Watson's Hoodie / Sweatshirt
| 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 |
Keep the Watson's story close with a hoodie or sweatshirt inspired by the Knoxville department store chain founded in 1907. Watson's grew into a regional network across the Southeast, serving county-seat communities and later opening larger shopping-center and mall locations. This piece speaks to former shoppers, employees, and collectors who remember the company through its 1992 Chapter 11 filing, recovery, and eventual conversion to Peebles stores in 1999.
Ira A. Watson Co., commonly known as Watson's, was a department store chain based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1907, it expanded from one Knoxville operation into a regional network serving county-seat towns across the Southeast. The company first developed downtown stores and later opened substantially larger locations in shopping centers and malls. Its operations extended into Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois. Merchandise for the stores was purchased and distributed through a centralized warehouse at the Knoxville corporate offices. Watson's experienced financial difficulty in the late 1980s and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 1992 after it could not renew bank financing. At filing, it operated 31 stores in nine states. Profitability improved, and the company emerged from Chapter 11 in about half the expected six-year period, but it did not fully recover. Peebles purchased Watson's for $4.45 million in a transaction completed June 29, 1998, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. In 1999, all Watson's stores were converted to Peebles. Peebles was purchased by Specialty Retailers in 2003 and is now part of the Gordman's chain.
| 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, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC
Warnings, Hazard: For adults, Made in Bangladesh
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