Is Munsingwear Still in Business? Penguin Brand History

Is Munsingwear still in business? The original Minneapolis manufacturer closed its plant in 1981, but the Munsingwear name remains in retail use on underwear and related products. Muldoon’s Men’s Wear lists Munsingwear cotton V-neck shirts for $22 and cotton athletic shirts for $17 as of September 2026.

The penguin-logo legacy lives on through Original Penguin, re-released in 2002 with the original Munsingwear logo. Original Penguin operates an official U.S. online store and describes itself as a lifestyle brand built around American sportswear and modern style.

Is Munsingwear Still in Business as a Retail Brand

Yes. Munsingwear survives as a name on apparel sold by retailers rather than as the original Minneapolis manufacturer that once made the goods. Its historic Minneapolis plant closed in 1981 amid declining business, ending that factory operation but not the commercial use of Munsingwear branding.

Retailers also offer Munsingwear underwear through Walmart, including a two-pack men’s full-rise brief. Those listings show ongoing retail use of the name, although they do not turn the long-closed factory into a continuing manufacturer.

Muldoon’s says companies still stock Munsingwear products more than 130 years after George D. Munsing came to Minnesota in 1886. Walmart’s page is undated.

What Happened to Munsingwear?

Historically, George D. Munsing founded Northwestern Knitting Company in 1887 with Frank H. Page and Edward O. Tuttle, initially producing knit underwear for the family.

MNopedia dates the name change to Munsingwear to 1919, while another account places Munsingwear, Inc. at 1923 when the company went public. Together, those dates reflect separate descriptions of a business whose name and corporate milestones have been recorded differently.

Meanwhile, the penguin supplies the clearest link between historical Munsingwear and the current Original Penguin Munsingwear relationship. Munsingwear put the penguin logo on Grand Slam golf shirts in 1955, and Original Penguin was re-released in 2002 using the original logo on vintage-style sportswear. Today, Original Penguin describes its current brand and operates its official U.S. ecommerce store. Consequently, the legacy continues most visibly through Original Penguin, while Munsingwear itself persists in retailer product listings.

Ownership descriptions are less consistent than the evidence of products on sale. Wikipedia states that Munsingwear and Original Penguin are currently owned by Perry Ellis, whereas Vintage Fashion Guild refers to Munsingwear as owned by the Perry Ellis Company. Neither description appears on Original Penguin’s official pages, which focus instead on the current brand and its merchandise.

For buying options, shoppers can use Original Penguin’s official U.S. store for its current merchandise, Walmart’s Munsingwear brand page for associated listings, and Muldoon’s Men’s Wear for Munsingwear underwear. These routes distinguish current retail availability from the former factory operation.

From Northwestern Knitting to Munsingwear

Munsingwear’s brand history began as Northwestern Knitting Company, a Minneapolis business making knit underwear for the whole family. George D. Munsing came to Minnesota in 1886 to develop a new line of woolen union suits.

Joined by Frank H. Page and Edward O. Tuttle, Early production was slow, and the young business struggled to meet orders until Minneapolis investors, including Charles Pillsbury and Thomas Lowry, invested in the company.

By 1897, Northwestern Knitting had made a notable advertising move when a Ladies’ Home Journal ad showed a young girl wearing one of its union suits. That placement marked the first time the company’s underwear appeared on a live model.

Company offerings expanded quickly, reaching 80 styles of long underwear by 1900. Construction on a new factory began in 1904, and the completed complex occupied an entire city block by 1915. Daily production had reached 30,000 garments by 1917.

A changing market pushed the underwear maker to adapt. Northwestern Knitting renamed itself Munsingwear in 1919 in honor of its founder, George D. Munsing. At that point, the company had grown into a major Minneapolis employer.

Its workforce numbered about 3,000 people in 1920, with women accounting for 85 percent of employees, making Munsingwear Minnesota’s largest employer of women at the time.

Adapting Beyond the Union Suit

Fashion shifts and the spread of central heating reduced demand for traditional long underwear, so Munsingwear established a design department in 1920. New products helped carry the business through changing consumer tastes.

Foundettes, a girdle line introduced in the early 1930s, was key to the company’s survival during the Great Depression. During both World Wars, the Minneapolis factory produced clothing, bandages and other medical products. Munsingwear later acquired the Vassar Company in 1951, creating the Vassarette label for women’s underwear.

Work at Munsingwear shaped a distinctive factory culture as well as a well-known apparel name. Employees called themselves “Munsingites” and formed musical groups, social clubs and sports teams. Beyond the workplace, the company partnered with Minneapolis librarian Gratia Countryman in 1911 to open a library branch inside the factory.

Medical and dental care were offered free of charge ahead of many employers, although workers also faced long days, dangerous machinery, anti-union management and preferential treatment favoring American-born workers and Scandinavian immigrants. Later product development included a wool-cotton blend for hot-pack polio treatment at the Sister Kenney Institute in 1958.

What Happened to Munsingwear’s Minneapolis Factory?

Four years later, the city-block complex reopened as International Market Square in 1985.

Changing fashions and widespread central heating had already reduced demand for the long underwear that anchored Munsingwear’s early business. Rather than rely solely on that category, the company created a design department in 1920.

New product development had become necessary because the traditional market no longer carried the same demand as homes became centrally heated. Fashion changes likewise moved consumers away from garments designed for colder, less-heated living conditions. Those shifts marked an effort to respond as customers needed different kinds of apparel.

Diversification therefore preceded the plant’s final years, spanning women’s foundations, wartime goods, medical materials, and menswear.

By the 1980s, its menswear offerings included Grand Slam, Kangaroo, and Cotton Classics alongside the company’s other lines. Still, the factory’s 1981 closure brought an end to manufacturing at the North Minneapolis site. Afterward, more than 3,500 Munsingwear items were donated to the Minnesota Historical Society, including papers, photographs, samples, and premiums.

Records from the closure became part of a collection that preserves salesmen’s samples as well as company documentation. That collection gives the former factory a continuing historical presence even after production stopped. Its photographs, papers, and premiums document a company whose physical production had ended at the site. Yet the building’s reuse did not preserve its original industrial role, since International Market Square reopened there in 1985.

Today, International Market Square occupies the former factory complex, which had been completed in 1915 and filled a city block. Physical conversion of the site separated the building’s future from the apparel operation that had occupied it. Elsewhere, the company’s later apparel story continues through the penguin-logo golf-shirt legacy that was re-released as Original Penguin in 2002.

Consequently, what happened to Munsingwear was not a single disappearance: its factory ceased operation, while parts of its product legacy continued under retail and brand names. Retail availability of Munsingwear-name underwear and the active Original Penguin store show how those legacies now take different forms. Instead, the Minneapolis plant’s story ends with adaptive reuse, while the apparel names remain visible beyond its walls.

How the Penguin Logo Became Original Penguin

Original Penguin carries that visual legacy.

From Pete the Penguin to the Golf Shirt

Its place in Munsingwear brand history begins with Abbot Pederson, a Munsingwear salesman traveling to New York City in 1955. Abbot bought a taxidermied penguin in a Manhattan shop and named the bird Pete, according to Original Penguin’s account. During his flight, Pederson accidentally knocked off Pete’s head after drinking cocktails. A stewardess tied Pederson’s necktie around the penguin’s neck and suggested that he should be immortalized on a shirt.

Pete’s likeness was then embroidered on the Munsingwear Golf Shirt, turning an accidental travel story into the company’s best-known apparel symbol. Afterward, the shirt became popular, and Original Penguin says it was associated with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Arnold Palmer and Clint Eastwood.

Instead of being separate from Munsingwear, Pete became the direct link between the old golf apparel and the later Original Penguin brand. Such celebrity and golf connections helped make the bird a recognizable part of the label’s identity.

Popularity gave the emblem a life beyond a single shirt.

The re-release gave shoppers a current brand tied directly to the historic golf-shirt emblem. By carrying forward Pete’s image, Original Penguin preserved the most visible part of the original penguin Munsingwear relationship. Today, the brand presents that heritage.

Milestone	What Happened	Why It Matters
1955	Abbot Pederson bought and named Pete the Penguin during a Munsingwear sales trip.	Pete became the inspiration for the shirt logo.
1955	Munsingwear used the penguin logo on Grand Slam golf shirts.	The bird became tied to the company’s golf apparel.
2002	Original Penguin was re-released with the original Munsingwear penguin logo.	The logo moved into a revived vintage-style sportswear brand.

For shoppers, the distinction matters: Munsingwear remains a retail name for underwear, while Original Penguin is the active lifestyle brand built around Pete’s legacy. Retailers provide separate paths for each label, with Munsingwear products listed by Muldoon’s Men’s Wear and Walmart, and current Original Penguin merchandise on its official U.S. store. Walmart also includes Original Penguin products described as “by Munsingwear” among its Munsingwear listings. Together, those listings show how the historic name and the penguin-led brand continue side by side.

Who Owns the Munsingwear Brand Today?

Available ownership references identify Perry Ellis with Munsingwear, but official Original Penguin materials do not settle present legal ownership. Vintage Fashion Guild describes Munsingwear as owned by “the Perry Ellis Company.” Taken together, those accounts point shoppers asking who owns the Munsingwear brand today toward Perry Ellis, while stopping short of a primary confirmation.

Original Penguin’s official U.S. store shows the brand is operating, with 15% off a first purchase and free shipping for Original Reward Members on orders of $50 or more. Its About Us page likewise describes Original Penguin’s lifestyle identity. That current commercial presence establishes an active business identity, yet it does not itself identify the trademark’s legal owner. Retail availability of Munsingwear underwear separately shows continuing use of the Munsingwear name.

Brand ownership and brand operation are related but not necessarily the same question. Official Original Penguin pages focus on its lifestyle identity, shopping offer, and rewards benefit. Accordingly, a cautious reading separates operating evidence from secondary ownership descriptions. Readers can treat Perry Ellis as the commonly cited answer, rather than a conclusion established by official brand pages.

For buyers, the ownership question need not obscure the practical distinction between Munsingwear and Original Penguin merchandise. Muldoon’s Men’s Wear reflects the previously noted Munsingwear offerings. Walmart’s Munsingwear page lists 17 associated items, including a two-pack men’s brief. Those retailer pages show ongoing Munsingwear retail use, not proof of the corporate relationship between brands.

Buying Original Penguin merchandise through its official U.S. ecommerce site is a separate route from purchasing Munsingwear underwear through retailers. Product language at Walmart sometimes bridges the names: listed Original Penguin fragrances use “by Munsingwear” wording. Shoppers should therefore distinguish current sales channels from historical company identity and ownership terminology.

Overall, the best supported answer is that Perry Ellis is identified in secondary accounts as Munsingwear’s owner, while official evidence establishes current Original Penguin operation and Munsingwear retail availability. That distinction gives the ownership claim its proper scope. Rather, it keeps retail evidence, official brand activity, and ownership descriptions in their respective roles for readers evaluating the names today.

Where to Buy Munsingwear and Original Penguin

For a direct purchase route, that store offers 15% off a first purchase and free shipping for Original Reward Members on orders of $50 or more.

Muldoon’s Men’s Wear offers these active retailer listings. Rather than searching only for vintage pieces, shoppers looking for where to buy Munsingwear can start with those active retailer listings.

Original Penguin’s Official Store

Original Penguin’s U.S. site is the clearest place to shop directly for the current lifestyle brand. Its About Us page describes the brand. Members of the Original Rewards program receive the shipping benefit on qualifying orders. Before placing an order, shoppers can review the store’s current selection and the first-purchase offer.

Walmart’s Munsingwear brand page provides another retail route, with 17 associated items listed on the page. Among them is the Men’s MW21X Big Man Comfort Pouch Full Rise Brief, sold as a two-pack. Prices and inventory on that page are undated, so the listings are best used to identify available product types rather than as time-specific pricing. Fragrance listings there also connect Original Penguin products with “by Munsingwear” wording, including Original Penguin Blend, Ice Blue, Premium Blend, and Denim.

A practical shopping approach is to use each retailer for its strongest supported category:

1. Begin with Muldoon’s Men’s Wear.
2. Next, check Walmart’s Munsingwear brand page for associated underwear, fragrance, and apparel listings.
3. Then visit Original Penguin’s official U.S. store for current merchandise and its available first-purchase promotion.
4. Finish by comparing product descriptions, sizes, and retailer checkout terms before buying.

Availability across these outlets shows that the Munsingwear name remains in retail use alongside Original Penguin merchandise. These buying routes also reflect the ongoing Original Penguin Munsingwear relationship: current Original Penguin goods carry forward a brand identity linked to the earlier Munsingwear penguin legacy.

I like used bookstores because a faded label can be a clue, not a verdict, and Munsingwear listings strike me the same way. For Munsingwear and Original Penguin, I compare product descriptions, sizes, and checkout terms, then check Original Penguin’s official U.S. store for current apparel and its first-purchase promotion; otherwise I am just letting an old tag conduct my shopping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Munsingwear Still an Independent Company?

Munsingwear continues as a brand name on underwear and other retail listings, while Original Penguin operates as an active lifestyle brand. The original Minneapolis manufacturer closed its plant in 1981. Current retail and brand activity centers on Munsingwear-branded products and Original Penguin rather than the historical factory business.

What Happened to the Munsingwear Factory in Minneapolis?

Four years later, the building reopened as International Market Square. Before its closure, the factory had produced underwear, apparel, medical goods, bandages, and other products over many decades.

How Is Original Penguin Related to Munsingwear?

Original Penguin grew from Munsingwear’s penguin-logo Grand Slam golf-shirt history. The current brand describes itself as a full lifestyle brand combining American sportswear with modern style.

Who Owns the Munsingwear Brand?

Wikipedia identifies Munsingwear and Original Penguin as owned by Perry Ellis. Vintage Fashion Guild describes Munsingwear as owned by the Perry Ellis Company. Original Penguin’s official brand materials focus on its current products, history, and lifestyle-brand identity.

Where Can Shoppers Buy Munsingwear Products?

Muldoon’s Men’s Wear lists Munsingwear underwear, including men’s cotton V-neck shirts for $22.00 and men’s cotton athletic shirts for $17.00 as of September 2026. Walmart also has a Munsingwear brand page with associated items, including men’s briefs and Original Penguin products described as being by Munsingwear. Shoppers can visit Original Penguin’s official U.S. store for current Original Penguin merchandise.

Munsingwear remains part of the apparel marketplace, but its story has changed sharply from its Minneapolis manufacturing era. Founded as Northwestern Knitting Company in 1887, the business became known for underwear, union suits, and later the penguin-logo golf shirt. Although the original plant closed in 1981, Munsingwear-branded underwear remains available through retailers. Meanwhile, the 1955 penguin logo lives on through Original Penguin, re-released in 2002 as a modern lifestyle brand.

References

• Original Penguin | Be An Original – Original Penguin US, Original Penguin, originalpenguin.com
• About Us – Original Penguin US, Original Penguin, originalpenguin.com
• Munsingwear – Wikipedia, Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org
• Munsingwear – Vintage Fashion Guild, Vintage Fashion Guild, vintagefashionguild.org
• Walmart, Walmart, walmart.com
• Munsingwear | Muldoon’s Men’s Wear, Muldoon’s Men’s Wear, muldoons.com

Sources read in September 2026.