A youthful, energetic, sports-inspired global brand.

The Brand

Since its introduction in the United States almost 80 years ago, IZOD has evolved from an idea sprung from the imagination of an apparel executive to a sportswear authority, becoming an American apparel institution in the process. IZOD has made its reputation as the standard in sportswear, with bold, colorful and energetic design. IZOD offers classic sportswear, athletically inspired golfwear, jeanswear, performance wear, and luxury style sport collections with the clean, youthful design aesthetic that has come to be synonymous with the brand.

The History

IZOD's roots goes back to Arthur James "Jack" Izod's bespoke tailor shop in London, where Jack Izod produced shirts and held a royal warrant to provide shirts to the royal household. A visiting executive from David Crystal Inc. became intrigued by the name and purchased the rights to it. The Izod of London mark was initially applied to a successful line of women's shirts and then expanded to include menswear and childrenswear. David Crystal Inc. first added color to the line and subsequently coupled the brand with the Lacoste brand in order to broaden selection and appeal. IZOD's athletic roots and colorful persona were thus first formed. Now associated with the legendary French tennis player René Lacoste but still lagging in sales, the David Crystal executive began giving away the shirts to famous people, including, the Duke of Windsor, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Bing Crosby; the shirts began to resonate with consumers.

Over time, the shirts became popularized as IZOD shirts and, by the 1980's, they had become a signature piece of "preppy" wardrobes in the United States. When the preppy look began to fade at the end of the decade, so did the brand's sales. IZOD's owner, at this point known as Crystal Brands, split the brands in the early 1990's in an effort to maintain market share, marketing the similarly designed goods at different price points and in different channels but without success. Lacoste was sold and then, in 1995, PVH purchased IZOD.

IZOD Today

Since our acquisition of IZOD, PVH has remained true to the brand's history of athletic-inspired and colorful style, as well as functional design. We rebuilt the brand's prestige steadily through the remainder of the 1990s. With its renewed strength, the IZOD brand was licensed for new product categories, including soft home goods, leather outerwear and-going back to the brand's roots-men's tailored clothing and ties. A wholesale IZOD women's sportswear line was launched in 2003. Initially as a licensed business, we now operate the business directly.

In 2007, PVH acquired the naming rights to the sports and entertainment arena in the New Jersey Meadowlands now known as the IZOD Center. In 2009, IZOD became the official apparel provider of the Indy Racing League, IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Light Series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and, in 2010, added on the official title sponsorship of the IndyCar Series, aligning its athletically-inspired product and target audience with a national pastime — open wheel auto racing.

For consumers, IZOD continues to expand and innovate. Its offerings include classic sportswear, jeans, IZOD Golf, IZOD LX (a luxury sportswear line), IZOD XFG (extreme function golf) and IZOD PFX (performance apparel). For Spring 2011, IZOD PFX offered its most performance oriented line of athletic-wear to date and for Fall 2011, the A.J. Izod Ltd. line was launched in department stores, featuring suit separates, trench coats, and eclectic sportswear.

The brand has also begun to expand internationally. PVH has announced a strategic licensing arrangement with a Chinese partner, which has committed to distribute IZOD branded men's and women's sportswear in more than 1,000 points of sale across China, one of the world's fastest growing markets. The brand is also licensed to a major apparel company in India for men's sportswear and accessories, another emerging economy with significant potential.