Drum Keepers for the College Fund – Meet Trey Blackhawk

May 10, 2024May 1, 2024 / pendletonwoolenmills / Leave a comment

New for 2024

The Drum Keepers blanket hanging in a living room setting.

Pendleton is proud to unveil three new blankets for the American Indian College Fund this year. The designs were chosen from many beautiful entries submitted by College Fund Scholars. Sales of this blanket help support the College Fund in its mission to invest in Native students and tribal college education to transform lives and communities.

This traditional robe-size blanket was designed for the College Fund by Trey Blackhawk.

Drum Keepers

The call of the singers, the beat of the drum helped designer Trey Blackhawk (Winnebago), a graduate of Little Priest Tribal College, understand his history and ancestors. The drum’s materials were once living: a buffalo or moose hide and a cedar tree were sacrificed to bring people together to heal, dance, and sing. The drum and sticks are framed by traditional applique patterns, a tribute to the mothers who hold the world together. Bands of color represent seasons of life and all its milestones.

Designer Trey Blackhawk (Winnebago) is a graduate of Nebraska’s Little Priest Tribal College with a degree in Liberal Arts, returning to school as an Applied Sciences major. He is influenced by the artwork he’s seen at powwows, drumming and singing, and the beading, sewing and dancing of his family. When he submitted his design, Trey had a powerful story to tell. We hope you enjoy it.

In Trey’s Words

Trey Blackhawk, blanket designer for the American Indian College Fund blanket, Drum Keepers — *Trey Blackhawk*

I am from the Winnebago Tribe located in Nebraska. I am first and foremost a farmer. I do a little graphic design for our flyers, but I admire the design work of my auntie Christina Parker. She also beads, sews and dances. Her work helped me with the appliqué part of my design.

The role of art in my life comes along with my farming and forestry, how I work the land and come up with designs to incorporate more plants and trees. I am a huge nature guy and pay attention to the different way a plant grows and how it moves in the wind. I graduated from Little Priest Tribal College with my AA in Liberal Arts this spring with plans on attending the University of Nebraska’s Applied Sciences program. My course of studies gives me a broad overview of many things, but more specifically to heal the land we reside on, while also caring for animals and growing food!

This design grew out of a time when I found myself lost as a young indigenous boy, who found his way when he heard the roars from the singers and the beat of the drum. Growing up, I never truly acknowledged my identity as an indigenous person. I never had that knowledge of where my ancestors came from. A lot of teachings were lost from generation to generation within my family and I was a product of that.

What does it truly mean to be Ho-chunk? How does one represent his or her tribe? These were questions I asked myself as I was becoming a young man. When I was fifteen, I was asked to sing around the drum at a local powwow. As time went on, I stayed around the drum. In my tribe, only a handful of singers know the songs. I want to make sure these songs we sing are carried on from generation to generation, to teach the younger ones about the meaning behind them.

All ceremonies and powwows require a drum before anything can take place. The materials used to make that drum were once living beings, a buffalo or moose to make the hide, and a cedar tree to make the rim of the drum. These two things are sacrificed to bring people together, to heal, dance, sing and bring happiness. My blanket design is a dedication to drum keepers and singers within their tribe.

*Front and Back of the Drum Keepers blanket for the College Fund*

As you can see in the photo above, the weaving technique for this blanket has given it a dramatically different back and front (or as we call it, the face and reverse). Which do you like more?

For more information: Drum Keepers

Tribal College Blanket Design Contest and The College Fund

Drum Keepers is a winner of the Tribal College Blanket Design contest, which seeks to elevate the voices, work, and representation of tribal college and university (TCU) students while providing TCU students with additional scholarship opportunities. Pendleton has been supporting the work of the College Fund through the sale of special blankets since 1995, and has provided over $2.6 million in scholarship support for American Indian and Alaska Native students attending Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Over the years, blankets have been designed by various designers and guest artists, including Larry Ahvakana, Preston Singletary, Mary Beth Jiron, Tracie Jackson, and many more.

The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest nonprofit supporting Native higher education for 33 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer”. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $345 million in scholarships, program, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.

Pendleton’s Philanthropic Partners

We work with:

The American Indian College Fund: Supporting education
Northwest Native American Center of Excellence (NNACOE): at Oregon Health & Science University
Center of Southwest Studies: Preserving Native American arts and funding Native American art education
Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA): Culturally informed Health care for Native women
DigDeep: Supporting the Navajo Water Project
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC): Dedicated to restoring sovereignty and safeguarding Native women and children
Missing and Murdered Dine Relatives (MMDR): Protecting generations and raising awareness

Morning Storm for the College Fund – Meet Cydnee Shangreaux

May 3, 2024April 30, 2024 / pendletonwoolenmills / Leave a comment

New for 2024

Morning Storm blanket by Pendleton for the American Indian College Fund

This child-sized blanket, Morning Storm, was designed for the College Fund by Cydnee Shangreaux.

Morning Storm

In 1865, a young beader created this design for her own moccasins and leggings. Generations later, Cydnee Shangreaux has translated her fourth-great grandmother’s pattern to tell the Morning Storm story. Two borders of Morning Stars represent a long life with many winters. Steps represent a journey, with the two dots on either side signifying a good life from childhood to adulthood. Thunderbirds serve as messengers along the way, carrying songs through the storm.

The Designer

Morning Storm is designed by Cydnee Shangreaux (Oglala Sioux), an artist and College Fund scholar from Pine Ridge, South Dakota. She was inspired to research and preserve her family’s history by the passing of several older relatives. This led her to the beautiful beadwork that inspired Morning Storm.

In 1865, Cydnee’s great-great-great-great grandmother, Selena Marshall, adorned her moccasins and leggings with a pattern of her own creation. These beaded treasures were passed down through the maternal line until they reached Cydnee: From Selena Marshall to her daughter Nancy Red Kettle; from Nancy Red Kettle to her daughter Florence Blue Bird; from Florence Blue Bird to her daughter Deloris Bear Killer (Cydnee’s grandmother); from Deloris Bear Killer to Bobbi Jo Pourier (Cydnee’s mother); and from Bobbie Jo Pourier to her daughter, Cydnee.

Designer Cydnee Shangreaux holds her Morning Storm blanket — Cydnee Shangreaux

Cydnee is a student at Oglala Lakota College studying Office Technology. She finds art a calming way to practice patience, and to share the history and values of her family. “I use my art to tell stories of my life, family, and the places I enjoy. I’m the first grandchild to be interested in my family’s history and patterns, and I am honored to be able to share these designs with the rest of the world.”

For more information: Morning Storm

Morning Storm blanket for the COllege Fund, Front and Back — Morning Storm, Front and Back

Tribal College Blanket Design Contest and The College Fund

Morning Storm is a winner of the Tribal College Blanket Design contest, which seeks to elevate the voices, work, and representation of tribal college and university (TCU) students while providing TCU students with additional scholarship opportunities. Pendleton has been supporting the work of the College Fund through the sale of special blankets since 1995, and has provided over $2.6 million in scholarship support for American Indian and Alaska Native students attending Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Over the years, blankets have been designed by various designers and guest artists, including Larry Ahvakana, Preston Singletary, Mary Beth Jiron, Tracie Jackson, and many more.

Pendleton’s Philanthropic Partners

We work with:

The American Indian College Fund: Supporting education
Northwest Native American Center of Excellence (NNACOE): at Oregon Health & Science University
Center of Southwest Studies: Preserving Native American arts and funding Native American art education
Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA): Culturally informed Health care for Native women
DigDeep: Supporting the Navajo Water Project
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC): Dedicated to restoring sovereignty and safeguarding Native women and children
Missing and Murdered Dine Relatives (MMDR): Protecting generations and raising awareness

A Century of Shirtmaking: The Wally Heaven Shirt Quilt

April 30, 2024 / pendletonwoolenmills / Leave a comment

Memories Live On

We received a very touching letter from Marilyn Heaven, and we want to share her story. What follows has been lightly edited. – Editor

Dear Pendleton;

My husband of 57 years (together 60) passed away suddenly on July 30, 2023. He was quite the Pendleton Fan. We even have a Pendleton Blanket for our bed. The only thing he wore in the winter was his Pendleton Wool Shirts. We traveled a lot and he picked up shirts along the way.

After his death, I went to his closet and wondered what I would do with these beautiful Pendleton shirts. Most of his other clothing had gone to Goodwill, but these shirts were special. I discussed it with my kids. We first thought of having pillows made, but then my daughter heard from a fellow teacher about a nearby quilter named Dianna Kogut (“Sew Lovely Quilting” on Facebook). So we talked with her, and then started exploring designs online.

I knew I did not want the typical square so I finally decided on a design made with rectangular pieces. I took Wally’s 25 shirts to the quilter, where we decided on a wool filing and a cotton back.

Walter Heaven's Pendleton Shirts — *Wally’s Pendleton Shirts – he was a fan of the Trail Shirt!*

Diana even incorporated the shirt pockets into the six quilts. I had hoped to incorporate the elbow patches, but that did not work because of the size. I used Wally’s jeans for the memory note on the back of the quilts.

Memory patch on the back of the quilts - text below. — *text transcribed below*

The construction took several months. Our goal was mid-December as surprise Christmas gifts for my two children and three grandchildren, and of course I kept one for myself.

A finished quilt made from Walter Heaven's Pendleton shirts

When the quilts were ready, I put each quilt in a special Christmas box with a note that said:

You have Grandpa’s DNA in your body, you have love for him in your heart, memories of him in your brain and now you have something of his to keep forever.

Love , Grandma

Note: Kleenex Included in this envelope.

I also told them DRY CLEAN ONLY! So that’s the story of those 25 Pendleton Shirts that belonged to my hubby Walter Heaven, 1/6/45 – 7/30/23. This was a very emotional project because the family can remember him in all these shirts. I throw my own quilt over me on chilly nights and say “Wally, keep me warm.”

Marilyn Heaven

Thank you, Marilyn.

Walter Heaven was an avid outdoorsman and hunter. This last photo is Walter on his last hunting trip where he took a huge Whitetail Deer on his daughter’s farm….as always wearing a Pendleton.

Walter Heaven ater his last hunting expedition

We are so thankful to Marilyn for sharing her story with us. If you have a special story to share about a Pendleton shirt, please write to us at PendletonWM@penmills.com. We would love to hear from you.

Happy Earth Day 2024

April 22, 2024 / pendletonwoolenmills / Leave a comment

Where we started

This photo is a vintage postcard image of the Pendleton, Oregon woolen mill. The building is grey brick, with rows of windows trimmed in white, and large front doors on the first, second and third floors at the front of the building.

Pendleton is a heritage brand, with a weaving legacy that stretches back to 1863. Early on, our founders zeroed in on mill waste as a concern. Wool was valuable and it was important to make the most of this precious resource. Certain blanket programs were developed to use remnants from dye lots and the tail ends of yarn spools. Our Camp Blankets were originally made from leftovers. Today, these blankets are thoroughly planned and absolutely standardized, but back in the day they had variations in ground and stripe color that were based on what needed to be used up.

Where we are now

Over the century plus of weaving in America, we have found ways to make sure that very little wool is wasted in our mills. Today, you can sometimes find “Weaver’s Choice” blankets in our stores. These vary from day to day, as our loom operators have creative freedom to combine yarns in stripes of their own devising. At our Woolen Mill Store in Portland, trimmings, scraps, and selvages are sold by the pound and bag for use in craft projects. Mill waste is given a second life in weavings, rugs, and other creative endeavors. We do our best to live up the example set by the generations that came before.

Where we’re going

Sustainability is more than eliminating waste, and sustainability is a key part of Pendleton’s mission. In recent news, both of Pendleton’s USA woolen mills have earned OEKO-TEX® STeP certification. This is a milestone on our path to certified sustainability for all our mill products. The process is long and requirements are stringent. Members of our mill teams worked tirelessly to collect and submit the needed data. Using their knowledge and expertise, they identified and initiated projects, and collected the data needed to obtain this certification.

Pendleton offers you beautiful products that are beautifully made. As part of that, we will continue to do our utmost to meet and surpass sustainability standards.

Any questions?

WHAT IS OEKO-TEX? Based in Zurich, OEKO-TEX® consists of 17 independent institutes in Europe and Japan. They have been around since 1992, and operate in 40 countries. Together they are continuously developing test methods and establishing values for the textile and leather industry. Their mission is to create trust in textiles, and they are one of the best-known labels certifying responsible manufacturing.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Having an OEKO-TEX certification on a product means that the maker has passed rigorous standards for safety and responsible manufacturing processes. There are different levels and categories of certification which cover manufacturing processes and materials, and testing for harmful substances.

NEXT STEPS? Our mills are in process for full OEKO-TEX certification. Now that the initial STeP certification level has been completed, we will be moving on to completing the requirements for the next level, STANDARD 100, on our way to MADE IN GREEN. Learn more about the certification process at www.oeko-tex.com

Where to learn about mill ends and scraps? Visit the Woolen Mill Store in Portland Oregon to see what we have to offer! Many of the products are featured on the store’s website, as well. Woolenmill.store

The Woolen Mill Store in Portland/Milwaukie Oregon - for fabric, mill ends, craft supplies, first-quality blankets, apparel, and home goods.

What about Pendleton Eco-Wise Wool throws and blankets? These mill-woven products are especially green, having undergone testing to make sure that they are sustainably produced, and will be a biological nutrient when returned to the Earth at the end of their lifespan. Pendleton Eco-Wise® Wool

Where are the mills? The Pendleton Woolen Mill located in Washougal, WA is located at 2 Pendleton Way, Washougal, WA 98671 and the Pendleton Woolen Mill located in Pendleton, OR is located at 1307 SE Court Pl, Pendleton, OR 97801. Both mills offer tours year round.

Joshua Tree: Introducing a New National Park blanket

April 15, 2024 / pendletonwoolenmills / 1 Comment

A new blanket for the National Park Series

What better way to celebrate the upcoming National Park Week than with a new national park series blanket!

Say hello to the Joshua Tree National Park blanket. California’s Joshua Tree National Park is named for its signature forest of Yucca brevifolia, or Joshua Trees, the tall, tree-shaped cacti that raise spiny branches to the skies.

night sky over Joshua Tree National Park. — Image by Ken Guinn from Pixabay

The blanket is made in the USA of pure virgin wool, and available in twin, full, and queen size.

Close view of the stripe for the new Joshua Tree national park blanket

Stripe: Against the tawny desert, day comes to Joshua Tree National Park. Stripes show dark blue night giving way to the sun as it warms the Joshua Trees, and lights the blue desert skies.

Close view of the labels for the new Joshua Tree national park blanket--one scenice, the other faux leather

Label: Dawn lights the branches of a Joshua Tree, a spiky desert wonder.

Flat view of the new Joshua Tree blanket

The Inspiration

Joshua Tree is situated so that it contains parts of two American deserts; the Sonoran and the Mojave. Each arid ecosystem has its own distinct climate, so a trip to Joshua Tree lets you enjoy both the high and the low desert. According to National Geographic:

The Colorado, the western reach of the vast Sonoran Desert, thrives below 3,000 feet on the park’s gently declining eastern flank, where temperatures are usually higher. Considered “low desert,” compared to the loftier, wetter, and more vegetated Mojave “high desert,” the Colorado seems sparse and forbidding. It begins at the park’s midsection, sweeping east across empty basins stubbled with creosote bushes. Occasionally decorated by “gardens” of flowering ocotillo and cholla cactus, it runs across arid Pinto Basin into a parched wilderness of broken rock in the Eagle and Coxcomb Mountains.

A view of rocky landscape in Joshua Tree National park — By Jarek Tuszyński / CC-BY-SA-3.0 & GDFL, CC BY-SA 3.0,

Joshua Tree was established on October 31, 1994. Its 794,000 acres include 430,000 acres of protected wilderness. Besides being drivable, it contains hiking, biking, horseback riding and rock-climbing opportunities. Add its proximity to major California metro areas, and you’ll find a busy park that attracts over 2.8 million visitors a year.

Joshua Trees standing in the Joshua Tree National Park. — Image by Ciara Houghton from Pixabay

Visitors are welcomed by four visitor centers: Joshua Tree, Oasis, Cottonwood, and Black Rock. The Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center in Twentynine Palms is the newest of the four, with exhibits highlighting Joshua Tree’s Traditionally Associated Native American Communities. People of the Pinto culture were the earliest residents of the area, identified by tools and other artifacts left behind when they left the area approximately 4000 years ago for climate reasons. The Serrano, the Cahuilla, and Chemehuevi peoples came later, with Mojaves traveling the area as they moved between the Colorado River and the Pacific coast. Today, small numbers of all four peoples live near the park.

Supporting the Parks

Since 2006, Pendleton and its partners have donated almost $1,600,000 to support the National Park Foundation’s mission to preserve and protect our national parks for future generations. Thank you to everyone who has helped us in that mission. We are currently contributing to the development and support of the Desert View Inter-Tribal Cultural Heritage Site at Grand Canyon National Park. This includes the Desert View Watchtower, designed by architect Mary Colter.

Learn about our newest Parks project partnership here:

Pendleton’s partnership has supported two other landmark park preservation projects. Our first project was in Glacier National Park, at the beautiful Many Glacier Hotel. Restoration of the historic lobby included rebuilding the iconic helical staircase, which had been displaced by a gift shop.

Five Ways to Celebrate National Park Week

April 10, 2024April 9, 2024 / pendletonwoolenmills / Leave a comment

National Park Week: April 20-28, 2024.

This is a time to celebrate and experience our National Parks, these great American treasures. Pendleton’s connection to America’s national parks dates back to 1916, when we were commissioned by the president of the Great Northern Railroad to create the first National Park Blanket in Glacier Stripe. That same year, the National Park Service was founded to preserve and protect America’s parks.

We understand that the parks are as important to our customers as they are to us. In 2023, our customers helped raise over 82K in support of the National Park Service. Since 2006, Pendleton and its partners have donated $1,595,365.49 to support the National Park Foundation’s mission to preserve and protect our national parks for future generations. We want to thank all of you for making a difference with your purchases.

Making a difference

Each year, the parks are celebrated in April, this year from 4/20 through 4/28. Admittance fees are waived at many parks that first weekend, and it’s a wonderful time to get out there. We would love it if you packed up your Pendleton National park blanket to a park, and used it for a picnic, a rest after a hike, or simply to keep warm as you enjoy the sunrise or sunset. There is really something special about taking a blanket home to its park, isn’t there?

Retired Rocky Mountain National Park blanket goes home.

We’d like to offer a few more ways to celebrate this week.

Visit a lesser-known National Park: The most-visited of all our parks is Great Smoky National Park, in part because it is traversed by a major highway. But with 429 parks and monuments over all 50 states, you have so many to choose from! Read about some less-visited but truly amazing parks here: https://dailypassport.com/underrated-us-national-parks/

Volunteer at a National Park: In the week preceding National Park week, from Sunday 4/14 to Saturday 4/20, the NPS recognizes the tireless efforts of volunteers, as well as offering opportunities for you to pitch in. You can learn about ways to help here; Volunteering in National Parks and read the inspiring stories of people who make a difference here: Park Service Volunteers and here: The Next (And Next) Generation of Park Stewards (nationalparks.org)

Paul Ogren volunteers in the Badlands Natiopnal Park, South Dakota — Photo of Volunteer Paul Ogren courtesy **Badlands National Park (NPS Photo)**

Act local: If a trip to a national park isn’t on your April calendar, you can make a difference by supporting Park-Friendly Policies. Learn about and advocate for policies that support national parks. This can be through signing petitions, attending town hall meetings, or educating others about the importance of preserving natural spaces.

Make a direct donation: This page tells you more about National Park Week, with a convenient link to donate to the National Park Service directly, to help them in their mission to preserve and protect America’s treasures: https://www.nationalparks.org/theme/national-park-week

Celebrate Earth Day, April 22^nd: National Park Week is usually timed to include Earth Day. According to the NPS website, “The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, and drew an estimated 20 million participants…Today, Earth Day is celebrated in 174 countries by over a half billion people, making it the most celebrated secular holiday in the world, a day on which people get outdoors, plant trees, clean up trash and lobby for the environment.”

Remember, our national parks belong to us, and we can all make an impact in their preservation and protection. Let’s go the wilderness! And don’t forget to tag @nationalparkfoundation and @pendletonwm when you go.

More information

Help support your National Parks with Pendleton: National Park and Pendleton

seated woman at rim of Grand Canyon, wearing hiking boots and Pendleton socks.

A Century of Shirtmaking: The Fabric of Pendleton

April 8, 2024April 9, 2024 / pendletonwoolenmills / Leave a comment

Wool is What We Do

Many of our wool shirts are made with virgin Umatilla Wool. That’s more than a proprietary fabric name. It’s the county where our original mill is located, and where we buy most of the wool used in this special weaver’s recipe. Just watch and listen to Cameron Krebs, a wool grower from Umatilla County, talking about his family’s generations as wool providers to Pendleton Woolen Mills.

Pendleton x Alchemy Club

This even more in-depth profile of Cameron Krebs gives history and context to a partnership that’s lasted a century–almost as long as we have been making our shirts! We hope you enjoy it!

We are proud of the relationships we’ve built in our quest to bring you quality goods that will last for generations. Thank you for a Century of Shirtmaking success!

Princess Cruises and Pendleton want to take you away in style!

April 4, 2024April 4, 2024 / pendletonwoolenmills / Leave a comment

Enter Now

A Princess cruise ship cruises into Glacier Bay, Alaska.

We’ve partnered with Princess Cruises to take you to Alaska in style, with a cruise credit/gift card sweepstakes! Rules, info and enter here: http://pendleton-usa.com/PrincessCruises

Before they were the Beach Boys, they were the Pendletones. The Pendleton Board Shirt is why.

March 22, 2024April 5, 2024 / pendletonwoolenmills / Leave a comment

The Pendletones

Spring break is coming, with thoughts of sunnier days and beachy getaways. Enjoy this look back at the shirt worn by the boys who sang of an endless summer, the Beach Boys. — Editor

In the early 1960s, a group called The Pendletones adopted their name in honor of the surf uniform of the day: Pendleton shirts worn over tee shirts with khakis. The original lineup included brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine.

The Pendletones soon changed their name to the Beach Boys (learn more about them here: (the Beach Boys) Even though only one member of the group had ever been on a surfboard, they sang about the California surfing scene; waves, sunshine, cars and girls. This might have been simple subject matter, but layered instrumentation and soaring harmonies made these songs anything but simple. Under the unique artistic leadership of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys defined surf music. And though their name changed, their uniform didn’t. The band wore this blue and charcoal plaid shirt on the covers of 45s and LPs throughout the early 1960s.

Album covers by the Beach boys, for Surfin' Safari and Surfer Gilr. The Boys are wearing Pendleton Board Shirts.

Surf History

The Beach Boys’ Pendleton shirts were part an existing trend. When surfing came to California in the late 1950s, surfers devised performance wear: swim trunks and plaid Pendleton shirts over a layer of Vaseline. Surfers wore the same shirts over light pants on the shore, and a fashion trend was born.

The Majorettes

This look hit the radio airwaves courtesy of the Majorettes, whose song, “White Levis” became a number one hit in 1963. As the lyrics said, “My boyfriend’s always wearin’ white Levi’s…and his tennis shoes and his surfin’ hat and a big plaid Pendleton shirt.”

That’s a Pendleton shirt cover of that 45, even though they named the song after the pants. You can give it a listen here, and don’t be surprised if you start singing along. But let’s get back to the shirt made so popular by the Beach Boys.

An Icon Returns

In 2002, Pendleton celebrated eight decades of Pendleton shirts by bringing back iconic shirts from each decade. To celebrate the 1960s, we brought back the Board Shirt in the same plaid seen on all those record covers. We call it the Original Surf Plaid.

The shirt has stayed in the line ever since. We’ve used it in caps, hats, bags and jackets. It’s still made in the original 100% virgin Umatilla wool as it was back then.

A man kneels in his driveway in front of a motorcycle, with is arm around a white fluffy dog. he is wearing a Pendleton Board Shirt in Original Surf Plaid.

Photo Cassy Berry

There’s some discussion now and then in Pendleton’s Menswear division about which is our most enduring men’s item of all time. Some say it’s the Topster, the shirt jacket that defined collegiate wear in the 1950s and 60s. Some say it’s the Original Westerley cardigan worn by the Dude in “The Big Lebowski.”

Others claim the honor for the Board Shirt. We’ll let you decide.

A young man leans against a rusted orange camper. he is wearing a Pendleton Board Shirt in Original Surf Plaid.

Photo Travis Hallmark

No matter where you are, or what’s the weather, this piece of the sunny California surf scene will take you to the waves.

Women's wool Board Shirt by Pendleton, in the Original Surf Plaid made popular by the Beach Boys

Women’s Board Shirt: See it here

Men's wool Board Shirt by Pendleton, in the Original Surf Plaid made popular by the Beach Boys

Men’s Board Shirt: See it here

And if you’re interested in a Women’s Board Shirt with the same straight style lines as our Men’s Board Shirt, slightly modified for a better fit through the shoulders and arms, check out the Boyfriend Board Shirt: See it here

WOVEN magazine: 1924 – 2024 Pendleton Celebrates 100 Years of Shirts

March 19, 2024April 5, 2024 / pendletonwoolenmills / Leave a comment

A new issue of WOVEN

In 2024, we’re celebrating a century of quality shirtmaking with a new issue of WOVEN, Pendleton’s magazine. We talk about the history of Pendleton shirtmaking, the particulars of our shirt styles, with an in-depth look at the Board Shirt. A timeline, vintage advertising…we even have a label guide to help you date your own vintage Pendleton shirts. Vintage ads galore!

And more!

Here’s the cover (and yes that wall of shirts is for real):

Click here to read it online: WOVEN: A Century of Quality Shirtmaking