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Bib Overall Fashion Show A Big Hit In South Dakota
Trygve Trooien’s fashion shows may not make it to New York, but they sure are popular around Astoria, S. Dak. When his girls hit the runway at senior centers, banquets, threshing bees and town celebrations, they have a similar – yet different look. All are wearing bib overalls from Trooien’s one-of-a-kind collection.

    As a packrat with plenty of room in his 18-room farm house, Trooien didn’t even realize he had a unique collection until about 12 years ago. He had saved overalls his mother had patched as well as brands he had tried to see if they were better than his favorite brand, which is Lee. A friend suggested he put on a fashion show, and the 1,000-acre rancher who raises beef cattle and milks 30 purebred Holsteins added fashion shows to his resume.

    He has taken the show on the road as far as Atwater, Minn., and Oacoma and Brandon, S. Dak. – often pairing up with Used Cotton, a country/bluegrass band out of Brookings.

    “We maintain a ‘have fun’ atmosphere throughout the show, which takes about 1 1/2 hours,” Trooien says. It takes that long to show 80 different overalls (42 brands, including some of Trooien’s “gently worn” overalls), modeled by two of Trooien’s models and 15 local high school and college age girls. Trooien provides the loudspeaker system, background music and the commentary, including information off the tags he has saved from the overalls when they were new. For example, Finck’s claimed that their overalls “wear like a pig’s nose”. An Australian brand, King Gee, sports a crown logo.

    For non-profit groups, Trooien charges $350 plus $1/mile/one way.

    At 60, the Norwegian bachelor continues to add to his 200-piece collection. Nowadays he only buys overalls that are made in the U.S., but there are very few of those companies left.

    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Trygve Trooien, Oak Lake Farms, 19775 484th Ave., Astoria, S. Dak., 57213 (ph 605 832-4401).


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2011 - Volume #35, Issue #5