Pendleton Plaids? Somewhere, USA, 1950
Mom’s painted lips and matching polished fingernails match the lipstick red satin second place ribbon hanging framed on the wall. Ribbon for what? I don’t know – too small and to far away to read. Something wonderful I’m sure. Mom’s smart plaid jacket is bright but not loud. The stylish collar is bias-cut and the sleeves are slightly puffed.
The boys sport matching wool plaid jackets. Double black leather buttons provide both fashion and function to the patch pocket flaps. Dad dons a zip-front, brown leather bomber jacket over blue denim. Mom and dad both wear frameless glasses. They all have rosy cheeks. It is a rather fresh faced family portrait. The kind that you’d think you’d see a lot of but don’t. I wonder if those plaids are Pendleton Plaids.
Pendleton Woolens are Americana classics of the highest order. Together with Levis they epitomize Old West Coast style and transcend the fashion universe.
Homespun and family run, Pendleton Woolen Mills began producing woolens in Pendleton, Oregon in 1886. Their thick wool blankets woven with Native American motifs were their first claim to fame.
In 1924 the mill branched out by introducing the plaid sports shirt for men after “a vision” the owner had. The shirts were instant timeless classics and worn just as comfortably up town or downtown; to town and country. Woman’s wear by Pendleton took off the first year it was sold, 1949.
For Southern California’s ultimate supply of men’s Pendleton shirts visit the world’s messiest and most wonderful overstocked mom and pop menswear shop ever, Greenspans in South Gate. Some of the stock dates probably dates back to opening day in 1928. Trust me you’ve just got to experience this place! www.greenspans.com
Do you remember the Pendleton Shop in Frontierland at Disneyland? Speaking of Disneyland…**IN TWO WEEKS** CHARLES PHOENIX’S RETRO DISNEYLAND SLIDE SHOW**TWO FINAL PERFORMANCES **at the REDCAT THEATER in the WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL! Friday Evening May 19 at 8:30 and Sunday May 21 at 2:00 in the afternoon. More Info
Here’s to the plaidy family portrait, Pendleton, Greenspans and YOU
Year I was born!
No wonder I love Plaids!
Surprised that many remember that Beach Boys photo. Remeber white levis, scats, and a Pendelton shirt?
Hey TVGirl! The Beach Boys were first called the PENDELTONES. Don’t forget that “E” at the end…makes it musical, y’know!
Kelly S., I think dad drank enough for the both of ‘em
And, if they’d had a daughter (and she were me), you’d see a chubby-cheeked girl with brown ringlets, a white blouse with PeterPan collar, black velvet bowtie with little brown rabbit fur balls, AND a plaid pleated skirt with reversed colors inside the pleats. I got mine in unpaved Frontierland and wore it with white and brown saddleshoes and white anklets. Despite not being allowed to wear nail polish, I felt mildly stunning for an ten-year-old! I may still have that skirt hanging as moth food in my closet 40 years later.
I remember that shot of the Beach Boys in the Pendleton shirts! In fact,
before they were the Beach Boys they performed as The Pendletons. (Also
as Carl and the Passions and Kenny and the Cadets.)
I think Mom is smelling the stinker that #1 son on the left just cut.
So is #2 son, obviously, but he thinks it’s quite amusing.
Dad is waiting for the picture taking to be over so he can peel a layer of ass off the little shit.
As for Pendletons— they were worn in the sixties by gang members in my home town of Pacoima as an overgarment fastened only at the very top button protecting their immaculately clean white T-shirts.
Always Nattily Attired and Perfectly Bespecled Charles!
I adore this hearty, farmy family portrait! Too bad Dad had the mean reds or some other fit of pique, causing him to refuse to put on the family plaid. No matter. They all look fabulous. Those nails on Mrs. Plaid and Peppy are divine! I wonder if she did them herself?
As I look at the The Lady in Green, I feel ever so proud of the panache with which she carries off her glasses. Boldly smiling, head up, the reddish lip — she’s bringing attention right to those spectacles. I thought, then, that we women could use a primer for wearing glasses with similar verve and vitality. I thus fall back on John Robert Powers and Sue Miller and their informative tome, _Secrets of Charm_ (1954):
“It requires very little cleverness to make glasses an ally of your beauty. To choose frames with skill and wit, separate those that are definite and forthright in color and shape from those of the old-fashioned, unimpressive type once consigned to your grandmother. Something new has been added since her day!”
Wow. Inspiring yes? Aren’t you ready to put on some glassy beauty accents? I know I am. Too bad that I love etiquette but am scared of the eye doctor. But enough about me!
“Above all, wear spectacles with the same poise with which you flaunt a saucy hat. Give up all gestures that suggest you are embarrassed, apologetic or self-conscious about your specs. Yanking glasses on and off, nibbling them or fiddling with them is distracting to your companions, and very bad manners besides.
You may possess the most correct, becoming and smartest glass wardrobe for seeing and sunning, but unless you endow it with the proper social grace some of its appeal will be lost — and with it, some of yours!”
It is clear that Plaid and Lovin’ It has chosen her low key frames to properly allow that dress to shine and be the one and only star. I’m enamored of her choice! After all, ladies, we should be following the “Rule of 14.” There should only be 14 eye catching points to your outfit, and it’s clear that the dress is accounts for at least 13.5!
xoxo!
Miss Sharon
What’s with mom? Everyone else looks relaxed and ruddy, while mom’s looking pretty pinched, pale and strained. Makes me thankful for all my modern housewife amenities….cooking, washing, ironing for her men and still managing to put on the matching lipstick and nail polish? Somebody get that woman a drink.
Could that be a young Robert De Niro pictured? – aka as Novecento, the Taxi Driver? Those home perm kits really worked neat!
Like Chris above, my family could not afford them either. They were really popular in SoCal in the early sixties. At the time I remember seeing a Beach Boys Album with all of them wearing blue Pendletons on the cover. I had to have one, that was about 1962 ? I guess it took a few years for my parents to save up, but I finally got one for my birthday in ’66. Whenever I see one as an adult it brings back memories of that wonderful time in my life and appreciation for how hard my parents had to work to take care of us at that time.
Long live Kodachrome
I think the 2nd Place ribbon is for the Western/horsey-themed painting on the wall. But who painted it? Dad’s been in the sun – but was he painting on location or drinking and golfing on location? He looks slightly embarrassed. Mom’s awfully proud — but of her hubby or her artwk? Ted and Ned look like they wanna mess up each other’s hair.
Well, my father used to work for a firm that sold Pendleton shirts. And each summer for many years, Pendleton, which had a store at Disneyland, would get my father tickets to the Magic Kingdom and our whole family would get to go. A visit to Pendleton at Disneyland was a must, to thank them for sponsoring us in.
Ah, the memories…..thanks.
Boy, those shirts bring back memories! My grandparents on both sides of the family had them. My family couldn’t afford them, but I remember seeing them also at Knott’s Berry Farm. I think they may still have a store that sells them. Then they got popular again when surfing took off in the early 60s here in So. Cal. I really enjoy the slides! I’ll be at the downtown LA tour this Sunday, too.