▁being ▁sold ▁down st airs ▁and ▁the ▁ret ail ▁business ▁was ▁up st airs ▁until ▁Hall ' s ▁was ▁eventually ▁sold . ▁ ▁J . ▁Pet erman ▁Company ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁Pet erman ▁was ▁on ▁a ▁business ▁trip ▁in ▁Den ver , ▁CO ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁explore ▁Wy oming . ▁He ▁went ▁to ▁Jackson ▁H ole , ▁W Y ▁and ▁bought ▁a ▁hors eman ' s ▁d uster ▁because ▁he ▁liked ▁it . ▁After ▁we aring ▁it ▁consist ently , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁friend ▁St ale y ▁decided ▁to ▁sell ▁more ▁of ▁the ▁co ats ▁with ▁an ▁ad ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York er . ▁The ▁ad ▁sold ▁about ▁ 7 0 ▁co ats ▁and ▁the ▁J . ▁Pet erman ▁Company ▁was ▁created . ▁In ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁the ▁company ' s ▁first ▁catalog ▁was ▁published ▁with ▁black ▁and ▁white ▁draw ings ▁and ▁literary ▁copy ▁style . ▁Color ▁illustr ations ▁were ▁introduced ▁to ▁the ▁catalog ue ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁ ▁Pet erman ▁found ▁unique ▁items ▁to ▁sell ▁in ▁the ▁catalog ▁and ▁St ale y ▁wrote ▁the ▁product ▁descri ptions . ▁Bob ▁H ag el ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁J . ▁Pet erman ▁Co . ▁illustr ator ▁and ▁art ▁director . ▁He ▁made ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁draw ▁and ▁paint ▁the ▁clothes ▁from ▁the ▁catalog ▁without ▁bodies , ▁so ▁they ▁appeared ▁like ▁" well - tra ve led ▁g hosts ." ▁The ▁catalog ue ▁drew ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁cele brit ies ▁like