Tag Archives: 50s

There’s an abundance of PLAID here at Metropolis Vintage these days . . . We have  vintage plaid “Grunge” style shirts as well as heavy wool PENDLETON, FILSON, WOODRICH and JOHNSON coats and jackets.  The heavy wool jackets are a perfect warm and stylish barrier against the winter chill, but did you know that THE BEACH BOYS originally called themselves The Pendletones in honor of their favorite brand?  Their legacy has been just as durable as their sturdy jackets, coats and shirts – lasting throughout the century.  Mike Watt, bass player for THE STOOGES, MINUTEMEN, and lifetime plaid flannel expert advises: ”Pendeltons are the prize. Avoid anything made in Sri Lanka.”

“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 flannel shirting?  After much weaving experimentation and hard work, Pendleton’s innovative Umatilla shirting fabric rolled off the loom. The positive response was immediate. After World War II, the concept of sportswear emerged in American society.  While hunting, fishing, or pursuing his hobbies, Dad very often wore a Pendleton shirt.  Throughout the 20th century, clothing trends have emerged from workwear and traveled into the fashion mainstream. Casual and colorful, leisurewear symbolized the end of privation and the return of the good life.”