We live in a world where being cowboy is cool, and many of the clothing articles worn today are a fashion statement. However, these threads of the West were a primary necessity in Western culture. Pieces like boots, button-down shirts, jeans, chaps, wide-brimmed hats, and wild rags are still synonymous with the lifestyle. Today, many of these are created with a dual purpose in mind – to be worn out on the town in the summer with friends or in the middle of the pasture pulling calves during a winter storm.
Stick You Neck Out
Jodi Hendrickson founded Fringe Scarves with the idea to “stick your neck out and tie one on.” The concept of the company came about during her battle with Lyme disease. Toward the end of her 10-year treatment, Hendrickson knew she was getting to a point where she wanted to join the Western fashion industry again. “When I kind of started seeing some lighting of the tunnel and knew that I could do something again. I knew I could never do it at the capacity that I was. I had to make up my own rules,” she recalled.
The South Dakota native gained a lot of knowledge from previously working with brands like Western Horseman and EquiBrand. Her professional background and history in the ranching community allowed her to see a hole in the Western fashion market. While game planning what that product would be, Hendrickson decided, ” I wanted to do something in the fashion industry, but I wanted it at my house. I started in the bedroom, and I was looking at something that didn’t take a lot of space up inventory-wise.” Wild rags fit the guidelines that she put into place since they’re small, and customers didn’t have to worry about the physical fit of the product. The market was already flooded with the normal paisley and polka dot looks. With her experience in graphic design, Hendrickson realized she could create interesting patterns and pictures on the scarves. This necessity-based business move and outside-the-box creativity slowly built Fringe Scarves into one of the top Western fashion brands for wild rags and twillies.
How to Tie One On
Today, wild rags have become a staple piece in so many wardrobes. They are an easy article to tie together any look. Hendrickson said, “We try to really work on our designs, so you can always pull in some denim, or you can always pull in a brown leather jacket, no matter how bright and wild it is. We really try to encompass some of those basic colors, but I think it’s really just like putting a bow on it.”
The brand is known for its retro, funky style depicting various aspects of Western culture. Some of their more popular prints utilize concho, turquoise stone, and spur rowel patterns that use silver and gray tones as a neutral while adding pops of color through the background or other embellishments. A lot of Hendrickson’s artistic inspiration comes from vintage trends, but she doesn’t always do the designing herself. “We design so differently than everybody else. We do a lot of artist corner stuff. I’ve worked with a lot of artists and started an artist collection, so a lot of those are really popular,” Hendrickson said.
Wild Rag’s smaller sister, the twilly, is also a very versatile piece to keep on hand. These can be worn around the neck, tied on a purse, or worn in the hair as a headband or hair extension. In addition, the brand has also started offering silk-cotton-blend bandanas to its customers. The silk gives a smooth and shiny look, while the cotton allows for more breathability. Both items are must-haves to tie in the wild rag look without the insulation during the warmer months.
With each look put together, deciding how to knot the scarf can be difficult. Hendrickson published a three-year-in-the-making book called “The Fringe: How to Tie Book.” These ties bore necessity and fashion in mind. While some are good for staying warm in the frigid spring wind, others add the “wow factor” to an ensemble.
Over the years, Fringe Scarves has grown to include other clothing items like scrunchies, kimonos, and wild rag slides. They have also expanded into Western home décor with statement shower curtains and, more recently, wallpaper. Both are excellent ways to add a little spice to your lifestyle.
Taking Care of Your Tie
Fringe Scarves products are imbued with silk and must be maintained to ensure longevity. So, they created specialty wild rag holders to help. “Everyone is pretty scared of silk. They’re like scared to iron it. But silk can take extreme heat, so you don’t have to worry about ironing. If it’s real silk, it can’t melt. So we do 100% real silk scarves, but our twillies are not. I always say to care for them, iron them every time you wear them if you’re going to go out cause they get really wrinkled and they don’t look as pretty. It just takes like two seconds,” Hendrickson recommended. For those wild rags that are more for work than play, she also suggests having them dry-cleaned. When that’s not feasible, hand washing with a little bit of Woolite and warm water to dampen and rinse will do the trick. “When you squeeze them, don’t wring them because you will break the fibers in silk. They’re not tough in that sense because they’re natural fibers. It’s not polyester, so you don’t need to ring them. You just squeeze them gently together and then line dry them,” she explained.
Punctuate It
When asked what her intention is with her customers, Hendrickson said, “I wanted people to have fun and add a little bit of spice to their outfit. Just like stick their neck out like don’t be afraid cause people are intimidated about wearing scarves and just add that punctuation mark to your wardrobe, you know.”
While this business has looks that are big and bold, keep in mind that it is a company of around six people. Small businesses are the grassroots of our American economy. If you would like to rock some Fringe Scarves, you can shop all of the items mentioned at fringescarves.com or follow them @fringescarves on Instagram and Facebook.
