Vintage Brands at Ragstock

That perfect vintage Adidas jacket you've been hunting for since the dawn of time? We just might have it. We've been working hard to curate a selection of the most coveted vintage brands—from Adidas to vintage Wrangler—in easy-to-shop categories. Below, learn about these brands and their crazy beginnings (Adidas and Puma were started by rival brothers!), and find out what kind of items we have in stock!

Nike

History:

Founded in 1964 by track-and-field coach Bill Bowerman, Nike (originally dubbed "Blue Ribbon Sports") quickly opened up retail outlets across the country. With the launch of the Nike brand shoe in 1972 and the infamous "swoosh" logo, Nike has arguably become the most coveted vintage athletic brand in the world.

What We Have:

At Ragstock, we have a range of vintage Nike primarily focused on vintage windbreakers and track pants, with a rotating mix of tees and tanks. We also have an extra special limited collection of deadstock items including this Vintage Nike Pinwheel Tank. Shop Vintage Nike

Lee

History:

It's 1889, and Lee Jeans is only a piece of the puzzle called H.D. Lee Mercantile Company. Started in Salinas, Kansas by Henry David Lee, the business actually started out as a wholesale grocery distributor. It wasn't until later that Henry David Lee created the Lee Bib Overall, an early claim to fame, and the later-arriving jeans and denim riding jackets. Our favorite defining features of the Lee brand starts with the pockets, which feature small criss-cross stitches and a soft 's' shape through the center.

What We Have:

On our site, you'll find a wide variety of vintage Lee jeans, along with vintage denim shorts, denim jackets, corduroy, and more.

Shop Vintage Lee

Levi's

History:

Levi Strauss, a German immigrant, traveled from Bavaria to San Francisco is 1853. It was the beginning of what would become, and remain to this day, the world's most famous (and sustained) denim jean brand: Levi's. First came denim overalls sold to miners during the California Gold Rush, then the first pair Levi 501s in the 1890s. By the 1930s, Levi's were picked up in the Eastern US during the dude ranch craze, and between the '50s and '80s by all types of kids: rockers, greasers, hippies, and more. While tons of Levi's jeans are still being made, there is nothing like the cut and feel of vintage Levi's jeans.

What We Have:

Have you noticed that it's only getting harder to find vintage Levi's jeans in your average thrift store? We currently have not only vintage Levi's jeans, but vintage Levi's denim jackets, corduroy jeans, and lots of vintage denim shorts for men and women.

Shop Vintage Levi's

Champion

History:

Fun fact: Champion, or Champion U.S.A., was first established in 1919 under a different name: Knickerbocker Knitting Company. Started by the Feinbloom brothers, the company began creating uniforms for the Michigan Wolverines and had launched into creating uniforms for all NBA and some NFL teams by the 1980s. It was also adopted fairly early by the US Military Academy to produce sweatshirts to be used during training exercises. Fast forward to today: while Champion sweatshirts, especially vintage Champion sweatshirts, are all the rage, we're seeing Champion jackets, jerseys, and t-shirts everywhere.

What We Have:

Our current collection of vintage Champion includes everything from Champion sweatshirts to lightweight jackets to tees and tank tops just waiting for that perfect summer day. We also have a beautiful deadstock item still available—a Champion Running Man Harrington Jacket. Sigh.

Shop Vintage Champion

adidas

History:

The second largest sportswear manufacturer in the world, adidas has been around since 1924. The founder, Adolf Dassler, and his brother Rudolf began their business in Herzogenaurach, Germany, under the name Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory and focused on developing spiked running shoes. They soon convinced über-famous athlete Jesse Owens to wear their spikes during the 1936 Summer Olympics. Nice, right? Here's some juicy news: the two brothers split ways in 1949 following a disagreement or two, and quickly became business rivals. Adolf created the adidas brand, and his brother formed Puma.

What We Have:

At Ragstock, we have tons of sweet vintage adidas windbreakers and track pants, with the occasional t-shirt and tank thrown in for good measure.

Shop Vintage adidas

Ralph Lauren

History:

At 28 years old, Ralph Lauren began producing his own line of men's ties from a small space in the Empire State Building. He had noticed a gap in the market while working for a tie manufacturer at the time and named his first line 'Polo' (he liked sports). In 1969, two years into his business, Bloomingdale's began to sell Lauren's line exclusively. He dove into designing a women's collection the following year. After that, Ralph Lauren quickly opened up freestanding stores, created his classic polo in twenty-four colors, and outfitted casts for movies such as The Great Gatsby (1974) and okaaay (1977). After decades of success as the CEO, Ralph Lauren stepped down in 2015 but continues to have chief creative control over the brand.

What We Have:

Our vintage Ralph Lauren collection features a wide variety of vintage button-ups, sweaters, vintage corduroy, and obviously, vintage polos.

Shop Vintage Ralph Lauren

Reebok

History:

While Reebok is now owned by Adidas, it began in Lancashire, England in 1895, producing fitness apparel and footwear. How did it get its start? Similarily to Adidas, it began with a teenage boy interested in designing spiked running shoes. Joseph William Foster opened up a shop called J.W. Foster (makes sense) in 1900, and later was joined by his two sons. Fast forward to 1958: two of Foster's grandsons, Joe and Jeff Foster, create a companion company called "Reebok". How did they come upon the name? Little Joe found the word in a South African dictionary he won in a race years before—it's Afrikaans for the grey rhebok, a species of African antelope. Huh! Now Reebok is an apparel sponsor for a quirky mix including the UFC, NHL, and Crossfit, and signed Venus Williams after the 2000 Olympics. In 2005, Adidas acquired Reebok for $3.8 billion and decided to keep the companies separate. While Adidas' headquarters remain in Germany, Reebok is located in Boston, MA and recently relocated from the suburb of Canton to South Boston.

What We Have:

At Ragstock, we have lots of vintage Reebok jackets and a handful of sweet vintage Reebok jerseys.

Shop Vintage Reebok

Wrangler

History:

It's 1897 and twenty-year-old C.C. Hudson finds work in Greensboro, North Carolina, sewing buttons on overalls. He has traveled from small-town Tennessee in the hopes of emerging himself in the growing textile industry. In the next few years, Hudson's company shut down (bummer!), and he and a few other workers start their own overall factory called the Blue Bell Overall Company. The name 'Wrangler' actually came to fruition about twenty years later with the acquisition of the Casey Jones Work-Clothes Company, who had penned the name "Wrangler" but rarely used it. Wrangler jeans became increasingly popular throughout the years, and by 1996 made up one of every five pairs sold in the US. Today, Wrangler is owned by the company VF Corporation, who also stakes claim over Lee, Jansport, and The North Face.

What We Have:

So many good vintage Wrangler jeans, along with vintage denim jackets, vintage button-up shirts, vintage denim shorts, and even a few pairs of Wrangler vintage cowboy boots. 

Shop Vintage Wrangler

Starter

History:

Starter is the baby of this bunch, founded in 1971 by David Beckerman, a University of New Haven alumnus. He set out to manufacture team uniforms for high school sports team. By 1976, Starter had an in with multiple pro sports leagues, paying a small royalties fee to create a line of jackets featuring the logos of Major League Baseball teams. By the early 1990s, sport insignia apparel was extremely popular, and Starter's worth skyrocketed. They went public in 1993 and faced fierce competition in brands such as Champion and Russell.

What We Have:

We're super excited about our vintage Starter jackets, which feature a variety of sports teams such as the Cardinals, Dodgers, and Cowboys. Ragstock has vintage Starter breakaway jackets, vintage Starter pullover jackets, and more. 

Shop Vintage Starter