OUR HERITAGE
OVER 100 YEARS OF
WHO INVENTED THE HOODIE?
As the inventor of the hoodie, Champion set the standard of excellence for all hoodies. Champion invented the hoodie for the sidelines 80+ years ago and today, it continues to be a staple in sports, style and culture. Champion is an authentic, American, athletic wear brand with a proud heritage designing stylish and comfortable solutions for the sidelines, on campus and in the streets for nearly a century.
HISTORY OF THE HOODIE
CHAMPION IS BORN
Three members of the Feinbloom family came together with a vision of creating a new sportswear business in Rochester, N.Y. The company was started May 6, 1919 as Knickerbocker Knitting Mills.
BROTHERS OF CHAMPIONS
Brothers Bill and Abe Feinbloom inherited the company from Simon in 1922. They changed the name to Champion Knitwear Mills, Inc. and incorporated the company on January 3, 1924. Abe soon established a partnership with Wentworth Military Academy to purchase Champion sweaters as part of their cadet uniform. They were so impressed with the quality they asked Champion to produce their athletic uniforms. They would be the first of many teams Champion would outfit.
UNDERSTANDING THE ATHLETE
Champion went directly to coaches and athletes to determine their needs. Instead of selling their products through retailers, Champion built relationships with athletes and their coaches to gain insights on types of products they needed to perform at their best.
CHAMPION INVENTS THE HOODIE
The origin of the “hoodie” in the 1930’s was the result of athlete insights. Champion designed and developed the hooded sweatshirt for use as a warm-up or “sideline” garment for athletes to wear in-between game time or practice sessions. The addition of the hood to the sweatshirt would forever cement Champion hoodies in athletic wear and fashion history. Today, Champion hoodies come in a variety of styles and fabrics like our Classic Fleece, Reverse Weave®, Powerblend®, Soft Touch and Campus French Terry hoodies.
CHAMPIONS OF SCHOOL SPIRIT
Bill Feinbloom developed a flocking process, known as Champacraft, that enabled graphics such as college insignia to be affordably mass produced on Champion® t-shirts. For the first time, fans could proudly display their school spirit in the stands. After a visit to Michigan, Abe formed a partnership with Moe’s Sport Shop to sell collegiate hoodies, sweatshirts, and tees with the University of Michigan insignia. This gave birth to collegiate apparel as we know it and pioneered the popularity of athletic wear as everyday fashion.
REVERSE WEAVE® ATHLETIC SHIRTS
STOP THE SHRINKAGE
Coaches voiced concern about shrinkage when washing batches of athletic wear. Champion’s answer to that was to literally go against the grain, with shrink-resistant garment construction. The first of its kind, heavyweight Reverse Weave® athletic shirts were constructed by turning the fabric 90 degrees and cutting on the cross-grain to resist vertical shrinkage and maintain its stay-true fit. Champion received the first patent for this innovative method of manufacture and the resulting athletic shirts in 1938.
SECOND REVERSE WEAVE® WARM-UPS PATENT
Champion added their signature stretch side panels to the sweatshirt and ribbed gusset to sweatpants to increase mobility and comfort. Champion received the second patent for their Reverse Weave® sweats in 1952. From the initial patent in 1938 to its final patent in 1952, iconic Reverse Weave® hoodies and sweatshirts have been worn and loved by generations for over 80 years.
CHAMPION INTRODUCES THE MESH JERSEY
A true innovation in sport, the mesh nylon jersey was designed for football players to combat heat exhaustion. They were such a success that Champion expanded jerseys to basketball, track, lacrosse and other sports. Delivering cooler, lighter weight ventilation, mesh jerseys, uniforms, and apparel have become a staple in athletic wear for almost every sport.
CHAMPION SUPPORTS FEMALE ATHLETES
Champion transformed women’s athletic wear with the introduction of Lady Champion. This line included modern, mix-and-match Physical Education uniforms and gym wear for female athletics. Setting the standard for PE uniforms for decades, our commitment to support female athletes with innovative products is as strong as ever.
THE ORIGINAL SPORTS BRA
The first sports bra, the Jogbra®, was invented by Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller, and Polly Smith. The Jogbra forever changed women’s athletics and went on to become a part of Champion, where Hinda Miller held several leadership positions. Today, the Champion Sports Bra Lab continues to test and design innovative sports bras that support women of every shape and size.
MARK OF A CHAMPION
Champion’s familiar “C” appeared for the first time on a Notre Dame basketball uniform and from then on appeared on the left sleeve of every sweatshirt and t-shirt. The embroidered “C” logo would become synonymous with Champion and represent the standard of excellence among athletic wear.
FROM THE SIDELINES TO THE STREETS
Champion Reverse Weave became the choice hoodie among the fashion forward during hip-hop’s golden age and the emergence of West Coast skaters. The hoodie and sweat set became the canvas of self-expression for artists and musicians. It would make appearances in music videos, album covers, TV interviews, and concerts. The New York City punk scene would also adopt the Reverse Weave hoodie as part of their uniform.
CHAMPION OUTFITS THE DREAM TEAMS
Champion outfitted the men’s and women’s Dream Teams in 1992 and 1996. Champion jerseys were worn by the winning men’s Dream Team in 1992, widely considered the greatest roster of USA basketball players ever. The winning 1996 women’s Dream Team helped launch the WNBA. Champion was the official outfitter of the NBA from 1989-2001, and the official WNBA outfitter from 1997-2001.
CHAMPION HOODIE CELEBRATED AS AN ICON
As a testament of Champion’s rich sports heritage and contributions to the fashion industry, the iconic Reverse Weave® Hoodie was exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) as part of the exhibition “Items: Is Fashion Modern?”, which displayed fashion items that have had a strong impact on modern society. In 2018, the hoodie became a part of MoMA’s permanent collection.
CUTTING-EDGE COLLABORATIONS
Champion continues to impact the fashion world with collaborations from Vetements, Supreme, Todd Snyder, Off White and others. Merging the worlds of fashion with Champion’s authentic, American sports heritage, iconic pieces become a canvas of expression that inspire everyone to Be Your Own Champion.
