Buffums Department Store Hoodie / Sweatshirt
S / Dark Heather
$39.99
Product Details & Size Guide
GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Wear a piece of Long Beach retail history with this Buffums hoodie / sweatshirt. The company began in 1904 and grew into a chain of 16 specialty department stores across Southern California, remembered locally as the Grand Dame of department stores. Its “I've been to Buffums” advertising captured a familiar feeling for shoppers, while the 1982 move from the downtown complex marked a major change in its story. This design suits former customers, regional-history fans, and collectors who remember the name.
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.
Wear a piece of Long Beach retail history with this Buffums hoodie / sweatshirt. The company began in 1904 and grew into a chain of 16 specialty department stores across Southern California, remembered locally as the Grand Dame of department stores. Its “I've been to Buffums” advertising captured a familiar feeling for shoppers, while the 1982 move from the downtown complex marked a major change in its story. This design suits former customers, regional-history fans, and collectors who remember the name.
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.
| S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | |
| Width, in | 20.08 | 22.05 | 24.02 | 25.98 | 27.99 | 29.92 | 31.89 | 33.86 |
| Length, in | 27.17 | 27.95 | 29.13 | 29.92 | 31.10 | 31.89 | 33.07 | 33.86 |
| Sleeve length from center back, in | 33.50 | 34.50 | 35.50 | 36.50 | 37.50 | 38.50 | 39.50 | 40.50 |
| Size tolerance, in | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 |
Product features
- 50/50 cotton-poly mid-weight (8.0 oz) for warmth and soft handfeel
- Tubular knit (no side seams) for cleaner lines and less waste
- Double-lined hood with color-matched drawcord and tear-away label
- Kangaroo pouch pocket for hand warmth and storage
- DTF/DTG printing and optional embroidery placements (chest, wrists) for durable graphic detail
Care instructions
- Tumble dry: medium
- Iron, steam or dry: low heat
- Do not dryclean
- Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F)
- Non-chlorine: bleach as needed
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Gildan 18500, two year warranty in the EU and Northern Ireland
Warnings, Hazard: For adults
Care instructions: Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F), Non-chlorine: bleach as needed, Tumble dry: medium, Iron, steam or dry: low heat, Do not dryclean