Vintage Champion
The inventors of the hoodie, and sportswear mainstay since the 1930s, Champion has experienced a resurgence of popularity in recent years and we've got plenty of vintage sweatshirts, hoodies, t-shirts and more!
Champion: It's cool again
Champion is a sportswear revival story at it's finest. The dominant brand of the 90s felt like it was resigned to the discount bins during the 00s in favour of Nike and Adidas, but by getting back to their classic design roots the American manufacturer has risen from the ashes and found it's way back into the wardrobes of top athletes and celebrities alike.
Champion is a synonymous 90s brand, which we're all about, so obviously we have a full collection of vintage finds ready for you!
Vintage Champion Sweatshirts
Vintage Champion Hoodies
History of the brand
It's 1919, and two brothers in Rochester, NY were growing increasingly tired of the low quality sportwear which was common during the turn of the century.
Their first success came when they won the contract to provide their local American Football team with jerseys and in 1926 the company started providing sweatshirts for the US Military Academy.
Soon after the brother's rebranded the Knickerbocker Knitting Company into the much catchier 'Champion Knitting Mills Ltd' and the modern brand was born, with sports teams across the USA clamouring to outfit their teams with Champion sportswear.
The popularity of Champion clothing in almost every US sport naturally led to huge demand amongst the general population. Athletes, skaters, hip-hop starts, college students, military academies...they were all wearing Champion.
However, the tide turned in 1997 when the brand lost the contract to supply NBA teams with their uniforms and very quickly the brand started to become a less desirable alternative to the new dominant megabrands of Adidas and Nike.
But this story doesn't end on a sad note, because they remained popular amongst vintage clothing enthusiasts. Recognising this trend, the company worked hard to get back to their roots and a series of successful collaborations with the likes of Supreme breathed new life into the brand amongst influencers and celebrities allowing Champion to reclaim their place amongst the top sportswear brands in the world.
Inventor extraordinaires
Champion didn't just manufacture sportswear, the invented most of it too.
The hoodie, the reverse-weave material that prevents shrinkage when washing, the mesh jersey, they all came from Champion.
They even pioneered the development of the modern sportsbra during the women's athletics boom of the 70s!
Buying Vintage Champion
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