Shopping from the past - Rugby Kit

 1920s - Femina Sports

 

  1925 - Unknown team

Femina Hirondelles à Chateauroux - 1925

 

1925 - Toulouse 

 

  1920s - André Theuriet (SCUF) + captains 

 

 Football féminin (Le Petit Journal Illustré 18 novembre 1923)

From the Frederick Humbert Rugby Pioneers archives, I present evidence that the best dressed sport of the 20th century was women's rugby.  I propose that we shop from these French photographs for a new kind of universal, unisex sports ensemble.  My Archival sports uniform would combine all the sartorial features of  the 1920s era rugby kit: bold stripes, spread collars, wool cardigans, belted shorts, high socks, head scarves and  lace up boots.  I don't play team sports but I'd gladly pose for a group photo, or arrogant victory snap, sporting such fetching garb. 

New: Archival Rugby Shirt

We love wearing a classic rugby shirt as a casual, durable layer for rough work and play. Our new Archival Rugby Shirt, made just for us by Columbiaknit, can take the toughest treatment. The fabric is a traditional 10 ounce cotton jersey knitted in Portland, Oregon. It is incredibly soft but resilient. We've kept all the classic details -- a continuously sewn placket, rubber buttons, and a drill cloth collar, but we trimmed up the fit to make for a perfect slim (but not tight) garment. Also, we have created a more refined hemmed sleeve so that it easily transitions to indoor events.

These Rugbys are perfect for wearing unlayered for a pick-up game of soccer or even (Tom's favorite), rock climbing. The underarm gussets extend your arm's range of motion.

We are offering our new Archival Rugby in our favorite navy-gray stripe colorway, but will be adding more colors throughout the season. Let us know if you have a historic favorite.

Baines card courtesy Rugby-Pioneers

From the Archives: Rugby Ephemera

In honor of the World Cup, I'm reposting selections from Frederick Humbert's awesome collection of historical rugby print ephemera. Humbert's flickr catalog and blog, Rugby-Pioneers, include photographs, programs, cigarette cards, advertisements and even hand painted lantern slides of vintage rugby action. Even if you don't follow rugby as a sport, study the photographs as a guide to looking stylish in a sports uniform (blazers and wool knits in lieu of track jackets and sweats).

Shopping from the movies: Shoot the Moon (Parker 1982)

Some films are better watched on fast forward or reproduced as film stills. Shoot the Moon (Parker 1982) is just such a movie -- playing out like an Ingmar Bergman domestic drama populated by Woody Allen characters. While we're asked to focus on the dissolving marriage of Albert Finney and Diane Keaton, one's eye cannot help but wander to the the family's shared taste in classic clothing: wonderful cotton plaids, knits, woolens and jackets sourced (perhaps) from venerable brands like Barbour, Woolrich and Pendleton.

I've reproduced a few stills for reference:

Rugby stripes and heritage garb for kids

Knit cardigans

Plaids (and pencil sharpeners)

Barbour Solway Zipper jackets (and a fetching duffle)

Woolrich jac-shirts

Down vests

Pendleton blanket robes

Cotton knit caps

And a few a household accessories:

Rotary phones

Backyard tennis courts

Family station wagons