Archival Playground

 

Thanks to Elizabeth Peterson and Dave Baker for making Adventure Playgrounds (1965) available via the UO Channel.  This 16mm short film demonstrates the concept of the adventure playground, a place where children construct play spaces out of raw building materials ("no swings or seesaws, only things created by the hands of the children from waste materials on the site"). Like many educational films of the era,  Adventure Playground escalates the success of the program.  Suddenly, the children's "building, burrowing and digging" morphs into a bicycle shop, a literary journal and a canteen where tea is served.  What I love most about the film is the fact that all the children look like they were garbed by Old Town Clothing.  The derelict bombsite becomes a playground for boys in belted shorts, sturdy corduroy jackets, summerweight cardigans, cotton poplin shirts and durable lace up oxfords. 

 

 

 

 

  

From the Archives - Beretta Maremmana Jacket

 

Complex pocketing champ

  
Rare feature - rear down zipper for ease of movement 

Fine details - internal drip strip, tab collar, internal pocketing

Best quality Duca Visconti di Modrone cotton corduroy

Favorite feature - braces for carrying jacket in warmer temps

I'm a huge fan of Italiana Maremmana style ranching or hunting jackets.  Beretta is the only sportswear company I know still producing this style of garment.  Here's a jacket from my collection that is no longer in production (Beretta is only making the jacket in Moleskin). Alongside the Filson Upland Jacket and the Barbour Beaufort, the Beretta Maremanna is a masterpiece of pocketing.  The jacket sports hand warmer pockets, buttoned shell pockets, game pockets and a rear carrying pocket.  It even comes with a rear zip-down pocket on the back which can be opened for ease of movement (when the pockets are full of game and shells, I’m assuming). If you have any photographs or original print ads featuring non Beretta made Maremannas, please let me know. I'd love to add more images of this rare garment to my historical archives.

Shopping from the 1930s: Montgomery Ward

Exemplary outerwear

I've been on an ebay shopping spree for Montgomery Ward catalogs (the Archival bible). I've secured a few new Fall editions from the 1940s which I'll be reprinting here--in bits--in the next few months. Copies of the 1930s catalogs are more tricky to source. Inspired by Spokesniffer and Reference Library, I'm capturing auction images as placeholders for items I did not buy. Here are a few frame grabs from vintage catalogs from the 1930s that were beyond my "buy it now" pricepoint. If I could make it so, these would all Archival offerings for Fall 2011. Smitty "Whata Sweater" would be announced as our new Archival mascot.

Smitty Sweater

Heavy weight shawl collar sweaters and cardigans

All wool blazers

Denim jackets, overalls and trousers

Canvas duck field jackets

All wool shaker sweaters

Heritage workwear for women

Pendleton blankets

Archival Jackets: Brooks Criterion

John Boultbee Criterion jacket (via Brooks of England blog)

I'm excited to hear about Brooks of England's project to create tailored cycling clothing under the John Boultbee label. As a daily commuter, I'm always looking for ways to merge my cycling and work clothing. Here's a short video introduction to the new Boultbee Criterion jacket.

Many of the Criterion's technical features are borrowed from traditional hunting garb. For example, the Criterion comes with integrated carrying straps for t.

The Beretta Maremmana jacket (a traditional Italian hunting jacket) makes use of the same hands free shoulder strap design. The Maremmana, in moleskin or corduroy, would also make for a terrific cycling jacket in cooler weather.


The Criterion features an "action back" to facilitate free upper body movement. This feature can also be found on traditional field and waterfowling jackets like the Red Head or this Filson Upland jacket.

Unlike most heritage brands, Brooks has designed a version of the Criterion jacket for women. As far as a I can tell, the jacket mirrors the version for gents but is sized for women.

The UK has a strong history of producing stylish, beautifully tailored cycling wear like the Criterion. I'm mail ordered the hip lenght, M-45 Zipp jacket. Impatiently awaiting delivery.

Another modern UK alternative for cyclists 0r cyclo-commuters is the unlined Hilltrek double ventile jacket. The jacket can be custom ordered in a single ventile layer for greater breathability. In general, I prefer light, unlined jackets for use on the bicycle.

If you cannot afford the Criterion (1000.00 €), we recommend the Carradice Duxbak waxed rain cape. For slow speed, upright cycling a rain cape provides terrific rain protection while permitting you to wear pretty much any outfit you like underneath.

I'm partial to wearing non integrated cycling clothing on the bike. Most suit jackets or blazers work perfectly well for short distance commutes. Here is a terrific modern example:

Engineered Garments Corduroy Bedford (via bows +arrows)

Shopping from the present: Old Town Clothing

by Jim Green

Old Town Clothing workshop

Editor's note: it's never too early to start planning your Fall wardrobe. I'm already mentally packing up the linens and breaking the corduroy. London blogger Jim Green of Modern Day Hunting writes about his obsession with British workwear company, Old Town Clothing. If you're inspired by Jim's report to order something from OTC, start the process now as it takes 4-6 weeks to complete.

After recently hearing me waxing lyrical about my favourite clothes maker - Old Town, Archival Clothing have kindly asked me to give a customer review of some of their items. Living in London UK it is of course easier for me to travel up to their Norfolk showroom to get items fitted and made for me. So hopefully this might help you make a decision on giving them a try if you are not UK based.

I first heard about Old Town in 2009 via some random person on the street asking me if the French workwear jacket I had on was from Old Town, it wasn't, but later that night I decided to google them to find out more. After finding them it felt like it was my lucky day, a place where I could buy all the clothes I had imagined I would like but simply had no idea where to source them from.

I spent many hours perusing the site but simply couldn't decide what to get - my main concern was sizing. They make their clothes to order so not quite like buying from a shop normally although they do cater for returns. So after much deliberation I plumped for a safe bet and ordered a straight edge waistcoat (vest to you US folks) in engineer's navy stout cotton twill. Size wise I was unsure, I am usually a 38 so stuck to that. All of Old Town's items are made to order, you choose the size and fabric, pay either via the phone or the online ordering form. For overseas you will need to email first to discuss shipping etc. Their turnaround time for garment delivery is approximately 4-6 weeks. For me half the charm of buying from them is the wait.

Straight edge waistcoat in navy stout cotton twill (via OTC)

Four weeks later the waistcoat arrived, it fitted great, the waistcoats are slightly fitted so if you want a looser fit go up a size maybe. I was now officially hooked. I managed to plan in a trip up to the showroom a few months later with a rough idea of what I was after, upon arrival and seeing all the clothes on display I immediately got flummoxed...too many nice things. Their items are all pretty much spot on size-wise. I have quite a few pieces from them now and have been ordering a few times a year for spring and winter bits. Instead of giving an extensive list here's a few items that are worth considering and I will try to give enough info for if you wanted to order from overseas without trying on first.

Old Town Clothing Overall jacket (via OTC)

Jim's Overall jacket

Overall Jacket - This is a sure fire winner and possibly my favourite garment from them. The fit is fairly boxy but not in a big baggy way, it looks good. I would safely say you can feel confident that your own normal jacket size is going to fit, but please discuss it with the ever helpful Marie either via phone or email if you have concerns. They don't do different sleeve lengths unless you go to the showroom specifically and get measured, mine measures 24.5 inches from the top of the shoulder to the cuff, I didn't have the sleeves adjusted that's how they came. However bear in mind my jacket has been washed once, I have had it for a few years now so take my arm measurement as a very rough indication of size. I would say you could safely order your normal jacket size with no sleeve adjustment and the fit would be good, this one is in grey stout twill. For the other jackets in their range the same rule applies but do bear in mind that some are more fitted than others. I own two Stanley jackets in 38 also, they are a slimmer fit but still fit me well.

Jim's Dreadnoughts collection

Dreadnoughts - These are great trousers, the first pair I got was in the tan corduroy, I liked them so much that I ordered a pair in biscuit twill about a month later. I just recently got some summer lightweight 10oz denim ones as well. Waist size wise they are spot on. they all come as a standard 32 inch leg. If you are worried about leg length then get them as they are and have them tailored yourself so that the fit is right, I wear turn ups on the cotton ones so it's not a problem. They are super comfy and sit fairly high up on the waist. All the Old Town stuff improves with age, these are no exception. They also have a rather novel fastening which I now prefer to the normal button fly. Shape wise they are quite loose down the leg but fitted around the waist. I also own some high rise, all their trousers are exact on their waist sizes so order with confidence.

Dreadnoughts in Irish Linen (via OTC)

If you can ever fit in a visit to the UK and to Old Town I recommend it highly, just ensure you know exactly what you want before you get there or else you will come out with twice as many items as you intended! Do factor in some extra time to wander around the town of Holt and also the surrounding area and coastline, it's a lovely place.