Pendleton Board Shirts
is maybe my favourite material. Doesn’t matter if it’s a knit or a weave, I just find it the most comfortable of fabrics. It breathes.
Which is one reason why I’m always on the lookout for things from Pendleton when searching through the racks at thrift shops. The label has undergone a resurgence as a heritage brand so it’s not always easy to find them. But on Friday I got lucky — I spotted this not vintage but used board shirt at the Value Village while I was wearing my vintage Pendleton board shirt. It was like they were calling out to each other!
The board shirt was was popularized in surfer culture in the early 1960s as a cozy coverup to wear on cool California nights. The Beach Boys were photographed wearing them,
I’m no surfer but I do like that this midweight fabric is water, odor and stain-resistant but also because it has a square bottom. I am against the tucking in of shirts.
The pattern and palette of new addition is also the official California state tartan.