THE COMPANY'S FOUNDER, ABE ZEEMAN, IMMIGRATED FROM RUSSIA IN 1884 AT THE AGE OF 17. AN ENTERPRISING YOUNG MAN, ABE BEGAN BY SELLING SEWING MACHINES TO HOMEMAKERS, SECURING PIECEWORK FROM NEW YORK MANUFACTURERS FOR THEM. HIS REPUTATION FOR DEPENDABILITY GREW, AND IN 1898 HE STARTED HIS OWN WHOLESALE MEN'S CLOTHING BUSINESS, INSISTING ON THE FINEST FABRICS AND THE OLD-WORLD TAILORING TECHNIQUES HE HAD LEARNED AS A CHILD. ABE'S SUITS WERE HIGHLY REGARDED AND WERE SOON SOLD ALONGSIDE BRANDS LIKE HART, SCHAFFNER, AND MARX IN THE COUNTRY'S MOST EXCLUSIVE MEN'S CLOTHIERS AND DEPARTMENT STORES. IN 1932, ONE OF ABE'S THREE SONS, HAROLD ZEEMAN, MOVED THE FAMILY BUSINESS TO ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, CONTINUING THE TRADITION HIS FATHER HAD STARTED. DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, WHEN RETAIL CUSTOMERS COULDN'T PAY THEIR BILLS, HAROLD AND HIS BROTHERS, EDWARD AND JESSE, BEGAN SELLING DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC FROM THE CUTTING ROOMS. THIS CONCEPT CAUGHT ON, LEADING TO THE OPENING OF MORE FACTORY STORES.DURING WORLD WAR II, WITH WOOL BECOMING A SCARCE COMMODITY, THE COMPANY SHIFTED PRODUCTION TO MAKE UNIFORMS FOR THE U.S. ARMY.