May 4, 1715 - A French manufacturer produced first folding umbrella.

1771 - John Hardie founded Hawick (Scotland) knitwear (hosiery) industry; 1840 - Hawick Framework Knitters Society formed; 1909 - Hawick Hosiery Manufacturers Association formed.

1793 - Cincinnati tannery became first manufacturing venture northwest of Ohio River.

1815 - George Waldie, Robert Pringle, Peter Wilson form partnership; 1842 - Robert Pringle & Son established; 1951 - sales of 1 million pounds; 1956 - sales of 2 million pounds; 1958 - name changed to Pringle of Scotland; 1967 - acquired by Joseph Dawson for 5.8 million pounds; 1984 - sales of 29 million pounds; 2000 - acquired by SC Fang & Sons (Hong Kong) and Kim Winser (CEO).

March 3, 1821 - Thomas L. Jennings, of New York, NY, received a patent for "Dry Scouring Clothes"; dry cleaning process; first African American to receive patent.

October 12, 1823 - Charles Macintosh, of Scotland, began selling raincoats (Macs); received a patent for pressing two sheets of fabric together with rubber sandwiched between them (coating cloth with rubber latex to render it waterproof).

1827 - Housewife Hannah Lord Montague (Troy, NY) created first detachable collar on one of Orlando's )her husband) shirts in order to reduce her laundry load to collar only; Troy, NY became "Collar City" to rest of America.

1830 - John Rich (25), immigrant from Bradford, England, constructed first wool mill in Plum Run, PA (America's oldest woolen mill); sold woolen socks, blankets, fabric, coverlets, yarn at Pennsylvania lumber camps from an old mule cart; 1890 - produced full line of woolshirts, breeches, jackets, caps; 1939 - 1941 - outfitted Byrd expeditions to Antarctica; 1990s - sixth-generation management shifted strategy to marketing lifestyle brand from manufacturing.

April 10, 1849 - Walter Hunt, of New York City, received first U.S. patent for a "Pin" ("a "new and useful Improvement in the Make or Form of Dress-Pins"; safety pin; short of cash, conceived idea in three hours, made a model (from piece of brass wire about eight inches long, coiled at the center, shielded at one end); sold patent rights for $400; October 12, 1849 - Charles Rowley, of Great Britain, received patent for safety pin.

December 28, 1849 - It is said that dry-cleaning was accidentally discovered when M. Jolly-Bellin, tailor, upset lamp containing turpentine oil on his tablecloth, noticed it had cleaning effect; 1825 - opened first dry cleaning shop called "Teinturerie Jolly Bellin" on rue Saint Martin in Paris.

1851 - Joseph Maulin, E. D. Blanchard established Maullin & Blanchard in one-room workshop in Troy, NY; 1861 - George G. Cluett became partner with Maullin (Blanchard left company); 1862 - renamed Maulin & Cluett; 1863 - George B., John W. A. Cluett with Charles J. Saxe organized collar manufacturing firm of George B. Cluett Brother & Company (Maullin died); 1866 - Saxe left, Robert Cluett became partner; 1873 - opened retail men's furnishing-store in Troy, began to manufacture shirts to order; November 1889 - merged with Coon & Company, renamed Cluett, Coon & Company (had Arrow trademark), largest collar, cuff, shirt manufacturing house in world; 1896 - Frederick Peabody, former Coon sales manager, became president; 1898 - renamed Cluett, Peabody & Company; 1901 - incorporated, Robert Cluett president; May 15, 1900 - registered "Arrow" trademark first used 1885 (collars and cuffs); 1918 - sales of Arrow Collars, shirts rose to $32 million; 1920s - C.R. Palmer, salesman, created line of Arrow shirts; 1971 - three divisions (export sales, Arrow licensing, foreign operations) grouped under one umbrella, Cluett Peabody International; 1986 - acquired by West Point-Pepperell, Inc.

1851 - Robert Knight, textile mill owner in Warwick, RI, liked images of fruit painted by a Providence shopkeeper's daughter and applied to the bolts of cloth from his mill; thought the labels would be perfect symbol for his trade name; 1856 - Fruit of the Loom name adopted, labels sewn to bolts of fabric produced by B.B. & R. Knight Corporation; 1871 - name registered as trademark; 1985 - acquired by William F. Farley, renamed Farley Industries, Inc.; April 29, 2002 - acquired by Berkshire Hathaway Corporation for approximately $835 million in cash.

November 25, 1851 - Elias Howe, Jr., of Cambridge, MA  (September 10, 1846 - received first U.S. patent for a sewing machine using lock stitch), received a patent for a "Improvement in Fastening for Garments" ("series of claps united by a connecting-chord...running or sliding upon ribs"); automatic continuous clothing closure; predecessor of zipper.

March 1853 - Bavarian immigrant Levi (born Loeb) Strauss founded wholesale dry goods business; imported dry goods, sold them to small stores; 1863 - renamed Levi Strauss & Co.; 1869 - Jacob W. Davis (born Jacob Youphes from Riga,  now capital of Latvia), a  Reno, NV tailor made wagon covers and tents with Levi Strauss & Co.'s off- white cotton duck cloth; 1871 - routinely used copper rivets to strengthen duck pants for miners, then used denim; May 20, 1873 - Davis received a patent  for "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings" ("employment of a metal rivet or eyelet at each edge of the pocket-opening, to prevent the ripping of the seam at those points");  reinforced pocket openings of miners' pants ("waist overalls") with metal rivets;  assigned half of patent to Levi Strauss & Co.; Davis in charge of manufacturing when Levi Strauss & Co. opened two San Francisco factories; 1873 - first copper riveted clothing made and sold; used denim material from Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. (Manchester, NH); 1891 - patent expired, Levi Strauss & Co. had been only company making riveted denim clothing; dozens of garment manufacturers began to imitate the original riveted clothing; December 4, 1928 - Levi Strauss & Co. registered "Levi's" trademark first used April 14, 1927 (overalls).

April 21, 1857 - Alexander Douglas. of New York, NY, received first U.S. patent for a "Bustle".

May 31, 1859 - Edson P Clark, Northampton, MA received a patent for "Improvement in Compositions for Pencils", a "new Composition for Pencils for Indelibly Marking on Linen and Other Clothing and other Articles" (patent described without the wood jacket; July 10, 1866 - received a patent for an "Improved Indelible Pencil", a "new and useful Improvement in Pencils for Producing Indelible Writing on Linen and other Fabrics"; pencil-lead composed of gypsum (a hard moisture-resistance compound), black lead (coloring agent, with optional asphaltum or lamp-black), silver nitrate (blackens to make the indelible mark by the action of light or heat). The black lead and gypsum permit the pencil to be readily pointed. The patent described cementing the filling with shellac into grooved cedar wood.

April 3, 1866 - George Osterheld, Rudolph Eickemeyer, of Yonkers, NY, received patent  for "Blocking and Stretching Hats"; hat shaping machine.

December 19, 1871 - Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain), of Hartford, CT, received a patent for an "Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments"; suspenders.

1872 - Harry and Marx Hart, the sons of German immigrants, founded Harry Hart and Brother; 1879 -  Levi Abt, Marcus Marx (brothers-in-law) joined company, renamed Hart, Abt & Marx;  1887 - Abt left, Joseph Schaffner, cousin Hart Brothers, joined company; renamed Hart Schaffner and Marx; 1897 - Schaffner came up with idea of putting advertisements in newspapers, on sides of buildings; became most recognized clothing manufacturer in industry; March 14, 1916 - registered "Hart Schaffner & Marx" trademark first used in 1887 (coats, trousers, overcoats, and rain-coats); 1983 - name changed to Hartmarx.

May 20, 1873 - Jacob W. Davis, a  Reno, NV tailor, received a U.S. patent on a rivet process for "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings", strengthening the pocket openings of miners' pants ("waist overalls"); assigned half patent to himself, half to Levi Strauss, as his business partner; Davis was in charge of manufacturing when Levi Strauss & Co. opened its two San Francisco factories; 1873 - first copper riveted clothing made and sold; 1891 - patent expired, Levi Strauss & Co. had been only company making riveted denim clothing; dozens of garment manufacturers began to imitate the original riveted clothing.

1876 - Samuel T. Cooper, retired minister, discovered that lumberjacks suffered from blisters, infections caused by shoddy wool socks; started hosiery business in converted livery stable, S. T. Cooper and Sons; 1902 - built underwear factory, largest in world up to that time; 1909 - created KENOSHA KLOSED KROTCH, convenient diagonal opening in place of bulky, bunching drop-seat common to union suits (revolutionized union suit business); 1934 - created "the brief", provided men with "masculine support", available at that time only through the use of an athletic supporter, sometimes called a "jock strap", named Jockey (JOCK-ey) brief. Today, Jockey is a recognized trademark in over 120 countries; November 18, 1941 - Coopers Incorporated registered "Jockey" trademark first used November 23, 1934 (underwear, such as men's and boys' undershirts, underdrawers, both with and without legs, as well as [drawers having an abdominal supporting band, union suits and] hosiery); sold out in every store almost immediately; most popular style of men’s underwear in United States; August 27, 1935 - Arthur R. Kneibler, of Kenosha, WI, received a patent for an "Undergarment" ("fit smoothly and snugly, while being exceptionally comfortable to wear...with a built-in jock strap or supporter construction forming a component part of the garment...may be manufactured economically so as to be adapted to be sold at low cost"); assigned to Coopers Inc.; 1982 - introduced complete line of women’s intimates; 2007 - more than 5000 employees.

March 13, 1877 - Chester Greenwood, of Farmington, ME, a teenager, received a patent for "Ear-Mufflers"; earmuffs (beaver fur pads on a wire frame); founded Greenwood Champion Ear Protectors; produced 50,000 earmuffs annually (grew to 400,000 pairs); Maine state legislature officially declared December 21, first day of winter, as annual Chester Greenwood Day.

November 1880 - John Q. Gant, former employee of Edwin M. Holt, and Berry Davidson built Altamahaw Cotton Mill in Glen Raven, NC; produced colored woven fabrics; December 1884 - Lawrence S. and L. Banks Holt (sons) acquired Davidson’s interest; named Holt, Gant & Holt; 1902 - opened new mill; January 26, 1904 - Glen Raven Cotton Mills Company incorporated; 1906 - produced duck, osnaberg, filter cloth, ticking and harness denims; mid-1920s - Holt, Gant & Holt terminated, mill taken over by Holt family (1930 - failed); 1928 - Glen Raven produced blends of cotton, man-made fiber (rayon and acetate) for outerwear with "worsted look"; 1930 - Roger and Allen Gant (sons) took over; 1936 - formed Glen Raven Knitting Mills (Roger, Allen, Russell, Cecil Gant owners); November 30, 1954 - Joseph Frank Tew, of Newland, NC, received a patent for a "Stocking" ("without heel or sole reinforcement so that when worn it will enhance the appearance of the foot and leg and, at the same time, the leg will have a bareleg appearance"); assigned to Glen Raven Knitting Mills; seamless hosiery; 1953 - developed panty hose; 1955 - Allen Gant Sr. (son), company president; 1960 - launched Sunbrella, first 100% acrylic awning fabric; 1967 - all businesses merged into Glen Raven Mills, Inc.; 1972 - Roger Gant, Jr. (grandson) named President; 1989 - Edmund Gant (grandson) became Chairman; Allen Gant, Jr. (grandson) president; 1996 - Allen Gant, Jr. made CEO; 2008 - Allen E. Gant, Jr., President and CEO; grown into global leader in high-performance fabrics.

1881 - Moses Phillips and his wife Endel began sewing shirts by hand, sold flannel shirts from pushcarts to local Pottsville PA coal miners; 1887 - known as M. Phillips & Son; 1907 - merged with D. Jones & Sons, operator of chain of factories in Lebanon County, PA; formed Phillips-Jones Corporation; 1914 - incorporated Phillips-Jones Co., Inc. in New York ; 1919 - renamed Phillips-Jones Corp. (sales of $7.2 million); placed one of the first ever shirt ads in Saturday Evening Post; John M. Van Heusen traveled to the United States to find a partner (developed in Holland the soft collar, process of fusing cloth on a curve, created soft, comfortable self-folding collar), met Seymour Phillips (Moses's son); joined Phillips-Jones Corp.; 1919 - Van Heusen received patent for "The Original Semi-Stiff Collar", first to develop process for weaving fabric on curve in  continuous strip; 1921 - "The World's Smartest Collar", first self-folding collar,  introduced with immediate, overwhelming success; 1929 - introduced Collarite, first collar-attached dress shirt; 1957 - name changed to Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation; February 27, 1962 - registered "Van Heusen" trademark first used in April 1921 (dress shirts, negligee shirts, and work skirts and parts thereof-namely, neckbands, cuffs and shirt fronts).

January 8, 1884 - Augustus Schultz, of New York, NY, received a patent for "Tawing Hides and Skins"; tanning hides and skins through action of a metallic salt; chrome tanning process enabled leather to be tanned thinner and stronger than by vegetable tanning.

October 10, 1886 - Tuxedo dinner jacket, designed by Griswold Lorillard, made its American debut at autumn ball in Tuxedo Park, NY.

August 29, 1893 - Mechanical engineer Whitcomb Judson, of Chicago, IL, received a patent  for a "Shoe-Fastening" ("series of clasps securable to the flaps of the shoes or other corresponding parts to be fastened"); received a second patent for a "Clasp Locker or Unlocker for Shoes" ("for automatically engaging or disengaging an entire series of clasps by a single continuous movement"); a slide fastener; launched Universal Fastener Company to manufacture new device; public debut at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, met with little commercial success.

1894 - John Barbour started J Barbour & Son in 5 Market Place, South Shields; sold products loosely described as drapery (outerwear, boiler suits, painter’s jackets, underwear); supplied Beacon brand oilskin coats designed to protect sailors, fishermen, river, dock and shipyard workers from the worst of the weather; 1906 - Malcolm (son) expanded business to supply Beacon oilskin clothing to landowners, farmers, farm workers, shepherds; 1908 - first Barbour catalogue (focused on fishermen, formed core of its future business); 1917 - mail order catalogue accounted for almost 75% of business (orders from as far away as Chile, South Africa and Hong Kong); 1973 - discontinued all direct selling; catalogs supported product range, dealers, sales agents with focus on country wear; 2006 - 2,000 products across the two seasons, 8 retail shops in the UK, presence in 29 countries.

September 4, 1894 - In New York City, 12,000 tailors went on strike to protest sweat shop working conditions.

1895 - Joseph William Foster founded J.W. Foster and Sons Limited in in Bolton, Lancashire; made shoes by hand for top runners; developed international clientele of distinguished athletes (1924 Summer Games celebrated in the film "Chariots of Fire"); 1958 - two of the founder's grandsons left family business, started a rival company, Reebok, named for an African gazelle; 1979 - Paul Fireman, a partner in an outdoor sporting goods distributorship, spotted Reebok shoes at an international trade show; negotiated for the North American distribution license, introduced three running shoes in the U.S. that year ($60, most expensive running shoes on the market); April 22, 1980 - Reebok Sports Limited registered "Reebok" trademark first used in February 1965 (shoes for use in athletic sports); 1981 - sales exceeded $1.5 million; 1982 - introduced Freestyle athletic shoe, first designed especially for women and aerobic dance exercise; explosive growth followed; 1984 - acquired by group of investors led by R. Stephen Rubin of Pentland Industries, Paul Fireman; August 3, 2005 - Adidas-Salomon announced a $3.8-billion bid for Reebok. 

March 31, 1896 - Whitcomb Judson, of Chicago, IL, received a patent for a "Fastening for Shoes"; hookless fastener based on a slider; received second patent for a "Clasp-Locker for Shoes"; both assigned to Universal Fastener Company; April 25, 1905 - received a patent for a "Separable Fastener" ("for shoes and other similar purposes"); April 29, 1913 - Gideon Sundback, of Hoboken, NJ, head designer at Universal Fastener Company, received a patent for a "Separable Fastener" ("[improvement in April 25, 1905 patent] whereby the fastener is rendered more flexible and the possibility of accidental disengagement of the hook and eye members obviated"); assigned to Automatic Hook and Eye Company; March 20,1917 - Sundback received patent for a "Separable Fastener" ("where two flexible stringers are locked and unlocked by a sliding cam device mounted on both members"); the zipper; August 14, 1917 - received a second patent for a "Separable Fastener" ("two body members or stringers are locked and unlocked by a sliding cam device mounted on both members, the locking being effected by movement in one direction and unlocking by an opposite movement"); October 16, 1917 - received third patent for a "Separable Fastener" ("for garments and other purposes"); all patents assigned to Hookless Fastener Company; 1923 - B.F. Goodrich ordered 150,000 of Sundback's invention for his new product — rubber galoshes; liked their z-z-z-ip sound so much that he coined the word zipper; 1925 - Goodrich registered "zipper" as a trademark for overshoes with fasteners (allowed to retain proprietary rights only over Zipper Boots).

1899 - Jacob Freeman (29), Jeremiah Hickey (32), George A. Brayer (employees of men's clothing company, Wile, Brickner & Wile in Rochester, NY, Thomas Mahon (businessman in leather trade with large retailer customers) pooled $25,000, opened the Hickey, Freeman & Mahon Company in three stories of building in clothing district of Rochester; 1900 -Mahon returned to leather business, company renamed Hickey & Freeman Company; 1908 - renamed Hickey Freeman Company, established reputation as producer of superior quality clothing for modern businessman; June 21, 1949 - registered "Hickey-Freeman" trademark first used in 1908 (full-dress suits, tuxedo suits, overcoats, topcoats); July 21, 1964 - acquired by Hart, Schaffner & Marx.

October 1899 - John Barbey, group of investors, founded Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company with $11,000 total investment; December 4, 1899 - incorporated in Pennsylvania; 1912 - H. D. Lee Mercantile Company opened first apparel plant in Kansas City, KS; 1913 - introduced one-piece denim coverall, known as Lee Uniion-All (official doughboy fatigue during WW I); 1919 - Reading Glove renamed Vanity Fair Silk Mills, began to manufacture undergarnments; 1947 - Wrangler Westernwear formed, 13MWZ launched (prototype 13, men's, Wrangler, Zipper - vs. button-fly jeans); became brand of choice for 98% of rodeo performers and working cowboys; July 25, 1966 - listed on NYSE (1999 market value of $5 billion); 1969 - acquired H. D. Lee Company; changed name to VF Corporation; 1970 - ranked among Fortune 500; 1986 - acquired Blue Bell, Inc.; held 25% share of $6 billion jeans market, 2nd largest jeans maker in world; 2000 - acquired The North Face and several other brands; July 2003 - acquired Nautica Enterprises.

January 12, 1909 - Thomas A. Edison received a patent for "Waterproofing Fibers and Fabrics".

March 25, 1911 - Fire (lasted less than an hour) at Triangle Shirtwaist Co. factory in New York City; killed 146 immigrant workers (all but 13 girls); one of worst fire-related industrial disasters in America's history, galvanized America's labor movement; factory staffed primarily by young, female immigrants, lacked basic safety measures like fire escapes and working exit doors; owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist were eventually found guilty on charges of manslaughter; state government heeded this call and passed a set of laws aimed at safeguarding workers' health and safety.

November 3, 1914 - Mary Phelps Jacob, of Mamaroneck, NY, received first patent for a "Brassiere" (derived from old french word for "upper arm"); marketed under "Caresse Crosby"; later sold patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company (Bridgeport, CT) for $1,500; company made $15 million dollars from bra over next 30 years.

1920 - Adolf (Adi) Dassler (20) made his first shoes; produced from canvas; invented spiked shoes for track and field; July 1, 1924 - Adolf and Rudolf Dassler sports shoe company Gebrüder Dassler OHG in the Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach (12 miles outside Nuremberg); developed new business that would make shoes to be worn only for sports; 1928 - athletes wore special shoes for first time at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam;  mid 1930s - made 30 different shoes for eleven sports, workforce of almost 100 employees; became the world’s leading sports shoe manufacturer; 1936 - Jesse Owens won four gold medals in Berlin Olympics, wore dark Dassler spikes; April 1948 - Adi and Rudolph Dassler dissolve partnership; August 18, 1949 - registered as Adidas AG (combination of first and last name); 1954 - Germany won the Soccer World Cup, German team wore adidas; February 19, 1957 - Adolf Dassler doing business as Adidas Sportschuhfabrik registered "Adidas the Mark with the 3 Stripes" trademark ( shoes for men and women); 1990 - Bernard Tapie (corporate turnaround specialist) acquired 80% od Adidas stock for $320 million; February 1993 - Crédit Lyonnais sold Adidas to Robert Louis-Dreyfus, former head of the British advertising group Saatchi and Saatchi P.L.C.  (1992 -Tapie was unable to pay the interest from his loan); December 1997 - Adidas AG acquired the Salomon Group (world's leading manufacturer of winter sports products), corporate name  changed to Adidas-Salomon AG; January 31, 2006 - competed acquisition of Reebok.

1922 - Enid Bissett, partner with Ida Rosenthal in Enid Frocks, custom dress business in New York City, restructured boyish form bandeau in each dress to have two cups separated by center piece of elastic; William Rosenthal (husband) created garment shape to support natural contours of bust; named it Maiden Form Brassiere; sold undergarment separately; 1923 - incorporated; December 9, 1924 - registered "Maiden Form" trademark (brassieres); 1925 - formed Enid Manufacturing Company to exclusively produce Maidenform® Brassiere; 1930 - changed name to Maidenform Brassiere Company; April 24, 1934 - William Rosenthal, of New York, NY, received a patent for a "Brassiere" ("adapted to support the bust in a natural position"); November 6, 1934 - received second patent for a "Brassiere"; assigned both to Maiden Form Brassiere Co.; first intimate apparel company to advertise on buses, billboards (above), local window and store-counter card displays, radio; September 4, 1951 - registered "Maidenform" trademark first used January 1, 1924 (brassieres, bandeaux, corsets, corselettes, panties, pantie-girdles, girdles, and garter belts); 1960 - company renamed Maidenform, Inc.

February 27, 1923 - Jesse E. Langsdorf, of New York, NY, received a patent for a "Necktie" ("improvements in neckties, and more particularly to those of the four-in-hand type...that the lining shall be sufficiently elastic or resilient in character and so stitched to the body material as not to cause breaking of the stitching or distortion of the tie, and at the same time, so that the lining shall be capable of withstanding the pulling strain to which it may be subjected after having yielded lengthwise with the body material to a limited extent, and so that when the pulling strain shall have been relieved, the body material and lining will assume their original shape and dimensions"); March 13, 1923 - received a second patent for a "Necktie"; necktie stitch of loose stitch type.

 1928 - MacRae Knitting Mills ( founded in 1914 in Australia by Alexander MacRae as underwear manufacture business called MacRae Hosiery manufacturers under brand name 'Fortitude') introduced classic, figure-hugging "Racerback" swim costume (permitted greater freedom of movement, allowed wearers to swim faster); staff member Captain Parsonson, coined slogan 'Speed on in your Speedos'; 1951 - Speedo Knitting Mills (Holdings) Ltd incorporated; went public; 1959 - began exporting to the USA; July 11, 1961 - Speedo Knitting Mills Pty. Limited registered "Speedo" trademark first used in 1933 (first used in August 1959 in business; Men's and Women's Sports Shirts Both Knitted and Woven, Walking Shorts, Leisure Jackets for Informal Wear, Underwear and Swim Suits); 1970 - first company to start producing swimwear made of nylon/elastane (most popular swimwear fabric); 1990 - major interest acquired by Speedo The Pentland Group (founded 1932 by Berko, Minnie Rubin as Liverpool Shoe Co.).

December 4, 1928 - Levi Strauss & Co. registered "Levi's" trademark first used April 14, 1927 (jeans).

1933 - René LaCoste and André Gillier, owner and President of largest French knitwear manufacturing firm of that time, set up  company to manufacture crocodile logo-embroidered shirt,  designed by tennis champion for his own use on tennis court (nicknamed "the Alligator" by American press after making bet  with Captain of the French Davis Cup Team: win very important match for team, get suitcase made from alligator skin), other shirts for tennis, golf and sailing; may be first time brand name appeared on outside of article of clothing; first LACOSTE shirt was white, slightly shorter than  counterparts, ribbed collar, short sleeves with ribbed bands, made of light knitted fabric ("Jersey petit piquéIt"); irst catalogue produced.

December 15, 1939 - Nylon yarn sold to hosiery mills to make women's stockings; first use of commercial yarn (made by Du Pont) for apparel; May 1940 - Nylon stockings went on general sale for the first time in the United States in Wilmington Delaware; four million pairs were sold in several hours.

1941 - Bernard Gant and his cousin started Gant family business in New Haven, CT; manufactured shirts on subcontractor basis; 1945 - Marty Gant (son) joined business; 1947 - Elliot Gant (son) joined; 1949 - Gant brand launched; 1960s - second largest shirt maker in world; 1967 - brand sold; 1979 - acquired by The Palm Beach Company; 1980s - Pyramid Sportswear, Swedish company; bought rights to to design, market brand in Sweden, then around world (except U.S.); 1995 - Phillips-Van Heusen acquired brand in U.S. from bankrupt Crystal Brands; 1999- acquired by Pyramid Sportswear.

1948 - Rudolf Dassler (brother of  Adidas founder) founded a rival company, 'Ruda', changed to PUMA Schuhfabrik Rudolf Dassler; PUMA Atom, PUMA’s first football shoe, introduced; 1959 - company changed to limited partnership status, named "PUMA-Sportschuhfabriken Rudolf Dassler KG"; October 19, 1965 - Puma-Schuhfabrik Rudolf Dassler KG registered "Puma" trademark (sport shoes); 1968 - PUMA is the first manufacturer to offer sports shoes with Velcro® fasteners; 1986 - PUMA limited partnership transformed into stock corporation; 1993 - Proventus/Aritmos B.V. became majority shareholder of PUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport.

1949 - Herbert Gallen started Ellen Tracy women's clothing label; began selling blouses for as little as $28.50/dozen wholesale; 1962 - Linda Allard joined company; 1964 - named director of design; 1984 - name added to lable; found niche as 'bridge label' (between luxury designer labels and less expensive brands); 2002 - acquired by Liz Claiborne for $170 million.

December 19, 1950 - Rose Marie Reid, of Los Angeles, CA, received a U.S. patent for a "Garment" ("embodying a novel construction for causing it to snugly fit the body of a wearer in a flattering manner" using elastic fabric"); one-piece bathing suit.

1851 - Mayfair tailor John Emary opened Emary & Co., upmarket shop at 46-48 Regent Street, London; main concern was reliable waterproofing of outerwear; 1853 - produced shower-proof textile, received a patent for "shower- proofing wool fabric"; changed name of company to 'Aquascutum' (Latin 'aqua' -water-, 'scutum' -shield); late 1870s - turned over to Scantlebury & Commin (improved Raglan sleeve, introduced pinstripe suit); 1890 - moved to 100 Regent St. (present site, flagship store).; 1897 - granted first Royal Warrant by King Edward VII; June 14, 1904 - Aquascutum Ltd. registered "Aquascutum" trademark first used August 13, 1865 (waterproof outer garments); 1909 - opened first factory in Northamptonshire (still operating); 1927 - acquired by Abrahams family; 1966 - granted its first 'Queens' Awards for Export achievement'; 1970 - Charles Abrahams, Joint Chairman and Managing Director, received knighthood; 1982 - Grant of Arms presented by His Grace the Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal of England, in recognition of company's reputation, long heritage; 1990 - acquired by Renown Incorporated; 2006 - Kim Winser appointed new president, CEO.

May 8, 1951 - Deering, Milliken & Co., of New York City introduced Dacron (registered trademark of DuPont) men's suits in New York City; 8-oz fabric consisted of 55% Dacron and 45% worsted, used a new polymer fiber made of polyethylene terephthalate; sold by Hart, Schaffner & Marx Co.; became first commercially marketed polyester fiber.

May 25, 1951 - Textile designer Armi Ratia and her husband, Viljo, founded Marimekko Corporation in Finland (officially entered into the Finnish Trade Register); sparked revolution in pattern making; pioneered new definition of fashion that embraced entire home environment; 1985 - acquired by Amer Group Ltd.; September 27, 1991 - acquired by Workidea, company owned by Kirsti Paakkanen.

August 7, 1951 - Florence B. Zacks, of Columbus, OH, received a patent for a "Washable Scuff with Foam Rubber Soles" ("to provide novel and improved footwear...which is made of inexpensive and washable material"; foam-rubber slippers; 1948 - R. G. Barry Corporation formed to manufacture slippers named "Dearfoams"; 1968 - patent expired; companies worldwide have sold about 3 billion pairs of similar slippers; 2006 - R. G. Barry sold more than 25 million pairs.

April 28, 1953 - Howard C. Ross, of Arlington, VA, received a patent for a "Double Coat" ("top coats or rain coats and in particular this invention relates to an extensible coat wherein, in an emergency, the coat may be extended to include two persons").

November 30, 1954 - Joseph Frank Tew, of Newland, NC, received a patent for a "Stocking" ("without heel or sole reinforcement so that when worn it will enhance the appearance of the foot and leg and, at the same time, the leg will have a bareleg appearance"); assigned to Glen Raven Knitting Mills; seamless hosiery; 1953 - developed panty hose

September 13, 1955 - George de Mestral, of Prangins, Vaud, Switzerland, received a patent for a "Velvet Type Fabric and Method of Producing Same" ("raised pile is made of artificial material, while at least part of the threads in said pile is provided near its end with material-engaging means, as required for adhering to a similar fabric or for scouring purposes"); velcro - based on hook and loop clasping qualities of seed pod burrs;; assigned to Velcro, S.A., Fribourg, Switzerland; May 13, 1958 - Velcro S. A. Corporation, Switzerland, registered "Velcro" trademark (fabric hook and loop fastener - from "vel" or velvet and "cro", French word crochet for hook);  April 2, 1978 - Velcro first went on sale.

1956 - Mort Feldman, designer from Chicago, Feldman's soon-to-be wife Janice Moody started resort apparel company with one sewing machine in small office at Honolulu Harbor to imbue women's resort wear, swimwear with new sophistication; used only finest fabrications, exclusive, company-designed artwork for prints; named company Tori Richard, (Moody's daughter Victoria, Feldman's son Richard); still family-owned company; one of the oldest apparel firms in the islands; found in more than 2500 better department stores, specialty stores in all 50 United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, Mexico, Asia, Europe, Caribbean.

1962 - Phil Knight wrote research paper at Stanford Business School, asserted that low-priced, high-performance well-merchandised exports from Japan could replace Germany's domination of the U.S. athletic shoe industry; December 1963 - first shipment of Tiger shoe samples arrive; January 25, 1964 - Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman founded Blue Ribbon Sports to market running shoes from Onitsuka Tiger Company in Japan; April 1964 - first shipment of 300 pairs of Tiger running shoes arrived, sold out in three weeks; December 26, 1967 - Knight and Bowerman incorporated BRS, Inc. as successor to Blue Ribbon Sports partnership; 1971 - Portland State graphic design student Carolyn Davidson created Swoosh trademark for a $35 fee; Jeff Johnson, Nike's first employee, dreampt of Nike, Greek goddess of victory, gave Blue Ribbon Sports the name of its new brand of footwear; 1973 - American record-holder Steve Prefontaine became first major track athlete to wear Nike brand shoes; February 19, 1974 - BRS, Inc. registered "Nike" trademark (athletic shoes with spikes and athletic uniforms fir use with such shoes); May 30, 1978 - name changed to Nike, Inc.

1969 - Donald and Doris Fisher (40), real estate developer with no retail experience, opened first GAP store in northwest retail corner of El Rey theater building on Ocean Avenue and Fairfield Way in San Francisco (near San Francisco State University) to attract  rock 'n roll crowd, to close generation gap; sold Levi jeans, record albums; 1970 - sales of $2 million; opened second store in San Jose; 1971 - sold Levis brand clothing exclusively; 1983 - acquired Banana Republic; 1986 - first GapKids store opened; 1987 - sales of $1 billion; 1990s - no longer carried Levis brand; 1992 - second largest selling apparel brand in world; 1994 - first Old Navy store opened; 1997 - Old Navy sales $1 billion in four years (retail record); 1998 - Banana Republic sales of $1 billion; 2006 - 3,000 stores, fiscal 2005 revenues of $16 billion; 2008 - second-largest clothing retailer in world.

October 28, 1975 - Julie Newmar, of New York, NY, received a patent for "Pantyhose with Shaping Band for Cheeky Derriere Relief" ("of semi-elastic fabric which enhance natural shape of wearer's derriere giving it cheeky relief, rather board-like flatness"); ultra-sheer, ultra-snug pantyhose.

September 2, 1980 - Levi Strauss & Co. registered back pocket design trademark (pants, jackets, skirts, and shorts).

May 19, 1992 - Malden Mills Industries, Inc. registered "Polartec" trademark first used February 25, 1991 (textile fabric piece goods for use in the manufacture of clothing); December 11, 1995 - Malden Mills factory destroyed by fire; November 2001 - declared bankruptcy; January 10, 2007 - re-filed for bankruptcy; acquired by Gordon Brothers Group; March  2007 - renamed Polartec LLC.

December 23, 2005 - Private equity group Apax Partners agreed to buy Tommy Hilfiger for $1.6 billion, or $16.80 per share.

January 2008 - Prices of apparel higher than two years ago (rarely happened since 1998); 2007 - overall Consumer Price Index up 31% over previous 10 years; apparel index down 10% over same period; shoes - apparel area with least deflation over that period, increase over last five years