Clothing company Rustic Ridge was started by Wagga’s Marlee Creasy after she realised work clothes weren’t always as durable as they could have been. Photo: Supplied.
Working in a field or on a farm can be taxing, not just on the body but also on equipment and clothes.
With varying conditions, it can be difficult to find attire that is both comfortable and durable.
Riverina farmer Marlee Creasy decided to tackle the problem head-on by launching her own western-style clothing company, Rustic Ridge.
Originally launching as an online shop, Rustic Ridge has expanded, hitting markets and shows across the Riverina.
“I started the clothing company around this time last year,” Ms Creasy said.
“Just being a mum of three and having a family farm as well, I just wanted to do something that I could build for myself. I have built up another small business before, which I really enjoyed, but the busy season also clashed with the harvest. So yeah, it wasn’t much fun towards the end.
“I thought, yeah, why not start my own country clothing brand?”
Ms Creasy said she remembered the first piece of clothing she owned was a pair of work shorts on the farm. She said she had torn through and used so many pairs growing up, and the idea of creating something sustainable led to the idea of her starting the business.
“Sometimes clothes can barely survive harvest season,” she said.
“So I wanted to design something functional with deep zipped pockets, so things don’t go walkabout. I also wanted fabric that actually holds up for the entire season, as well as something that at the end of the day was just comfortable.”
Despite only operating for just over a year, Ms Creasy’s shop has already grown to sell shirts, vests, jumpers, shorts, hats and caps as well as accessories such as purses.
Each of the products sold by Rustic Ridge is designed by Ms Creasy herself. She said it was important to build a comfortable and reliable product to fit farmers’ busy lifestyles.
“As soon as your shorts blow out or there’s a hole in your top, you don’t get to go into town and go shopping the majority of the time,” she said.
“Depending on the season, too, money isn’t always flowing, so spending money on clothing isn’t at the top of your priority list.
“Having clothing that’s reliable, and, you know, obviously comfortable, so you don’t have to keep adjusting yourself when you’re working and things are extremely important.”
While still new to the clothing game, Ms Creasy said she was thankful to all the customers and businesses who had jumped on board to spread the Rustic Ridge name.
“The growth of Rustic Ridge has been nice and steady, which has been great,” she said.
“It’s always nice and rewarding when you get recommended for the quality, and people know and trust you.
“We’re starting to attend a couple of big events and really spread the brand. We were at the speed shear here in Wagga on the weekend, and we’ve also just been accepted into The Man from Snowy River event in Corryong, which we’re really excited about.
“It’s been exciting to get our brand out there and see people really like our product.”
To check out all the latest clothing from Rustic Ridge, be sure to visit its website here.
