For generations of K-Staters, shopping for purple has been a part of the gameday experience in Manhattan. Stores like Varney’s, Ballard’s and Wildcat Spirit weren’t simply places to grab a sweatshirt before kickoff. They had personality. They had history. And perhaps most importantly, they felt distinctly connected to Kansas State and the community surrounding it.
Hope and Brett Foltz want Revelry Thread Co. to capture some of that same spirit, while creating something entirely its own for today’s K-State family.
For Hope, the idea has roots in her own K-State experience. A graduate of K-State’s apparel marketing program, owning a store was something she had long envisioned. With young children at home, however, the timing wasn’t quite right for a traditional storefront. Instead, she started online, launching Revelry Thread Co., loving known as RevThread, in 2020 as a women’s boutique centered primarily around everyday clothing.
Then came a few K-State shirts.
During the company’s second year, Hope added just two or three gameday styles to the mix. The response was immediate. Those pieces quickly became some of the most popular merchandise she offered, providing a pretty clear indication of where RevThread needed to go next.
The boutique began shifting toward K-State apparel, eventually becoming an officially licensed K-State merchandise vendor. As their children grew older and entered school, the Foltzes were finally able to make another long-held goal a reality, opening RevThread’s first storefront at 114 S. Fourth Street in 2024.
If Hope brings the fashion background, Brett brings another layer of K-State history.
An Abilene native and third-generation K-State graduate, Brett currently works for K-State Athletics. Together, their backgrounds have helped shape what they want RevThread to become: a local, unique shop with a K-State soul, created for people who don’t just cheer for the Wildcats, but consider K-State part of who they are.
That means thinking beyond the standard collegiate T-shirt.
Today, Revelry Thread Co. is settling into its new home at 316 Poyntz Ave., inside the former Manhatchet building. The expanded space offers women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, along with footwear, hats, jewelry, bags and gameday accessories, creating a true one-stop shop for K-State style. The looks featured throughout these pages show just how broad that style can be, from denim sets, dresses and tall Western boots to performance polos, children’s matching sets and, of course, plenty of purple in between.
There is room for individuality, too. Clear gameday bags can become their own fashion statement through customizable patches, straps and accessories from the store’s Bag Bar.
Increasingly, the Foltzes also want customers to find things at RevThread that they simply can’t find everywhere else.
Private-label merchandise is becoming a larger part of that vision. RevThread’s women’s and children’s designs include pieces created under its Revelry Thread label, while Section 6 Clothier serves as its private men’s line. Unlike merchandise simply selected from another brand’s catalog, these products are designed with the manufacturer specifically for RevThread and finished with the company’s own sewn-in labels.
Collaborations provide another avenue for creating something different.
In February, RevThread partnered with Manhattan’s Outpost Western Store to launch the officially licensed Cowpuncher Willie Collection. The collaboration blends K-State tradition with Western style, with Outpost carrying men’s tees, crewnecks, hoodies and hats while RevThread offers women’s pieces including a vest, cropped tee and denim jacket.
Now another collaboration is ready to make its debut.
At the end of August, RevThread premiered Shalin Klein x RevThread, a custom collection curated by Hope and Shalin together. A K-State graduate and wife of Kansas State head football coach Colin Klein, Shalin brought a heavy influence of her own personal style and vision to the pieces, which are being created specifically for RevThread
That willingness to create rather than simply stock merchandise may offer the clearest glimpse of where the store is heading.
Even the physical space reflects the Foltzes’ desire to celebrate K-State history. Among the decor is a purple vintage truck tailgate Brett discovered in Missouri, and a desk once belonging to legendary Wildcat basketball player Ernie Barrett. They’re details that make the store feel less like a generic collegiate retailer and more like a space rooted in the stories and traditions surrounding K-State.
For Brett, growing RevThread doesn’t mean abandoning that boutique feel. In fact, protecting it is part of the goal.
He hopes to continue expanding private-label merchandise, original designs and collaborations while maintaining the “vibe” and soul that make the store distinctive.
To explain it, Brett points to some familiar Manhattan names: Rock-A-Belly, Little Grill, So Long Saloon, Lucha and Bourbon & Baker. They may differ in size, style and menu, but they share something difficult to manufacture: They just feel like Manhattan.
That’s what Hope and Brett ultimately want Revelry Thread Co. to become for K-State fashion and soft goods: a business that could only truly belong in the Little Apple. A place to find the perfect gameday outfit, and perhaps, in time, another Manhattan spot K-Staters can say they “love full well.”
Find Revelry Thread Co. at 316 Poyntz Avenue, and online at revelrythread.com
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BROOKLYN | LOOK ONE
Brooklyn pairs the Denim Stripe Tank with the matching Denim Stripe Wrap Skort for an easy gameday look, finished with Purple Suede Cowboy Boots and a Pennant Willie K-State Scarf. ERIMISH bracelets in mixed purple, purple and clear add the finishing touch.
BROOKLYN | LOOK TWO
Western style meets Wildcat spirit in Brooklyn’s Cowpuncher Willie Denim Vest, paired with Black Lace Shorts and Purple Suede Cowboy Boots. Her clear gameday bag is personalized with a scarf-chain strap and Wildcats patches from Revelry Thread Co.’s customizable Bag Bar, while ERIMISH bracelets and a CATS Bandana Slider Bracelet complete the look.
BROOKLYN | LOOK THREE
Brooklyn gives gameday a polished twist in the Puff Sleeve Tie-Back Dress and tall ivory K-State Western Boots by GameDay Boots. A purple and turquoise gemstone necklace adds color, while a clear gameday bag featuring a sequin Wildcats strap, Powercat patch and Wildcats Flag button brings plenty of K-State personality.
PAYTON | LOOK ONE
Payton wears the Classic Helmet Performance Stripe Polo in purple and white from Section 6 Clothier, Revelry Thread Co.’s private men’s label.
PAYTON | LOOK TWO
The Classic Helmet Performance Stripe Polo looks great with the Wildcats Hand Rope Cap in light grey and white, which completes the look.
PAYTON | LOOK THREE
Payton showcases the men’s side of the Cowpuncher Willie Collection in the Cowpuncher Willie Polo from Outpost Western Store, a collaboration bringing Western influence to K-State gameday style.
LUCY | LOOK ONE
Lucy wears the K-State Polka Dot T-Shirt Set from Revelry Thread, the company’s private label, paired with a dark purple Quilted Wristlet Card Wallet. The playful matching set offers a younger take on head-to-toe Wildcat style.
LUCY | LOOK TWO
Lucy’s Gingham Wildcats Crewneck and matching Gingham Powercat Shorts are both designed under Revelry Thread Co.’s private label. Created directly with the manufacturer and finished with Revelry Thread sewn-in tags, the matching set represents the kind of exclusive K-State styles the store plans to continue expanding.