Watson's T-Shirt
XS / Army
$19.99
Sale price
$19.99
Regular price
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GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Celebrate Watson's, the Knoxville department store company that grew from an operation founded in 1907 into a regional network serving communities across the Southeast. This shirt connects a recognizable retail name with the era of downtown stores, shopping-center expansion, and locally familiar family clothing destinations. It is made for former shoppers, regional-history enthusiasts, and collectors who appreciate the stories preserved by apparel. Watson's financial struggles, 1992 reorganization, and eventual 1999 conversion to Peebles mark a changing retail landscape.
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 T-Shirt
$19.99
Sale price
$19.99
Regular price
| XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width, in | 16.50 | 18.00 | 20.00 | 22.00 | 24.00 | 26.00 | 28.00 | 30.00 | 32.00 |
| Length, in | 27.00 | 28.00 | 29.00 | 30.00 | 31.00 | 32.00 | 33.00 | 34.00 | 35.00 |
| Sleeve length, in | 8.60 | 8.90 | 9.20 | 9.50 | 9.70 | 10.00 | 10.40 | 10.80 | 11.20 |
| Size tolerance, in | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 |
Celebrate Watson's, the Knoxville department store company that grew from an operation founded in 1907 into a regional network serving communities across the Southeast. This shirt connects a recognizable retail name with the era of downtown stores, shopping-center expansion, and locally familiar family clothing destinations. It is made for former shoppers, regional-history enthusiasts, and collectors who appreciate the stories preserved by apparel. Watson's financial struggles, 1992 reorganization, and eventual 1999 conversion to Peebles mark a changing retail landscape.
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.
| XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | |
| Width, in | 16.50 | 18.00 | 20.00 | 22.00 | 24.00 | 26.00 | 28.00 | 30.00 | 32.00 |
| Length, in | 27.00 | 28.00 | 29.00 | 30.00 | 31.00 | 32.00 | 33.00 | 34.00 | 35.00 |
| Sleeve length, in | 8.60 | 8.90 | 9.20 | 9.50 | 9.70 | 10.00 | 10.40 | 10.80 | 11.20 |
| Size tolerance, in | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 |
Product features
- 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton (lightweight 4.2 oz/yd²) for a soft, breathable feel
- Retail fit with crew neckline — neat, easy to layer
- Structural details: side seams, shoulder tape, and ribbed knit collar to retain shape
- Labeling and prints: tear-away label; DTF or DTG printing used for crisp chest and sleeve designs
- Ethically made blanks (Fair Labor Association, Platinum WRAP), REACH certified
Care instructions
- Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F)
- Non-chlorine: bleach as needed
- Tumble dry: low heat
- Iron, steam or dry: medium heat
- Do not dryclean
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Bella+Canvas 3001, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC
Warnings, Hazard: For adults, Blank product sourced from Honduras
Care instructions: Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F), Non-chlorine: bleach as needed, Tumble dry: low heat, Iron, steam or dry: medium heat, Do not dryclean