Dancing skills and traveling to music festivals are integral to Community Closet’s Deluxe Rural Wear (DRW) brand and history. DRW tours the Rocky Mountain West as an innovative way to reach a younger, edgier niche market with the many eclectic vintage and western wear fashions we receive. Back by popular demand, DRW returns to Treefort Music Festival in Boise for the 7th year in a row this March.
DRW is also the story of Community Closet CEO Caron Cooper and her son, Bill. When he was a sophomore in high school, Bill asked his mother to not only let him skip school but also drive him 8 hours to the Treefort festival. “I recall being so stunned that I couldn’t speak” said Cooper. But Bill wasn’t going to let it go and says, “I started sharing music from Treefort bands I knew she would love – like Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside.” Cooper listened and was hooked. At a Decemberist concert with Bill in Missoula she’d noticed that the music fans were the perfect crowd for the many retro and western fashions the store received but had no local market for. She decided Treefort would be the perfect test market and DRW was born. “The highlight of Treefort year one was Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside’s performance at the Linen Building. Sallie jumped off the stage to join me on the dance floor,” says Cooper.
Stories abound in the wake of DRW’s mobile vintage fashion unit. Our region is an enclave full of cowboys, actors, writers, outdoor enthusiasts, and rodeo queens so we receive a wealth of western and storied vintage fashion donations. These fun and funky pieces have already stood the test of time and go on to live storied lives and DRW hears regularly hears great stories about the adventures DRW garb has had. “I got a pair of shoes here a few years ago, they ended up being my favorite shoes. I traveled all over Europe in those. Thank you! - Jackie Hutchens”
DRW delivers head to toe style; from sassy hats, to faux fur coats, to retro maxi dresses, to frilled tux shirts, to leather boots. Their motto is “Expect Imperfections” and everything’s only $5. These vintage and rural fashions are chosen for those with creative sensibilities and personalized fashion sense and are a perfect fit for music festival fans and bands. “They’ve been a blessing for every Treefort,” wrote Berg, guitarist for the Portland, Oregon-based band And And And. “The ‘Fairest Store of Them All.’ Shoes, boots, and weird vintage clothes have decorated my life for the past four years. Thank you for what you do and who you are.”
The most recent DRW partnership in Livingston is the High Trash Boutique on Main Street. This hip boutique reaches a younger demographic that’s a perfect fit for DRW’s unique and vintage styles. We’re excited about this new partnership and they donate $5 to us for every DRW piece they sell. Visit High Trash Boutique at 113 S Main Street to access DRW’s curated western and vintage styles.
Back by popular demand, DRW continues its tradition of attending the Treefort Music Fest in Boise March 23–25 from 1-9 pm weather permiting at Grove and 11th with our eclectic 1970's - 1980's styles and vintage western wear with all profits donated to Park County charitable organizations. In response to festival participants’ needs, those wearing a Treefort artist wristband get one free thrift item, socks are free, and everything’s $5 – including coats and boots - for those on the road in need of stylish but crucial layers. “I bought a beautiful ‘60s cotton wedding dress here. I LOVE this store. Long live Treefort,” an anonymous shopper wrote in DRW’s guestbook.
All bands are encouraged to contact DRW for merchandise to screen with their logo; from sorted T-shirts, to sets of caps, to snapshirts. Phone 406-222-6200 to make arrangements for upcycled, enviro-friendly merchandise. DRW’s fun and funky pieces will continue to live on, having new adventures and living storied lives.
Learn more at https://www.communitycloset.org/deluxe-rural-wear