WEARABLE WEST FASHION LINE IS ONE OF A KIND.

Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer

Sandy Gunther and Debbie Nelson got the name for their custom Western clothes business - Hightone Girlie Stuff - from a grumpy old bull rider who led a chaps-making class they took.

When asked whether he made chaps for women, he told them he didn't make ``high-tone girlie stuff,'' although he didn't say ``stuff.''

But Gunther, from Acton, and Nelson, from Lancaster, do - handmade one-of-a-kind high-end Western and cowgirl clothing.

``'High-tone,' it's an old term that's used in the cowboy world and it kind of means a step above,'' said Nelson.

``Everything we make is hand-felted,'' said Gunther. ``It's a process that requires a lot of elbow grease and ... water. This is all handmade like it was originally in the 1800s.''

Their clothes will be modeled Wednesday at Santa Clarita's Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival's kickoff event.

Gunther, a hand weaver, and Nelson, a felt maker, have been friends for six years, often taking classes together. They decided to hook up as business partners at last year's Cowboy Couture Fashion show.

Gunther makes woven jackets and vests while Nelson makes felt skirts, jackets and vests. They also make leather chaps, jackets and vests and hand-beaded jewelry. The duo weave and dye everything themselves. Many of the items have rhinestone and embroidered embellishments.

``Debby makes mostly fancy clothes and mine are more for the working cowgirl,'' said Gunther. ``I make cowgirl shirts and vests and more work jackets.''

The completed items must be dry-cleaned but Gunther says they can last 100 years.

``They're not a delicate thing,'' said Gunther.

Their clothing can range from $75 for smaller items to $2,000 for custom-designed jackets.

``Most of it we couldn't duplicate if we wanted to. It's like a painting; once it's done you wouldn't want to duplicate it,'' said Gunther.

Gunther has been selling her hand-woven items for 15 or 20 years. She owns the Weavers' Cottage in Canyon Country where she teaches weaving, spinning, knitting, crocheting, felting and dyeing.

Nelson works as a probation officer supervisor for Los Angeles County. She has long held an interest in cowboy crafts, incorporating American Indian designs into her work. Several years ago, she took a felt class from an American Indian woman who remarked that ``white people have taken everything from us and now they are taking this.''

So Nelson turned to her own history to discover her roots, ``to make sure that I was being true to my own roots, not someone else's.'' Her mother is from Ogallala, Neb., a cowboy town.

Nelson said friends had encouraged her to start a business for years.

``They love the designs. They say that it's such a unique textile,'' said Nelson. ``We're really excited to get this going. It's been a wonderful, creative experience for us to work together; it's been a great collaboration.''

Their creations will always be one of a kind, Gunther said. They have no plans on commercializing any of their ideas.

``When you get into wearable art you know you're not going to see yourself coming around the bend,'' said Gunther. ``When you walk in, in a Western jacket that's not like every other Western jacket, it makes you kind of happy.''

The Weaver's Cottage is located at 15559 W. Sierra Highway, Canyon Country. For information on their clothing, call the cottage at [phone].

The fashion designers will have a Web page up soon at www.hightonegirliestuff.com.

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Photo:

Courtney Anderson models Hightone Girlie Stuff clothing.

Emily Nelson/Special to the Daily News