts together. A big-fit Oxford with big pockets, wide-cut chinos, a light summer sport coat, and comfy white trainers.

I’m actually wearing an outfit not too dissimilar as I type!

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Two worlds have really collided for me here, and I couldn’t be happier about it. A British national treasure meets one of the most skilled hands in shirtmaking today—and not just in spirit, but in actual stitches.

There’s something really special about seeing your passions overlap like this—comedy, craftsmanship, and culture all woven together.

A huge thank you to Jake for chatting with me, and congratulations on this great achievement.

You can shop the collection, including the Explorer Shirt here.