Founded in October 1959 in the city of Knoxville, Tennessee, Alpha Industries was initially created to meet the needs of the US Department of Defense (DOD), producing a full range of military clothing for the armed forces. With the entry of the United States into the Vietnam War, business really started with the mass production of the classic MA-1 jacket, to equip fighter pilots.

Indeed, from 1949 onwards, the Ministry of Defence had decided to equip their forces for any scenario, on any terrain, with any weather conditions. The contracts will favour, above all, small companies. What starts as a small clothing company in Knoxville, Tennessee, will quickly become one of the largest clothing companies in the United States. By the 1970s, Alpha Industries was a successful brand, producing more than 500,000 pieces of clothing per year for the military.

In the early 1980s, Alpha Industries actively began selling "military" clothing to civilians. The secret of their success is simple - keep production levels constant, and serve both civilian and DOD demands equally. In terms of quality, there is no difference between military and civilian clothing. The only difference was a three-stripe label delicately placed on the civilian garments. This recognition mark quickly became a differentiating feature and a guarantee of superior quality.

In the 1990s, the volume of contracts tended to diminish as the Cold War came to an end. This forced Alpha Industries to reinvent itself. The company will expand its range of "MIL-SPEC" products (military specificities): jackets, parka, chinos, comando pullover, ... But without ever sacrificing its quality standards, the founding value of the company.