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Heading for the Path of Totality? Your Ultimate Pendleton #eclipse2017 Take-Along List

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Almost here!

The total solar eclipse of our lifetime is happening on August 21, just three short weeks away. The #eclipse2017 Path of Totality originates on the Oregon coast, midway between Lincoln City and Newport. If you’re planning to meet it there, remember that the Oregon coast is famous for its summertime marine clouds, but the interior of our state should be prime viewing country in August.

We are EXCITED, here in Oregon. We’re preparing to host from from 300K to a million visitors!  No matter which estimate turns out to be correct, a LOT of people will gather in our state to share this once-in-our-lifetime experience. So let’s hope you have your accommodations planned, your reservations confirmed, and your patience in place. It’s going to be an amazing adventure, but all life’s adventures require planning and preparation. We have the top ten take-along Pendleton pieces to make sure you have a fantastic trip, whether camping, glamping, or just stepping outside to see this wonder of astronomy.

  1. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

We can’t stress this enough. Central Oregon is high and dry, with gorgeous dry vistas and rolling hills.

Water Bottles by Pendleton

Keep yourself in the best possible shape to enjoy the scenery and the eclipse by drinking lots of water. Our Klean Kanteen water bottles are a practical and beautiful way to hydrate.

2. Throw Some Shade with a Pendleton Hat

During the day in August, Central Oregon can be hot, hot, hot. Weather should still be fine at 10:30 AM, but you’ll be there all day, amazed and celebrating.

A young woman stands on a hillside, wearing a gold Pendleton shirt and a Pendleton hat.

Arnelle Lozada @arnelle

Stay cool with the Outback Hat (shown in Putty). The light color keeps you cooler in the sun. If you like cotton hats, our Breezer and Hiker hats are great, too.

3. Another Way to Stay Cool

Bandanas! We’re showing the Pueblo Cross bandanas, but we have plenty of colors and styles available (like this Silver Bark pattern, which is gorgeous).

Pendleton cotton bandanas

These will cover your head, catch sweat at your neck and wrists, and keep your eclipse glasses secure. Plus they are fun way to enjoy Pendleton’s traditional patterns.

4. Don’t Forget the Dawgs

Traveling with your best friend? Some of the country in the Path of Totality is rugged and remote.

Pendleton Pet portable dog bowl

You can’t count on services, so our Pendleton Pet travel food and water bowls are important.

5. Layer Up with a Pendleton Wool Shirt

Wool is nature’s original performance fabric. It can keep you warm early in the morning and late at night, and actually can help you stay cool in high temps.

A young woman with long dark hair wears a brown and white plaid pendleton shirt

Arnelle Lozada @arnelle

We have styles for Men and Women in those plaids that say “Pendleton!” from a mile away.

A man stands beside a pond wearing a plaid Pendleton shirt

Garin Wood @garinwood @ultmo

6. Claim Your Spot with a Pendleton Towel

We wish you all a cool spot by a river for viewing. A Pendleton towel can be used for warmth, as a sitting space, or for shade.

FIve Pendleton Towels hanging on a peg rack.

Our towels-for-two in Serrado

The Serrado towel-for-two hangs on a stump at the beach.

and Fire Legend

The Fire Legend towel-for-two against a blue sky.are fantastic for marking off your viewing spot, too.

7. Luxury Seating: Pendleton by Sunbrella Floor Cushions

A touch of luxury for your viewing spot that you’ll love to take home; the Pendleton by Sunbrella floor cushion.

Floor-Pillows covered in Pendleton by Sunbrella performance fabrics.

We can’t speak highly enough of the fabric and workmanship in these outdoor fabrics—they have a depth and dimensionality that amazes us.

8. Pendleton Blankets: Camp Blankets and Serapes

Pendleton’s Camp Blankets were developed for actual cowboys, who needed a sturdy, practical bedroll on the range.

Camp_blankets on beds in a rustic room.

Our Serapes also make awesome camping blankets, thanks to their unnapped finish, which is smooth enough to stay free of campsite detritus.

Serape-blankets on beds in a beachy room.

So take your choice! These are excellent bedroll blankets, and are also great for wrapping around your shoulders as you sit around the campfire at night, watching stars and making memories.

9. Socks for your Tootsies

It’s cold in the tent overnight! Snuggle into some Pendleton socks.

A campfire, over which marshmallows are being toasted, and six people's feet wearing Pendleton socks.

These beauties are National Park themed cotton blend, and we have so many more to choose from. Your toes will thank you.

10. Campfire Coffee

We know you’ll spend the balance of Monday celebrating, sharing your photos on Instagram (if you can get a signal!) and meeting other eclipse-watchers who are camped near you. Tuesday morning will come all too soon.

Brandon_Tormanen_NatlParks_MUG

Brandon Tormanan @b.tormanen

When it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee, use one of our Oversized Pendleton Mugs. They are durable and beautiful, with lots of patterns to choose from.

And remember: WEAR YOUR ECLIPSE GLASSES.

Thanks to our brand ambassadors for their photos. You can see more of their work on Instagram:

Arnelle Lozada  @arnelle

Garin Wood  @garinwood   @ultmo

Brandon Tormanan   @b.tormanen

Father’s Day and Pendleton: Generations of Love

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Danijo Lopez and his father in Pendleton Board Shirts. Photo courtesy of Danijo Lopez.

Photo (with his dad) courtesy Danijo Lopez

What He Wants

For generations, a Pendleton wool shirt has been a gift of gratitude for dads young and old, near and far. When Dad opens a package and finds a Pendleton, he knows you’re paying attention to what he wants.

1963 photo of Matt Raven and his father in Pendleton shirts. Photo courtesy Matt Raven.

Photo (with his dad) courtesy Matt Raven

Your Dad

He’s always had your back. Maybe that’s why you want a Pendleton shirt for his. What’s your father’s favorite style?

It might be The Original Board Shirt™, the original surf shirt since the early 1960s. The loop square collar and square hem make it suitable as a lightweight jacket, and the flaps on those bias-cut patch pockets are recognizable a mile away.

Or maybe your father is a Sir Pendleton™ man. This lightweight worsted wool shirt has been around for over fifty years without gaining an ounce. We have a Black Watch tartan version right now—a traditional pattern for a traditional dad.

A man tosses his young child into the air with joy. Photo by Bri Heiligenthal

Bri Heiligenthal Photography

Your Husband

He’s your true love, your best friend and your partner in parenting. Celebrate your shared path with with the Trail Shirt, recognized by its soft sueded elbow patches. It also has a pencil slot on its chest pocket, since Dad is so often the official pen-carrier in the family.

Our most traditional shirt (according to our customers) is our Fireside Shirt. This is trad all the way, with one matched-pattern chest pocket and a button-down collar. The Lodge Shirt is cut just like the Fireside, but with a spread collar. Both are available in Black Watch—or as we like to call it, the stealth tartan.

A young father holds his child, who is wrapped in a Pendleton child's blanket. Photo by Grace Adams

Grace Adams Photography

Your Son, who is Now a Dad

It’s beautiful and touching to watch young dads navigate the new role of father. You’ll be there for him as he takes on this new role. Mark this rite of passage with a Pendleton shirt. You can’t go wrong with the Original Board Shirt™, of course, maybe in one of our Surf Pendleton plaids or stripes.

But for the younger man, that Western fit is a hit, so also consider the Canyon Shirt. This is a snap-front and cuff model with peaked snap flaps on its two bias-cut chest pockets. The front and back yokes are on the bias, as well.

Options and more options

We have fitted versions of many of our shirts, cut closer to the body and a little higher in the armholes for a contemporary look.

We also have a range of new shirt models like the Buckley, the Boro and the Maverick that you should check out. With Pendleton wool shirts, Father’s Day is better than ever.

Pendleton Wedding Wayback: Bob and Melba Stork

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Ed. note: We are closing Wedding Month here on Pendleton Threads with the Storks, whose Pendleton wedding story spans three generations, many decades of marriage and the Grand Canyon! Enjoy.

The Stork Story

Bob and Melba Stork were shopping in Pasadena, California on a spring day in 1951 when a store window with Pendleton shirts caught their attention. They looked at several patterns and decided on a red and green plaid as an engagement gift to each other.

Bob and Melba wore traditional bridal attire when they were married on October 27th, 1951, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Temple City, California.

Storks Wedding, 10/27/1951

The Honeymoon

After the wedding, they left for a honeymoon trip to the Grand Canyon, where they stayed in a cabin near El Tovar. Bob set up a tripod to capture a picture of them wearing their shirts as a newly married couple.

Storks honeymooning at the Grand Canyon

Anniversary Plans

Fifty years later, their twin daughters and their husbands organized a golden wedding anniversary celebration for the Storks, their family and friends at the Grand Canyon. This photo was taken near the spot where the first photo was taken; a short distance from their honeymoon cabin.

Storks Anniversary, 10/2001, at the Grand Canyon

The Storks wore their shirts as jackets many times over the years of their marriage. They have been part of travels throughout the United States, and Melba said, “(they) are as bright, fashionable and warm as they were when we purchased them over sixty years ago.”

A Traditions Carries On

Bob and Melba Stork made a gift of their Pendleton engagement shirts to their granddaughter, Lauren, and her new husband, Drew.

Lauren & Drew in her grandparents' Pendleton shirts
Lauren & Drew, Robert & Melba

Said Mrs. Stork, “Their wedding took place in Dallas, and all sixty of the invited friends and family enjoyed the weekend festivities.” Our congratulations to Lauren and Drew, and to Bob and Melba Stork. Sadly, Melba is no longer with us, though she is part of her family’s loving memories.

Thanks for making Pendleton part of your family traditions.

Hey, New Yorkers! Have you seen the Wolverine Pop-Up Shop?

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Popping in at a Pop-Up

We love these photos of the new Pendleton Pop-Up Shop opened by Wolverine in NYC.

Door to Wolverine's Pendleton pop-up

Come on in!

Wolverine's Pendleton pop-up

They have so many great Pendleton shirts, sweaters, throws, blankets, bags and more.

Wolverine's Pendleton pop-up
Wolverine's Pendleton pop-up
Wolverine's Pendleton pop-up

And they are open for your shopping pleasure through the holidays.

Wolverine's Pendleton pop-up
Wolverine's Pendleton pop-up

Yes, that’s the Westerley sweater you see there. Come on by!

Wolverine

254 Elizabeth St.

NYC, NY 10012

Happy Father’s Day. Sometimes, a picture says it all.

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Family History

Matt Raven1963_photo with father, son, pheasants

This is a photo of Robert and Matt Raven, father and son, taken in 1963, and shared with Pendleton this last year. It was taken by Carl “Pete” Petersen, who was there along with his son Grant.

Here are some words about his father from Matt, who is a professor at Michigan State University.

My Dad (Robert D. Raven) was the epitome of what Tom Brokaw termed the Greatest Generation. He grew up on a farm in Michigan and was a gunner/mechanic on a B-24 in the South Pacific during WW II. This was one reason he was such a great wing shot. He went to Michigan State (then Michigan State College) on the GI Bill. My mom (Leslie Erickson Raven) was a Marine during WWII (an aircraft mechanic) and also went to Michigan State on the GI Bill. They moved to California after they graduated in 1949 with $200 in their pockets. My Mom help put my Dad through Law School at UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall) and he graduated in 1952. He practiced law for Morrison Foerster (home office in San Francisco) all of his professional career and help build them into one of the premier law firms anywhere. He was one of those men that helped the United States become the greatest nation on the planet after WWII. He died in 2004 and I miss him every day. I am proud to be his son.

Thanks, Matt

What a great American story. We love this image so much, we chose it for our Instagram #PendletonDad photo contest this year. It just says Father’s Day, and it’s a fitting way to wish Happy Father’s Day to all the admirable dads out there from Pendleton Woolen Mills.

Happy Father’s Day to “the officer in the Pendleton.”

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A Pendleton Dad

We received a letter from Sharon Myers Knoph with some wonderful photos of her father, Fred Myers. We decided to save this post for Father’s Day, because it’s about a Pendleton dad.

Here are Sharon’s words about her father.

My dad, Fred Myers, was born in Parkdale, Oregon.  He joined the United States Marine Corps and served in Korea.  He married Margaret Hinrich of Hood River, Oregon, in 1956.  They eventually settled in southern California where he graduated from the Police Academy. He was an undercover narcotics officer during the 1970s. After retiring from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, my parents traveled the country in their motor home.

mom and dad 2013

My dad loved his Pendleton shirts. He bought his first one in 1957, a shirt that he actually wore for 57 years.  He was described more than once as “the officer in the Pendleton”.  He held his first grandchild wearing a Pendleton shirt.

Dad with Newborn

When he passed away in May of 2014, my mother couldn’t bear to give away his Pendleton shirts. She decided to use them to make three quilts. They are very special to us, reminding us of the man that his friends and family loved very much. In the photo below, his first shirt from 1957 is circled.

Original Circled, shirt quilt

Here at Pendleton, we have seen quite a few quilts made from our shirts. But we have not seen one made with the pockets, which is a charming touch. What a way to have your dad keeping you warm forever.

Quilt Close--Pockets!

Happy Father’s Day

To all the admirable fathers out there, happy Father’s Day from Pendleton Woolen Mills.

Thomas Kay is a Man of the World

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New Magazine, New Feature

We’re fans of the stirring photography of the Thomas Kay line for men (from Pendleton Woolen Mills) in the Fall quarterly issue of Man of the World.

“Half Wild” features our Thomas Kay folding campstool, made for us by the artisans of Wood & Faulk.

MOTW_Fall_2014_a Spread from Fall 2014 Man of the World magazine, featuring Pendleton's Thomas Kay line.

Yes, we know, it’s so artfully packed over there on the right side that you almost can’t see it, but we like the shot anyway. There’s nothing quite like camping with wool.

Fashion Feature

“The Big Sky State” captures Montana style with our Thomas Kay Oliver shirt in Macrae Ancient Dress Tartan.

Spread from Fall 2014 Man of the World magazine, featuring Pendleton's Thomas Kay line.
MOTW_Fall_2014_c Spread from Fall 2014 Man of the World magazine, featuring Pendleton's Thomas Kay line.
Spread from Fall 2014 Man of the World magazine, featuring Pendleton's Thomas Kay line.

A pickup truck, a good dog and a Pendleton wool shirt. What more could you ask for? Besides that awesome tractor. These are great Big Sky shots from a beautiful publication. Pick up your copy and marvel.

90 years of Shirtmaking: the Taxonomy of Pendleton Shirts

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Nine Decades!

We’re celebrating nine decades! yes, that’s right. We have been making men’s wool shirts for ninety years. The Pendleton shirt story starts in 1924, when the Bishop family decided to enlarge their business from trade and bed blankets into men’s apparel.

To quote http://www.pendleton-usa.com:

In 1924, a man could have a wool shirt in any color he wanted – as long as it was grey. Wool shirts were utilitarian items; warm, durable, an excellent first line in the defense against the elements. They were uniformly drab. Of course, all that was about to change.

At Pendleton Woolen Mills, Clarence Morton Bishop envisioned a different kind of fabric for a man’s wool shirt. Pendleton’s sophisticated weaving capabilities were producing vibrant trade blankets. Why not bring that same weaving and color know-how to flannel shirting?

He wrote to his father, Charles Pleasant Bishop, “I believe we should add such goods as shirts and hosiery.” C.P. Bishop agreed, replying “I am more and more impressed with the opportunity we have here in Oregon.” While his son investigated production options, C.P. Bishop did the early marketing work. He wrote to his son that “I am impressing it on the minds of my employees and patrons…that we are putting a new fabric on the market, something better than other mills can or will make.”

After much weaving experimentation and hard work, Pendleton’s innovative Umatilla shirting fabric rolled off the loom. The rich colors in Pendleton’s woolen plaid shirts were completely new to the market in 1924. The positive response was immediate. It has also been enduring.

The Poster

Ninety years! To celebrate, we’ve released a poster that elaborates on the design features of our most enduring models.  Click for a larger view, though the best view is in person at one of our many retailers.

A Pendleton poster with drawings of the eight shirt styles for Fall, including the trail, fireside, lodge, board, canyon, Sir Pendleton, guide and gambler Pendleton shirts.

Decade Shirts

Fall 2014 brings our Decade shirts, each made a style and fabric that represents a decade of Pendleton shirtmaking. We will be taking a closer look at those in the next few weeks. But for now, it’s kind of awesome to sit back and consider how many Pendleton wool shirts we’ve put on the backs of men over the last ninety years. Thank you for your loyalty, and here’s to the next decade!

POPEYE magazine–Japan’s Take on Surf Pendleton

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Japan is talking about Pendleton.

WEB_Popeye_7_14_b Spread of Pendleton in Popeye magazine
WEB_Popeye_7_14_a Spread of Pendleton in Popeye magazine

What is Popeye saying about us? As usual with Japanese PR, we have only a vague idea of what’s been written, here. We do know these travel spreads are alive with enthusiasm and full of Pendleton. Our Reyn Spooner Kloth shirts are shown, as well as the Surf madras shirts , and towels, and muchacho blankets, and hey, that’s our CEO, Mark Korros, relaxing at the Pendleton Home Store!

Korros relaxing in the Home store

Our favorite is this shot with the Original Surf Plaid Board Shirt as worn by the Beach Boys way back when.

Popeye_Board_Shirt - a laughing man wearing a Board Shirt

Thanks to POPEYE for the visit and for the press. All photos are used with permission.

Wool & Prince and Pendleton

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Wool & Prince shirt and logo

Wool & Prince

You’ve heard about it on the radio, seen it on YouTube, read about it in the paper and on innumerable blogs  all over the world. Yes, we are talking about the 100 Day Shirt by Wool & Prince, the new company Kickstarted  by Mac Bishop. We have fielded quite a few queries about this project because the shirt Mac wears in his video is actually a Sir Pendleton. So, here are some Pendleton answers to your Wool & Prince questions.

Was Pendleton aware that their shirt was being used by Wool & Prince?

Yes, we were aware the shirt worn in the video is a Sir Pendleton. Mac Bishop is a proud member of the sixth generation of Pendleton’s Bishops, and he’s worn Pendleton products his entire life.

Were you surprised by Wool & Prince’s claim that your Sir Pendleton was wrinkle and odor-free after being worn for 100 consecutive days without cleaning?

We were not. We have been making men’s wool shirts for 90 years, and we understand the attributes of wool. Even though there is no such thing as a self-cleaning shirt, a wool shirt will refresh itself when allowed to rest after a wearing. We’re excited that Wool & Prince is illuminating the qualities of wool to new consumers.

Have you ever subjected any of your wool shirts to a similar test?

Pendleton’s consumers have been wear-testing our Men’s shirts since 1924. That’s why we’re not surprised at the outstanding results.

Is Pendleton producing the Wool & Prince brand?

No. Mac Bishop has developed his own fabric and sourced production independently.

Is Pendleton planning any changes to the line based on the excitement generated by Wool & Prince’s slimmer fit shirts?

We have been doing great business with our Fitted shirts, which we introduced years ago. Our contemporary brand, The Portland Collection, offers a trim fit, and this fall we are launching a new brand, Thomas Kay, celebrating our founder and 150 years of weaving in America. The garments in this collection (including new shirt models and fabrics) have a modern, tailored fit. Which is all just our way of saying that we have been working on a more body-conscious fit for a few years.

More Information

For those of you who haven’t seen it, you can watch the Wool & Prince video here.

For excellent background on Wool & Prince, read Fast Company’s profile .

And for more information on wool, see our website.