Blue Marlin is a leading designer of premium quality vintage sportswear, taking inspiration from classic styling and the rich history of sport. We specialize in lifestyle apparel including jackets, sweaters, heavyweight and lightweight knitwear, woven shirts, and headwear.
We are located in the Mission district of San Francisco with a showroom in Manhattan. We are always looking for contributions from creative and inspired designers. Blue Marlin proudly supports a number of community-based programs including Youth Speaks, a non-profit presenter of spoken word performance, education, and youth development programs, and Wall Street Wizards, a financial literacy program for urban youth.
Blue Marlin, founded in 1994, started producing baseball hats honoring the teams of Negro, Latin and Minor Leagues from the early 20th Century. These hats were originally handcrafted in San Francisco and became widely imitated. These are still regarded by many as the industry standard.
After Blue Marlin's first tradeshow, the hat line was picked up by high-end specialty stores in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, including Barney's, Fred Segal, Union, and Takashimaya.
In 1996, Blue Marlin introduced sportswear collections including the now classic zip-front "New York," "Brooklyn," and "Havana" jackets. Throughout the late '90's, consumer awareness grew as a result of increased media coverage and a strong celebrity fan base including Bono and Bruce Springsteen. Waiting lists developed, while prices in the secondary market for popular hat styles topped $100.
Today, Blue Marlin produces a complete apparel collection for men available at top specialty stores and leading department stores including Nordstroms, Macy's and Lord & Taylor.
Each season, Blue Marlin presents a unique collection of premium quality vintage sportswear taking inspiration from classic styling and the rich history of sport. The fabrics, construction, design detail, and finishing take their cues from the highest standards of vintage craftsmanship.
We go to great lengths to develop custom fabrics, washes, and treatments to evoke those garments worn in years past, while styling and fit is updated for today's consumer. We hope you enjoy our products!