Jaeger (clothing)

Jaeger is a British fashion brand and retailer of womenswear and menswear. Traditionally known for a classic 'twinset and pearls' image[1] and the use of high-quality natural fibres, it has focused on updating its brand image since 2008, when it first appeared at London Fashion Week.[2]

Formerly owned by the retail entrepreneur Harold Tillman, the company was purchased in 2011 by the private equity firm Better Capital. In 2017, it was announced that Jaeger had entered administration.[3] It was subsequently reported that Edinburgh Woollen Mill was buying the Jaeger brand, but not the company itself.[4] In January 2021, it was announced that Marks & Spencer was acquiring the Jaeger brand, but not Jaeger's stores, for £5 million.

Company history

Jaeger was established by British businessman Lewis Tomalin as 'Dr Jaeger's Sanitary Woollen System Co Ltd' in 1884, capitalising on a craze for wool-jersey long johns inspired by the theories of German scientist Dr Gustav Jaeger. Jaeger's writings about the value of wearing animal fibres next to the skin rather than cotton had attracted fans including George Bernard Shaw.[5][6] The woollen undergarments were worn by many explorers, including Ernest Shackleton.[7] It had received its first Royal Warrant by 1910.[5]

Jaeger began creating wool suits, and by the start of World War I it had cut its associations with Germany and become a British brand. Long johns for British and Commonwealth troops kept the company going during the war, but by the 1920s it had switched to fashion.[6] The company's flagship store opened on Regent Street in the 1930s and attracted a solid clientele who wanted British-made garments at prices that were not as high as Savile Row or the high-end couture brands.[6]

Natural fibres remained central to the brand, the camel hair coat was a Jaeger invention and it also utilised other exotic woollen fibres such as cashmere, angora and alpaca.[6] Jaeger's yarns were also popularised via knitting patterns in the 1940s.[8][9] The clothing was modelled by both Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s.[10]

1960s direction

Jaeger began attracting a younger client base in the 1960s, partly due to a revival in British fashion but also because of the influence of Jean Muir, who joined the company in 1956 and was put in charge of its more fashionable Young Jaeger brand, staying for six years before branching out on her own.[11][12] During the 1960s Jaeger clothes were modelled by Jean Shrimpton and photographed by David Bailey, giving it credibility with a younger audience.[6] In 1966, a Jaeger linen dress formed part of the Dress of the Year, as chosen by Sunday Times fashion editor Ernestine Carter.[13]

The company was bought by Coats Paton, later Coats Viyella, in 1967.[14]

type	Private
foundation	1884
location	London, England, UK
founder	Lewis Tomalin
industry	Fashion
products	Clothing Accessories Shoes
owner	Marks & Spencer
website	https://jaeger.co.uk

Company history

1960s direction

Current operation

External links

References

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