Buffums Department Store Cotton Polo Shirt
S / Charcoal
$38.99
Product Details & Size Guide
GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Celebrate a Southern California retail original with this Buffums polo shirt. The company took root in Long Beach in 1904, then grew into 16 specialty department stores serving the region. Its expanding downtown flagship and distinctive store identity made Buffums a familiar part of local life, while “I've been to Buffums” became a memorable phrase for shoppers. A wearable nod to the Grand Dame of department stores for former customers and regional history enthusiasts.
Buffums began in Long Beach, California, in 1904, when Charles and Edwin Buffum and other partners bought the Schilling Bros. dry goods business and began operating it as The Mercantile Co. The business grew from a downtown store into a regional chain of 16 specialty department stores across Southern California. Its downtown flagship expanded over several decades: a new building opened in stages in 1924, a parking garage followed in 1941, and additions in 1960 and 1964 enlarged the complex. From the 1950s, the chain gradually added stores and promoted its specialty-store identity. Known locally as the “Grand Dame” of department stores, Buffums used the advertising line “I've been to Buffums” in the 1970s and 1980s. Australian retailer David Jones bought the chain in the 1970s; by the time of its attempted sale in the 1980s, it had become part of Adelaide Steamship Company. In 1982, the Long Beach store and headquarters moved to Long Beach Plaza after the downtown complex was sold; that complex was demolished in 1985. Buffums entered liquidation after the 1990 Christmas season. A brief retail relaunch opened in Long Beach's Belmont Shore neighborhood in October 2015 and closed in March 2016.
Celebrate a Southern California retail original with this Buffums polo shirt. The company took root in Long Beach in 1904, then grew into 16 specialty department stores serving the region. Its expanding downtown flagship and distinctive store identity made Buffums a familiar part of local life, while “I've been to Buffums” became a memorable phrase for shoppers. A wearable nod to the Grand Dame of department stores for former customers and regional history enthusiasts.
Buffums began in Long Beach, California, in 1904, when Charles and Edwin Buffum and other partners bought the Schilling Bros. dry goods business and began operating it as The Mercantile Co. The business grew from a downtown store into a regional chain of 16 specialty department stores across Southern California. Its downtown flagship expanded over several decades: a new building opened in stages in 1924, a parking garage followed in 1941, and additions in 1960 and 1964 enlarged the complex. From the 1950s, the chain gradually added stores and promoted its specialty-store identity. Known locally as the “Grand Dame” of department stores, Buffums used the advertising line “I've been to Buffums” in the 1970s and 1980s. Australian retailer David Jones bought the chain in the 1970s; by the time of its attempted sale in the 1980s, it had become part of Adelaide Steamship Company. In 1982, the Long Beach store and headquarters moved to Long Beach Plaza after the downtown complex was sold; that complex was demolished in 1985. Buffums entered liquidation after the 1990 Christmas season. A brief retail relaunch opened in Long Beach's Belmont Shore neighborhood in October 2015 and closed in March 2016.
Product features - Durable double-pique fabric designed for crisp embroidery - Modern classic fit with side seams and vents for better shape - Contoured welt collar and cuffs with a clean, topstitched shoulder - Soft Sport Grey option (90/10 cotton/poly) and 100% ring-spun cotton varieties - Tear-away label, dyed-to-match buttons, and finished placket for polished comfort Care instructions
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Gildan 85800, two year warranty in the EU and Northern Ireland