Tiger of Sweden History

We've just started receiving some new stuff from Tiger of Sweden, and we're very excited about this season. It's going to be amazing. 

Today, we'd like to talk about the history of this brand since some of you might not be too familiar with this line, yet. Tiger of Sweden is still new to a lot of the customers at Lark, but this company is actually more than 100 years old, and has a great history behind it. 

Tiger of Sweden History : The Beginning

The manufacturing of ready-to-wear suits in the beginning of the last century was extremely rare, if not to say revolutionary. It was an idea that would become a key factor in the success story I am now am about to tell. This is the first part in the history of Tiger of Sweden.

The history of Tiger begins in 1903 when Marcus Schwartzman and Hjalmar Nordström founded the company in Uddevalla ( a rather small town on the Swedish westcoast) that would later become known as Tiger. The company was first named Schwartzman & Nordström, who specialised in making top quality tailored suits.

At the time gentlemen went to a tailor when buying a new suit, often visiting the tailor several times while the suit took shape. Schwartzman decided to do the opposite.

At first he travelled around the country, taking the measurements of his customers in their homes. Nordström his partner, who was more reserved oversaw the production at the small factory back in Uddevalla.

In 1905 Nordström left the company due to a conflict of interest between him and Schwartzman of how the company should evolve. Schwartzman wanted to start making ready-to-wear garments, and that’s what happened.

The idea of making ready-to-wear suits was brand new, and was an immediate success. The public demand was enormous and lead to a rapid growth of the company. After having production in a series of small venues,the construction of a large-scale factory began in 1928. In 1929 thefactory opened and staffed a 1000 people.
Marcus Schwartzman

How Tiger got its name
There are quite a few stories of how Tiger got its name. The truth actually lies in a series of well liked suits.

At first Schwartzman & Nordström had given their suit models different numbers. Later on they decided to give them names instead. In 1926 the model Tiger 1 saw the light, followed by Tiger 2 and Tiger 3. The model Tiger was extremely popular from the start. It led to a massive success to the point where the workers at the factory put a big Tiger sign up on the roof. From this day on people started calling the company Tiger.

The building of a new factory

After the opening of the factory in 1929 Schwartzman soon realized that it wasn’t enough.

The plans for a new factory began. When it opened in 1949 it was marked by Schwartzman’s utmost consideration for his staff, being one of the most modern factories in the whole of Europe.

A shipment of fabric arrives in the beginning of the last century.

In the spring of 1939 Schartzman purchased the lot where the factory later was to be built. When the Second World War broke out later that year, the plans had to be put on a hold. Tiger had to reorganize and started producing garments for the Swedish Armed Forces instead.

When the war ended in 1945, the construction of the new factory began. In 1949 the factory was finally ready.

For a long time Schwartzman had prioritised the well-being of his staff. For instance he had purchased a recreation home, started a day nursery, built homes, introduced 17 days of vacation and Christmas bonus for all employees. The new factory was marked by the same amount of consideration. The suits Malte and Randon featured in the spring lookbook of 1952
It had air conditioning, a speaker system with music shows, a staff diningroom, an electrically heated sauna and swimming pool. It might sound something that you would take for granted today, but back in 1949 it truly wasn’t.

In 1955 Marcus Schwartzman died at the age of 77. This was the beginning of turbulent time in the company’s history…

A drawing of the new factory built in 1949

The suits Malte and Randon featured in the spring lookbook of 1952

Nudie Last Pair Sale!

Last Pair, Last Chance.

There are some lonely pairs of jeans at Lark that are seeking happy home to go. 

The last pairs tend to get pushed away in the dark corner, and sometimes get lost in the shadow of  other big piles of  jeans....

So, we've decided to let them shine again, and make them look even more attractive...... yes, they are now 50% OFF !!!!!!! That's insane!

Here's the list of the styles and sizes.  Good luck, every body.

1. Super Slim Kim: White Denim: 31/34" 

2. Straight Sven: Dry Copper: 32/34" (This is a beautiful rusty copper brown.)
3. Straight Sven: Dry Selvage: 36/34" (This is the flame dry selvage, and it's a very rare colour.)

(Sold)

4. Straight Sven: Coated Denim: 32/34" & 33/34"
5. Regular Alf: Grey cast: 29/34" & 38/34" 
6. Even Steven: Organic Dry: 38/34"
7. Slim Jim: Brown Cord: 28/34"
8. Regular Alf: Black Cord: 33/34"

My Bag

So perfect. Bag by Tannis Hegan.

Nudie Party!!

Pictures from our Party!

As you all probably know by now we tend to do things in the most dramatic way possible, so when the option was either a punch bowl or a lemonade fountain filled with organic lemonade, brandy and lychee liquor you can guess which we chose! 

This is Zac. He came out for the day to talk nudie and eat Swedish meatballs. He's the rep for the brand out here, so he is the nudie man.

Meat balls! Swedish ones with Swedish lingonberry sauce.

And an Italian Lemon cake. It was SO delicious.

Here is our grand prize winner, Beau. This guy managed to wear his Regular Ralph dry Selvage into this state of disrepair within 9 months. Also, the gold frames are his story about how he got his jeans so worn so quickly. It took 4 frames!!!

Ed here traveled all over the world in his Finn's and managed to spill everything from Sake in Japan to Arrogance from Toronto all over them. Ed came in a very close second.

Don of Soma fame who now works at Gene has a very impressive pair. The dirt stains on his back pockets are actually coffee ground into the denim from making coffee....most likely for Lark staff that are powered by coffee and San Pellegrino.

Ravi had one of our favourite pair as well. He repaired the hems himself and wore them in really well. We've had some people ask about purchasing them, but no one has agreed to a price that I think Ravi would accept.....yet.

Since we are not the jacket haters we have been accused of being I am giving props where props are due. J.Jolly has worn his Conny nearly every day since buying it 3 years ago. His girlfriend is still with him despite the fact that he has only washed it 3 times without soap or detergent. In the words of Mr. Jolly himself "Real Rockers Fabreeze".

Natsumi would have most likely been a very strong contender if she were eligible to win. After three years she has managed to et the most amazing fade any of us have ever seen.

  

Zac washed his Regular Ralphs with coffee grounds to get a brown tone to his jeans. It's not something I would have thought of, but it looks really good

 

And this jeans here are the most significant to Lark. They are the first pair of Nudies to ever leave the store in the old location. They are also the jeans that Dane wore to build the new Lark. They are one wash Regular Ralph Dry Selvage, and the history of Lark is all over them. 

Well, that's the party. It was a lot of fun, and we are thankful to Want Agency for giving us Repair kits to give away as well as all kinds of other great nudie things. 

White Jeans!

Last summer I was in New York and I saw this guy sitting next to a pile of garbage on a filthy stoop. A really filthy, a New York Filthy, stoop.

A lot of people have expressed worry over wearing white because it might get dirty. White jeans scare people. Like the fearlessness that this kid shows I beg you to also have no fear.  

We've brought in The Laundress laundering products so that you can battle stains and prolong the life of your precious whites and other scary fabrics. I can not preach the value of the Stain Solution enough. I got chocolate on my favourite white Yoshi top, and barbeque sauce, in the same evening. The next day I got both stains out with the stain solution. 

The white detergent is really effective for keeping your whites from yellowing. I use it to hand wash my favourite white tops and after a full season of wear they are all still white. It's not luck folks, it's staring fear in the eye and going forward.