Louise's Utopia: Throwback!

Many years ago, my husband sort of inherited an old jean jacket from a great-uncle who had passed away.  More than likely he was the only one who could fit in the jacket.  At that time it was already an old jacket.  Over time my husband outgrew the jacket, but kept it nonetheless.  Now, at more than fifty years old, it is in remarkably great shape.  Heavy denim with a wool lining, it has become a family favorite to throw on when running outside on a cold day.  The great thing about a jean jacket is that it never goes out of style.  There are two interesting things about jean jackets that relate to farm life.  One is the denim in general, and how important it has been in the past, and remains to the farmer.  It goes hand in hand with the barbed wire blog that I wrote about a few weeks ago called, War of the Wire.  The second is the brand of the this jacket, Montgomery Wards.  Younger people than my husband like myself, have no memory of Wards, but historically Montgomery Wards and Sears were foundational in the life of the rural homesteader.

Denim is and remains the fabric of choice for the cowboy, the rancher, and the farmer.  Why you might ask?  Because it is so durable.  It takes a beating and keeps going.  Sure, over time it wears out and tears (or some people intentionally tear it to look cool), but in general it is a very durable cotton fabric.  While dating back further, denim originally became popular in the United States in the 1800s.  Levi Strauss & Co. reports that the blue jean was born May 20, 1873, for it “was on that day that Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis obtained a U.S. patent on the process of putting rivets in men’s work pants for the very first time.”  I am sure most of us have worn Levi’s jeans at one time or another.  Of course today they come in a wide array of styles and models.  They are not just blue jeans anymore.  But it is the original Levi’s blue jeans that set the standard for all jeans going forward.  Our vintage jean jacket reflects this rugged nature, the perfect work jacket.  It is warm, comfortable, and tough.  Otherwise, how could it have survived so many years, and still look so great?  I am sure when I go out to work on the farm, I will keep wearing this rugged old jean jacket for many years.

The other interesting fact about our jean jacket is the brand, Montgomery Wards.  Why was Wards so important to the early farmers and homesteaders?  Because, as Montgomery Wards notes, it was “America’s first mail-order catalog business…launched in 1872 with a single-sheet catalog offering 163 items!”  As they say, nothing is new under the sun.  Today we order things from Amazon and our orders are delivered in a few days.  Back then you ordered things from Wards or Sears, and it might have taken longer to deliver, but still, it was your lifeline to the supplies you needed.  You could even buy entire houses through the Wards catalog.  I can’t wait for the day that I can buy a house from Amazon.  It’s too bad that the store my husband once affectionately called “Monkey Wards” no longer offers its goods through a catalog, but it’s nice to know that their quality products still exist today.

I guess I know my husband is getting older when his favorite clothes are vintage, but I have to acknowledge quality.  I hope everyone has a favorite old jacket that they can throw on and go outside to enjoy a cold, brisk day. I am sure MY old jean jacket will outlast all of my new clothes. Do you have a favorite, vintage piece of clothing? Let me know in the comments. Thank you for sharing my blogs with the links below!