Image Courtsey of Pendelton
In a move that feels less like expansion and more like destiny, Pendleton Woolen Mills is planting its roots in Texas soil — specifically in the red-dirt heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards.
The legendary American heritage brand, founded in 1863 and known for its heirloom-quality wool blankets and rugged Western-inspired apparel, will open its first Texas storefront on May 7. And they’re not just setting up shop anywhere. Pendleton is taking over a prime spot in the newly restored horse and mule barns in Mule Alley, just steps from where longhorns still clomp down Exchange Avenue twice a day.
For Pendleton, this isn’t a dalliance with cowboy cosplay. It’s a full-circle return to form. “As a brand rooted in the West, the Stockyards are an ideal location for us and share in our connection to rodeo culture and American heritage,” said Bob Christnacht, executive vice president of sales and marketing. “The deep history and spirit of the district makes it a perfect match for Pendleton.”
That connection to rodeo culture isn’t just talk. Pendleton’s home base in Oregon is known for the Pendleton Round-Up, one of the oldest and most storied rodeos in the country. Their century-long partnership with the event — stitched into the very fabric of their design language — has made their bold geometric blankets as iconic as a tooled leather saddle or a well-worn pair of Luccheses.
The Stockyards, with their own rodeo arena in the Cowboy Coliseum dating back to 1908, echo the same dusty, defiant spirit. It’s a place where the old West isn’t recreated — it simply never left.
Inside the new Fort Worth store, shoppers will find Pendleton's full lifestyle spread: apparel, home goods, accessories, and of course, their signature wool blankets — still woven at one of the last two remaining woolen mills in America. And in a nod to Texas pride and Stockyards history, the store will carry two exclusive designs: a saddle blanket emblazoned with the Lone Star flag and a twin-sized wool blanket honoring the legendary steer runs that have made the district famous.
This latest expansion adds a Texas twang to Pendleton’s long-running Western ballad. And if the brand’s storied past and the Stockyards’ ironclad heritage are any indication, it’s a tune that’ll be playing for a long, long time.
