Watson's Men's Sport Polo Shirt
Black / S
$39.99
Sale price
$39.99
Regular price
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GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Celebrate a department-store name rooted in Knoxville and the Southeastern communities it served. This Watson's Men's Sport Polo Shirt brings the story of Ira A. Watson Co. into an easy everyday wardrobe piece, recalling a regional chain that grew from downtown stores into larger shopping-center locations. From its 1907 founding through the 1998 Peebles purchase and 1999 store conversions, Watson's remains a meaningful touchstone for retail collectors and former customers.
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.
Watson's Men's Sport Polo Shirt
$39.99
Sale price
$39.99
Regular price
Celebrate a department-store name rooted in Knoxville and the Southeastern communities it served. This Watson's Men's Sport Polo Shirt brings the story of Ira A. Watson Co. into an easy everyday wardrobe piece, recalling a regional chain that grew from downtown stores into larger shopping-center locations. From its 1907 founding through the 1998 Peebles purchase and 1999 store conversions, Watson's remains a meaningful touchstone for retail collectors and former customers.
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 | |
| Width, in | 20.25 | 21.75 | 23.75 | 24.75 | 26.25 | 28.25 |
| Length, in | 29.00 | 30.00 | 31.00 | 32.00 | 33.00 | 33.50 |
| Sleeve Length (from center back), in | 18.50 | 19.25 | 20.00 | 20.75 | 21.50 | 22.25 |
Product features
- 100% polyester, extra-light (110 g/m²) for fast drying and shape retention
- Moisture-wicking fabric keeps skin cool during activity
- Double-needle stitched seams and necktape for long-lasting comfort
- 3-button placket with dyed-to-match rubber buttons and flat knit lapel collar
- Direct-to-film printed chest logo; regular fit, printed neck label
Care instructions
- Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F)
- Non-chlorine: bleach as needed
- Do not tumble dry
- Do not iron
- Do not dryclean
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Sport-Tek ST650, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC
Care instructions: Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F), Non-chlorine: bleach as needed, Do not tumble dry, Do not iron, Do not dryclean