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Few clothing categories have a single brand as synonymous with the product itself as underwear is with Jockey. Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2026, this Wisconsin-founded company has spent a century and a half quietly inventing much of what we now consider standard in intimate apparel. Here’s a full breakdown of Jockey’s history, what it offers today, and whether it’s still worth buying.
What Is Jockey?
Jockey International, Inc. is an American underwear, sleepwear, and sportswear manufacturer founded in 1876 by Reverend Samuel Thrall Cooper, originally established as S.T. Cooper & Sons in St. Joseph, Michigan. The company actually began as a hosiery business, created to help lumberjacks dealing with poor-quality socks, and it wasn’t until 1898 that the Cooper family, by then run by Samuel’s sons Charles, Henry, and Willis, expanded into men’s underwear. The company incorporated as the Cooper Underwear Company in 1900 and began producing White Cat union suits shortly after.
Jockey’s defining moment came decades later: in 1934, the company invented the first men’s brief, known as the “Jockey short,” followed in 1935 by the now-iconic Y-front fly design that remains a standard feature in men’s underwear today. The company officially renamed itself Jockey Menswear, Inc. in 1971 and Jockey International, Inc. the following year. Now headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Jockey remains a privately held company and is currently celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2026, marking a milestone the company has tied to a partnership with America250, the initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Jockey’s History of Innovation
Jockey’s long history includes several genuine firsts that shaped the broader underwear industry, not just its own product line. Beyond inventing the first men’s brief in 1934, the company introduced Seamfree seamless underwear technology in 1959, technology still referenced in the brand’s current product lines today. In 1982, Jockey launched Jockey For Her, expanding meaningfully into women’s intimate apparel, a line later renamed Jockey Intimates. In 2011, the company introduced underwear using Outlast Technologies, an adaptive-comfort fabric originally developed to help NASA astronauts manage changing temperatures, showing Jockey’s continued willingness to adapt genuinely advanced material science into everyday products.
What Makes Jockey Different?
- Genuine, century-plus innovation history — Jockey didn’t just sell underwear, it invented several product categories and standards, including the brief itself and the Y-front design, that other brands have followed for decades
- NASA-derived comfort technology — Jockey’s use of Outlast Technologies fabric, adapted from NASA astronaut suits, reflects genuine material science investment beyond typical marketing claims
- Broad family product range — Jockey designs underwear, sleepwear, and sportswear for men, women, boys, and girls, making it a genuine one-stop option for household basics
- Long-standing global licensing network — Jockey products are sold in more than 120 to 140 countries worldwide through a network of long-term licensees, including relationships with some partners spanning more than 65 years
- Privately held stability — Jockey has remained privately owned since its founding, currently led by descendants of the Cooper family lineage, giving the company long-term continuity uncommon in an industry with frequent ownership changes
What Does Jockey Sell?
Men’s Underwear
Jockey’s founding and flagship category, including the original brief style the company invented, alongside boxers, boxer briefs, and trunks in a wide range of fabrics and fits.
Women’s Underwear & Intimates
A comprehensive women’s line, including the Jockey Intimates collection, spanning everyday briefs, bras, and shapewear-adjacent styles.
Sleepwear
Pajamas, sleep shirts, and loungewear for men, women, and children, extending Jockey’s comfort-first philosophy beyond just underwear.
Activewear & Sportswear
Performance-oriented apparel designed for movement, building on Jockey’s history of adapting technical fabric innovations like Outlast Technologies into everyday products.
Kids’ Underwear & Sleepwear
A dedicated children’s line covering both boys’ and girls’ underwear and sleepwear needs.
Socks & Hosiery
A category tracing directly back to Jockey’s original 1876 hosiery business, still part of the brand’s current lineup, including through distribution partnerships like Kayser-Roth.
Is Jockey Good Quality?
Jockey has built a century and a half of credibility around comfort-focused innovation, a reputation stretching back to solving lumberjacks’ sock problems in the 1870s through to inventing the modern men’s brief in the 1934. The brand’s continued investment in updated fabric technology, from its long-standing Seamfree seamless design to newer options like Infinite Cool heat-wicking underwear, reflects sustained product development rather than resting on decades-old designs.
With distribution through more than 14,000 department and specialty stores in the US alone, and manufacturing facilities spanning Central America, the Caribbean, the UK, and the US, Jockey maintains the scale and infrastructure to support consistent quality control across its broad product range. As one of the best-selling underwear brands in the US, the company’s sustained market position over generations reflects real, ongoing customer trust rather than nostalgia alone.
Jockey’s 150th Anniversary
2026 marks a genuinely significant milestone for Jockey: its 150th anniversary since Samuel T. Cooper founded the original hosiery business in 1876. The company has tied this celebration to a partnership with America250, the official initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, drawing a connection between Jockey’s own long history and the broader story of American manufacturing and innovation. As part of the anniversary, Jockey has introduced limited-edition styles specifically celebrating a century and a half of comfort-focused product development.
How Does Jockey Compare to Other Underwear Brands?
| Feature | Jockey | Typical Mainstream Underwear Brand |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1876, St. Joseph, Michigan | Varies |
| Key innovation | First men’s brief (1934), Y-front design (1935) | Varies |
| Ownership | Privately held, Cooper family lineage | Varies, often public or PE-owned |
| Global reach | 120+ countries via licensing network | Varies |
| Fabric technology | Seamfree, Outlast (NASA-derived), Infinite Cool | Varies |
| Product range | Underwear, sleepwear, activewear, kids’, socks | Varies, often narrower |
Tips for Buying Jockey
- Start with core briefs or boxer briefs if you want the style most representative of Jockey’s founding innovation
- Try Seamfree styles if you want the brand’s long-standing, no-chafe seamless comfort technology
- Check Infinite Cool or Outlast-based products if temperature regulation and moisture management are a priority
- Explore the organic cotton range if you’re looking for more sustainably sourced everyday essentials
- Look for 150th anniversary limited-edition styles in 2026 if you want a piece tied to this specific milestone year
Final Verdict: Is Jockey Still Worth It?
A century and a half after Samuel T. Cooper started a small hosiery business to help lumberjacks with bad socks, Jockey remains one of the most foundational names in American underwear, credited with inventing the modern brief and continuously adapting genuine fabric innovation into everyday comfort products. With a broad family product range, a long-standing global licensing network, and continued investment in new technology like Infinite Cool, Jockey has proven its staying power goes well beyond nostalgia. For anyone looking for reliable, well-established underwear and sleepwear basics, Jockey remains a smart, trustworthy choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Jockey? Jockey was founded in 1876 by Reverend Samuel Thrall Cooper as S.T. Cooper & Sons, a hosiery business in St. Joseph, Michigan.
When did Jockey invent the men’s brief? Jockey invented the first men’s brief, known as the “Jockey short,” in 1934, followed by the now-standard Y-front fly design in 1935.
Where is Jockey headquartered? Jockey International, Inc. is headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Is Jockey a publicly traded company? No, Jockey has remained a privately held company since its founding in 1876.
What is Jockey’s 150th anniversary? 2026 marks Jockey’s 150th anniversary since its 1876 founding, celebrated in partnership with America250, the initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States.
What is Outlast Technologies underwear? Outlast Technologies is an adaptive-comfort fabric originally developed to help NASA astronauts manage changing temperatures, which Jockey began using in its underwear line starting in 2011.
