The Back Story of the First Cowboy Kimono
Francesca Blueher easily identifies as an independent-minded person. She is my older sister, leader of our clan of six children, and a self- described “hero from zero to now.” She is also the first owner of a Cowboy Kimono. As her birthday approached in 1996, I found myself fund-challenged and needing to come up with a zero dollar present—stat! I took a denim jacket from the closet, dusted off my fabric paints, and spawned the first Cowboy Kimono.
It is not unusual for Francesca to act on her own initiative and her Cowboy Kimono (featured above) is a reflection of that. Curious about what appears to be an undying devotion to the garment and an insistence on wearing it well beyond its life expectancy, I asked her to share about her Cowboy Kimono crush.
Do you still have the jacket or has it crossed the rainbow bridge?
FRANCESCA: “I still have it and I will never get rid of it. It is 25 years old, a quarter of a century! Perhaps I will include it in my will – maybe going to my (yet-to-be-born) granddaughter.”
You wear/wore the jacket to tennis matches – what’s the story behind that wardrobe strategy?
FRANCESCA: “I’m not playing competitive tennis anymore, but I wore it as a form of sunscreen until I hit the court and put it back on as I walked off the court. The wardrobe strategy? To be used as a protective garment.”
What’s the oddest / funniest / best / most inspiring encounter you’ve experienced while wearing the jacket?
FRANCESCA: “My daughter said, ‘My gawd, every time you wore that you would get a compliment on it!’ I started putting Cowboy Kimono business cards in the pocket and giving them away when people asked me about it. I’ve worn it to New York, Paris, and Japan. In New York, it gets a lot of compliments.”
Why did you continue to wear it when the denim began to “evaporate?”
FRANCESCA: “OMG it just got better and better as the denim evaporated. It didn’t get older, it just got better – just like me!”
What do you want people to know about it?
FRANCESCA: “I wear it to gala or formal fundraising events – much to my husband’s chagrin. I wear it because that beautiful design on the back is meant to go with anything and is such a celebratory design. The jean jacket is the fancy. “
Do you have any special connection to the jacket’s subject matter?
FRANCESCA: “It fits me like a glove. The design is stunning. Absolutely love how perfect the colors are. I’ve never had a piece of clothing that I love as much as this Cowboy Kimono.
If you have a favorite garment that only gets better with time, please share a photo and your story in the comments. #FashionCrush.