The Lee Apparel Company, Inc. history

1886 – A keen mind and poor health induce Lee to sell half his interest in Central Oil Co. to John Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Co.

Lee was founded in 1889 by Henry David Lee and several business associates in Salina, Kansas.

Dry goods merchants could order nearly anything from The H.D. Lee Mercantile Company’s 1899 Notions Catalog—from air rifles, apple butter, baseball mitts, bib overalls, coffee grinders and fabric to maraschino cherries, stationary and school supplies, toilet paper, whistles and Worcestershire sauce.

The company experienced a setback on December 4, 1903, when its headquarters in Salina, and all its inventory, burned to the ground.

1909 – A newspaper describes Lee as “head of the largest mercantile business in Kansas City and the biggest citizen of Salina, whose name is in every mouth and whose goods are on every shelf.” Lee evidently wears the pants in the Salina business community; he soon will be making them, too.

The most important addition to the Lee company's product line came in 1911, when Lee became frustrated by infrequent deliveries of work clothes, such as overalls and dungarees, from a manufacturer in the east.

1912 – Losing his shirt and pant sales due to unreliable workwear suppliers from the East, Lee opens his first apparel plant in Salina to produce overalls, jackets and dungarees.

The following year (1914), Lee registered the term, “Union-Alls” with the United States patent office and added them to its product line.

By 1915, the charter of the Lee company had been expanded to account for its new interest in clothing manufacturing, and the company had opened a second factory, designated for the exclusive manufacture of Union-Alls, in Kansas City, Kansas.

In 1916, two more factories were opened, in Kansas City, Missouri, and South Bend, Indiana.

On March 17, 1917, The H.D. Lee Mercantile Company moved its headquarters from Salina, Kansas to Kansas City, Missouri.

After the war's end, Lee continued to expand, moving into a new nine-story building in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1919, which replaced its smaller Kansas City, Kansas, facility.

1920 – The Lee Co.’s first consumer promotion introduces Buddy Lee, a ceramic figure first found loitering in storefront windows wearing Lee Overalls and a mischievous smile.

1924 – A 13-ounce denim cowboy pant is introduced in 1924.

1925 – The lighter weight, unsurpassed durability and twisted yarns of Lee Jelt Denim propel the Lee story.

In 1926, there was a flurry of innovation, as jeans with zippers and U-shaped saddle crotches as well as work clothes with sliding fasteners were brought to market.

In a photo taken after the 1927 National Corn Huskers Contest, eight of the ten winners were wearing Lee Whizits.

1928 – Founder H.D. Lee dies of a heart attack in Texas.

With the coming of the Great Depression in the wake of the stock market crash in 1929, however, Lee's fortunes suffered.

In 1931, Lee changed the name to “Jelt Denim."

In 1936, Lee moved to identify itself more fully with the Western world of cowboys and rodeos by forming the Rodeo Cowboys Association.

In 1937, Lee became the nation's largest manufacturer of workwear with sales at $6.4 million.

The seven icons include: The S-curve resembles the longhorns of a steer or the shape "of the back of an occupied saddle." The X-tack replaced copper rivets on Lee jeans back pockets by 1938.

By 1939, Lee had become the largest producer of work clothes in America, as sales reached $6.4 million.

In 1943, Lee changed its official name to "H.D. Lee Company, Inc.," dropping the word "Mercantile" to better reflect its primary emphasis on garment manufacturing.

The Lee leather patch was first introduced in 1945.

Eloesser-Heynemann Company, a workwear maker based in San Francisco, was bought in 1946.

In 1947, the untapped women's jeans market welcomed Lady Lee Riders, “Authentic Cowboy Pants, button-fly, Sanforized, 8 oz. coarse weave denim.”Made with the same button-front fly, 5-pocket construction as men's Riders, Lady Lee Riders came with the same guarantee to fit or your money back.

The logo button replaced the Lee Cowboy waistband button by 1949.

The company left the food business altogether in 1950 when it turned over its grocery division to Consolidated Grocers of Chicago for about $3 million.

In 1952, Lee took on 364 hours of work to sew a shirt and pants for Big Tex, the 52-foot tall symbol of the State Fair of Texas.

1954 – Lee demonstrates its concern for the welfare of its workers with a pension plan, believed to be the first company-funded program covering all employees.

1956 – Leonard W. Staples, nephew of the company’s second chief executive, replaces Benjamin E. Kinney when Kinney replaces chairman C.A. Reynolds.

1959 – Dressy white jeans and jackets arrive in the form of the Lee Westerner.

In 1961, the style of this line was further refined with the addition of center creases and narrower pants legs.

1964 – Not since the onset of the zipper has such an innovation gripped the consumer: Lee presses on with a line of “no-iron” permanent press slacks, sold under the “Lee-Prest” banner.

By 1965, teens would spend $3.5 billion on apparel.

Lee's directors turned down an offer from the Work Wear Corporation in 1967, as well as a proposal from United States Industries the following year.

1971 – Former executive vice president D.F. Hoopes jumps at the chance to serve as president of Lee, which he does until his promotion to president of VF Corp.

In 1972, the company began to sell a polyester double-knit leisure suit, which it marketed in a wide variety of colors as a sporty alternative to the business suit.

In 1973, Lee introduced jeans designed especially for women under the "Ms.

1974 – A 1974 Gentlemen’s Quarterly contains an ad for Lee’s double-knit leisure suit, made of Dupont’s 100 percent Dacron¨ polyester.

1979 – In its 90th year, Lee realizes its ambition to outfit the whole family with the formation of its Youthwear division, announcing the achievement with the slogan, “Lee Fits America.”

1982 – Robert Gregory runs Lee for a year, then is named president of VF Corp.

1983 – Lee’s softer, stronger Ultra Cord is introduced as “the Ultimate in Corduroy.” Other innovations include Dress Blues, which feature superior color retention; stretch jeans; and Denim Cable-stripes.

In 1986, Lee began marketing looser pants and pleated pants under the label "Relaxed Riders," for girls and women, and "Easy Riders" for men.

1987 – Denim now accounts for nearly 84 percent of jeans sales.

1989 – The jeans manufacturer spends about $2 million annually for rocks from the United States, Turkey, Greece and Mexico used in treating fabric

1990 – A 200,000 square-foot distribution center opens in Mocksville, N.C., adding efficiency and speed to Lee’s customer service efforts.

By 1992, an industry-wide return to basics had pushed up sales of jeans once again, and Lee introduced "Lee Basics," designed to appeal to younger consumers.