WOOLRICH
WOOLRICH at Lazzari Store (Treviso, Italy)
“The original outdoor clothing company”: for almost two centuries Woolrich has been the oldest outdoor clothing company in the United States. At the beginning of the 19th century, the founder John Rich, the English son of a wool weaver, emigrated from Liverpool to America. In 1830 he opened a small woolen mill in Little Plum Run, Pennsylvania, to sell socks and blankets to local workers and families. He increased production by also supplying American troops with clothing and blankets, from the Civil War to the Second World War. However, already starting from the second half of the 19th century, Woolrich had begun to diversify its offer, focusing increasingly on leisure clothing.
Woolrich's first original product was the flannel shirt with large red and black checks, the iconic Buffalo Check shirt (1850). In the 1970s it produced another key garment in its history, the Arctic Parka, with which it equipped the workers involved in the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. The Mountain Jacket was created in 1979, the outerwear designed for hikers, outdoor enthusiasts and mountain sports lovers. These garments have crossed borders, socio-cultural transformations, fashions without losing their distinctive features while constantly evolving. Woolrich's signature design was and remains discreet, durable, coherent and functional.
At the basis of such a long and important history are the fundamental values of the brand: progress, love of travel, community, positive approach to life and social responsibility. Since its origins, Woolrich has reflected the American dream: achieving one's goals despite adversity, to always be seized and interpreted as opportunities. In 2021 Woolrich created the Woolrich Outdoor Foundation to concrete environmental protection actions. It supports urban redevelopment, protection and restoration projects of green areas in collaboration with organizations that share values of environmental sustainability and ethical trade.