Golden Bear Sportswear 95 Years & Counting

Just a stone’s throw from our hometown headquarters in San Francisco’s Mission-Potrero Hill neighborhood, the Golden Bear Sportswear factory has been designing and manufacturing classic jackets for the better part of the last century. Since opening shop in 1922 under the title S. Slater and Son, the founder Sam Slater had cemented himself as a forefather of San Francisco craftsmanship and apparel. Now one name, several owners, and hundreds of classic outerwear designs later, Golden Bear Sportswear remains at the top of every brand’s ‘industry partner wish list.’

“Meticulous” doesn’t come close to describing the process that goes into manufacturing each and every Golden Bear jacket. From matching the leather’s grain for each panel to hand stitching them all together, every garment is rich with history, purpose, and love.

Since its inception, Golden Bear has maintained an impeccable reputation and set the standard for working conditions and longevity of employment. To this day, under the leadership of current-CEO Matt Ehlen, the average employment tenure is twenty years, employees are paid a prevailing salary and compensated for their vacation and sick days, and each quarter GB donates jackets to charitable causes, such as the Delancey Street Foundation, the John Burton Foundation, and homeless shelters across the Bay Area.