 | On a sales trip to NYC in 1955, Abbot Pederson took a wrong turn down a Manhattan street and found himself in front of a display of stuffed penguins in a taxidermist's window. Before he knew it, he had bought one of the penguins, named him Pete, and was soon enjoying cocktails with him on the flight back to Minneapolis. At some point during the flight, Pederson's enthusiasm got the better of him -- and Pete the Penguin's head was knocked off. A seductive stewardess whose attention Pederson had been enjoying throughout the flight gently helped him remove his tie, then wrapped it around the penguin's neck. As she did so, she joked that such a lucky, dapper bird surely deserved to be immortalized -- maybe even embroidered on a shirt similar to the one Pederson was wearing. Little did she know... this was the birth the Munsingwear golf shirt. Known today as "the 55," it represented not only a relaxed and sophisticated lifestyle but was to become the cornerstone of an entire fashion movement. An ORIGINAL PENGUIN® by Munsingwear became a staple among the masters of suburban leisure well into the 1980s – worn by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Richard Nixon. In 2003, an ORIGINAL PENGUIN® was recreated by a group of people who love great style and smart clothing. Today's style makers have evolved this legend and made it your very own. Click on Orignal Penguin's Behind the Scenes: Spring/Summer 2010 to see their photoshoot for their campaign. |
