Fragrance house

Jockey

Jockey traces its origins to S.T. Cooper & Sons, founded by Reverend Samuel Thrall Cooper in 1876 in St. Joseph, Michigan, as a hosiery business serving lumberjacks before moving into men’s underwear. The company incorporated as Cooper Underwear Company in 1900 and became Cooper’s, Inc. in 1929. In 1934, Arthur Kneibler designed the Jockey brief after seeing a French Riviera bathing suit; launched commercially in 1935, its Y-front design sold more than 600 pairs at Marshall Field’s on its first day and more than 30,000 within three months, helping establish Jockey as the company’s defining brand. Cooper’s adopted the Jockey Menswear name in 1971 and became Jockey International, Inc. in 1972. The brand entered women’s intimate apparel with Jockey for Her in 1982 and broadened its range to sportswear, hosiery, socks, sleepwear and activewear. Its public identity has centered on comfort, quality and innovation. Still family-owned, Jockey marked its 150th anniversary in 2026 with the Jockey 1876 Collection and an anniversary program focused on archival designs, heritage and innovation.