M.J. Bale Collection shirts, including the Made in Italy Caravaggio shirts, are constructed with cloth woven by Thomas Mason in Bergamo, Italy. Founded in 1796 in Lancashire, England, Thomas Mason has woven its way through more than two centuries of textile history. When Italy’s Albini Group acquired the dormant brand in the 1990s, they didn’t just buy a name – they inherited 7,700 pattern books dating back to 1864, revealing a surprising truth about Victorian fashion.

“You think that they just wore something like black and white, but they are super colourful and also full of different fibres and designs,” explains our guide through the Bergamo archive room. These historical patterns, far more vibrant than period photography suggests, continue to inspire contemporary collections while challenging assumptions about 19th-century style.

The revival story speaks to something deeper than a business acquisition. “We gave new life to a brand that was dead, without production, without anything – this would be lost otherwise,” the team reflects. “So, we give new life and also take the production to Italy, giving this Italian flair of textile expertise, but maintaining the British heritage and the colours and the patterns.”

This philosophy extends to every aspect of production. To create their luxury shirting fabrics, Thomas Mason sources premium cottons globally – from California to Egypt and Barbados’ South Sea Island varieties.

The Bergamo workshop operates with relentless precision. Eighty looms run continuously across four six-hour shifts, because the looms will stop every time they defect on the fabric. Admittedly, this is not something that happens often. Quality control is absolute here. “Every fabric is checked by hand and eye by human,” says our Thomas Mason partner. “And by everything, we mean every single fabric we create. Not just sample cloths. Everything.”

This marriage of British heritage with Italian craftsmanship reflects the broader culture of Bergamo itself, where “people are proud of their work and work is like a family.” In reviving Thomas Mason, Albini hasn’t just preserved history – they’ve created a living testament to textile excellence.

M.J. Bale Collection shirts are available in all M.J. Bale flagship and premium doors.