Rhinestone Cowboys

The pioneers of what would eventually be popularly known as the “Nudie suit” shared strikingly similar stories: Jewish immigrants to the New World perfecting their tailoring skills to serve an American clientele increasingly immersed in the cowboy culture of post-war America. “Rodeo Ben” Lichtenstein found his place in 1930s Philadelphia. His Rodeo Ben storefront eventually grew into a coast-to-coast mail-order catalog that promised perfection in western and rodeo wear. His reputation for finely tailored outfits and western-style suits — worn by those on the rodeo circuit along the Atlantic coast dazzling the imaginations and rousing the crowds of city slickers hungry for western culture —caught the attention of denim manufacturer Blue Bell in 1947, who commissioned Ben to design a pair of denim jeans to be made under the name Wrangler.