Sophie English has always had a career as a clothes designer, from wedding dresses to bespoke corporate uniforms. The idea of eco towelling beachwear had been her dream for a while, but it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that she had the chance to slow down and think about designing the kind of clothes that she wanted to wear. She retreated to her Sussex studio to find creative inspiration, and her eponymous brand was born.
Sophie, congratulations on such a beautiful and fun range of towelling beachwear. Tell us about your inspirations for So English.
From a young age, I’ve had a love affair with towelling. I remember my mother and her stylish friends in the 1970s wearing vibrant dresses. The colours and prints were so vivid and memorable.
Towelling was just the best thing for the British beach – holidays abroad were not so accessible then. Straight out of the sea and no actual towel required!
I love a retro vibe and have been collecting 60s and 70s towelling from around the world for many years. A bit like a Magpie, I collect inspiration from all over the place, flicking through racks of vintage clothes, old films or watching people on the beach. The brand is simple, bold and most importantly comfortable.
That glorious feeling of clambering out of the sea and being wrapped in cotton towelling is a memory etched into my mind.
I wanted to create an easy, yet stylish way to get warm and dry after a bracing dip in the Channel. It means freedom, no struggling with wet costumes or trying to protect your modesty – just on with the dress.
Are they designed for all shapes and sizes?
There are several sizes, with the cut being generous and designed to slip over wet skin. I didn’t want anyone getting hung up on their back neck size label, so decided to use a colour tab instead – far more pleasing!
The palette is magnificent. Seeing and wearing colours is so feel-good, isn’t it? Do you wear bright colours yourself?
I love green and orange and blue and teaming them with neutral colours such as navy and almond to tone it down a bit. The goal is to make things look lovely and feel great.
What is your favourite piece from the range and why?
I love all the robes and there is a piece of me in every So English design. But this season I have been road testing and loving the Kiss dress. With a long and short version in several colours, it just feels right. It has roomy, elbow-length sleeves with enough space to wriggle your arms, which makes it warm but cool enough to wear up to 30C. It’s elegant and practical and has been my go-to this summer.
Tell us about your So Classic range and your So Limited ranges.
All the So English garments are made from Italian towelling and feature details such as vintage-inspired printed collars, drawstring waists and cotton drill piping that can be washed over and over without fraying.
The classic range is always available but each summer I produce a Limited Edition robe inspired by a piece from my vintage towelling collection. In 2023 it was the Emerson print dress, a ‘flowered up’ design, uniquely screen printed in the UK.
Towelling is built to last and gets better as it gets weathered. Is this the key to the sustainability of your garments, the idea you don’t need them in every colour and cut, and that one is enough?
Yes, I’m a super fan of slow fashion, a mindful way of shopping with a transparent supply chain. Our high-quality garments are manufactured here in the UK in limited runs by small factories and skilled local machinists.
They are designed to be worn season after season and washed at 30 degrees, and our towelling doesn’t go crunchy after washing. With a lot of use, a robe might get a bit worn but that’s part of the patina – they will last a long time.
With the explosion of cold-water swimming and ice baths, has your business boomed along with it?
There was a lot of press and social media around the benefits of swimming during the pandemic and I think that has carried over. Also, I think more people choosing to stay in the UK for their holidays has had an impact.
Customers buy the So English beachwear for swimming and water pursuits and then discover that the cotton double-sided towelling feels lovely next to the skin and comfortable to wear during the day. It’s about lifestyle, after a shower, pottering around the house or just flinging on when you don’t know what else to wear!
How often do you go cold water swimming? And what is your response, mentally and physically?
Having moved out of London and now based in Sussex, we’re only a half-hour’s cycle to the coast. It’s easy to whip down to the coast for a quick swim, have a coffee then get fish and chips on the way home. It’s a great escape, and I find it very restorative.
Swimming in sea water is very therapeutic and great for your skin. The calming effect of the sound of the waves, the salty water or simply time away from my phone, it’s as close to nature as possible.
I’m more of a warm water swimmer, but I am slowly extending the season. I swim locally at the beaches here in Sussex. Maybe this year I’ll take the plunge after November!
To find out about the So English range, go to their website and follow them on Instagram. Sign up to our newsletter here.
