Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Fashion & Style

Purnell Offers Hard Working Clothes for Hard Working People

Rick Stella
By

purnell clothing feature purnell2
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Creating a clothing line that’s equal parts durable, stylish, and rugged is much easier conceptualized than realized. For Purnell co-founders Brita Womack and Brent Dehlsen, their path to starting an apparel brand that checked these boxes started with thinking about what they’d want to wear. Plain and simple. To their credit, the finished product is a passionately constructed range of long-lasting clothing fit for anyone.

Concerning the original ideas behind what eventually became Purnell, each founder culled inspiration from their own hectic lives. With Dehlsen’s background featuring extensive work utilizing harnesses and wrenches to work on wind turbines, he desired clothing that was comfortable and tough. In Womack’s corner, a rather crafty childhood shaped a creative spirit that led to her sewing her own clothes as a young woman. Later on, it was her experience as a busy mother who still cared about her style which formed her own desire to wear clothing that not only looked good but stood up to the rigors of daily life.

purnell1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

These separate yet similar paths led Womack and Dehlsen to officially unveil Purnell, a company keenly focused on delivering enduring and fashionable clothing for (as its site puts it) movers, makers, and innovators. Strolling through Purnell’s online catalog shows it’s firmly committed to this vision, offering a range of options capable of looking good in anyone’s closet but also prove to be tough as hell — trust us, we put its latest Possum knit beanie and Indigo Chambray shirt to the test and they did nothing but impress.

Recommended Videos

Though Womack and Dehlsen created the foundation of Purnell out of their own important style needs, the two quickly point to the influence a slew of prominent makers had (and continue to have) on their lasting business. From winemakers and coffee roasters to bicycle framers and architects, Purnell’s curated list of admirable makers showcases the exact kind of people Purnell was created for — i.e. those who take pride in what they do and work with passion.

As the brand gears up for the coming seasons, it’s clear Purnell’s focus remains on providing a line that’s lightweight, versatile, and constructed to as high a quality as Womack and Dehlsen know its customers deserve — they are their own customers, after all.

To take a look at Purnell’s entire collection, head on over to the brand’s website.

Editors' Recommendations

Rick Stella
Rick Stella
Rick is a staff writer for The Manual, covering everything from men's fashion and accessories, to the best new brands and…
Banana Republic’s New Jeans Are Changing the Way Denim Is Made
banana republic dry indigo denim jeans feature

Doing things sustainably in the fashion industry -- one that can sometimes cut corners in favor of churning out the latest and greatest -- isn’t always easy. And that’s doubly so when it comes to crafting men’s denim, one of the most energy and resource-intensive products on the market -- and yet, Banana Republic’s remarkable new Dry Indigo Denim is changing the way denim is made by using a heck of a lot less water than normal in the process. 

By a heck of a lot less water, to be precise, we mean that Banana Republic’s new denim line is made using 99% (yes, 99%) less water than conventional denim, to go along with 89% fewer chemicals, reducing energy usage by a whopping 65% in the process. It’s the foam-dyeing process that cuts down on energy and water usage so effectively, while at the same time delivering a pair of jeans with the same look, fit, and feel as traditional (less eco-conscious) denim. 

Read more
Flannel Suits are a Thing and You Should Wear One this Winter
men's flannel suit

It's the end of the year and your calendar is filling up with holiday parties and huge end-of-year meetings. But you don't have a thing to wear.

Well, not nothing, per se, but your wardrobe needs an upgrade if you're going to put your best foot forward at that big budget meeting or dinner with the in-laws. To do so, turn away from your typical suiting styles and turn toward a flannel suit and be prepared to step your winter tailoring up a notch in a big way. Yeah, flannel suits are a thing. Shocked? Don't be.

Read more
Shop the Latest and Greatest from Filson’s Fall Collection
shop filson fall collection picks featured image

Just as you’ve surely got your favorite brands for the warmer months, we’ve got our essential, must-buy brands for fall and winter and the legendary, rugged heritage of Filson puts them right near the top of our list. We give you our favorite style essentials from Filson. They run the gamut from a beastly, heritage jacket to your new favorite weekender bag, with a few handy extras thrown in for good measure. Pack it in, layer up, and dive into our favorite fall and winter style picks from an iconic Pacific Northwest-based brand.
Filson Weather Work Jac-Shirt - $150

When you need a bold shirt that’s so much more than just a shirt, reach for the wind and abrasion-resistant Weather Worker Jac-Shirt, made with tightly woven cotton twill and featuring nylon detailing. For cold fall and winter mornings where the job just can’t wait, this is the shirt to buy.
Shop Now

Read more