History

Cousins Annie Pettersson and Febe Lidar began sewing dresses in a small workshop in Gånghester, just outside Borås, Sweden’s heritage textile region. They operated under the company name Lidar & Pettersson.

Annie Pettersson and her Husband David Pettersson take over management of the company and changes its name to Syfabriken Special (The Special Sewing Factory).

A property in Gånghester is acquired, which remains the location of our headquarters to this day.

The business increasingly specializes in men’s shirts, both as a supplier for others and in catering to its own sales.

Annie sums up the Eton philosophy in a sentence that continues to inspire everything we do:

Never hand over a shirt until you are completely satisfied with it.

The business takes a strategic decision to focus solely on shirts, primarily poplin shirts.

Rune and Arne Davidson, sons of Annie and David, embarked on an inspirational journey to England. Their travels brought them to the storied town of Eton. Charmed by its enchanting history, they returned to Sweden with a name that would define a new product:

The Eton Shirt.

With the success of the “Eton shirt” the company adopts Eton as its new name.

A new factory is built within the headquarters in Gånghester, which remains the central hub of Eton’s operations to this day.

Eton expands beyond Sweden, starting with exclusive retail stores in London, one of the capitals of menswear. Followed by openings in Scandinavia, Germany, and France.

Inefficient fabric handling at Eton prompts Inge Davidson, son of founders David and Annie, to create an automated assembly line. This innovation not only boosts Eton’s competitiveness but also revolutionizes the entire clothing industry.

Eton gradually expands, establishing new long-term partnerships in various markets and with suppliers, laying the groundwork for future success.

Eton decides to try something new: designing women’s as well as men’s shirts, with the same focus on quality and design. The women’s line is produced for a decade, leaving behind a rich heritage of patterns and prints that still inspire new collections.

The launch of a new, bold plan: to establish Eton as the leading Swedish shirt brand. Eton’s shirts are soon found in many of Europe’s most exclusive department stores. A new slogan says emerges:

No other shirt is sewn with greater care.

The introduction of our most iconic shirt: a sharp, wrinkle-free dress shirt crafted from our Signature Twill – a fabric known for its durability, beautiful luster, and soft drape.

Launch of the dress shirt collar, featuring distinctly elegantly collar roll. The manufacturing process includes a seven-part construction including interlining, double-fused at high temperatures for exceptional quality.

Eton pioneers the Eton Etastar, the first-ever wrinkle-free cotton shirt, as luxurious as our other shirts, if not more. The finishing process enhances the fabric's luster and durability. Harrods was the first to launch the new shirt, inspiring the heritage department store to initiate the shirt’s first-ever advertising campaign.

Eton designed and donated a shirt to Elizabeth Taylor’s AIDS Foundation, gaining the attention of celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, who were seen wearing Eton at the Oscars. Our presence expanded to prestigious department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

Eton launches its own brand stores, with the first opening on Kingsway in London. Stores in the US and Continental Europe are set to follow.

Drawing inspiration from shirt trimmings—those small details that make a difference, such as piping, buttons, and thread—we introduce our inaugural menswear accessories collection.

Eton opens flagship stores, with the first one located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Exclusive locations in Stockholm and London follow suit.

Eton opens the doors to its own exclusive online flagship store: etonshirts.com

We introduce the world’s first crease-resistant flannel—soft and brushed, yet sharply wrinkle-free. Additionally, we celebrate the achievement of creating wrinkle-free linen, a challenging endeavor given linen's natural propensity for creases.

As part of our commitment to the future, we release our first-ever sustainability report, with yearly reports to follow, for transparency and to document our progress.

We launch the new Eton polo shirt, featuring a uniquely sharp collar. It is crafted from a relaxed basket weave piqué with a fluid, lightweight feel.

Celebrating the quality and longevity of our shirts, as well as our unique approach to cooperation with our suppliers, we launch new sustainability goals. Among these goals, we aim to achieve 100% organic cotton or better by 2025 and to become climate-neutral by 2035.

We were excited to finally introduce the shirts we are so proud of to Japan and Korea.

As Eton moves into the future, both as a company and as a brand, our heritage of craftsmanship and commitment to quality continues to be the foundation behind our pursuit of innovation and excellence.