Two Cowboys: Hipster Dressing With Authentic Canadian Plaid Flannel Shirts at Rocky Mountain Flannel Company in Banff, Alberta

The Original Hipsters

When you think Canada, you yearn for cozy winter nights in front of a fireplace and softly falling snow outside the window. Inevitably, your mind's eye wanders to all that is familiar about Canadian winters. The smell of apple cider, pie in the oven, and the snug feeling of soft flannel against your skin. You know you are home. Flannel is as Canadian as the word "eh". It is as authentic as your granny's smile.

What is flannel? It is a soft woven fabric. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness (which makes it ideal for keeping warm) or remain unbrushed. Brushing is a mechanical process wherein a fine metal brush rubs the fabric to raise fine fibers from the loosely spun yarns to form a nap. Typically, flannel has a nap on either one side or both sides. If the flannel is not napped, it gains its softness through the loosely spun yarn in its woven form.

Flannel is commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, bed sheets, and sleepwear. The term "flannel shirt" is often used to mean any shirt with a plaid or tartan pattern.

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Flannel's origins can be traced back to 17th century Wales where farmers wore flannel shirts to protect themselves from the elements. This tradition would continue for other blue collar workers as the prevalence of flannel grew. The word "flannel" most likely comes from the Welsh word gwlanen, meaning "woolen article." 

Not many people know that the Bow Valley in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta has its very own flannel garment company. Gayle Houlton is the founder of Rocky Mountain Flannel. It is a business with a history that spans almost three decades. Her background in pattern making and design, and her extensive experience in retailing helped Gail to create a thriving little apparel jewel with a beautiful store that she recently relocated from Canmore to Banff. 

Rocky Mountain Flannel Company has flannel pajamas, nightgowns, pants and shirts and deliciously warm flannel bed sheets. Every product is researched and tested for quality, fit, wear and tear. In exchange for good honest feedback, Gayle often gives a new item to friends and family to try out and review. “Believe me, they are honest!” It is like dressing your children, she shares with us. They will tell you exactly what they like and dislike.

Observations

Garment manufacturing is not a kind of business you associate with the prairies and mountains of Canada. On the other hand, garment design, retailing and distribution are again growing in popularity. Enterprising designers are taking advantage of flexible sourcing opportunities. It allows them to address the localized needs of a discerning and increasingly demanding clientele.

Good quality fabrics can easily be sourced from all over the world. Combine this with cost effective small batch manufacturing, and it opens up opportunities for designers to craft unique items for their local markets. Clients are turning away from uniform, poor quality, lookalike, and almost disposal clothing articles in discount stores, according to Gayle. They are shifting towards higher quality, locally sourced, better designed and more comfortable fitted garments.

Call it the hipster movement if you like, and call it out for its non-conformist flannel wearing patrons. As far as we are concerned, wearing flannel is about being Canadian. It is also about supporting Gayle to make us our favorite shirts we proudly wear because they are nice! We like wearing our Rocky Mountain Flannel shirts, especially when it is cold outside.

Hendrik van Wyk

Flannel Cowboy

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Underwear?

For Grown up Hockey Players

Winter Shirts

Snuggles

For Her 

New Beginnings in Banff

o-CNN: How to Fill Big Shoes and Take Care of Your Boots at Alberta Boot Company in Calgary, Alberta

Filling Big Shoes

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Most family businesses don't survive generation three.

Forbes states that family businesses generate over fifty percent of the US Gross National Product (GNP). It is no different in Canada, New Zealand or Australia. In fact, it is even more widespread Downunder due to the higher concentration of smaller firms.

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These businesses are significant economic contributors. They create wealth, and scores of people are involved with them in job creation, local employment and support for activities in their communities. It concerns that less than one-third of family businesses survive the transition from first to second generational ownership. Another fifty percent doesn’t survive the transition from second to the third generation.

According to Harvard Business Review, seventy percent of family-owned businesses fail or are sold before the second generation gets a chance to take over. Just ten percent remain active, privately held companies for the third generation to lead. Why is this?

The reality is that family businesses only change when the pain is so great that they can’t stay where they are. There are many challenges subsequent generations face such as coping with shifts in technology, changing business models and consumer behaviour. Family firms in developing markets also face new threats from globalisation. Products are made cheaper overseas and shipped all over the world. It threatens smaller local operators. In many ways, leading a family-owned business has never been harder.

Ben Gerwing is the third generation in charge of Alberta Boot Company Co. He has big shoes to fill because his legacy is integrally part of the western identity of the Province and the city's character thanks to the annual Calgary Stampede event. This comes with opportunity. He also has to battle a substantial amount of inertia as a young proprietor of an iconic brand and the last remaining - only western boot manufacturer left in Western Canada.

Alberta Boot Co. was an idea that came from Ben's grandfather, Clement Gerwing in the mid-1970's. He was selling western boots from Mexico and Quebec out of his wholesale footwear store. The demand for well made western boots was high, and he didn't like the quality and products coming in from out of Province and out of Country. This was when he decided to start a new venture at an age many were considering retirement. Alberta Boot Co. was founded as premium western boot manufacturer.

Thirty-nine years later they still make all their boots the same way they did at the beginning, even using quite a few of the original machines to add to the allure and individuality of every pair of boots produced.

Alberta Boot Co. has outfitted Royalty, movie stars, entertainers, celebrities, athletes, public figures, religious leaders, and most importantly - ordinary people from all over the world who are intrigued by the mystique of the Wild West! "There is no greater compliment that we could receive," Ben says, "than when a customer comes into our store and lays down their hard earned money for a pair of Alberta Boots. People still appreciate quality hand-made boots.

Observations

I admire Ben for his continued commitment to the foundational values of the business he inherited. He remains dedicated to his heritage and to the community that trusts him to continue the legacy. Alberta Boot Co. was founded on hand-crafted quality custom boots and personal service.

With these values firmly ingrained, Ben is now taking cautious steps towards moving Alberta Boot Co. into the new millennium, with newer products for a younger, urban and more contemporary consumer. The good news is that it is made with the same uncompromising commitment because the core values of his business don't go out of fashion. Ever!

We checked in with Ben to get instructions on how to take care of our Alberta Boots during the cold, dry Canadian winter months.

If you don't yet have a pair of boots, you can order a pair online. No, it is not the "one-click" order variety that so many online stores offer nowadays. Fortunately, you will still have to talk to a real person. The good news is that once they have your size, it is easy to order another pair or a different style. Ask for Ben. Tell him the Two Cowboys sent you.

Remember that you better like and look after your boots. You are going to have them for a very long time.

Hendrik van Wyk
Alberta Cowboy

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Future Boots

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o-CNN: Christmas 2016 at the Calgary Farmers' Market in Alberta, Canada

Not Just a Summer Thing

It is that time of year again. We were just getting ready for 2016, to realize that it slipped out right from under us. It is almost gone. Before we know it we will have survived Christmas too. It is likely to be a non-event this year with all the other things that took place to make this an epic year.

Or, will it?

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You know it is the last few days when the snow starts to fall and the bells start to ring. It is that time of year when you get those mysterious little notes around the house. Notes with hints. Suggestions. Lists. On your desk. Under your pillow. On Facebook!

The Two Cowboys also received a note. It came from Kerry Miller, the Calgary Farmers' Market Event Organizer. She invited us to find out what is on offer at the market for Christmas. A first for the Calgary market. We thought that Farmer's Markets were a Summer only affair. We were wrong.

By now you probably know we cannot let an invitation to a market go unanswered. We had to oblige and find out more. We found that it is a new holiday tradition at the Calgary Farmers’ Market titled as Calgary’s "Newest" Christmas Market.  From November 18th to December 11th, 2016 you will be able to visit all of the favourite vendors, plus a number of new and exciting "pop-up" holiday vendors offering Yuletide gifts, food, jewellery, décor and more. Everything for your lists.

There will be plenty of activities from Santa and Carollers to gifting workshops and kids’ activities. It is more of the good things you are accustomed to at the market, only Christmassy.

The festivities kicks off on the 18th of November. More details here.

It is free to attend and guaranteed to fill your stockings, empty your wallet and put smiles on your family's faces. Now you have another excuse to hang out with friends at our local market. You may just find us there too. It is our people.

Thank you for the invitation, Kerry!
Glad we received your note.

Hendrik van Wyk
Christmas Cowboy

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o-CNN: Two Cowboys are Wearing Swazi Outdoor Clothing - Thank You Davey for being our Sponsor

Swazi is Sponsoring the Two Cowboys & A Camera

A big thank you to Davey Hughes and the team at Swazi Outdoor Clothing for our Two Cowboys custom jackets. They are really nice and custom made for our work in Canada. Not only does it make us look good, the jackets are made with special materials that will also keep us warm and dry in an unforgiving climate.

"For as little as $1/month you will get the inside track on content like this and follow the travels of the Two Cowboys & A Camera. Join here."

When we reached out to Davey and Swazi earlier this year our plans were merely to tell an inspiring story. You can see and read about it here. We've since become friends and whenever we are on New Zealand we are looking for an excuse to look them up in Levin. We are really appreciative that Davey, Amber and Sharee decided to make Swazi Outdoor Clothing one of our sponsors.

We consider ourselves part of the Swazi Clan. As clan members, we wear our Swazi gear with other committed members while we all tell the world about the outdoor clothing makers in Levin, New Zealand. These are people that are proud of their work. Hikers, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts all over the world appreciate the care and dedication that goes into making high-quality garments that are comfortable. The gear lasts. It keeps people safe and warm. 

The seamstresses of Swazi are so proud of their products that they work their names into the labels of the garments so that you know who made yours and that you can personally thank them. 

The Clan of Swazi is growing here in Canada. You can join here.

Social Entrepreneurship

In all our travels we find entrepreneurs with a community focus. People that stand out amongst others. They make products and provide services that recognize a need for addressing a bigger cause or issue. Profit is not the ultimate motive. Creating value in their respective communities is their drive.

Wikipedia define it as Social Entrepreneurship where entrepreneurs use techniques to develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. "For-profit entrepreneurs typically measure performance using business metrics like profit, revenues and increases in stock prices, but social entrepreneurs are either non-profits or blend for-profit goals with generating a positive "return to society" and therefore must use different metrics."

Real Producers are Social Entrepreneurs. In their communities they make products and provide services that benefit themselves, their families and the people around them. They sponsor the schools and local community programs. They create local employment and give children in the community a chance to start their careers. They teach. They make sure that the value remain with the people that helped to create it in the first place.

They are also the biggest contributors to the taxes that fund our public services. With these Producers our communities thrive. That is why we need more if them. We need to look after them. That is why the Two Cowboys are proud to tell their stories.

Sponsorship

We are also a Social Enterprise. Our cause is to encourage more people to make things for their own sake and for the benefit of those around them. We tell the stories of these Producers and help them to market their businesses. Many are micro and small businesses that cannot afford high value video production and marketing services. We are funded through your donations and sponsorships and by people that support our cause. All our earnings are applied back to covering our costs of marketing and promoting these Producers and their inspiring local communities. 

If you wish to get involved in our cause like Swazi Outdoor Clothing, Weta Coffee and others, you can support us by donating and sponsoring or booking us here: www.forwardthefavour.com

Thank you Davey, Amber and Sharee, and the Team at Swazi Outdoor Clothing. We wear our Swazi proudly.

Hendrik van Wyk

Swazi Clan Member

Get rewarded for supporting our local Producers: Receive special offers and invitations from the Two Cowboys and our Producers when you subscribe to our email list.

Who we are: We are a social enterprise. We are funded through donations and sponsorship. 

All our earnings are applied back to covering our costs of marketing and promoting Producers and inspiring local communities. Please support us to bring you more (www.forwardthefavour.com)