White Stag is an
in-store brand of women's clothing and accessories sold by
Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
. Founded as a
skiwear
A ski suit is a suit made to be worn over the rest of the clothes when skiing or snowboarding.[Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...](_blank)
, the company was purchased by the
Warnaco Group in 1966, which in turn sold the brand to Wal-Mart in 2003.
Company origins
The White Stag company began as an offshoot of the Hirsch-Weis Manufacturing Company of Portland, Oregon, which made durable outdoor clothing and supplies worn by loggers, mill hands, and stockmen.
Hirsch-Weis was founded when brothers Max S. and Leopold B. Hirsch purchased the Willamette Tent and Awning Company, a manufacturer of sails for deepwater ships, from
E. Henry Wemme in 1907.
[ The Hirsch brothers renamed the company for themselves and Harry Weis, Wemme's secretary, whom the brothers retained as a partner with the new company.][ The company began to make more tents and catered to the logging industry; some of the company's first clothes were waterproof garments for loggers.
In 1929, Harold S. Hirsch, Max's 21-year-old son, returned to Portland after graduating from ]Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...
, where he had enjoyed skiing.[ He began making ]downhill skiing
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether ...
apparel, starting with a ski suit
A ski suit is a suit made to be worn over the rest of the clothes when skiing or snowboarding.[sportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons.
Typical sport-specific garments ...](_blank)
.[
]
Company growth and acquisition by Warnaco
In 1956, reflecting the popularity of the sportswear line, Hirsch-Weis changed its name to White Stag.[ It became a publicly traded company in 1958.]
In 1957,[Denny, John L. (April 29, 1957). "Business Briefs". ''The Oregonian'', p. 8.] the company modified a large animated sign on the roof of its downtown Portland building to include a stag leaping over an outline of the state of Oregon. For the 1959 Christmas season, a red neon "nose" was added to the stag's snout in imitation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created by Robert L. May. Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus's reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa's sleigh on ...
, a tradition that has been repeated annually ever since. The White Stag sign
The White Stag sign, also known as the "Portland Oregon" sign, is a lighted neon-and- incandescent-bulb sign located atop the White Stag Building, at 70 NW Couch Street in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States, facing the Burnside Bridge. The ...
quickly became an identifying landmark for the city, and it was designated a Portland landmark by the city's Historic Landmarks Commission in 1977.["Commission designates White Stag sign Portland landmark" (October 13, 1977). ''The Oregonian'', p. A17.] Its lettering was changed to advertise the Made in Oregon gift retailer in 1997, and in 2010 the sign was acquired by the city and its lettering changed again, to read "Portland Oregon".
In 1966, White Stag was purchased by the Warner Brothers Company, which later became the Warnaco Group. The company moved its operations out of its downtown Portland building in 1973 and by 1987, had moved out of Portland completely.[
In 1983, the company was doing $70 million in sales annually, out of Warnaco's overall annual sales of around $500 million.][ In fall 1986, White Stag had around 200 employees, and its facilities included a three-building complex occupying on S.E. Harney Drive in Southeast Portland.][ Warnaco's move out of Portland was forecast for completion in 1987.][
]
The Warnaco years
In 1986, former Warnaco executive Linda J. Wachner
Linda Joy Wachner (born February 3, 1946) is an American businesswoman. She was President and CEO of Warnaco Group Inc. from 1986 to 2001. She began her career as a buyer for department stores including Foley's and Macy's.
Biography
Born to a ...
engineered a $550 million hostile takeover
In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to t ...
of Warnaco and began streamlining the company. White Stag was reorganized with other activewear lines, including Speedo
Speedo International Limited is a distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories based in Nottingham, England, known for its swim briefs. The company has roots in Australia but is no longer based there. Founded in Sydney in 1914 by A ...
, into a new company, Authentic Fitness Corporation, which went public in 1992. The company grew through the 1990s, but saddled with debt from other acquisitions and mergers, Warnaco filed for Chapter 11
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, wheth ...
protection in 2000.
Walmart label
After Warnaco emerged from bankruptcy in 2003, it sold the White Stag trademark to Wal-Mart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
.[ For a time Wal-Mart used the trademark on a line of women's casual clothing, footwear, and basic jewelry.]
References
External links
*{{Oregon Encyclopedia, white_stag_manufacturing, White Stag Manufacturing, author=Battistella, Edwin
Clothing companies of the United States
Clothing companies established in 1907
Walmart brands
Clothing brands of the United States
1907 establishments in Oregon
Clothing companies disestablished in 2003
2003 disestablishments in New York (state)