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Jack Weil: Years Haven't Worn Down Popularity of His DesignsAt 105 years old, Western wear maker Jack Weil may be the oldest chief executive in America, but he's making new fans daily in Hollywood as well as among cowboys.
Customers such as Ronald Reagan, Clark Gable, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Meg Ryan have donned Rockmount Ranch Wear, which also was featured in the movie "Brokeback Mountain."
Weil says the reason he has outlasted his competitors is obvious.
"Because they're all in the cemetery," he deadpanned in a recent interview.
But Rockmount Ranch Wear Manufacturing Co., which he founded 60 years ago, is a style leader in his garment realm.
"Papa Jack," as he's known, was the first to use snaps rather than buttons on shirts, a revolution for the industry.
The diamond-shaped snaps and jagged "saw-toothed" pocket designs that he created are the gold standard in Western shirts even today.
"It's the longest-running shirt design in America - Western or otherwise," said Steve Weil, the third-generation Weil to work at the family business.
more: www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-we... (107)
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13/4/2006 | Viewed 14,475 time(s)
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