COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 2339

Women's and Misses' Outerwear, Not Elsewhere Classified

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

34companies1877–1993founding years34still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedHelly Hansen ASA
1877
FoundedLee Apparel Company, Inc.
1889
FoundedOshKosh B'Gosh, Inc.
1895
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedChic by H.I.S, Inc.
1923
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedMovie Star Inc.
1935
FoundedColumbia Sportswear Company
1938
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedAris Industries, Inc.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedSt. John Knits, Inc.
1963
FoundedMarisa Christina, Inc.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
FoundedNorwood Promotional Products, Inc.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedBernard Chaus, Inc.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedQuiksilver, Inc.
1976
FoundedJordache Enterprises, Inc.
1978
FoundedReebok International Ltd.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedMothers Work, Inc.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedArctco, Inc.
1983
FoundedDesigner Holdings Ltd.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedJalate Inc.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Helly Hansen ASA →
Active · founded 1877 · Norway
Helly Hansen ASA is a world-leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of a branded line of clothing and…
Lee Apparel Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1889
Lee Apparel Company, Inc.
Levi Strauss & Co. →
Active · founded 1890
Levi Strauss & Co., the world's largest brand-name apparel manufacturer, gave the world blue jeans and grew enormously…
OshKosh B'Gosh, Inc. →
Active · founded 1895
OshKosh B'Gosh was founded in 1895 as Grove Manufacturing Company, a maker of "hickory-striped" bib overalls worn by…
Angelica Corporation →
Active · founded 1904
Angelica Corporation is the leading supplier of textile rental and laundry services in the United States and holds…
Chic by H.I.S, Inc. →
Active · founded 1923
With a concentration on the budget segment of the denim market, Chic by H.I.S, Inc.
Donnkenny, Inc. →
Active · founded 1934
Donnkenny, Inc., a holding company, designs, manufactures, imports, and markets a broad line of moderately priced…
Movie Star Inc. →
Active · founded 1935
The company incorporated in 1935 as Industrial Undergarment Corp.
Tultex Corporation →
Active · founded 1937
The Tultex Corporation is a leading marketer of fleeced sportswear and licensed sports apparel.
Columbia Sportswear Company →
Active · founded 1938
The largest outerwear manufacturer in the world, Columbia Sportswear Company designs, manufactures, and markets outdoor…
Algo Group Inc. →
Active · founded 1942 · Canada
Founded in 1942 as a small dress manufacturer, Algo Group Inc.
Aris Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1947
During a checkered career the company known in the mid-1990s as Aris Industries, Inc.
Oxford Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1960
Oxford Industries, Inc., one of America's leading apparel manufacturers, has spent most of its history plotting a…
St. John Knits, Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
A swiftly rising competitor in the apparel industry, St.
Crystal Brands, Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
Crystal Brands, Inc., manufactures and merchandises sportswear, costume jewelry, and accessories under some of the…
Marisa Christina, Inc. →
Active · founded 1971
Marisa Christina, Inc.
Starter Corp. →
Active · founded 1971
Starter Corp.
Norwood Promotional Products, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
Norwood Promotional Products, Inc.
Bernard Chaus, Inc. →
Active · founded 1975
Bernard Chaus, Inc.
Liz Claiborne, Inc. →
Active · founded 1976
Liz Claiborne, Inc.
Quiksilver, Inc. →
Active · founded 1976
A celebrated name among surfers across the globe, Quiksilver, Inc.
Urban Outfitters, Inc. →
Active · founded 1976
Urban Outfitters, Inc.
Jordache Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1978
Jordache Enterprises, Inc.
L.A. T Sportswear, Inc. →
Active · founded 1978
L.A.
Reebok International Ltd. →
Active · founded 1979
Reebok International Ltd.
Brazos Sportswear, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
With the capacity to decorate more than 20 million garments per year, Brazos Sportswear, Inc.
Mothers Work, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Mothers Work, Inc.
Sun Sportswear, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
The largest producer of silkscreened apparel in the United States, Sun Sportswear, Inc., designs, sources, prints,…
Arctco, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
One of the pioneers in its industry, Arctco, Inc.
Varsity Spirit Corp. →
Active · founded 1983
Varsity Spirit Corp.
Designer Holdings Ltd. →
Active · founded 1984
Designer Holdings Ltd.
Pluma, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Pluma, Inc.
Jalate Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Jalate Inc.
Norton McNaughton, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993
Norton McNaughton, Inc.
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