in 1955, an ambitious salesman named Abbot Pederson traveled to NYC on a sales trip for the Munsingwear brand. To kill time before he left for home, he decided to drink a few whiskeys at a local bar. He had never dreamed that his next steps would change the history of the company.
On a Manhattan street, he took a wrong turn and, oddly enough, suddenly found himself in front of a taxidermy store. Deciding he needed a drinking buddy for the flight, he bought a penguin and named him Pete. Sometime during the flight, and after another cocktail or three, he accidentally knocked Pete the penguin's head off.
A seductive stewardess, who had enjoyed Perderson's presence throughout the flight, took off his tie and wrapped it around the penguin's neck to reattach it. She joked that such a dapper bird deserved to be immortalized - perhaps even on a shirt. With that idea, an icon was born.
Within a few years, the Munsingwear golf shirt embroidered with Pete's likeness was synonymous with a number of legends - including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Arnold Palmer and Clint Eastwood. Today, Original Penguin embodies a blend of legendary American sportswear with modern style in a diverse product range for a complete lifestyle brand. Made for originals, by originals.