Jockey Underwear

Jockey is a historic American brand that revolutionized the apparel industry by inventing the world's first men's Y-front brief in 1934. Founded in 1876 by Samuel T. Cooper in St. Joseph, Michigan, the company originally began as a hosiery business providing durable wool socks to lumberjacks. Over the decades, it evolved from S.T. Cooper & Sons into the Cooper Underwear Company, and finally into Jockey International, Inc. in 1972.

Today, Jockey remains a privately held, third-generation family-owned enterprise. While its global headquarters and brand governance are strictly maintained in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the company transitioned its manufacturing entirely offshore by the 1990s. Its products are now manufactured through a vast network of licensed partners and third-party contract factories located across Asia (notably India through Page Industries), Africa, and Central America to ensure global scalability and cost-efficiency.

As of 2026, the brand continues to be owned and operated by the descendants of the Wolf family, who acquired the company in the mid-20th century. This private ownership structure has allowed Jockey to prioritize long-term innovation and quality over short-term market pressures, maintaining its status as a leading name in innerwear, sleepwear, and activewear across more than 120 countries.