Anyone who knows anything about fashion is familiar with the brand name Tommy Hilfiger. In fact, anyone who doesn’t know about fashion has probably still at least heard the name. Some diehard fashionistas may even know a little bit about the brand, the history and the man behind the brand.

Few people, however, realize just how quite extraordinary it is that the company has come as far as it has. Being a brand that is not as old as some of the classic and traditional brands, it has still been around long enough to obviously not be a fluke. The brand is definitely here to stay. Now it’s about finding out how it got here in the first place.

The Roots of Tommy Hilfiger

The story begins in Elmira, New York, where Tommy Hilfiger was born the second of nine children in his family. The real fashion brand story starts in 1969. This was the year Hilfiger started a small chain of stores named People’s Place while still a high school student with a mere $150.

Until then young Tommy would simply make the trek to New York city to buy jeans and bell-bottoms, customize them and then resell them to local department stores. His overall mission was to be able to bring fashions from both New York City and London to upstate New York. During this time he also began with his own designs. Self-taught, he kept the boutiques he’d always admired in mind as he began designing.

By 1979 he was ready for the move to New York City so he could pursue a full time career in fashion design. Although his parents had wanted him to attend college, Tommy had shown he was likely to find success without any type of formal training. Tommy Hilfiger was admired for his ability to design but also because of his entrepreneurial background.

The Tommy Hilfiger Corporation was founded in 1984. In 1985, Tommy Hilfiger was able to introduce his first signature collection line. His look was modern button down shirts for men, khakis and other classics with a new modern twist. This youthful and relaxed approach to stylish and preppy classics is still the approach that keeps Tommy Hilfiger popular today.

Moving Forward

Tommy Hilfiger Corporation went public in 1992, and by 2004 the company was showing revenues in excess of $1.8 billion. Tommy Hilfiger had demonstrated he was well established. From there the rest has been nothing but milestones including:

An endorsement deal in 1998 for singer Aaliyah
The main sponsor for Britney Spears’ 1999 tour
A reality show on CBS in 2005 in which competitors went against each other for the winning spot to stay on and work as a designer for Tommy Hilfiger
The sale of Tommy Hilfiger to a private investment company in 2006
In 2010 the owner of Calvin Klein, Phillips-Van Heusen, acquired Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger, the designer, became the fashion consultant for American Idol in 2012

From a dream, $150 and a determined designer without training, Tommy Hilfiger transformed his dream into a billion dollar corporation.

What You Can Expect to Find

What the Tommy Hilfiger brand you really can expect to find a little bit of everything. The band has had many different product lines for a variety of categories. Do any shopping and you’ll find the Tommy name for products and collections including:

Men

Indian Ocean
Desert Sands
On the Horizon
Prep Journey

Women

Nautical Prep
Ethnic Prep
Fresh Start
Safari Prep

Children

Anchors Away
Hello Sunshine
African Adventure

Denim

Chase the Sun
Indigo Prep
Surf Prep

As well as other categories such as:

Footwear
Home
Fragrance
And more

In fact, Tommy Hilfiger for the home has been very popular for the brand since first being introduced. Some of what you can expect to find includes:

Pillows
Bedskirts
Sheets
Other bedding
Luggage
Plus other home items and décor

Finally, some of the product lines that have been part of Tommy Hilfiger, some still in existence, include:

Tommy – the brand’s casual line full of bright colors
Tommy Sport – no longer part of the brand, this was geared for the urban look
Hilfiger Denim – An upscale division of the brand’s denim line
Tommy Girl – One of several popular fragrance lines for Tommy Hilfiger
And the list goes on including his partnership for product lines with famous celebrities including Beyoncé Knowles and Enrique Iglesias.

How to Become a Classic

The thing about becoming an American classic and fashion icon is that you can’t simply set out to make that happen. It is something that happens in the process of pursuing your dreams. This has never been truer than with the Tommy Hilfiger brand. This shows even with just the numerous awards the designer has won for his accomplishments in fashion, retail and business.

Currently there are more than 350 stores operated by Tommy Hilfiger and its partners across the globe. There are also franchise stores as well as online shopping. In addition to that, there are plenty of outlet factory stores available for those shoppers looking to get more bang for their buck.

If you are one of those shoppers who like to try to snag a good deal from outlet stores, you will be glad to know there are Tommy Hilfiger outlet locations available. You can find the same high level of quality and commitment to fashionable style, but for discounted prices.

Some of the popular Tommy Hilfiger outlet locations include:

Calhoun Premium Outlets in Calhoun, GA
Napa Premium Outlets in Napa, CA
Pismo Beach Premium Outlets in Pismo Beach, CA
Grove City Premium Outlets in Grove City, PA
Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets in Michigan City, IN
Outlet Marketplace in Orlando, FL

And the list continues

Factory outlet shoppers will also be glad to know they can also shop Tommy Hilfiger Kids at many locations, as well. When it comes to classic and stylish Americana prep, nothing makes a statement quite like Tommy Hilfiger.