Perry Ellis

Perry Ellis is best understood as an accessible American classic rather than a premium investment label. It carries a genuine fashion heritage — the founder won eight Coty Awards and a CFDA Award — but today it is positioned for everyday wear at approachable prices. For polos, casual shirts and basics it is a reliable choice; for higher-end tailoring, set your expectations accordingly.

For wardrobe staples on a budget, many shoppers find Perry Ellis worth it — the fit is often praised and the price points are friendly, which makes it popular with students and new professionals. Reviews are more mixed on heavier pieces like suits, where quality can vary by line. Treat the casual and shirting pieces as the sweet spot.

Perry Ellis was the American designer who founded the house — he started his own fashion company, Perry Ellis International, in 1978 and opened a showroom on New York's Seventh Avenue. He launched the Perry Ellis Menswear Collection and quickly became one of the most decorated names in American fashion before his death in May 1986. The brand still carries his name and design ethos.

Ellis described his aim as designing clothes that were more obtainable, more relaxed, but ultimately more stylish and witty. His colleague Richard Haines summed up the look as classic with a twist — recognisably American sportswear with a lighter, wittier edge. That approachable-but-considered spirit is still the brand's reference point.

In his lifetime the designer earned eight Coty American Fashion Critics' Awards between 1979 and 1984 and a Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Award in 1983, and he served as President of the CFDA in 1984. These are some of the most significant honours in American fashion. They underline that the label's roots are in serious design credibility, not just licensing.

Yes — Marc Jacobs designed for the house of Perry Ellis from 1988 to 1993, after Perry Ellis's death. Jacobs went on to start his own label and later became head designer at Louis Vuitton in Paris. It is a notable footnote that one of fashion's biggest names spent his early career shaping this brand.

The brand is owned by Perry Ellis International. It came under that ownership when Supreme Inc., a Miami-based textile concern run by George Feldenkreis, acquired the Perry Ellis brand in 1999 and renamed itself Perry Ellis International. The company has since grown into a large group, with annual revenues reported near a billion dollars in the 2020s.

Beyond the Perry Ellis label, Perry Ellis International has acquired a range of other brands, including Original Penguin and the golf brand Ping Collection. In 2003 it also acquired Salant, the company that had manufactured Perry Ellis clothing. So buying Perry Ellis means buying from a sizeable American apparel group with a multi-brand portfolio.

Created in 1986, the Perry Ellis Award — now known as the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award — honours emerging fashion designers, with David Cameron as its first recipient. Later winners have included Zac Posen, Derek Lam and Trovata. It is a lasting tribute that ties the brand's name to nurturing new design talent.

Perry Ellis began as a celebrated American designer house but is now positioned as an accessible, widely available brand rather than a luxury one. Where a high-end label competes on exclusivity and price, Perry Ellis competes on classic American style at approachable cost. Think of it as heritage design made for everyday wardrobes.