I had an interesting experience this week, brought on by a western shirt and I had to share. Almost every piece of clothing we have has to be researched before we put it up. How old is it, what is the company who makes it, anything that might add to the listing and give it some punch. This particular shirt was western and the label said "Tru-West Rockmount Ranch Wear". I found Rockmount easily enough, but wow! where it took me! The site has a "Celebrity Gallery" and I discovered Nicholas Cage wore a Rockmount shirt in "Red Rock West". Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal really gave the shirts a name in "Brokeback Mountain". The list goes on and on. The company was started in 1946 in Denver by Jack Weil. He is the CEO, and at 106 years old still works every day. He wanted cowboys to have a "look" that went beyond the hats and boots. And there were practical considerations that could make the shirts better for cowboys, such as a tailored fit to keep the shirt from getting snagged. After reading all I could from the website, I still didn't have a date or origin of the shirt I had so I decided to ask and hope for an answer. Sometimes it works and someone in the company will take the time to date the piece and provide some history.
I got an answer from the company President, Steve Weil! He said if the label was blue on white, it would mean after 1978, but he would need a picture to further identify the shirt. I sent pictures. He responded that he designed the shirt in the late '80's. Steve brought back all cotton to their lines and also introduced relaxed fit to broaden their market. He runs an international company, designs the clothes, and can answer an email from an inquisitive spectator. I was so impressed, I had to give him a plug here (for whatever audience I might have) and hope that some of you will actually check out Rockmount shirts. They're amazing!
http://www.rockmount.com/our_story.htm
This is the shirt that brought on the questions!
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