Skip to content
Worse on Purpose

Dockers

American khaki and casual pants brand, originally a Levi Strauss sub-brand.

Status: Avoid
Founded
1986
Website
dockers.com
HQ
USA
Manufacturing
Various
Ownership type
Brand licensing (ABG-style)
Parent
Authentic Brands Group
Acquired
February 2026 (from Levi Strauss)

Ownership

Sold by Levi Strauss to ABG in February 2026 for $311M. Levi used the proceeds to buy back its own stock.

Why Avoid

Fresh ABG acquisition. Same licensing playbook to follow.

Sister brands under Authentic Brands Group

See all 12 sister brands

Read the full investigation

Investigation · April 17, 2026

Your Favorite Brands Got Worse On Purpose

Authentic Brands Group buys dead brands, strips the design and manufacturing, and licenses the name to anyone who'll pay. Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Forever 21, Sports Illustrated. Plus the ones still worth buying.

Read the full investigation

Track This Brand

When the verdict changes, you'll hear first.

Brands on this Ledger shift status as ownership changes or new investigations surface. The newsletter is how subscribers find out, and where the full reporting lives.

No spam. Nobody pays me to say nice things. Unsubscribe anytime.