COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 2321

Men's/Boys' Shirts

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

34companies1890–1992founding years32still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedLevi Strauss & Co.FoundedLevi Strauss & Co.
1890
FoundedBrooks Brothers Inc.
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedPhillips-Van Heusen Corporation
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedHealthtex, Inc.
1921
FoundedHampton Industries, Inc.
1925
FoundedHaggar Corporation
1926
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedAlgo Group Inc.
1942
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedFarah Incorporated
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedFruit of the Loom, Inc.
1955
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedOxford Industries, Inc.
1960
FoundedKellwood Company
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedQuiksilver, Inc.
1976
FoundedBugle Boy Industries, Inc.
1977
FoundedJordache Enterprises, Inc.
1978
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedAshworth, Inc.FoundedThe Gitano Group, 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.
FoundedAction Performance Companies, Inc.
1992
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

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…
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…
Brooks Brothers Inc. →
Active · founded 1903
Brooks Brothers Inc., a subsidiary of the British firm Marks & Spencer PLC, operates a chain of clothing stores in the…
Brooks Brothers Inc. →
Active · founded 1903
Brooks Brothers Inc., a subsidiary of the British firm Marks & Spencer PLC, operates a chain of clothing stores in the…
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation →
Active · founded 1914
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation (PVH) is a leading marketer of dress shirts, sportswear, sweaters, underwear and…
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation →
Active · founded 1914
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation (PVH) is a leading marketer of dress shirts, sportswear, sweaters, underwear and…
Healthtex, Inc. →
Active · founded 1921
Healthtex, Inc., a division of the VF Corporation, is one of the leading manufacturers of children's playwear in the…
Healthtex, Inc. →
Active · founded 1921
Healthtex, Inc., a division of the VF Corporation, is one of the leading manufacturers of children's playwear in the…
Hampton Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Hampton Industries, Inc.
Hampton Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Hampton Industries, Inc.
Haggar Corporation →
Active · founded 1926
When it comes to casually dressy clothing for men, few companies are in the same league as Haggar Corporation.
Haggar Corporation →
Active · founded 1926
When it comes to casually dressy clothing for men, few companies are in the same league as Haggar Corporation.
Algo Group Inc. →
Active · founded 1942 · Canada
Founded in 1942 as a small dress manufacturer, Algo Group Inc.
Algo Group Inc. →
Active · founded 1942 · Canada
Founded in 1942 as a small dress manufacturer, Algo Group Inc.
Farah Incorporated →
Active · founded 1947
Farah Incorporated is a leading manufacturer and marketer of medium-priced men's and boys' apparel, with a particular…
Farah Incorporated →
Active · founded 1947
Farah Incorporated is a leading manufacturer and marketer of medium-priced men's and boys' apparel, with a particular…
Fruit of the Loom, Inc. →
Active · founded 1955
Fruit of the Loom, Inc., a global manufacturer and marketer of family apparel, is America's biggest seller of men's…
Fruit of the Loom, Inc. →
Active · founded 1955
Fruit of the Loom, Inc., a global manufacturer and marketer of family apparel, is America's biggest seller of men's…
Oxford Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1960
Oxford Industries, Inc., one of America's leading apparel manufacturers, has spent most of its history plotting a…
Oxford Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1960
Oxford Industries, Inc., one of America's leading apparel manufacturers, has spent most of its history plotting a…
Kellwood Company →
Active · founded 1961 · United States
Kellwood Company is a leading international private label and brand label manufacturer, marketer, and merchandiser of…
Kellwood Company →
Active · founded 1961 · United States
Kellwood Company is a leading international private label and brand label manufacturer, marketer, and merchandiser of…
Quiksilver, Inc. →
Active · founded 1976
A celebrated name among surfers across the globe, Quiksilver, Inc.
Quiksilver, Inc. →
Active · founded 1976
A celebrated name among surfers across the globe, Quiksilver, Inc.
Bugle Boy Industries, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1977
Bugle Boy Industries, Inc.
Bugle Boy Industries, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1977
Bugle Boy Industries, Inc.
Jordache Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1978
Jordache Enterprises, Inc.
Jordache Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1978
Jordache Enterprises, Inc.
Ashworth, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Ashworth, Inc.
Ashworth, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Ashworth, Inc.
The Gitano Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
The Gitano Group, Inc., is one of the United States' largest apparel merchandisers.
The Gitano Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
The Gitano Group, Inc., is one of the United States' largest apparel merchandisers.
Action Performance Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1992
Action Performance Companies, Inc.
Action Performance Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1992
Action Performance Companies, Inc.
Build It Today

Starting a men's/boys' shirts company now

Each week we rebuild one of these stories for today's tools and capital.