Shopping from the past: Portland Outdoor Store

Portland Outdoor Store
Originally uploaded by agfachrome25

Since my travel budget will only permit Amtrak trips up the I-5 coordinator (and not Tokyo shopping sprees), I'm focusing on Oregon specific retailers, like the Portland Outdoor Store, which carry USA made workwear, westernwear and Lucchese cowboy boots (not on my shopping list, but a genre of boot I've come to visually admire by way of friends. Here's a striking, NOS sample pair). I purchased my first Barbour coat from the POS and they often have new old stock options like amazingly well made English jodhpur boots (if you wear a child's size), gabardine hacking jackets or Barbour jackets in the old four flap pocket style (from back when Barbour had a product range of only six or seven unisex jackets). POS is located in a slightly less gentrified area of downtown Portland. Every time I stop by the awning looks a bit more tattered (and the last time I visited, part of the main display window had been boarded up after a car collision). I highly recommend visiting POS (and making a purchase) before they go out of the business (not that they're actually going out of business--but given my luck with archival brands, I'm already regretting their closure five years in advance). If you get a chance, chat w/the owner/manager who loves to talk about Filson marketing strategies or the decline of western pleasure horsemanship (due to the skyrocketing price of hay). A few more photos from my flickr set.