Richard Rodriguez
From the left, entrepreneur Ryan Dukes and actor Eric Nelsen.
As far as Fort Worth is concerned, Western wear is not a trend or a fleeting fashion fad. No, sir. Western wear is one with the city’s culture, rooted deep in its natural aesthetic. But, for men, the items that comprise Western — pearl snaps, jeans, boots, etc. — have a problem.
Western wear needs a little fixing.
“There’s just a lack of identity,” says Ryan Dukes, co-founder of Stockyard Supply Co. “We go to the rodeo, and I look like I got lost in the golf shop. I’m wearing nice wedding boots and my favorite pair of wranglers, but there’s nothing interesting about it.”
Dukes, along with actor Eric Nelsen, whom you might know from a little show called “1883,” took their mutual love of Fort Worth and Western culture and set out to fix the problem. The solution, Stockyard Supply Co, is an urban Western luxury clothing brand that recently kicked off an ecommerce site.
“We’re calling it a lifestyle retail brand,” Dukes says. “This isn’t just a logo on a shirt, this is a way of life. Our goal is for you to put our vest on and feel like you own the ranch.”
Nelsen and Dukes, on the surface, might seem like an odd pairing. With an impressive IMDB, Nelsen has achieved success as both an actor in television and film and as an actor and producer on Broadway — he received a 2020 Tony Award for producing “The Inheritance.” Dukes, on the other hand, “cut his hair short for 11 years” when he attended the United States Air Force Academy and subsequently flew heavies (C-130s), even doing a tour in Afghanistan. He then became a serial entrepreneur, starting an oil and gas company and a nutrition brand called Taylor Dukes Wellness with his wife.
Stockyard Supply Co’s clothing matches this duality.
Richard Rodriguez
Offering pearl snaps, diamond quilted vests, caps, and a handsome canvas bomber jacket, the clothing appears striking yet comfortable and classic yet fashion-forward. They’re items one could pair just as easily with a little dirt and sweat as one could with alligator boots and a bolo.
“Everything you see here is duality,” Dukes says. “It’s the paradox of grit and reward.”
Of this duality, the pearl snap button-down is a perfect example. The shirts are 90/10 polyester spandex, so there’s stretch and give. Taking additional cues from active wear, they also include netting to increase breathability. On the flip side, the pearl snaps themselves are textured and high quality. As Dukes puts it, “not that super bright, plasticky-looking standard pearl snap.”
One problem these shirts address is the difficulty when rolling up sleeves — some shirts just don’t cuff well. “I wear more Poncho shirts than anybody,” Nelsen says. “You roll the sleeves up, and they don’t stay. With our shirts, if you cuff ‘em, the sleeves are staying. They’re a little sturdier.”
Nelsen and Dukes first met at a Stock Show charity event. Despite their differences, they soon learned they had more in common than their Florida upbringings.
“We both married girls from Fort Worth, Texas, so we immediately hit it off,” Nelsen says. “We became really good friends because we shared this mutual, devout love for Fort Worth and just started chatting a lot.”
Nelsen says a clothing company was something he had always wanted to pursue, but his busy acting career meant limited time. So, he was shocked and plum pleased when Dukes came to him, unsolicited, with the idea of Stockyard Supply Co. “I was like, you’ve got to be kidding me. This is exactly what I want to be doing.”
Ensuring things don’t get stale, the two have plans to roll out a spring line and subsequent specialty lines after. But regardless of what they produce, there’s a sense it’s all an homage to their favorite city.
“Fort Worth has been so amazing to me and to our families,” Nelsen says, “and it’s kind of our way of giving back and bringing [the city] something we can be proud of.”
