1817 - Wellington boots first appeared; Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington, had instructed Hoby of St. James Street, London, his shoemaker, to modify 18th century Hessian boot; named new boot the 'Wellington'.

September 20, 1818 - Seth Boyden manufactured patent leather in U.S. for first time in Newark, NJ.

1851 - John Emary, Mayfair tailor, 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 '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.

John Emary - Aquascutum  (http://www.aquascutumgifts.com/ images2/sections/hist_1.jpg)

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;  May 15, 1900 - registered "Arrow" trademark first used 1885 (collars and cuffs); 1901 - incorporated, Robert Cluett president; 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.

Frederick Forrest Peabody - Cluett, Peabody  (http://toomuchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/peabody.jpg)

1851 - Robert Knight, owner with brother Benjamin Knight, of B.B. & R. Knight Company textile mill in Warwick, RI; liked images of fruit painted by Providence shopkeeper's daughter, applied to bolts of cloth from his mill; thought labels would be perfect symbol for trade name; 1856 - adopted Fruit of the Loom name, labels sewn to bolts of fabric produced by B.B. & R. Knight Corporation; October 30, 1923 - B.B. & R. Knight, Inc. registered "Friuit of the Looom" trademark first used November 25, 1891 (aperons; men's and boys' dress and negligee shirts, boys' blouses, kitchenette aprons, ladies dresses,] women's and children's textile underwear; nights shirts and pajamas for men, [women] boys{, and girls]; 1985 - acquired by William F. Farley, renamed Farley Industries, Inc.; April 29, 2002 - acquired by Berkshire Hathaway Corporation for approximately $835 million in cash.

Robert Knight - Fruit of the Loom0  (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/ Robert_Knight_Rhode_Island_textile_industrialist.jpg)

July 25, 1854 - Walter Hunt of New York City, developer of safety pin and and first repeating rifle, received a patent for an "Improvement in Shirt-Collars" (a "new and useful Method of Making the Collars and Bosoms of Shirts"); paper shirt collar; very thin white paper pasted on both sides of base of thin white cotton muslin; pressed between heated forms to shape of neck; varnished with a colorless bleached shellac (to guard against effect of perspiration); enabled cleaning by wiping with damp cloth; expected collar could be made at less than cost of laundering a linen shirt collar.

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

1858 - Josef Knize, Czech master tailor for civil and military clothes, took over shop of J. Einsle; established Mode-Atelier Knize in Vienna, Austria; 1885 - Albert Wolff, son of German banker, joined shop; supplied imperial & royal court; 1888 - Albert and Gisela Wolff took over company; 1902 - Gisela Wolff assumed leadership (husband died); 1921 - opened store in Karlsbad; 1924 - Friedrich Wolff (son) took over company; 1927 - introduced Knize Ten, men’s toiletry series; opened store in Berlin Wilhelmstrasze; 1928 - opened store in Paris; 1935 - name changed to Wolff-Knize (used Knize upon entering U.S. market in New York in 1941); 1976 - Rudolf Niedersuesz became general manager; 1978 - merged with C. M. Frank (founded 1838); offered finest ladies’ wear; 1992 - Bernhard Niedersuesz (eldest son) joined company. 

 Joseph Schaffner - Hartmarx  (http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/centennial/images/1908-1918/thumbs_Decade_Page/Joseph_Schaffner.jpg)

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,  sold; May 20, 1874 - Levi Strauss began marketing blue jeans with copper rivets; 1891 - patent expired; dozens of garment manufacturers began to imitate original riveted clothing.

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, 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); February 13, 2013 - acquired by The Warnaco Group, Inc.

Moses and Endel Phillips - Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation (http://www.pvh.com/images/history/1881_thumb.jpg)

1881 - Antonio, Stefano, Quintino Cerruti, cousin founded Lanificio Cerruti, spinning and weaving factory in Biella, Italy (between Milan, Turin); used exceptionally pure local water source for washing, treating wool; 1915 - Silvio Cerruti (son of Antonio) took over; 1950 - Nino Cerruti (20) took over (son of Silvio); modernized machinery, invested in two factories in Milan dedicated to cutting and sewing; 1957- introduced first men's collection; created new concept: luxury ready-to-wear; November 1967 - opened boutique son Place de la Madeleine in Paris (quickly accounted for 50% of sales); 1978 - introduced fine fragrances; 1980 - launched sports line based on haute couture; 1990 - sold in 30 countries; 1995 - introduced line of jeans; 2000/2001 - acquired by Italian real estate group; 2006 - acquired by Matlin Patterson, American investment group; 2007 - Belgian creator Jean-Paul Knott took over as artistic director; September 2008 - Florent Perrichon named President.

December 12, 1882 - Camille Poirier, of Duluth, MN, received a patent for a "Pack-Strap" (...for holding and packing articles clothing, provisions and other articles which are to be carried in a package on the back"); canvas sack closed with buckled flap, had shoulder straps in addition to traditional tumpline, revolutionary sternum strap, umbrella holder; known as Poirier pack (original Duluth Pack); 1911 - pack business acquired by Duluth Tent and Awning Company; 1920s - designed first pack specifically designed to attach to side of Ford Model-T; 1940s - introduced Cruiser packs; 1960s - added luggage to production line; June 1991 - opened retail store in Duluth's Canal Park; April 1998 - opened 5000 square-foot flagship store.

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 - James Brown Potter introduced short, tailless dinner jacket, tuxedo, in Tuxedo Park, NY (recommended by Prince of Wales, future King Edward VII, fitted by Saville Row tailor, Henry Poole & Co.).

1887 - George D. Munsing, Frank H. Page, Edward O. Tuttle founded Northwestern Knitting Co. in Minneapolis, MN to manufacture knit underwear for men and women; February 15, 1887 - incorporated; October 9, 1888 - received a patent for a "Knit Fabric" ("a plated, elastic knit fabric...that shall be heavy enough (wool) to be sufficiently warm...have a fine attractive, and handsomely finished outer surface and a soft but smooth under surface that will not irritate the flesh of the wearer"); received a second patent for a "Knit Undershirt, Etc."; early 1890s -produced union suits; 1895 - Munsing left company; new management focused on merchandising (from inventing), became first U.S. knitting company to make, market knit union suits in volume; 1910-1917 - produced more than one-tenth of all union suits manufactured in U.S.; 1919 - Munsing returned to the company, renamed Munsingwear Corp.; became one of first firms of its type to establish design department; December 26, 1922 - registered "Munsingwear" tradermark first used in June 1922 (underwear, knit or woven, and hosiery, for men, women, and children); 1923 - largest manufacturer in world producing underwear under one trademark; largest employer of women in Minnesota (85% of 3,000 employees are female); 1996 - acquired by Supreme International, (now Perry Ellis International).

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).

Whitcomb Judson - zipper (http://z.about.com/d/inventors/ 1/0/W/7/whitcombjudson.jpg)

Gideon Sundback - zipper (http://z.about.com/d/ inventors/1/0/S/5/gideonsundback.jpg)

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 retail customers) pooled $25,000, opened 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. 

1903 - Julianna and Robert Mühlbauer opened small millinery, with shop attached, in Viennese suburb of Floridsdorf.

1904 - Charles Crump (C.C.) and Homer Hudson (brothers) founded Hudson Overall Co. in Greensboro, NC; 1919 - changed name to Blue Bell Overall Co.; 1926 - acquired by Big Ben Manufacturing (KY); 1943 - acquired Casey Jones, manufacturer of work clothes. rights to Wrangler, rarely used brand name;  1947 - designed new line of Western jeans; held contest for employees to choose name; winner chose little-used brand name from Casey Jones — Wrangler; 1948 - signed Jim Shoulders, rodeo star, to probably longest sports endorsement deal in history (58 years, until his death in 2007; Shoulders won total of 16 world championships, including five All-Around, seven Bull Riding and four Bareback Riding World Titles); December 28, 1948 - Blue Bell, Inc. registered Wrangler trademark, first used January 19, 1929 (western style dungarees and pants); 1955 - James Dean wore Wrangler in “Rebel Without a Cause”; 1963 - Paul Newman wore Wrangler jeans in “Hud”; Time magazine celebrated teenager (girl on magazine’s cover wore Wrangler jeans); 1974 - only westernwear brand officiallendorsed by Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association; 1980 - John Travolta wore Wrangler jeans in  in “Urban Cowboy” (sparked 30 % increase in sales during next two years); 1982 - company became primary sponsor of NASCAR driver Earnhardt’s car; 1986 - merged with VF Corporation (PA), made VF one of  two largest jeans makers in world; 1996 - #1 market share leader in  U.S. (one out of every four males in U.S. wears Wrangler jeans.  

1906 - Peter ('Per') Gustaf Anderson (Swedish tailor, undercutter of Frederick Scholte, Dutch tailor - established 'London cut' or 'English drape [of a jacket - how it hangs from shoulders]' looks) and Simmons opened Anderson & Simmons, bespoke shop on Sackville Street in London, UK (custom-made clothes to buyer's specifications); 1913 - Simmons's interest acquired by Sidney Horatio Sheppard (trouser cutter) for £2000, naame changed to Anderson & Sheppard (at No 13 Savile Row); late 1970s - acquired by Roland “Tiny” Rowland; 2004 - Anda Rowland (daughter) became vice chairman (only female principal on Savile Row); 2008 - 80% owned by Rowland family, balance owned cutters, managers.

 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.).

Alexander MacRae - Speedo  (http://brands.scene7.com/is/image/brands/hist-1910s-amcrae)

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"); first catalogue produced.

René LaCoste - Chemise LaCoste  (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Ren%C3%A9_Lacoste.jpg/175px-Ren%C3%A9_Lacoste.jpg)

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 Gantmacher, immigrant from Ukraine, made shirts, as subcontractor for private labels, in New Haven, CT (Marty Gant, son, joined business in 1945; Elliot Gant, son, joined business in 1947); August 8, 1967 - Gant of New Haven, Inc. registered "Gant" trademark first used in April 1949 (outer dress shirts and sport shirts for men and women); 1967 - family sold out; 1979 - acquired by The Palm Beach Company; 1980/1981 - entered international market, sold right to design, market Gant brand outside U.S. to Pyramid Sportswear of Sweden; December 1988 - acquired by Crystal Brands, Inc.; 1995 - acquired in bankruptcy by Phillips-Van Heusen; 1999 - Gant USA acquired by Sweden-based Gant AB (Pyramid Sportswear at the time); March 2008 - acquired by Maus Freres (private Swiss company); established in over 70 countries through more than 330 Gant stores, large number of selected premium retailers.

Bernard Gant - Gant of New Haven (http://us.gant.com/media/wysiwyg/our-history-Bernard-GANT.jpg)

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.

Rudolf Dassler - founder PUMA (http://www.wc-news.com/wp-content/wc-news-photos/Adidas-Puma/Rudolf-Dassler-Puma-Founder.jpg)

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.

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.

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.

George de Mestral - invented velcro  (http://www.tsr.ch/xobix_media/images/tsr/2004/ tsrimg20040122_4656574_0.jpg)

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.

February 22, 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: