Kingsridge suits

September 29, 2012 7:58 PM

I’m looking for information about the men’s suit maker Kingsridge. It was an older brand, but apparently they're still around or someone is using the name. I’m just curious about the company, history, etc.
posted by bongo_x to clothing, beauty, & fashion (4 answers total)

I found this ad for them in the Google News archives. I'll bet there are more.
posted by zippy at 10:08 PM on September 29, 2012

Also, I noticed in the ads that Kingsridge was a registered trademark. So I looked it up.

Here's their trademark, first registered on April 13, 1929. From that, we have some information about the owners:

REGISTRANT: J. SCHOENEMAN, INCORPORATED CORPORATION MARYLAND 412 REDWOOD STREET BALTIMORE MARYLAND

LAST LISTED OWNER: CLUETT ENTERPRISES, INC. CORPORATION ASSIGNEE OF DELAWARE P.O. BOX 7139, SUITE 102 1409 FOULK ROAD WILMINGTON DELAWARE 19803

Here's some information on the firm J Schoenman, in the suit-making business.

And here's some more on Cluett Enterprises, showing a trademark transfer from J Schoenman as well as the folliowing:

1) Cluett's address and full name as of July 15, 1974 was:
CLUETT, PEABODY & CO., INC.
530 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10036

2) Between Mar 4, 1986 and Feb 21, 1986, Cluett Peabody seems to have become a Georgia company via a merger (I do not know if 'merger' has a special meaning in the transfer of ownership of trademarks, and speculate that Cluett reincorporated in Georgia or a company in Georgia bought Cluett and assumed the name). There is no address for Cluett in Georgia in this document.

3) Between Mar 4, 1988 and Mar 7, 1988, Cluett Peabody (of Georgia) transfered this mark to Cluett Enterprises, Inc of Delaware, address: SUITE 102, P.O. BOX 7139, 1409 FOULK ROAD
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE 19803. The New York company CLUETT, PEABODY & CO., INC. was, if I am reading this correctly, the party that notified the government of the transfer. Their address was 510 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10036

4) in 1990, the mark is used by Cluett and Schoenmann and GAKM/Great American Knitting Mills with the Bank of America, Transamerica, etc, perhaps as collateral for a loan.

5) Then, after bouncing around, it's assigned by "SCHOENAMAN ENTERPRIASE, INC" (sic) of Delaware to Hartmarx/HMX/PBP COMPANY in Chicago who one week later transfer it to PLAID CLOTHING COMPANY, incorporated in Delaware, but with the same address as Hartmarx in Chicago.

I hope that helps you. It's neat how one ad in an old newspaper can lead to this much history.
posted by zippy at 10:33 PM on September 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

Here's transfer agreement from Schoenman to Hartmarx, I presume showing the end of Schoenman due to merger or bankruptcy.
posted by zippy at 10:45 PM on September 29, 2012

And here is a Wikipedia article on the rise and fall of Cluett, Peabody, & Company.. Family business meets 1980s and 90s takeover and sell off assetts greed.

Cluett was the maker of Arrow Shirts (sold to Van Heusen), Gold Toe Socks, and inventor of Sanforization (named after its inventor, Sanford Cluett).

Gold Toe was invented by Great American Knitting Mills, another company from the trademark results above.

Perhaps Cluett is the Kevin Bacon of the American textile landscape of the 1920s - 1980s.
posted by zippy at 3:00 AM on September 30, 2012