MILWAUKEE — Western and cowboy fashion is still trendy, just ask the owners of Las Palmas Western Wear in Milwaukee.
"More and more of these kids from high school are picking up on this, you know, and it’s a trend," Juan Ordaz, the manager said.
Las Palmas at 600 W. Historic Mitchell St. has been one of the premier places in Milwaukee for old school western wear. The store is filled with gorgeous boots, stunning cowboy hats, and everything in between like bolo ties, belts, jeans, and jackets.
You don't need to own a ranch to put these clothes on. Ordaz said he gets people from all different backgrounds and walks of life inside his shop.
"I wouldn’t say that there’s a majority of one group coming in. It's all mixed."
Las Palmas Western Wear (not to be confused with Las Palmas restaurant) was opened in 1995 by Ordaz's father, who is also named Juan Ordaz. Originally, it was a grocery store, but Ordaz Sr. quickly transitioned to fashion.
“I don’t know, I like the boots ,you know, so I started with 10 pairs of boots," he said.
Then things exploded. Business was booming. It's what allowed them to have everything from $70 boots to $500 boots. In fact, they even have a $1,000 Stetson hat.
"We do have customers that like, you know, the good stuff, so we try to keep something in stock for them," Ordaz Jr. said.
This isn’t just another clothing store, though. This is also a connection to their Mexican roots.
“We very connected, you know with the heritage, and this helps to keep going," Ordaz Sr. said.
Juan senior was born near Leon, Mexico, which is one of the boot capitals of the world. Now with his son in charge, it’s a way of keeping the tradition alive.
“To bring a little bit of that over here, mixed with our Mexican culture and tradition, its been really good for us," Ordaz Jr. said.
The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
