Vintage Champions
If it's high quality, it's Vintage Champion
Champion is perhaps the only merch brand that has developed into a real fashion brand . When it was created, Champion was a basic sports line from Hanesbrands Inc., the well-known merchandiser. What made Vintage Champion establish itself as a fashion brand?
- The brand name Champion , in connection with the slogan "It takes a bit more to be a Champion". The included self-mockery is perceived as very likeable on the market.
- The high quality fabric - today's Vintage Champion clothing produced in the 80's and 90's is almost exclusively of high quality
- The C-patch on the sleeve - This feature has been imitated many times, but the original gets the lion's share of the popularity in all fairness.
Vintage Champion - The history of a sports brand
The most important points for you briefly summarized:
- Founded in 1919 by the Feinbloom brothers as the “Knickerbocker Knitting Company”.
- 1930 Name change to “Champion Knitting Mills Inc.”
- In 1989 the company was taken over by Sara Lee
- 1990's Champion produced uniforms for all NBA teams
- 2008 Champion started producing kits for Premier League club Wigan Athletic
Champion was founded in 1919 by the Feinbloom brothers as the "Knickerbocker Knitting Company". Soon after , the company signed a deal with the Michigan Wolverines to make jerseys for their teams. In the 1930s the company was renamed "Champion Knitting Mills Inc." rebranded and produced sweatshirts. Shortly thereafter, the US Military Academy adopted Champion products for use in training exercises and physical education classes.
The company was originally based in Rochester, New York, before being acquired by Sara Lee in 1989. Champion produced uniforms for all NBA teams in the 1990s and some NFL teams in the 1970s through 1990s, both on the field and at retail. The company has also made sportswear for many major universities . Champion was also the manufacturer of uniforms for the Olympic basketball team that competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
From 2008, Champion produced kits for Premier League club Wigan Athletic , the Wales national football team and the jersey of the Greek basketball team, and Pallacanestro Cantù in Italy.
Champion supplied football uniforms for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In 2001, Notre Dame signed an exclusive five-year deal with Adidas , ending a more than 50-year partnership between Champion and the university.
Vintage Champion and Hanes
Champion is the group's second largest brand after Hanes itself. Other well-known Hanes brands include Elbeo, Maidenform, Wonderbra and Shock Absorber. Products manufactured and marketed by Champion include, but are not limited to:
- t shirts
- sweatshirts
- sweatpants
- shorts
- Jackets
- Accessories ( bags , hats and other collectibles)
Well-known sponsorships from Champion
Historically, Champion has primarily manufactured uniforms for basketball and American football teams, notably its long-standing association with the National Basketball Association (NBA) that lasted until 2004, when Reebok acquired the company. Champion was also a sponsor of the world governing body FIBA until 2017.
Zeitgeist and vintage champion
In addition to many other brands such as Adidas and Nike , you can of course also buy second-hand and vintage champions from Zeitgeist . We want to offer every customer at Zeitgeist an optimal shopping experience. That's why you'll find a size recommendation throughout our shop that works independently of the manufacturer's recommended sizes . If a worn piece has defects in our online shop, we will display this transparently on the item detail page. If you are still dissatisfied with vintage clothing from Zeitgeist, you can return it free of charge .