Coming to define the American outdoors in the 1980s, Penfield has always been synonymous with high-quality outdoor apparel. But for a brand founded in 1975 , in the small town of Hudson, Massachusetts , it has a rich history to tell. Formerly a town known for its rubber plants and railroads, Harvey Gross sought to fill a gap in the market by utilizing his extensive knowledge of the outdoor apparel industry. He did so by purchasing an abandoned textile mill in the heart of the Hudson and outfitting it with everything it needed to become, at the time, a world leader in high-performance outerwear. More specifically, Gross made sure the factory could produce what Penfield quickly became known for, insulated jackets. In the four short years since opening their first factory, Penfield brought to market styles that defined the outerwear of that era. Experimenting with durable ripstop fabrics and their signature down insulation, Penfield masterfully merged the worlds of Ivy League fashion and technical fabrics. With a factory located less than an hour outside of Boston, the influence of 1950s Ivy League fashion was inevitable, something the brand recognized from the start. Penfield’s early styles included puffer jackets with oversized pockets and high buttoned collars, as well as the introduction of their puffer jackets that would come to define early 2000s streetwear styles years later. These early styles gave birth to the Penfield 80/20 insulation system: 80% down, 20% feather. Often making the garment over an inch and a half thick, these pieces were made with harsh New England winters in mind. Pushing their styles forward, other key pieces from the brand’s initial 1970s offerings were styles we still see today. In 1979, four years after opening their first factory, Penfield began exporting their jackets worldwide. Since the 2000s, Penfield has engaged in a series of high-profile collaborations, cementing themselves as a key brand in the building blocks of streetwear. The brand has collaborated with Stussy, Saucony, Alife, and XLarge to name a few. These well-chosen collaborations have pushed the brand further into the spotlight, with their original DNA prevalent throughout. There are few brands that can attest to pioneering a style and maintaining the same driving force decades later, yet Penfield continues to prove their presence in the global technical outdoor scene. The latest collection continues in this vein, as we see decades-old styles brought back to life and nostalgic designs updated with recycled materials and cutting-edge fabrics.
