Submission to the Archives: Guide Sweater Vest

Filson Guide Sweater Vest (Style No. 705)

On the subject of Filson, I wanted to add a note of support for an item which has been a catalog staple for many years but never shows up in promo magazine spots or on folks I know who wear Filson. I'm speaking here of the Guide Sweater Vest. The vest is great because it combines two of my favorite fabric types: worsted wool and waxed cotton. It's comfortable enough to wear indoors (the wool is neither itchy nor too heavy) but still has the credibility of waxed cotton shoulder panels to keep you dry during outdoor (coffee?) related errands.

I don't think this sweater is in immediate danger of showing up on the Filson sale page (soon to disappear from view), but I do worry about its general visibility/mass market appeal. The Filson product line is so expansive (and pricey) these days that it might be tempting for a shopper to go for a more classic item like the Mackinaw Wool Vest or a Tin Cloth Cruiser. Before making a purchase, however, I recommend a serious look at the Guide Sweater Vest. In ten years, you'll find ample quantities of Filson classics in thrifts and on ebay (I say). But the more rare Guide Sweater Vest will haunt any consumer (you?) who tried it on but passed it by (see my Archival Finder post on the Barbour Tweed Endurance Jacket).

Note to Filson administrators: please consider offering the Guide Sweater Vest as part of a future knitwear collection for women. I'll take mine in Camel, size XS.

Guest Baggage: Mackenzie Pack

To my delight, readers keep sending in footage of customized or no-longer available outdoor fabric packs, satchels and shoulder bags. I'm going to post as many images as possible, for future reference, and to inspire current bag makers to bring back some of these lost designs. Scott H. forwarded along photographs of his robust, canvas and leather Mackenzie Mountaineering pack. Scott is the original owner of the bag, purchased, he says, in 1977 from Midwest Mountaineering in Minneapolis.  Of this bag, he writes:

Originally it had a waist belt too, but my wife cut them off: too many straps dangling in the wind. All that leather on the bottom, with the grommets, I can only think that was meant as the point to attach your crampons when not in use? I've searched the internet, and eBay (for five years) and have never turned anything up about this manufacturer.

If you have additional notes or comments about Mackenzie brand packs (brand history, models, catalog images, additional pack photos), please email me or post them to the blog.

Archival Salvage: Filson Semi-Annual Sale

Filson Tin Waterfowl/Upland Coat

Tin Cloth Carpenter Pants

Alaskan Long John Zip-Neck

Upland Wellington Boot

Filson sent out an email today announcing a semi-annual sale. Since Filson never puts regular stock items on sale (try a web search sometime), one can assume that these "sale" items are actually going to be discontinued from the main product line (if only in oddball, big-tall sizes, or in specific colors). I'm highlighting a few sale items of note and one edition to the category Why Was It Made?

Filson Time Manager

Shopping from Guuwatanabe: Custom Bags

I was thrilled to find that my favorite Tokyo bag maker, Co. Ltd guu-watanabe, is now posting photos to flickr. Though I've always admired Guu-Watanabe's cycling luggage (available in the US, here), I'm newly interested in the custom bags he produces for everyday use (ukulele carrying cases, garden spade holsters, city totes, school satchels, etc.). To browse or make a purchase, see Guu's Flickr photostream here.

Archival Finder: Ben Silver Collection Vest

Male model, lifestyle ("weekender") packaging and prohibitive price point aside, I really like this cashmere trimmed nylon vest by online catalog clothier, Ben Silver. Friend Tom remarked that it looks like a luxury edition of the Patagonia Retro-X vest. If it were my design, I'd swap out the cashmere (too shapeless and prone to pilling) for a more robust tweed and perhaps reverse the total role/ratio of wool to nylon in the garment. And of course, I'd retain the shiny metal zipper but give it two-way functionality.



Ben Silver was considerate enough to produce a version of this vest for women which appears to have the same cut/styling and lacks any token, feminizing details. However, illustrating the need for a future Archival Clothing petition, the women's version only comes in two tragic colorways: fuchsia and white (which would be OK, I suppose, if there were at least one more traditional color option such as grey, brown or loden).

Shopping from the Past: Simpsons Fall/Winter 1918-1919 Catalog

Images from this fine flickr archive of vintage US mail order catalogs.

Archival Field Trip: Winn Perry

Jordan Sayler, owner and operator of Winn Perry, is one of the nicest, next generation archival gents you'll ever meet. On Saturday, friend Erin and I drove up to take photographs of Sayler's shop and browse his Billy Kirk bag selection (and Obedient Sons dress shorts) .

Erin originally found Winn Perry while tracking down Duchess, a vintage inspired, made-to order-clothier sharing retail space with Winn Perry.

Winn Perry carries such admirable, hard-to-find-in-the-Northwest brands like Makr, Billy Kirk, Baxter of California, Alexander Olchs, Our Legacy, Obedient Sons, Gloverall, SNS-Herning, Grenson and Alden, as well as many original garments (pants, jackets and vests) created by Duchess. The shop also carries some cryptic gents' accessories like shaving supplies, tie bars, cuff links, etc. , which I admired from afar but failed to fully document.

Duchess jacket lining

Sayler kindly permitted us to distract him with questions about his product offerings while customers streamed in to shop from the Winn Perry racks or coordinate fittings with Duchess. Sayler spoke with us about his future focus on primarily stocking USA-made products and our shared obsession with a low-top version of the Alden Indy boot (he produced a photo of a custom made pair, found online, in brown aniline calf leather).

Alden Indy shoes (custom jobber)

Sayler seems to still be sorting out Portland/Northwest demand for more premium menswear brands (we talked about Edward Green) while making sure his current customers have access to the kind of well made but reasonably affordable, heritage items offered for sale in his shop. Sayler is also interested in producing Winn Perry originals. For starters, he mentioned a potential collaboration with a friend on a Winn Perry canvas bag.

Live field report: during our visit, a not quite my size, SNS-Herning fisherman's sweater was sold to an actual customer and might be now sighted on the streets of Portland.

SNS-Herning sweater (sold!)

Although the Winn Perry shop is quite compact, Jordan has staged the space to highlight individual clothing categories without overcrowding the total space (again, in split screen mode with Duchess). An old dry goods cabinet (purchased from Craiglist in California) functions as the central display area for Sayler's well curated selection of footwear. Winn Perry is located in a historic, brick building with high windows, double doors and a fetching, white tile floor. The total effect is that of a classic (but not fabricated) menswear shop that you might have visited with your parents during a childhood day trip into the city.

Sayler's vintage, benchmade shoes

After I visited Winn Perry, I emailed Sayler to see if he could elaborate on his concept for Winn Perry and any specific, future plans he might have for his shop (and brand). Here's what he had to say:

When I was starting Winn Perry, I wanted to create a sort of emporium for men to find quality items (clothing, shave products, etc). I also wanted it to incorporate custom clothing as that had become a much greater proportion of my own wardrobe, thanks to Duchess. When it started, it was really a place for men to get a custom suit made by Duchess and find accessories or a ready to wear suit if they didn't have the time or need for custom. As time goes by, the store is slowly evolving into a place to come and find quality products that I think other people might find interest in.

Made in the USA is becoming an ever expanding part of the store's ethos and I hope to continue that trend, although I am not against a well-made, well-designed product that is produced outside the USA. I do believe that it is important to support the local and domestic community, because as more manufacturing gets shipped off shore, we lose crafts, skills, and jobs that have supported Americans for generations and we become 'reliant' on a service economy -- never a good thing. Made in the USA used to mean craftsmanship, reliability, and longevity. I hope that Winn Perry can do a little bit to help revive those ideas.

Billy Kirk bag on model