by Tom Bonamici
We were alarmed to see that flickr favorite,
Pillpat, has loaded more images to her
Manufrance set. Over dinner, we had been shopping from
Arnys and
Hebden Cord, both offering unobtainable clothing (one's unaffordable, one's out of business). Like these companies, Pillpat's content aggravates the historical shopper by presenting a line of unique garments all with singular cuts, details and fabrics. The hunting clothing is particularly strong in this round of images--see especially: le costume pour l'alpiniste, le nouveau costume pour la chasse et le grand paletot fourré.
I (Tom) am particularly fond of the Gilet Cartouchière (above, far right), especially in this context of being worn over a heavy sweater. Note the flapped cartridge pocketing and trim neck detailing. Translation snippet: "This vest can be made in any of our suiting fabrics."
Like in the Arnys catalog, we're really impressed by the presentation of garments as part of an entire ensemble. But we also enjoy seeing the different detailing, such as odd plackets and pockets, pivot sleeves, and wildly varying hemlines. In fact, we both think that Hergé might have done all of
Tintin's shopping from this very catalog. Finally, the fabric samples bring to mind the Archival Clothing party doctrine that any garment in a line should be available in any fabric (see custom options at
Old Town and Hebden Cord).
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