An American clothing icon is getting a new parent company after a multi-million-dollar deal.
On Tuesday, Dickies — the Texas-born workwear brand known for its durable uniforms, khakis, and utility-inspired style — was bought by Bluestar Alliance for $600million.
It’s a major downturn for the iconic company. Its former parent, VF Corp, purchased Dickies in 2017 for $820million.
The rugged clothing brand, which started in 1922, built its name on being tough, practical, and unmistakably blue-collar.
Dickies became a uniform of choice for construction workers, mechanics, and anyone who needed clothes that could take a beating.
But what started as industrial workwear has since crossed into pop culture — embraced by skaters in the ’90s, rappers in the 2000s, and now, some A-list celebs.
Sydney Sweeney modeled a Dickies outfit in a recent shoot with a Ford Mustang. Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid have been spotted wearing the company’s work pants.
Their $20 to $50 pants sold at dozens of retailers across the US. Workers could go to Walmart, Target, or even Tractor Supply Co to grab their next pair.
Dickies has been featured in several A-list looks, including a recent photoshoot with Euphoria actor Sydney Sweeney and a Ford Mustang
The company also has nine outlet stores in the US.
But sales have been flagging. This year, global revenue for the work brand fell 12 percent.
VF Corp — which also runs North Face, Timberland, and Vans — previously announced plans to ‘reinvent’ itself, including decisions to cut $300million in costs.
The company never implied that Dickies was up for sale, but it has been cutting similar brands since 2019, when it spun out Wrangler and Lee into a different company.
In 2021, it sold occupational workwear brands Kodiak, Workrite, and Terra to Redwood Capital Investments for an undisclosed sum.
VF’s leaner portfolio allows the company to keep more of its profits. North Face’s sales have risen 1 percent this year, while Timberland has reported a 3 percent jump in revenue.
Meanwhile, Bluestar Alliance seems bullish on its ability to make the iconic brand profitable.
‘We have followed the brand for many years and have a deep appreciation for its history and legacy,’ the new parent company’s CEO, Joseph Gabbay, said.
Dickies, which sells its $20 to $50 pants at Walmart, Target, and Tractor Supply Co, gives its new parent company, Bluestar Alliance, new pipelines for product collaborations
The iconic Texas blue collar retailer has become a favorite brand among fashionable Gen Z and millennials in recent years (Pictured: A still from a Dickies commercial)
‘We are committed to supporting the Dickies brand’s growth.’
Bluestar runs higher-end brands like Off-White, Scotch & Soda, Bebe, and Limited Too.
The company, which started in 2006, reported making $10billion in global sales each year.
The Dickies purchase could also expand Bluestar’s relationship with the big box brands that don’t carry their high-end products.
The transaction between the two clothing corporations is expected to close by the end of 2025.
The sale comes less than a year after Dickies made the shock announcement that it was moving its HQ to Orange County, California, after more than 100 years in Fort Worth.
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