Lee

Lee began in Salina, Kansas, in 1889, when Henry David Lee and his business partners established a wholesale grocery and dry goods company. Clothing production followed in 1912, with a factory making overalls and work jackets. The Union-Alls coverall, introduced a year later, helped turn the business toward garments designed for physical work.

Denim became its defining material. The Lee 101 cowboy pant arrived in 1925, and the brand developed its clothing around the requirements of ranch work and rodeo riding. Details such as reinforced pockets and changes in fit answered practical problems before becoming recognizable elements of American casual dress.

The Rider jacket and its blanket-lined Storm Rider counterpart extended that history into outerwear. As jeans moved beyond the workplace, Lee became part of a broader culture of leisure and personal style. Its archive offered designers and vintage collectors a record of how functional garments acquired meaning through repeated wear.

Lee later joined VF Corporation and became part of Kontoor Brands when the jeans business separated in 2019. Based in Greensboro, North Carolina, the label has continued to revisit its workwear foundations through contemporary collections and collaborations. Its place in menswear rests on the longevity of those original forms, from the denim jacket to the everyday five-pocket jean.