THE MARKET only name that appeared on every- JOCKEY.COM The men’s underwear and women’s one’s list was JOCKEY, and the intimate apparel categories are more they thought about it, the more multibillion-dollar retail businesses. they liked it. The JOCKEY brief Status designers, mainstream brands, was born. and store labels all compete for a The brief’s public debut was as share of this lucrative business. unusual as the garment itself. On The demand for comfortable, high- Rights Reserved. Inc. World International, © 2002 Jockey January 19, 1935, Chicago’s Marshall quality fashionable undergarments Field & Co. set up a department store continues to grow each year. In window display to introduce the recent years, “unmentionables” have THE strange new JOCKEY underwear. generated widespread interest from But when the city was hit with one the fashion and mainstream press. NEXT BEST of the worst blizzards of the year, Underwear has evolved from basic THING the store’s management was afraid white product, still the number-one that the brief would be an absurd seller, to a category featuring the lat- TO contrast to the biting winds, freez- ™ est in fabrics and styling innovation. briefs was sold out created parts of it and shaped other before noon, in the midst of the parts as well. The entire underwear snowstorm, economic hardships of industry literally changed its under- the year notwithstanding. wear to keep up with revolutionary That same year, Kneibler refined Jockey inventions, including the his invention further by developing brief, the bikini brief, the torso the Y-FRONT opening, so named mannequin, transparent underwear for the design of fabric panels, packaging, and the underwear which offered consumers a but- fashion show. THE CLASSIC BOXER BRIEF tonless fly. Unlike many other firms in the In 1959, the company created a apparel industry, Jockey has not briefer brief that was to cause gone public, merged with other firms, or diversi- a livery stable into a tiny sock factory, S. T. Cooper almost as much of a sensation as the original fied into unrelated areas. and Sons. While others were primarily in business Jockey brief did in 1935 — bikini underwear, Today, Jockey is the number-one-selling brand to make money, Samuel Thrall Cooper and his marketed under the trademark SKANTS. Although of men’s underwear and women’s panties in sons were in business to serve others first, which profitable in 1959, consumer demand for SKANTS department stores in the United States. The brand would in turn earn them the right to make a profit. bikinis exploded in the 1970s. has over 95 percent consumer awareness and is one For the Jockey brand, it all started in 1934, The company became so famous internation- of the top apparel brands in the United States. Inter- when a senior vice president at Coopers, Arthur ally for the Jockey brand and its attendant inno- nationally the brand is sold in over 120 countries. Kneibler, happened to see a postcard from the vations that in 1972 the company was French Riviera which showed a man wear- christened Jockey International, Inc. HISTORY ing a swimsuit that ran just from In 1978, Donna Wolf Steigerwaldt In 1876, Samuel T. Cooper’s dedication to serving the waist to the upper thigh. He assumed the chairmanship. Under and helping others gave birth to the company now was immediately inspired with Mrs. Steigerwaldt’s leadership, the internationally recognized as Jockey International. an idea for a men’s undergarment company made a bold venture Cooper, a retired minister with no textile experi- that would provide the same sup- into a new frontier: women’s ence whatsoever, was concerned about lumber- port as an athletic supporter, known intimate apparel. Perhaps the jacks in the American Midwest whom he had colloquially as a “jock strap.” most lucrative move since the learned were suffering from blisters and infections In subsequent strategy sessions, creation of the brief, the caused by their poor quality hosiery. Their socks, it was decided that the new garment company developed a ladies’ crudely shaped and made mostly from shoddy would need a clever name that would counterpart to what had wool, wore prematurely and erratically. somehow connote this function, yet would been known only as a When Cooper could not buy better socks for be discrete enough for sensitive lady men’s brand for nearly half the lumberjacks anywhere in the region, he turned shoppers. After much brainstorming, the a century. The company introduced

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JOCKEY.COM number of “Real People” promoting the brand. In the 1930s and 1940s, sports celebrities such as Babe Ruth, Tommie Armour, and Sammy Baugh endorsed Jockey underwear. Jockey was the first to advertise underwear on television on NBC’s Home Show, with Hugh Downs and Arlene Francis. In the 1970s, football stars Paul Hornung and Bart Starr were featured in television spots. In the 1980s, Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer and Bart Conner, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist in gymnastics, were spokesmen. In 1992, Nadia Comanici, the 1976 Olympics “Perfect 10,” became the spokesperson for Jockey’s women’s products. As the 21st century dawned, Jockey’s mar- THE keting efforts returned to its “Real People” roots, promoting everyday comfort for everyday people. NEXT BEST This approach recognized that consumers felt THING comfortable with the brand on an emotional level, TO identifying with a brand that identified with them ® ™ THE NO PANTY LINE PROMISE COLLECTION — their lifestyles and their attitudes. Comfortable

JOCKEY FOR HER panties and tops in 1982, hosiery, socks, and clothing for BRAND VALUES meeting with immediate success; sales surpassed infants and toddlers. To millions in the United even the most optimistic expectations. States, Jockey stands for com- RECENT DEVELOPMENTS fort, quality, and value. Jockey’s Jockey has continued to lead leadership in basic and fash- the market, offering innovative ion underwear has firmly products to meet consumers’ established it as the classic needs. In 1999, by popular American underwear brand. demand, Jockey introduced its The Jockey brand enjoys first constructed-bra line, deliv- an international reputation ering the same comfort, qual- for providing comfortable ity, and fashion that made Jockey and high-quality undergar- panties a huge success. In Sep- ments. The Jockey brand tember 2000, www.jockey.com positioning is comfort. Jockey was launched to provide con- brand products provide both sumers with the opportunity to physical comfort through shop 24/7 for Jockey under- a great-fitting product and wear. The following year, the emotional comfort through a company revolutionized the industry once again, relaxed and enjoyable wearing experience. The with its Jockey No Panty Line Promise collection. core values of the brand include youthfulness, Abreakthrough in underwear technology, the prod- fun, quality, value, confidence, and innovation. uct was the right thing at just the right time. The No Panty Line THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT Promise collection pre- JOCKEY THE PRODUCT vents panty lines just as Jockey products are designed fashions are becoming ❍ Jockey created the world’s first brief. Jockey with a commitment to com- more form-fitting — developed this new-fangled underwear in fort, fashion, quality, and and more prone to the 1934 with the assistance of a urologist to innovation. Jockey markets panty-line problem. provide men with “masculine support.” and distributes underwear and ❍ underwear-related products PROMOTION Jockey was the first to sell underwear in through department stores, Jockey has always been cellophane. Prior to 1937, underwear was sold in boxes like shoes for fear that seeing chains, and specialty stores. an innovator in under- underwear in public would offend people. Jockey markets under- wear advertising. Jockey wear for men, women, boys, advertising has always ❍ Jockey was at war with Hitler before the rest and girls. For men, Jockey reflected the values of of the world. Jockey launched the world’s produces a full range of clas- comfort, performance, first underwear fashion show featuring a sic cotton underwear and fun, and quality. In a “cellophane wedding” in 1937 (see photo). fashion underwear in a variety of styles and fab- revolutionary move for its time, Jockey com- But after Hitler saw it in Life magazine, he denounced it in speeches as “immoral.” rics. For women, Jockey makes panties in a vari- missioned the Saturday Evening Post’s leg- ety of styles, patterns, and fabrics including cotton endary artist J. C. Leyendecker to produce a ❍ Jockey designed underwear for the moon. In and microfiber. series of color illustrations of underwear, which 1963, Jockey created special long underwear Jockey has entered a number of underwear- would be used in the company’s advertising pro- for the space program, complete with elastic related categories through licensing agreements, gram. The first ad appeared in the Saturday straps to keep sleeves down in zero gravity. including activewear, thermalwear, sleepwear, Evening Post in 1911.

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