When I and most other folks think of Pendleton, my guess is that we first think of gray boiled wool flannel suits. When I was 18 and heading off to college, my father gave me one of those suits - skirt and jacket - for Christmas. It almost seemed to signify for him as "a rite of passage" for his little girl. He was so pleased with himself. It was a Size 4, bullet proof, never out of style, slinky and sexy (it was lined and had a kick-pleat and looked great with heels), didn't have that scratchy wool feeling, and could be mixed and matched with every article of clothing under the sun. I would wear that suit for better than 15 years. The suit was still going strong. Alas, at 36, I outgrew it. And still miss it.
But ... how many know that The Beach Boys put Pendleton on the map when they wore "Pendleton Plaid" board shirts on the cover of their iconic 1963 album "Surfer Girl"? (It wasn't the first time the company was put on the map in an unorthodox manner ... but it has proved to be the most enduring.) In fact, how many folks know that before they were The Beach Boys, the group called itself "The Pendletones"? The band called itself that in honor of the favored surfer uniform of the day ... Pendlton plaid shirts worn over T-Shirts and khakis. Even after the group changed its name to reflect the California surfer vibe it was trying to capture, the uniform would stay the same across the years and many albums ... the signature blue-gray and charcoal plaid Board Shirts worn over T-shirts and khakis.
The boys in the band might themselves not be surfers (with the exception of Dennis Wilson who suggested the surfer theme for the group's music ... a sound which would be translated into some of the most beautiful harmonies across decades by his brother Brian), but they sure looked and dressed the part. (The surfer fashion trend had started, as so many do, out of necessity. Before the advent of wetsuits, surfers wore swim trunks and the plaid wool shirts for warmth over vaselined torsos when riding the waves. The looked morphed to include khakis for an "on land" fashion look.
I believe my father first gained his love of Pendleton, as did so many male aficianados of the brand, by being a wearer of their plaid shirts. The Pendleton Plaid as a piece of leisure attire really first gained ground after World War II. It was what dads wore in their off-time ... when they weren't wearing suits. I loved those shirts of Dad's as much as he did and I can remember filching them out of his closet to wear over turtlenecks with jeans in high school. (And conveniently forgetting to return them ... for years.) Excellent for Friday night football games. Made for great jackets. Comfort and warmth combined with oversized style. And the wool was so soft. I guess Brian Wilson and company thought the same thing ... comfort and warmth combined with a great signature surfing style. Today those same Pendleton plaid shirts are a favorite not only of surfers, but of skateboarders and snowboarders as well.
That blue and charcoal plaid shirt favored by the members of the group was even, within the last decade, given a new and distinct identity by Pendleton ... "The Blue Beach Boys Plaid". For The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary, the company even issued a special limited edition shirt: The Beach Boys Biscayne Shirt
Yup, just as The Beach Boys are considered "America's Band" and are considered masters of the surfer sound, Pendleton, in its own right, enjoys its well-deserved inclusion into the ranks of "American Classics". For both their to-die-for gray flannel wool suits, as well as their oh, so comfy, soft, and versatile plaid shirts. Great and comfortable looks for both ends of the life spectrum. Make sure to find a place for both extremes in your wardrobe!
To check out Pendleton's wares:
http://www.pendleton-usa.com/?prid=LS&siteID=VurS8Cvycis-7JaaSVuxf6_PFVyQCkw1Uw
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