Publications

March 1984 (Revised August 1990)
Case

Petite Playthings, Inc.--1984 (A)

By: Benson P. Shapiro

Provides background information for the (B) case, in which a young sales person is asked for a bribe by an experienced children's wear buyer. View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Ethics; Information; Sales; Apparel and Accessories Industry

April 1982 (Revised June 1993)
Case

Hart Schaffner & Marx: The Market for Separately Ticketed Suits

By: Richard S. Tedlow

Calls for a decision on whether Hart Schaffner & Marx, the nation's leading manufacturer of high quality, branded suits, should expand its product line by marketing suits that are separately ticketed (i.e., the coat, vest, and slacks are sold from individual hangers... View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Decisions; Price; Markets; Distribution Channels; Production; Mathematical Methods; Competitive Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry

December 1988 (Revised March 1990)
Case

Karen Vincent and Zodiac Corp.

By: Howard H. Stevenson

Keywords: Family Business; Production; Management; Performance Improvement; Apparel and Accessories Industry

Find at Harvard

November 1988
Teaching Note

B-W Footwear (TN)

By: David B. Yoffie

Teaching Note for (9-387-022). View Details

Keywords: Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

October 1986 (Revised November 1988)
Case

B-W Footwear

By: David B. Yoffie

As import penetration into the American footwear market reached 81% in 1986, B-W Footwear, along with all of its American competitors, was struggling. Supply lines were deteriorating, retailers and importers were gaining power, and the government had rejected two... View Details

Keywords: Competitive Strategy; Management; Globalization; Government and Politics; Business Strategy; Trade; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

October 1984
Teaching Note

NIKE (B1): Business Class Travel, Teaching Note

Teaching Note for (9-385-028). View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Policy; Apparel and Accessories Industry

September 2023
Teaching Note

Patagonia: 'Earth Is Now Our Only Shareholder'

By: Brian Trelstad, Nien-hê Hsieh, Michael Norris and Susan Pinckney

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 323-057. Patagonia’s change of ownership from a privately held company to a perpetual purpose trust and 501(c)(4) nonprofit in order to use the company’s profit to fight the environmental crisis and be a model for future businesses. View Details

29 Jan 2025
Blog Post

Finding professional purpose: Building an impactful career that reflects your values with Lisa Tanzer (MBA 1993)

Life is Good, I led a lifestyle apparel brand dedicated to spreading optimism. Later, I joined Katie Couric Media as President of Katie Couric Media Marketplace, where we collaborated with purpose-driven brands. More recently, I served as... View Details

10 Apr 2019
HBS Case

How Entrepreneurs Can Turn Lead Into Gold

through narratives and storytelling, or by seeking out members of a common group. One company that has succeeded in this regard, says Wu, is Cotopaxi, a Salt Lake City–based creator of outdoor apparel that Wu explored in a case study for... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Financial Services

18 Apr 2005
Research & Ideas

Tips to Reinvent the Department Store

store," he said. As the first conference in what is planned to be an annual event, the HBS Retail and Luxury Goods Conference on April 3 was organized by two HBS student clubs, the Retail & Apparel Club and the Luxury Goods &... View Details

Keywords: by Julie Jette; Retail

Sidney W. Winslow

With the insight he gained while working in his father’s shoe factory, Winslow started his first shoe machine company in 1893, producing leather-buffing machines. With the profits from this business, Winslow combined resources with Gordon McKay and the Goodyear Company... View Details

Keywords: Fabric & Apparel

Elizabeth E. Boit

Boit was the first American woman to establish ownership in the textile industry. She joined forces with Charles N. Winship to establish the Winship, Boit & Company in 1888. While Winship oversaw production, Boit managed the finances and the overall administration... View Details

Keywords: Fabric & Apparel

Philip H. Knight

Knight founded Nike by capitalizing on the fitness craze of the 1970s and 1980s. Through skillful advertising and innovative product development, Knight was able to build a billion dollar business in ten years. View Details

Keywords: Fabric & Apparel

Walter A. Haas

Haas led Levi’s transformation from a family business to a worldwide corporation. Haas introduced a number of innovative employment policies and refused to lay off workers even during the time of the Great Depression – gaining a long-standing reputation for considerate... View Details

Keywords: Fabric & Apparel

Herman Cone II

Cone consolidated all of the Cone companies under one corporation. The new Cone Mills Corporation had 18 plants, including the huge White Oak plant in Greensboro, the largest denim manufacturer in the world. In 1950, Cone Mills had $163 million in sales and 15,000... View Details

Keywords: Fabric & Apparel

01 Mar 2023
News

Happy Monday

Illustration by Fabio Consoli Illustration by Fabio Consoli The co-CEOs noticed it right away: Early in the pandemic, staffers at the online children’s clothing company Primary.com were struggling when they logged back into Zoom on Mondays. People were not recharging... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; Apparel Manufacturing; Apparel Manufacturing

September 1983 (Revised July 1998)
Case

Heather Evans

By: Howard H. Stevenson and Michael J. Roberts

Focuses on the efforts of Heather Evans, a second-year MBA student, and her attempts to start her own dress business. Examines the business plan and the process of acquiring control over the financial and human resources necessary to implement the plan. View Details

Keywords: Business Plan; Business Startups; Investment; Human Resources; Strategic Planning; Apparel and Accessories Industry

November 1982
Case

Worcester Textile Co.: Marketing Worsted Fabrics

By: Richard S. Tedlow

Keywords: Product Marketing; Apparel and Accessories Industry

Find at Harvard

September 1998 (Revised December 1998)
Case

Infinity Carpets, Inc.

By: Ronald W. Moore and Thomas R. Piper

A turnaround expert must determine whether a firm in distress is worth more as a going concern than its liquidation value. If so, the finances of the firm must be restructured in a way consistent with the bargaining power of the holders of the various securities. The... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Borrowing and Debt; Financial Liquidity; Crisis Management; Value; Apparel and Accessories Industry