Ben Davis

History

The lineage is direct and is the first thing to say: Jacob Davis, of the 1873 patent, had children who worked in the trade, and his grandson Ben Davis opened his own workwear company in San Francisco in 1935. The house never sold to a group and never left the country: it is still in family hands and still manufactures in the United States. Its customers for decades were the Bay's dockworkers and builders, and from there it passed — as Dickies did — to West Coast punk, to skating and to nineties hip hop, without having sought it. The gorilla in the logo dates from the thirties and has not changed.

Iconic models

• Gorilla Cut Pant

  The house work trouser, loose-cut in a heavy fabric.

• Half Zip Shirt

  The half-zip shirt with a hook pocket; its most recognisable garment.

• Ben's Jacket

  A short canvas jacket with a blanket lining.

• The gorilla (logo, 1930s)

  Unredesigned in ninety years. One of the oldest labels in continuous use in the trade.