A Legacy of Western Craftsmanship Since 1930
A Legacy of Western Craftsmanship Since 1930
In 1930, a Polish born tailor named Bernard Lichtenstein opened a small shop at 3209 West Columbia Avenue in Philadelphia. Known to everyone as Rodeo Ben, he quickly became the go-to destination for the biggest names in Western entertainment.

Ben had an intuitive understanding of what performers needed: garments that could hold up under the lights, on horseback, and on stage, while looking unlike anything else in the room. His client list read like a roster of American icons. Tom Mix, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Mamie Francis all wore Rodeo Ben. As the brand grew, Ben relocated to a flagship location at 6240 North Broad Street in Philadelphia, cementing his reputation as the East Coast's premier Western tailor.
Ben's influence on Western wear extends far beyond his client list. He is widely credited with designing what became the Wrangler 13MWZ Cowboy Cut jean in 1947 — arguably the most iconic piece of Western workwear ever produced. The Country Music Hall of Fame recognizes Rodeo Ben alongside Nathan Turk and Nudie Cohn as one of the pioneering Eastern European Jewish rodeo tailors who fundamentally shaped the look of the American West.
Rodeo Ben original garments are held in museum and private collections across the country, including authenticated pieces on record at the Autry Museum of the American West. His work has appeared at Christie's and Heritage Auctions, where collectors continue to seek out his designs decades after they were made.

POLAND TO PHILADELPHIA
1907
Born in Poland in 1893. Crossed the Atlantic at fourteen. Settled in Philadelphia. Learned to sew. Found a girl who needed a fabric nobody else had. Made the outfit himself. One became a hundred.

THE FIRST SHOP
1930
3209 W. Columbia Ave, Philadelphia. The cowboys named him. Bernard was too long. They called him Rodeo Ben.
"The Expression of Perfection" — original catalog tagline

THE COWBOYS
1930s–1940s
Tom Mix. Gene Autry. Roy Rogers. Dale Evans. Mamie Francis. Custom gabardine suits built to perform in, and built to be seen from the back row of Madison Square Garden.
Autry Museum, Object 91.221.560. Heritage Auctions lot 2118.

THE FLAGSHIP
6240 N. Broad St
The store became a Philadelphia landmark. Roy Rogers stopped his tour just to walk in and shake Ben’s hand.
A family operation. Ben, Gerson, and Hannah. Built around a sewing machine and a handshake.

THE JEAN
1947
Blue Bell asked a Philadelphia tailor to design a jean that could survive eight seconds on a bull.
Eleven prototypes. Three champion cowboys. The result became the Wrangler 13MWZ Cowboy Cut.
For years, every tag read the same line:
"Designed by Rodeo Ben, custom cowboy tailor."

THE LEGACY
The Country Music Hall of Fame places Rodeo Ben alongside Nudie Cohn and Nathan Turk as the pioneers of American Western tailoring.
Contoured yokes. Smile pockets. Arrowhead stitching. Chain stitch embroidery. Pearl snaps. The vocabulary an entire industry built on.
Country Music Hall of Fame, "Suiting the Sound" exhibition.
