The most 20 successful American fashion brands

 The United States has exercised an outsized influence on popular culture since the early part of the 20th century through motion pictures and the creation of music genres such as jazz and rock and roll. To recognize America’s place in the fashion world, 24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of the most successful U.S. fashion brands. The list is based on longevity, name recognition, metrics involving foot traffic from the company Placed, store number, revenue, and other measures of success.

What distinguishes America’s most successful fashion brands are longevity, practicality, ease of wear, and the ability to appeal to many people.

Brooks Brothers, known for its classic men’s suits, and Levi’s, maker of jeans, are two brands on the list with origins in the 19th century. The Gap, and its other brands Old Navy and the Banana Republic, have created an enduring reputation with easy-to-wear, casual lines. Donna Karan made upscale women’s fashion accessible. Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Nike all project a distinctly American image. Hilfiger, Karan, and Lauren are among the most influential American designers of all time.

1. Old Navy

Founded: 1994

Parent Company: The Gap Inc.

What it sells: Casual clothes

Stores worldwide: 1,160

Revenue: $16.6 billion (parent company)

The maker of jeans, hoodies, hats, tank tops, capris, and other apparel items was named after a bar in Paris.

3. Gap

Founded: 1969

Parent Company: The Gap Inc.

What it sells: Casual apparel aimed at youth

Stores worldwide: 1,234

Revenue: $16.6 billion (parent company)

Husband and wife Doris and Don Fisher opened the first casual clothing Gap store in 1969 in San Francisco because Don couldn’t find a pair of pants that fit.

4. American Eagle Outfitters

Founded: 1977

Parent Company: American Eagle Outfitters Inc.

What it sells: Denim, casual apparel

Stores worldwide: 1,061

Revenue: $4.03 billion

American Eagle Outfitters was founded in 1977 by brothers Jerry and Mark Silverman and offers a variety of apparel for men and women.

5. Coach

Founded: 1941

Parent Company: Tapestry Inc.

What it sells: Handbags, accessories

Stores worldwide: 986

Revenue: $4.27 billion

Miles and Lillian Cahn founded the company in a Manhattan loft in 1941 and made handbags and wallets based on the leather design aesthetic of baseball gloves.

7. Nike

Founded: 1964

Parent Company: Nike Inc.

What it sells: Athletic apparel, sneakers

Stores worldwide: 951

Revenue: $37.2 billion

Sportswear company Nike was originally called Blue Ribbon Sports and was a distributor for a Japanese shoemaker.

8. Hollister

Founded: 2000

Parent Company: Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

What it sells: Teen-focused apparel

Stores worldwide: 542

Revenue: $3.6 billion (parent company)

Teen fashion brand Hollister, also the name of a town in California, was founded in 1992.

9. Abercrombie & Fitch

Founded: 1892

Parent Company: Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

What it sells: Upscale casual apparel

Stores worldwide: 315

Revenue: $3.6 billion (parent company)

Abercrombie & Fitch has been outfitting America’s explorers, hunters, and campers since 1892, and among their customers were Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Amelia Earhart.

10. Levi’s

Founded: 1853

Parent Company: Levi Strauss & Co.

What it sells: Denim

Stores worldwide: 854

Revenue: $5.57 billion

Bavarian immigrant Levi Strauss invented work pants in the 19th century to outfit gold prospectors in California.

11. Polo Ralph Lauren

Founded: 1967

Parent Company: Ralph Lauren Corporation

What it sells: Country-club prep style clothes

Stores worldwide: 510

Revenue: $6.31 billion (parent company)

After a stint in the Army, Bronx-born Ralph Lauren persuaded New York City clothier Beau Brummel to invest in wider neckties in the late 1960s.

13. Under Armour

Founded: 1996

Parent Company: Under Armour Inc.

What it sells: Performance apparel

Stores worldwide: 179

Revenue: $5.19 billion

The preferred undergarment for athletes had its origins with Kevin A. Plank, a former special teams captain of the University of Maryland football team.

14. Vans

• Founded: 1966

• Parent Company: V.F. Corporation

• What it sells: Footwear, outerwear

• Stores worldwide: 1,151 parent company stores

• Revenue: $13.8 billion (parent company)

Vans was founded by brothers Paul and Jim Van Doren along with Gordon Lee and Serge Delia in Anaheim, California.

15. Eddie Bauer

Founded: 1920

Parent Company: Golden Gate Capital (not publicly traded)

What it sells: Outerwear

Stores worldwide: 275+

Revenue: $745 million

Outdoorsman Eddie Bauer opened his first sporting goods store in 1920.

16. Calvin Klein

Founded: 1968

Parent Company: PVH Corporation

What it sells: Clothes, accessories, home furnishings

Stores worldwide: 4,115 (including distributor stores)

Revenue: $3.7 billion

Calvin Klein was originally recognized for his suits and coats but branched out into sportswear. Ads for his products pushed boundaries, such as the jeans ad with a 15-year-old Brooke Shields.

17. Kate Spade

Founded: 1993

Parent Company: Tapestry Inc.

What it sells: Handbags, accessories, home decor

Stores worldwide: 407

Revenue: $1.36 billion

Kate Spade, a former accessories editor at Mademoiselle magazine, left the editorial side of fashion and went into retail by designing a handbag.

18. Tommy Hilfiger

Founded: 1985

Parent Company: PVH Corporation

What it sells: American-themed apparel, fragrances, eyewear

Stores worldwide: 1,800+

Revenue: $4.3 billion

Long before Tommy Hilfiger’s name became synonymous with red, white, and blue American style, the Elmira, New York, native started his retail career at the age of 18 selling jeans in high school. He opened a store with high school friends that were called the People’s Place.

19. Converse

Founded: 1908

Parent Company: Nike Inc.

What it sells: Athletic footwear

Stores worldwide: 172

Revenue: $1.9 billion

Converse makes the Chuck Taylor All-Star sneakers, iconic street footwear that’s been worn by ballers for decades. The company was founded in 1908 as a maker of galoshes and started making sneakers.