Nudie is my inspiration.
Thirty eight years ago when my late granny (father’s mother) realized that one of my talents was sewing, she helped me choose some fabric for my very first shirt, as well as a pattern. When we got home that day, she cleared off her old dining room table, then laid out the pattern and with me watching, she started to show me how to cut it, then handed me the scissors. As she stood there watching and guiding me, I continued to cut out that pattern carefully while she told me what to cut and what not to cut. After I cut out the pattern, she showed me how to lay out my pattern on the material, then pinned one piece down to show me just how easy it was done.
I was so tickled that I was actually learning to cut the pattern and lay it out on the fabric, then cut the pattern out of the same fabric. She was a woman ahead of her time and encouraged me in everything I wanted to try or do.
When I finished cutting my material and it was ready to sew, she sat me down at her Elna with the drop-in cams and taught me how to use that, then stood over me watching to make sure I did everything right, which I pretty much did!
Within my first month of sewing, I made myself twelve Western Shirts and eventually six gowns for fellow entertainers. I moved in with her in 1972 and about six months or so later I met a guy who entertained on stage and invited me to do the same, so I did! I had a lot of fun and when the other entertainers found out that I loved to sew, I was getting requests to make them new outfits, while doing alterations to old ones, and ones they’d purchase at second-hand or thrift stores.
Then I learned about: Nudie’s Rodeo Tailoring
Not long after I was starting to make shirts that mimicked his style, though during high school when I joined one of the school clubs which was called: The Equestrians, I had taken an older black suit coat and with embroidery, plus sequins and beads, I had totally changed the look of that coat. I was so proud of it, though made so much fun of since I knew how to sew and loved it.
Nudie then became my idol, while I continued to design more shirts and jackets that were similar to his ‘also unique’ style. I dreamed that one day I’d be making similar clothing like him, and now I am. I don’t make just Shirts and Jackets though, I do a broader range of clothing, plus items for the home and barn, and am ‘always’ open to custom work!
The image above was his landmark store on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. I would love to have a shop similar in look, while the same inside as this one here. There was a lot of room inside and the place could easily hold 100 people comfortably, while he needed a lot of room for his sewing and designing area, plus, and room for the shop itself along with display cases and stands or mannequins for his clients outfits.
The above picture is Nudie himself in one of his many creations. It has a lot of embroidery, plus sequins and beads. Back then, there wasn’t such a thing as sewing machines with embroidery options or computerized machines to connect to computers or thumb-drives, so Nudie had to do everything by hand.
Here he is in one of his many famous suits.
Here’s another one of his suits, though this one’s made for Little Jimmy Dickens.
Another one of his creations.
In looking close at all the detail here, one can only guess at how many hours it took to create this, while the initial sketch or multiple sketches that may have been done, could also have taken some time.
I admire what Nudie did here with the Gold Lame’ material. I know from experience in working with fabrics like Bridal Satin, Tafetta, Satin, Brocades, and similar fabrics, that they have a tendency to slip and slide while sewing and even cutting if you don’t have them pinned just right or are really focused. In the past I’ve made some shirts for myself with fringe out of Satin and Tafetta, and they weren’t the easiest of fabrics to work with, though they make some beautiful shirts that are noticed from a distance. He made Elvis a similar outfit out of Gold Lame’.
Here’s another real detailed suit by Nudie. This one is both the coat or jacket and a pair of pants. In wondering just how many hours it may have taken for a jacket or coat alone, then to add a pair of pants to the outfit as well!
This is Hank Williams Sr. This suit as well had to have taken quite a few hours to come up with, then create. All the musical notes that make up this coat while they had to be added before the suit could be assembled and sewn.
A lot of my own past and current creations are similar in many ways, while they’re also different, but just as unique! I also get inspiration from other folks who sew as well, while I have yet to find another man who creates similar apparel, or who is in any way, the same as I or similar!
To read more about Nudie from a fellow designers site: Golden West Clothing
