More Duluth Real Women - Duluth Trading Company

Hello Duluth Trading Company,

I love your products. I am a stay-at-home mom with four children age 8 and younger. My husband drives a truck 65+ hours a week, so many duties are left to me. A year ago, we moved to remote Eastern Montana, and I quickly set about searching for warmer gear. That's when I discovered your website.

Duluthtrading.com is now the first place I go when there's something we need. My husband and I are glad to have our Grab Jackets and Spare Pair Gloves as winter approaches. I take my Travel Tote to the library with the kids. After four children, your Boot Cut Jeans are the first I've found that fit me well! And I'm still amazed that I can pack lunch for my family of 6 in Louie's Lunch Box!

My life is rather average, but I enjoy spending my time with my family and doing the things we love. My daughter took this photo on one of the many outings we've been on together this year. Thank you for making such great products that not only help professionals, but also help me in my daily life.

Jana

Hello Duluth Trading Company,

I am a Duluth Real Woman: a 69-year-old grandmother who lives in your women's bib overalls and t-shirts. I shovel manure daily (yep!), care for our two old hay burners, and do many chores around our property.

Sincerely,
Dianne in Vermont

Dear Duluth Trading Company,

Karen grew up in Tulsa, OK. In the fifth grade, she stumbled into an adult oil painting class by accident and immediately discovered her First Love. She has been an artist ever since.

Karen went on to get a college degree in History, but that did not lead to any profession she was particularly interested in. Unable to survive as a starving artist, she signed up with a temp service and found herself working in a cabinet shop. It was a perfect fit! She had a natural gift for the work. After ten years in that position, Karen became a project manager for a high-end custom furniture company. The work was challenging and interesting, but she always held out hope that someday she would have her own shop.

In 2006, she opened Howl Woodworks in an abandoned, late 1800s red brick schoolhouse with two rooms. The school kitchen became her oil painting studio and finishing booth. Karen crafts everything from bread boards to complete kitchens. Each project is custom designed to the customer's specifications. At times, she retreats to the kitchen to paint Southwestern scenes. Saturday mornings in the summer and fall find Karen at her local Farmers' Market booth selling small wood pieces, brownies, and her mother's knitted hats and scarves.

Through the years Karen has used many Duluth products — totes, brief cases, Grab jackets, sweats and especially aprons. Here she is with three generations of aprons that have seen her through many projects with both wood and oils. Looks like it is about time to order a new one!

Sincerely,
Ginger (Karen's mom)

Dear Duluth Trading Company,

I'm an English professor and writer during the week, and on Sundays I do
lawn maintenance for a couple who has many, many fruit trees and a few
rental properties. I love wearing your clothing for my "Sunday job." It has
helped me through harvesting and caring for grapes, peaches, apples,
nectarines, pears, and many, many other plants as well as cleaning gutters
and all kinds of other work.

I'm including two pictures of me: one working my Sunday job harvesting
grapes, and another of me fishing in the Deschutes River.

Thank you so much and take care!
Shaindel

Hi Duluth Trading,

My talented sweetheart Rebecca is your woman. She bought a duplex at age 27 and renovated half of it, teaching herself as she went. She framed, tiled, laid floors, etc. She had such fun that she quit her job as a professional goldsmith and became a carpenter. She's the only woman carpenter in the company, and quickly gained the boys' respect even though she had no formal training. When Rebecca took four months off her carpentry job to totally rehabilitate our home, I became her apprentice. She has taught me and her co-workers to separate our construction debris into many containers so it can be recycled. She sent over 300 lbs. of metal to the recycling depot and two 15-yard dumpsters of wood to the biomass power plant!

Rebecca also uses her wits and hands to make all sorts of amazing things. One holiday season, she welded used train car springs, car brake rotors and pipe hangers into stylish lamps (see picture). She converted our family station wagon to run on vegetable oil! And she's replaced car engines, replaced clutches, and rebuilt motorcycles for fun. Plus, she has run the Vermont City Marathon twice!

Rebecca believes that she can actively create a better and more equitable world for women, and she's been a camp counselor at "Rosie's Girls" summer camp for a couple years, teaching auto tech, carpentry and more.

Lastly, Rebecca loves your catalog. She likes the fact that you don't have twiggy models and that you sell practical stuff. She is thrilled with the leather work boots she bought from you: "Finally, a pair of women's work boots that work!"

Thanks for having this feature as part of your outreach to customers. It's great.

Best,
Chapin (Rebecca's husband)

Hi Duluth Trading,

I'm sending you a photo of me, months after the knock-out ice storm on January 27, 2009, in Northwest Arkansas. Hauling off tree branches by hand was a little easier because I had my Duluth gloves, and that's my Duluth cap I'm wearing. So even for us older women who aren't professional gardeners or vets, your products are a big help! (The ice storm wasn't national news, I guess – we were without electricity and had no heat, phone, road, etc. for 10 days – because no one could get out to the rural areas to photograph it. But the crews that came in to clean up the electric lines said the damage was worse than Katrina, where they had also been called in. It's just that we were a smaller population in a much larger and hilly, wooded area. )

I plan to stock up on some warm clothes from Duluth for this coming winter, and hope I won't need them.

Sincerely, Priscilla

Hi Duluth Trading,

I am a fan of your catalog and have purchased several items for myself and my family. I have been reading about the Real Women and really enjoy the stories. I also enjoy the fact that you make clothes for women with muscles and strong bodies. I am the mother of three adult children and a PhD-prepared pediatric nurse practitioner by trade, but I am also a musher. I noticed you did not have any mushers in your stories, so I thought I would send you mine.

I have wanted to mush since I read "Call of the Wild" as a child. Three years ago, at age 49, I decided to teach myself to mush. I was fortunate to meet a musher who was retiring. He provided me with three trained, older dogs. I had one 10-month-old Siberian Husky puppy at the time. The older dogs taught me and the puppy how to mush. Today I have 12 pure-bred Siberian Huskies. Most of my dogs are rescues but we did just have a litter in May. My kennel is called Anam Cara (Gaelic for "Soul Mate"), and it's located in Northwest Vermont – where there is plenty of snow for mushing. I love every minute of the adventures the dogs and I have out on the trail. Last winter we did our first race, and this summer we plan to enter some dog shows.

I use my Duluth Coveralls to do kennel chores the nights I am on call at the office. I go home to feed the dogs, but I have to go right back to work. The Coveralls keep me clean, since I don't have time to change before going out to the kennel.

Thanks for listening to our story, and thanks for making products for Real Women.

Jean

A few months back, we got wind of a Duluth employee's ambitious aim to run a relay race with some other moms from her neighborhood. They all had running experience, but this wasn't just any old relay: it was the Ragnar Relay, a 24-hour, 195-mile race from Winona, MN to Minneapolis. Just what had they got themselves into?

Each member of the 12-person team would run three legs, ranging between 3-8 miles. Two support vehicles would carry the resting runners and supplies to each relay switch. The kicker? You gotta run all night. And if your van overheats, rely on the kindness of strangers to get your runners in place (like Denise did when her van steamed up at 12:30 a.m.).

We outfitted the team with wicking tees and blister-busting SmartWool® socks ("Everyone continues to talk about the socks!" says Denise) and asked for a full report.

"We finished!!!" says Denise, who ran a total of 19.4 miles. "The race was awesome! Everyone had a really great time. We even finished 2 hours ahead of our initial estimated finish time. Thanks a lot for the great gear. Everyone loved it!"

We think "Real Women Relay" has a nice ring to it. Congrats!

Desert heat can't beat this Real Woman and her Action Shirts

Hi Duluth Trading,

Just got a new catalog from you and decided to respond when I saw my faithful Action Shirts inside. I have just returned from Jordan and Egypt (hot!) and took 4 of these shirts. They were dipped and dripped dry many times during the 3 weeks and served me so WELL! So, though there is no hard labor on my part anymore, you should know that retirees love you, too. From ruins hopping to camelback rides, this wardrobe from Duluth Trading was fantastic! Thanks so much.

Edye

Dear Duluth,

Years ago, I bought my work clothes at local retail stores. Of course, if you've ever looked at the "work" clothes they sell for women, you quickly see that they are too tight and short to actually be used for work. I was stuck trying to find men's work clothes that fit well enough to get by. They were never comfortable, and they looked horrible. When I first heard of Duluth's women's work clothing line, I was ecstatic. I have been wearing a variety of your pants ever since they came out. My favorite are the fleece- lined work jeans. My work uniform dictates pants be jeans and shorts be khaki. In the winter, I am outside for a majority of the day, and the fleece-lined jeans are spectacular. I can layer them with thermal pants and stay nice and warm while still being able to move.

Thanks to Duluth Trading, I can get through every day at work all throughout a New England year. No more misfit pants, short shorts, or jeans that wear through in a month. Thank you so much for making work gear for women who really do tough work.

Melissa

Dear Duluth Trading,

My mother-in-law showed me your catalog and I fell in love with the styles and the fact that you use everyday women as your models.

My father became a police officer when I was 13. Hearing his experiences, I began to consider his line of work as a career choice for me. I was active and tough, which put me right in the running, I thought, to be a police officer.

I was accepted into the Police Cadet program after graduating high school. I attended a community college, worked as a cadet, and played basketball and softball at the college level. After two years at community college, I earned an Associate’s degree and applied to a university, where I was accepted as a student and competitive athlete. Prior to my senior year, I turned 21, passed all my tests, and was sworn in as an officer in June 1991.

After completing ten weeks of basic training at the police academy, I was able to work full time, finish my last year playing sports, and continue my education earning a Bachelors of Arts degree. Since then, I've worked in various areas of the department as a Community Police officer, gang officer, crime scene technician, and now Patrol Sergeant. I am a firearms and defensive tactics instructor for our officers, and 17-and-a-half years into the career...I am still loving it!

Now, here's where your clothing line comes in. When you wear a uniform and gear all day like I do, you want to change into comfortable clothing! Your style is very appealing, and the comfort for the active and working woman is right on target!

Sincerely,
Kim

Dear Duluth,

Here's my Duluth story. I am a scientist in training and working on a Master's degree in plant physiology. I live in northern Arizona, but I work in the old-growth redwood forests of northern California where I study how the world's tallest trees function. When it comes to trekking through the forest and navigating over fallen logs that are as tall as I am with a backpack full of scientific equipment, Duluth's Work Pants are the absolute best I can find. Their comfort, durability and most importantly, stretch, allows me to climb, leap, crawl and trip through the forest. The mosquitoes can be awful at certain times of year so Duluth's long sleeve Sun Beater Work Shirts protect me while keeping me cool at the same time.

This last time out we didn't climb to the tops of any trees but we installed some micro-climate weather stations throughout the forest. Duluth's work clothes did me proud and let me work with ease. I'm hoping next time we go out that I will be the first-ever person to wear a pair of Duluth Work Pants in the canopy of these 350-foot tall giants. Meanwhile, back in Arizona, where I climb Ponderosa pine trees for fun with my friends, Duluth has stood the test of pine pitch and rope burn. Thanks for the tough clothes.

Christina

Dear Friends at Duluth Trading,

I would love to be included on your "Real Women" page. Some of my favorite products are the Fire Hose® Work Pants, Bogs™ Boots, Stretch Boot Cut Jeans, Souped-up Sweatpants, Scout's Seat Saver, the hooded Grab Jacket and the Nitrile Gloves. I'm sure I'm forgetting something! I'm attaching photos of my dog Bandit and me in a cattle herding test at the Australian Cattle Dog National last fall. It was cold, wet, and muddy and my flowered Bogs Boots and Nitrile Gloves saved the day!

After Hurricane Katrina, I spent a week caring for rescued animals in Louisiana. When Hurricane Rita approached we had to evacuate, and I drove back home to Minnesota with an old rescued cattle dog to foster. My book, 8 State Hurricane Kate: The Journey and Legacy of a Katrina Cattle Dog, is the story of our journey together as Kate healed from the trauma and I tried to find out where she came from. That trip changed my focus in life and brought me back to spending more time and energy on my childhood desire to help animals.

Along the way, I was inspired to continue writing because I hoped the book would help me find Kate's original family. As the network grew, the book became something more: an opportunity to pay it forward. Thus, the 8 State Kate Fund was born. At least 50% of book profits go to the fund, providing financial relief for animals in desperate situations. (Learn more at www.8StateKate.net.)

Thanks for your consideration!

Jenny

Duluth saves Las Vegas's sweet peas! (Real Woman Colleen helped, too.)

Dear Duluth Trading,

It never snows in Las Vegas, but boy, when it did, I sure was glad I had my Duluth Spare Pair Fleece Gloves, my Nantucket Hat, and my warm Duluth Work Shirt! Our winter sweet peas were just starting to emerge when the snow came down. We covered them with plastic cups for protection until the sun came out days later. Not pictured that frozen day was my Duluth Kneeling Pad, which I love when working in the garden!

I adore the fit and functionality of your women’s products, and my tall husband, Tom, loves the F.O.M.™ Pants and Shirts.

It has been my shopping pleasure to buy your quality clothing and gear for the past several years. Even our tool shed and cars are “decked out” and organized as well.

I have also found that your e-mail and telephone staff are knowledgeable and friendly. Thank goodness!

Sincerely,
Colleen

Rebecca in a rare moment: sitting still!

Hi Duluth,

That’s me with my 4-year-old grandson and my husband. I am a fitness professional – long-time group fitness instructor and personal trainer – and also the Department Manager for the Physical Education, Health and Recreation Department at a university in Bellingham, Washington. Although I am 60 years young, I still teach a staff fitness class, personal train, teach an instructor training course and manage the P.E. Department’s large Physical Activity course program.

My husband and I commute to work daily by bicycle, bike tour on the weekends, and are avid cross-country skiers. We have ordered a huge variety of your products – everything from clothing, shoes, toys, bags, games, boots, gloves and hats. We love your products and I was thrilled when you started your women’s clothing line.

Sincerely,
Rebecca