Penfield was founded in 1975 in Hudson, Massachusetts by Harvey Gross, a pioneering figure in the American outdoor clothing industry who had championed the power of down-insulated clothing for decades. Seeing the potential in outerwear and protective garment technology, Gross purchased an old textile mill in Hudson and turned it into one of the few factories in the world that is adept at the special manufacturing processes required to produce down-insulated clothing.
From the very first collection (four key outerwear styles, all made from innovative rip-stop nylon fabric and insulated with down), Penfield was at the forefront of the New England aesthetic: an authentic mix of technical fabrics and Ivy League menswear staples.