Rogers Peet was a men's

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...

company founded on November 6, 1874. Rogers Peet introduced several innovations into the men's wear business: they attached tags to garments giving fabric composition, they marked garments with price tags (the established practice was to haggle), they offered customers their money back if not satisfied, and they used illustrations of specific merchandise in their advertising. By 1877, it was headed by William R. H. Martin. The company's reputation was strong enough that they were referenced in popular songs. In 1919,

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

wrote about them in the song "I Introduced" from ''

Hitchy-Koo of 1919 ''Hitchy-Koo of 1919'' is a musical revue with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by George V. Hobart. This revue was third in a series of four ''Hitchy-Koo'' Broadway revues from 1917 to 1920 produced by, and starring, Raymond Hitchcock. ...

'', from the point of view of a man who claims to have "presented Mister Peet to Mister Rogers," having also introduced several other famous partnerships such as Morgan/Hajes, Lord & Taylor and Moet & Chandon.The Complete Lyrics Of Cole Porter by Robert Kimball, New York 1983 The song "Marry the Man Today" from the 1950 musical ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

'' mentioned Rogers Peet as one of the finer things in life, alongside ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

'', the actor

Guy Lombardo Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was an Italian-Canadian-American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer. Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and othe ...

, and

Ovaltine Ovaltine (also known by its original name Ovomaltine) is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract (except in the blue packaging in the United States), sugar (except in Switzerland), and whey. Some flavors also have cocoa. Ovaltin ...

. The last Rogers Peet store closed in the mid-1980s. One of their green delivery vehicles can be seen in a street scene in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's.

References

External links

Rogers Peet History
Clothing companies of the United States Companies established in 1874 Companies based in Manhattan 1874 establishments in New York (state) {{fashion-stub