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accessories
PENDLETON
wool board shirts
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.
The Pendletones later became the Beach Boys. Source: Pendleton
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 Indian trade blankets. Why not bring that same weaving and color know-how to woolen 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.
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In the early 1960s, Pendleton shirts hit the 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." Levi’s and Pendleton have always paired up well, but wouldn't connect for a labeled collaboration for another 47 years.
Soon after, a group called The Pendletones began to sing about the California surfing scene. They changed their name to the Beach Boys, but kept their uniform of Pendleton shirts worn over tee shirts with khakis. The band wore their blue and charcoal plaid shirts on the covers of 45s and LPs throughout the 1960s.
In 2002, Pendleton brought back the Board Shirt in the same plaid, re-named the Blue Original Surf Plaid. Because of its strong ties to surfing history and culture, this pattern was used in collaborations with Hurley and VANS in the late 2000s. The shirt is still going strong.
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Source: pendleton.com
