Douglas Congdon-Martin

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Hathaway Shirts : Their History, Design, & Advertising

From its founding in 1837 Hathaway Shirts has been the bellweather for quality and style. Ironically for their 120 years or so they did little or no advertising to the general public, promoting their product mainly to the trade or through small newspaper ads or signage at the stores. Then on September 22, 1951, in the New Yorker magazine, an advertisement ran that changed all that. The eloquent Baron George Wrangell appeared handsomely dressed in a Hathaway shirt wearing an eyepatch, with the slogan "The man in the Hathaway shirt." Rarely has a symbol become so identified with a product. This new book traces the history of the Hathaway Shirt, beginning with the early years and concentrating on the styles portrayed in nearly 50 years of advertising. Drawing upon company archives, it is a nearly complete chronology of the evolution of men's shirt fashions in the last half of the twentieth century. For designers this will be a valuable reference. For collectors of vintage clothing, there is the added aid of a guide to current prices. This colorful book is a wonderful addition to the library of fashion history.