Staying Warm in the Wild and in the Apartment

I am not sure when I became infatuated with Pendleton but there is something about these rugged wool shirts that calls to me. I think the appeal is one part history, one part form, and one part function.

History: Pendleton Woolen Mills was founded over 100 years ago and started churning out Indian Blankets in 1909. The town of Pendleton, Oregon was home to the mill and as many as 20 brothels as recently as 1947 (although you never know how trustworthy wikis can be). The personal history for me doesn't go that far back (I tried to buy one off ebay in February of '09 that was lost in transit) but my dad recently gave me one of his and one of my grandfather's original Pendletons. Since my dad's is about 40 years old that probably places my grandfather's at about 60 years old. It is really interesting to see how the cuts have changed over the years from boxy (my grandfather's), to tails and more slim (my father's), to a modern overshirt (the western style Pendleton my fiance just got me).

Form: Aside from the recent plaid rage these shirts have had a handsome, masculine vibe since they were introduced in 1924. The evolution of the shirt's shape shows how they have evolved with fashion over the last 60 years. The overshirt Ariel recently bought me works in any casual environment with its more slim tailored cut, two breast pockets, and polished snaps.

Function: Other than my newfound family history with these shirts I love the warmth and usefullness these provide. These shirts are the original techincal outdoor gear. Before sweat was "wicked" with "breathable" materials you had to stay warm while wet. Wool was the ideal material for this, far surpassing down for its performance in moist environments. (Sheep get wet, but stay warm. Down is actually the insulation geese have underneath their feathers. Feathers keep the down dry.) I can envision the previous two generations of Maffei's going camping or fishing wearing the Pendletons I now have in my closet.