 | |
| Industry | Clothing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1967 |
| Founders | David Pensky Rick Hindin |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Matt Carson (President & CEO) |
| Products | Men's Clothing |
| Website | warthog.vip |
Britches Great Outdoors (BGO or Britches) is a clothing company originally founded in Georgetown, Washington, United States. It produces a full line of primarily men's clothing.
What originally started as The Georgetown Slack Shoppe in 1966 quickly evolved into a full line of men's dress clothes under a new name; Britches of Georgetowne. Britches of Georgetowne was one of the early retailers of Ralph Lauren ties and in 1972 outfitted the crew of Ted Turner’s Courageous, which won the America’s Cup that year. [1] As the casual clothing side of the business increased it evolved into a new store called Britches Great Outdoors, eventually growing to over 60 stores by 1988 with 35 in the Washington DC area and $100million in sales. [2]
Kara Swisher of The Washington Post said of the Britches style, "The look was timeless with a twist, a traditional-but-not-quite style. The mood in the stores was a bit rakish, goosing the preppy look and injecting some flair. They sold Britches brand clothes not available anywhere else." [3]
Britches of Georgetowne was referred to as "the preppy enclave" in The Kingdom of Prep. [4] This started with the Warthog logo embroidered on their polo shirts. Poking fun at the various animal logos appearing on preppy clothing such as Ralph Lauren's polo pony and the Lacoste alligator, Britches thought of the ugliest animal they could think of and started adding a Warthog logo to their shirts. What started as a joke quickly took hold as an 'anti-brand' or what some have referred to as 'preppy with an edge.' [5]
In 1983 Britches was bought by CML Group, a retail conglomerate that owned brands such as NordicTrack, Boston Whaler and The Nature Company. CML then sold Britches to Wet Seal where the brand was ultimately shuttered as Wet Seal converted the remaining 83 Britches Great Outdoors stores to their Arden B format targeting an affluent female audience. [6] [7]
In late 2019 Matt Carson purchased the rights to resurrect Britches and started working with many of the original team and manufacturers. As of 2024 Britches operates a store in Warrenton, Virginia. [8]
Preppy, or prep, is an American subculture associated with the alumni of college-preparatory schools in the Northeastern United States. The term, which is an abbreviation of "preparatory", is used to denote a person seen as characteristic of a student or alumnus of these schools. Characteristics of preppy individuals include a particular subcultural speech, vocabulary, dress, mannerisms and etiquette reflective of an upper class and old money upbringing.
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, originally the Pentagon City Mall, is an enclosed regional shopping mall in the Pentagon City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, near Interstate 395 and Hayes Street. Its Metro level is directly connected to the Pentagon City station on the Blue and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro. The mall features Macy's and Nordstrom, and also houses the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City hotel.
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer headquartered at SouthSide Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by brothers Jerry and Mark Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company that also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear. The Silvermans sold their ownership interests in 1991 to Jacob Price of Knoxville, Tennessee. American Eagle Outfitters is the parent company of Aerie, Unsubscribed and Todd Snyder.
Roots Corporation is a publicly held Canadian brand that sells apparel, leather bags, small leather goods, footwear, athletic wear, and home furnishings. The company was founded in 1973 in Toronto, Ontario, by Michael Budman and Don Green. In 2015, Roots was sold to Searchlight Capital Partners LP, an American investment firm.
Ruehl No.925 was an upscale clothing brand owned by Abercrombie & Fitch, selling apparel, leather goods, and luxury goods. Themed after New York City's Greenwich Village, the store was meant to attract post-graduate individuals aged 22 to 35, competing primarily with J.Crew, Polo Ralph Lauren, and American Eagle Outfitters' equally short-lived spinoff Martin + Osa. Ruehl was the only brand in the Abercrombie portfolio that sold clothing in the color black.
The Izod Corporation is an American midrange clothing company that produces dressy-casual clothing, sportswear for men, and footwear and accessories. It is a division of Authentic Brands Group, and is currently marketed and manufactured by Centric Brands under a long-term licensing agreement. Other Izod classics include the Harrington jacket G-9 model and V-neck and cardigan sweaters. Today, the closest competitor of the Izod brand is the Chaps brand owned by Ralph Lauren Corporation, while the U.S. Polo Assn. brand is also an indirect competitor.
Rugby Ralph Lauren was an American clothing brand launched in 2004 under the management of parent company Polo Ralph Lauren, the line has been retired. The brand specialised in Preppy/Rugby inspired lifestyle apparel for male and female clientele ages 16 through 25. Rugby also encompassed Rugby Food & Spirits, a small café modeled after the brand and offering dining inspired by the Rugby theme. Rugby merchandise was available at twelve stores throughout the United States, as well as one in Covent Garden in London, UK. By August, 2008 merchandise was also available online at Rugby.com.
Poundland is a British variety store chain founded in 1990. It once sold most items at the single price of £1, including clearance items and proprietary brands. The first pilot store opened in December 1990 following numerous rejections by landlords who had reservations about allowing a single-price store to operate, fearing it could adversely affect the local competition. An estimated 7 million customers shopped in Poundland every week in 2016, many being female shoppers in the C1, C2, D and E categories. Following a drop in share price of over 50%, Poundland was acquired in August 2016 by Steinhoff International for £610 million.
Peoples Drug was a chain of drugstores based in Alexandria, Virginia. Founded in 1905, Peoples was subsequently purchased by Lane Drug in 1975, Imasco in 1984, and finally by CVS in 1990, which continued to run the stores under the Peoples banner until 1994, at which time the stores were converted to CVS, marking the end of the use of the Peoples Drug name.
Garfinckel's was a prominent department store chain based in Washington, D.C. that catered to a clientele of wealthy consumers. Its flagship store at 14th and F in the city's F Street shopping district is listed on the National Register. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 1990 and ceased operations that year.
Wet Seal was an American fast fashion retailer, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The retailer specialized in selling clothing and accessories. The company was founded in Newport Beach, California, by Lorne Huycke in 1962 as "Lorne's". The "Wet Seal" name is derived from a comment Huycke's wife made during a fashion show that a model wearing a bathing suit looked like a "wet seal." The company was incorporated as Wet Seal in 1990.
JD Sports Fashion plc, commonly known as JD Sports, JD or JD Group is a British sports-fashion retail company based in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. The Pentland Group owns 55% of the company.
Matthew "Matt" Carson is an American entrepreneur and author from Virginia. Carson's works include The Attic, A Christmas Story and On A Hill They Call Capital. In 2009 he ran as an independent candidate for Virginia House of Delegates, 30th District seat, losing to the Republican incumbent.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F) is an American lifestyle retailer that focuses on contemporary clothing. Its headquarters are in New Albany, Ohio. The company operates three offshoot brands: Abercrombie Kids, Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks. As of February 2020, the company operated 854 stores across all its brands.
Jack Wills is a British clothing brand founded in Salcombe, Devon, in 1999.
Tommy Hilfiger B.V., formerly known as Tommy Hilfiger Corporation and Tommy Hilfiger Inc., is an American luxury clothing brand that manufactures apparel and licensed products such as footwear, accessories, fragrances and home furnishings. The company was founded in 1985, and the brand's merchandise is sold in department stores and over 2000 free-standing retail stores in 100 countries.
Ralph Lauren Corporation, the legal name of the Ralph Lauren brand, is an American publicly traded luxury fashion company that was founded in 1967 by American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Headquartered in New York City, the company produces luxury products. Ralph Lauren is known for marketing and distributing products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories, and fragrances. Known mostly for its flagship brand Polo Ralph Lauren, the company's brands include mid-range, sub-premium, and premium labels up to its highest priced luxury Ralph Lauren Purple Label apparel.
Jack Carlson is an American designer, author, archaeologist, and former U.S. national team rowing coxswain. He is the founder of the New York-based apparel brand Rowing Blazers, and has led the revival of several British and American heritage brands, including Warm & Wonderful, Gyles & George, and Arthur Ashe. In 2024, he sold his company to Tory Burch co-founder Christopher Burch's firm, Burch Creative Capital.
Limited Too was a clothing and lifestyle retailer, and current brand, targeting the tween girl market, formerly owned by Tween Brands, Inc.. Since 2015, the brand has been owned by Bluestar Alliance, LLC, having lain dormant for six years after the store bearing its name converted to Justice.
Barkers or Barkers Men's Clothing is a New Zealand menswear fashion brand and retail chain. It has 33 stores around the country, including 14 in Auckland. It was established in Auckland CBD in 1972, and is headquartered in Grafton, Auckland. The chain sells a range of men's clothing, including shirts, knitwear, pants, jeans, sweatshirts, jackets and coats, blazers, t-shirts, shorts, polo shirts, socks, ties and belts.