Champion is a manufacturer of
clothing, specializing in
sportswear. The brand is a subsidiary of
HanesBrands Inc. (based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina), which was spun off by the
Sara Lee Corporation.
Champion is HanesBrands' second largest brand with the namesake
Hanes brand in first place. Other brands owned by HanesBrands Inc. are
Playtex (its third largest brand),
Bali,
Just My Size,
Barely There,
Wonderbra,
L'eggs,
C9 by Champion,
Duofold,
Beefy-T, Outer Banks, Sol y Oro, Rinbros, Zorba and Ritmo.
Champion is the clothing company that invented the sports bra, reversible t-shirts, and breathable mesh clothing (found in trucker hats.
Champion sportswear has been a popular staple in hip hop and urban fashion since the early 1990s. The Champion hooded sweatshirt was heavily popularized by seminal 90s New York based rappers including A Tribe Called Quest, Ill Al Skratch and Mobb Deep. These rappers were often seen wearing the iconic Champion hoodies in their music videos and during their live performances. Today, hardcore rappers like 50 Cent, The Game, Ghostface Killah and Fat Joe have continued the tradition of wearing Champion hoodies in their music videos and during their television appearances. Many rappers have referenced Champion hoodies in their rhymes. Most notably, Nas name-dropped Champion's trademark sweatshirt on DJ Kayslay's "Too Much For Me" in 2003 rapping,"I'm a braveheart in Carhartt and Champion hoodies". The Champion "Superhood" has emerged as THE "Hoodie" to wear in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and NYC. Available in a large selection colors, it is used to hook-up with Sneakers and Hats. Many stores have designed New Era Hats to color-match the Superhood.
Champion has produced uniforms for National Basketball Association teams. It has also produced sportswear for many major colleges.
From 2008, Champion produced kits for Premier League side, Wigan Athletic F.C. and the Wales national football team.
