Dehen 1920 was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1920 by William Peter Dehen, a German immigrant who had trained at Golden State Knitting in San Francisco before settling in the city. Over the following decades the company built its name on collegiate knitwear, motorcycle club riding sweaters in the 1930s, and varsity jackets for student athletes, all made with heavyweight wool. More than a century on, Dehen remains family-owned and still knits its garments in Portland on vintage machinery, using the same rugged, traditional methods.