Father's Day: It's In the Details

Father's Day became official here in 1972, but at least one of the stories circulated about its origin began a century earlier in Spokane, Washington.  U.S. Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart reared his six children as a single parent after his wife died.  One of his daughters, Sonora Smart Dodd, was so grateful that she campaigned for a day like the then newly-instituted Mother's Day to commemorate his shining fatherhood and paternal parenting universally.

The stories about Dodd's dedication to her dad don't reveal the details.  But I suspect that her admiration was not about size, but scope - a microscope.  That is, her abiding adoration for her father was composed of his mundane, minute, but ever-caring acts magnified over time to create a lasting (dare we say big?) impact in her life.

In our hearts we know it.  The good feelings we have about our male family members are not wrought of lofty edifices like the Sears Tower, but (if you'll forgive me), woven enduringly like our men's Pima shirts and Alpaca sweaters, stitch by loving stitch, on a smaller, more daily-wear scale.

Father's Day: Bigger & Better

Here in America, we’re always thinking about size. The bigger, the better. You know, the Empire State Building, the Mighty Mississippi, the Giant Redwoods, the Great Plains. I noticed the other day that the Hungry Man brand of TV dinners now come in size XXL.

And speaking of men, no one looms larger on our pop culture landscape this month than Dad. Advertisers, from tire-makers to cellular phone purveyors, seek our ear and our buying impulses, so we can demonstrate to our fathers that they are indeed biggest and best in our respective families.

And when it comes to Father’s Day, we’re not just in Kansas anymore—we share our celebration of “the big guy” the third Sunday in June with 40 countries, from Argentina to Zimbabwe, including Japan, the UK and Peru. Germany is a notable exception, observing no similar family-oriented event for their “Vaters.” (Instead, the men literally take a hike. They get together to walk and pull along a beer or wine wagon for refreshment. If you think I’m kidding, look up Herrentag—Gentlemen’s Day.)

So, here’s the deal. We’d love for you to share with us your yarns about dad. Think Dustin Hoffman. No, not about big noses. About “Hero” tributes and your own “Little Big Man” moments. (And, of course, if dad was wearing one of our shirts at the time, all the better, wink!)

Pima Interlock Polo, $49
Pima Cotton Tee, $36

Menzzzzwear!

Men: You are not mediocre so why should your clothes be?!? Whenever I put away my husband's clothes after a fun-filled weekend laundry session, I can't help but think of how lucky I am as a woman to have so many choices in clothing styles. We have tops, jackets, skirts, dresses, trousers and can change any look with an endless selection of accessories. My husband's conservative closet singularly consists of long-sleeved button down shirts in your basic woven cotton blend. (yawn)

At PC we are always trying to find new ways to breathe some life into our menswear collection. In the past, we have successfully offered men ethnographic and bold patterned options as well as the more subtle knits and textures. But we admit we are still trying to capture that perfect formula of quality, comfort and the unique character we are renowned for.

One of the many jobs that I have here at PC is casting the models for our catalog. (A pleasant task indeed - see above.) While models always look good in our men's designs I'm curious what some of your suggestions might be for our men's collection. What would you like to see? Please feel free to share!