Don't know anything about Andy Burnham, but I recognize the room in the middle photo. That's Private White VC. Let me…

Don't know anything about Andy Burnham, but I recognize the room in the middle photo. That's Private White VC. Let me tell you about them. 🧵

Billy Misanthrope@notesfromspain · Jul 26, 2026

This is an outrage. Everyone knows that to qualify as left wing, you have to wear patched hand-me-downs, jackets made from sackcloth, coarse woollen trousers and beechwood clogs.

When British economist Alfred Marshall looked out of his window in the late-19th century, he saw a country full of clothing and textile production. In the Scottish Border towns up north, weavers and knitters were making tweeds and cashmere out of local and native wools.

In the London district known as Spitalfields, the descendants of French refugees toiled over looms to make some of the world’s finest silks. Once woven, these materials were often sent to Macclesfield, where they were printed by hand.

Manchester proved especially good for textile production, as the local waterways not only helped power early mills, but also provided soft water to wash and bleach cotton. By the early 20th cent, the city produced so much of the world's cotton fabric, it was known as Cottonopolis

But with time, cotton production here declined for various reasons. Importing raw material from distant places became increasingly expensive. The UK also slowly shifted to a post-industrial economy. Additionally, other places were simply more efficient, so Brits imported fabric.

If you visit Manchester today, you will see hints of this history, but much of the economy now — like many metro areas — is concentrated in professional services, media, education, healthcare, and tech. In this sense, Private White VC is the exception.

In 2008, James Eden left his career in finance to buy an ailing raincoat factory in Salford, just outside of Manchester. He named his new company after his grandfather, Jack White, who worked in the garment industry after serving as a private in the First World War.

Eden then invested in new equipment, upgraded the factory, and started to produce clothes using locally sourced materials. The plan was to make luxury clothes that could compete with the likes of Italian, French, and Japanese production.

PWVC specializes in heroic workwear. For instance, their "jeep coat" is inspired by something US officers wore during WWII. The general design — double-breasted, fur collar — also takes after the Mackinaw, a hunting coat that was commonly worn in the Pacific Northwest.

The PWVC version is longer and more contemporary without losing what made the original compelling. In the last photo, you can see a version they made from British Ventile, a stealth fabric used during WWII. Ventile is unique in that it's breathable, quiet, and showerproof.

PWVC also does a version of the dispatch coat, which British officers wore during WWII. The chest pocket was used to hold maps, slanted so the rider could easily reach into their pocket while driving. First slide shows an original vintage dispatch; second slide is PWVC's version.

The Twin Track is perhaps PWVC's most famous design. People familiar with menswear will recognize some echos, as it looks a lot like the Barbour International and Belstaff Trialmaster (both old-school motorcycle jackets). This one has another zipper line so it's adjustable.

In the last year, there has been a lot of discussion on how to reshore US manufacturing, much of it centered around how we can make cheap t-shirts and jeans to compete with imports. To me, this is wrongheaded, as this strategy will not create good jobs with high wage growth.

Instead, I think we should follow Eden's lead. The US should move upmarket towards luxury goods and rely on romantic stories about our past. Private White VC is compelling because the clothes are made in a historically important garment town, using British fabrics and designs.

Just look at their catalog: Harringtons, bridge coats, Balmacaans, and macs. Each garment is made in Salford, just outside of Manchester, using textiles traditional to the region, such as Ventile, Melton, and bonded cotton.

Their prices are expensive because they produce everything in the UK using European materials and take the time do things right. Patterns are cut by hand, not in stacks by machine. Raincoats have taped seam to ensure water doesn't seep through.

In the US, we currently have nationalist leaders and voices who neither wear nor promote US-made clothing. Trump wears Brioni suits made in Italy. Countless influencers lament the offshoring of US manufacturing, but rely on global supply chains for their cheap merch.

I know nothing about Burnham or his politics. But I see nothing wrong with the former mayor of Manchester wearing clothes from one of the last factories trying to keep a regional manufacturing tradition alive and employing skilled garment workers at fair wages in the process.

Such clothes will naturally be expensive because that's not only the nature of making things in the UK, but also the smarter route to reshoring manufacturing in post-industrial economies. We need is leadership that is willing to take the mantle of promoting domestic luxury goods.

Burnham may or may not be a good leader (I have no idea). But where some people see profligacy, I see someone who either spent their own money or was given free products, which in turn resulted in a bit of publicity for a UK factory doing good work.