Bjorn Borg
Swedish sports fashion and apparel brand built around the Björn Borg name.
Last updated August 31, 2026
Overview
Björn Borg is a Swedish sports fashion and apparel brand named after the former professional tennis player Björn Borg. The brand operates through Björn Borg AB, a publicly listed Swedish company whose product portfolio has developed beyond tennis-inspired clothing into a broader lifestyle and activewear business. Its principal categories include underwear, sportswear, footwear, bags and other accessories, as well as eyewear and fragrance. The brand’s identity is closely connected to the public image of Björn Borg, whose tennis career gave the name international recognition. Rather than functioning only as a licensed celebrity label, the business has used that name as the basis for a wider European consumer brand. The company was formerly known as World Brand Management, commonly abbreviated as WBM. In 1997, WBM obtained an exclusive trademark licence covering the production, marketing and sale of Björn Borg products internationally. At the end of 2006, it acquired the full rights to the trademark in a transaction reported at approximately 18 million United States dollars. The company subsequently changed its corporate name from World Brand Management to Björn Borg in 2017. Underwear has been identified as the company’s largest product category and is central to the brand’s commercial profile. Its apparel proposition combines recognizable branding and fashion-oriented design with the everyday functionality expected of underwear, training apparel and sports clothing. Footwear, bags, glasses and perfume extend the label into adjacent lifestyle categories, while sportswear gives it a connection to performance and fitness markets. Geographically, Sweden and the Netherlands have been described as the company’s most important markets. The brand has also maintained a physical retail presence in several European countries, with Germany and the United Kingdom identified as newer markets in the referenced account. Its European footprint includes both direct retail activity and broader distribution of branded products. Björn Borg has also experimented with unconventional digital marketing. In 2015, it collaborated with Isbit Games on First Person Lover, an advergame presented as a first-person shooter in which players could customize characters in Björn Borg clothing and use themed “love weapons.” The project positioned the brand as playful, provocative and willing to use entertainment formats rather than relying only on conventional fashion advertising. The company has faced scrutiny over chemical substances found in products. In 2008, Swedish newspaper Göteborgs-Posten reported elevated concentrations of nonylphenol ethoxylate in two pairs of Björn Borg underwear. The issue concerned substances used in textile manufacturing and the distinction between European restrictions on use and rules governing imported products. Björn Borg stated at the time that it complied with the relevant textile-import guidance and referred to its own testing of randomly selected underwear batches. In later sustainability work, the company committed to eliminating substances of very high concern under the European Union’s REACH framework from its supply chain, with particular attention to phthalates, fluorocarbons and alkylphenol ethoxylates, including nonylphenol ethoxylate. Björn Borg moved its headquarters to Frösundavik in the municipality of Solna in 2020. The brand remains positioned at the intersection of sportswear, underwear and fashion, using the legacy of its namesake while operating as a broader European apparel business.
History
Björn Borg was established in Sweden in 1984 as a branded apparel business drawing on the name and international recognition of the Swedish tennis player Björn Borg. The business did not remain confined to tennis clothing or equipment. Instead, it developed a broader fashion proposition in which underwear became the most important and recognizable product area. During its development, the brand used the cultural visibility of tennis and the appeal of Scandinavian design to distinguish everyday apparel from unbranded basics. Underwear provided a particularly effective platform because the brand name could be displayed prominently through waistbands, packaging, and coordinated collections. Color, prints, and recognizable branding helped Björn Borg create a more fashion-oriented identity than a purely functional underwear supplier. The range subsequently widened into women's lingerie, sports bras, performance and training apparel, swimwear, footwear, bags, and accessories. This expansion connected the brand's underwear heritage with the wider sports and athleisure markets. The resulting portfolio addresses both everyday use and physical activity, with products promoted around comfort, movement, fit, and visual expression. Corporate development took place through Björn Borg AB, the Swedish company responsible for the brand. The company is publicly listed in Sweden under the ticker BORG. Its commercial model combines wholesale and retail distribution with direct online selling. Sweden and Europe remain important markets, while the official online store provides access to selected products in additional international markets. The brand's identity continues to depend on the tension between sport and fashion. Björn Borg's namesake supplies a strong tennis association, but the commercial proposition is broader: underwear and apparel for customers who want recognizable design and a connection to an active lifestyle. Today, Björn Borg is best categorized as a Swedish international underwear and sportswear brand rather than as a tennis-only label.
- 1984Brand established in Sweden
The Björn Borg apparel brand was established in Sweden and began developing a commercial clothing business around the Björn Borg name.
- Expansion from underwear into sportswear
The assortment broadened beyond underwear into training clothing, sportswear, swimwear, footwear, bags, and accessories.
- Public-company phase
The brand became part of Björn Borg AB, a Swedish publicly listed company trading under the symbol BORG.
Products and positioning
A Swedish underwear and sports-lifestyle brand combining expressive design, everyday comfort, and sports-inspired functionality.
UnderwearLingerie and intimates1984
Underwear is Björn Borg's defining product area. The range includes men's and women's styles, multipacks, briefs, trunks, boxer shorts, tops, and other everyday intimates. Designs commonly use branded waistbands, bold colors, graphic prints, and stretch fabrics, combining recognizable fashion treatment with comfort and regular daily wear.
Women's lingerieLingerie and intimates
The women's lingerie assortment extends the brand's underwear identity into bras, briefs, coordinated sets, and comfort-oriented intimates. Selected styles are designed to bridge everyday lingerie and active lifestyles, using stretch materials, supportive construction, and the brand's characteristic graphic or colorful visual language.
Sportswear and activewearSportswear
Björn Borg's sportswear line includes workout tops, bottoms, tights, shorts, sports bras, jackets, and other training garments. The category connects technical or movement-oriented construction with the brand's fashion-led styling. Products are intended for activities such as gym training, running, and general fitness rather than for a single specialist sport.
SwimwearSwimwear
Swimwear adds a lifestyle and seasonal dimension to the portfolio. It includes selected men’s and women’s styles designed for swimming, beachwear, and leisure use, often carrying the brand's use of color, pattern, and athletic styling.
Shoes and accessoriesFootwear and accessories
The brand also offers footwear and accessories through its online and retail assortment. These products support the broader sports-lifestyle proposition and may include shoes, bags, and related everyday items. They complement the core apparel business rather than replacing underwear as the brand's principal association.
Flagship businesses
- Men's underwear multipacks and logo-waistband styles
- Women's underwear and lingerie
- Training and workout apparel
- Sports bras and activewear
- Swimwear
- Björn Borg footwear and accessories
- Björn Borg underwear
- Björn Borg sportswear
- Björn Borg footwear
- Björn Borg underwear collections
- Björn Borg performance and training apparel
- Björn Borg sports bras and active basics
- Björn Borg swimwear
Controversies
- 2008Björn Borg underwear reported to contain elevated nonylphenol ethoxylate levelsControversy
Göteborgs-Posten reported that tests of two pairs of black Björn Borg underwear found nonylphenol ethoxylate concentrations of 860 mg/kg and 490 mg/kg. The report raised questions about textile chemicals, imported products and voluntary industry limits. A Björn Borg product manager said the company complied with applicable textile-import guidance and cited internal testing showing lower concentrations in randomly selected batches.
- 2008Nonylphenol ethoxylate found in tested underwearControversy
Göteborgs-Posten reported that two tested pairs of black Björn Borg underwear contained elevated concentrations of nonylphenol ethoxylate. The report raised environmental concerns because the substance had already been prohibited for use within the European Union, while imported textiles made with it were subject to a different regulatory situation. Björn Borg said it complied with relevant textile-import guidance and cited internal testing of randomly selected batches.
Recent events
- 2020Björn Borg moved its headquarters to Frösundavik
The company relocated its headquarters to Frösundavik in Solna municipality, Sweden.
Other - 2015Björn Borg launched First Person Lover advergame
Björn Borg worked with Isbit Games on First Person Lover, a branded digital game that allowed players to customize characters in the company’s clothing and participate in a playful first-person action experience.
CampaignProduct launch
Sources
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