A Lee Jeans booth at a local 5k race in Kansas City.The identification patch on a set of Lee jeans.
The company was formed in 1889 by Henry David Lee as the HD Lee Mercantile Company at Salina, Kansas, producing dungarees and jackets. The growth of Lee was prompted by the introduction of the Union-All work jumpsuit in 1913 and their first overall in 1920.[4] Later in the 1920s Lee introduced a zipperfly and continued to expand. Around this time, the first children's overalls line was sold. In 1928 H.D. Lee, founder and president of The H.D. Lee Mercantile Company, died.[6] During the 1930s and 1940s the company became the leading manufacturer of work clothes in the US. In 1944, the Lazy "S" became the official Lee back pocket. Buddy Lee dolls were a promotional item. In 1954, Lee expanded into casual wear. During the 1960s the company expanded to 81 countries and in 1969 was acquired by VF Corporation, becoming a brand.[4] Lee aired its first television advertisement, which promoted Lee western wear.
In the 1970s Lee shifted its focus from the workwear business and began catering to fashion cycles. Lee created an all-new fit for women under the Ms. Lee label. A youth wear line for boys and girls was introduced. In 1996, the company launched Lee National Denim Day as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Working with the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Lee National Denim Day has raised over $75 million to help fund breast cancer research programs.[7][8] In 2014, the brand was relaunched in Paris via the Citadium Paris store.[citation needed] In 2019, Lee, Wrangler, Rock & Republic, and VF Outlet were separated from VF Corporation into Kontoor Brands.[1]
In 1981, 240 factory workers in Greenock, Scotland, staged a sit-in in protest against plans to move the factory to Northern Ireland. What was planned as a one-night protest continued for seven months.[9] As of 2005[update], Lee Jeans have been manufactured by Arvind Mills, in a number of small factories in Chamarajanagar, India. About 60,000 workers produce 5,000 pairs of jeans a day.[10]
In the 1930s "The Great Lee Success Story" advertisements were launched that led to Lee's slogan "The Jeans that Built America".[3]
Within the United States, the company spends more than $40 million per year on advertising. In 2009, Olson was appointed as the lead interactive agency for the American brand and redesigned their website. Barkley Inc. had previously handled interactive advertising for the brand. Arnold Worldwide continues to provide offline advertising services for the brand.[11]
^I thought one-night demo would save our jobs ... seven months later we were still there; Lee jeans shop steward tells of sit-in to save jobs Daily Record (Scotland) March 8, 2005
Marsh, Graham; Trynka, Paul (2002). Denim: From Cowboys to Catwalks: A Visual History of the World's Most Legendary Fabric. Aurum Press. ISBN1-85410-791-7.
