Oilskin (oilies) and waxed cotton clothing owe their origins to the great age of the sailing ship and the age of navigation.  Its hard to pin point exactly when oilskin techniques began but, its probably a safe bet that, in some form or another, that some rudimentary version has existed as long as sea travel.  With the invention of the compass and increasingly better maps in the late middle ages, the beginning of long distance exploration all around the world was begun.

Italianate Harbour Scene with the Monument of Ferdinand I de’ Medici at Leghorn

Sailing ships were traditionally rigged with linen sails and so, with the fabric in such abundance fishermen and sailors used it for everything.  From clothes to wadding.  At some point these professional sea folk found that by applying boiling linseed oil (from flax seed) to the linen and letting it set the linen was rendered waterproof and was excellent material for making waterproof capes.  However, the linen was heavy and the linseed oil turned yellow and stiffened over time.  Oilskin proved to be a great way to keep yourself, as well as anything else, dry in very wet environments such as the deck of a ship but, it was also difficult proved to be dangerous to make and restrictive to wear.  All the same, cloaks, chests, and document folds were all made from this versitle (and compared to leather or fur, light weight) material to protect their contents from the elements.

High-Tech Modern Oilskins in the midst of a squall

Cotton sails eventually replaced linen.   Cotton was lighter and could be woven into a tighter and stronger fabric.  It also led to lighter and stronger clothing such as oiled cotton jackets, coats and trousers.  The jackets became especially popular among fishermen who would paint them bright colors with ordinary house paint to make themselves more visible if and when they went over board.  The next major evolution came in the mid-19th century when linseed oil was replaced by parafin wax.  Parafin wax treated garments maintained their flexibility and were also breathable so condensation wouldn’t build up.  This led to more sophisticated garments providing the wearer with significantly more movement and utility.  Although the cut, style, and technology in waterproofing changed over the centuries the need for men of the sea to be easily seen in a squall stayed consistent throughout. 

(L) Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post with a fisherman in a slicker

(R) the Gorton’s Fisherman in his Sou-Wester

When plastics and synthetic fabrics were invented in the mid-20th century traditional oilskins became obsolete.  ”Space age” technology made slickers better, lighter, easier to make, more comfortable, and infinitely customizable.  Everyone in American has the classic image of the Gordon’s fisherman from the fish sticks box or the Norman Rockwell-esk idea of the stalwart seaman battling the ocean in his bright yellow slicker.  Another advantage of modern technology is that man “professional” slickers these days include floatation devices, GPS location, built in harness, and in some cases a small tool kit.

If he can rock it so, can you

Now, of course these professional level outfits are extreme for the average person but, in the cold wet grey months ahead having a good coat to keep you dry is a must.  Having some color to brighten up your day is also never a bad thing plus, the sunshine yellow acts the same for you in the city as it does for the fishermen in the sea.  It will get you noticed.  Don’t wait to long, get out there and enjoy in the rain in style.

Cut-off shorts are not only comfortable and easy but, these days they are very much on trend.  With memories of stick ball in the col-du-sac and making out with Winnie Cooper under the bleachers there are few things better for a wet hot American summer.  On the west coast we are known for our laid back attitude and relaxed style, there is no better time then the long hot days of summer to show it off.  Cut-off shorts are a must for the beach, bike, and park, festivals, BBQs, and pools.

Michael Bastian in his signiture cut-off shorts.  perfect laid back summer time look all around

Unlike your saggy baggy shorts from high school, cut-offs have the advantage of once being pants.  The (hopefully) slim leg and shorter draw make for a much sleeker short and when you cut them yourself you can fit them just right.  The key with shorts is to get the proportion just right.  A shorter draw looks better with shorter legs just like a longer draw begs for a bit longer to keep the ratio in line.  Bigger legs can handle a bit longer short where as a longer short will make skinny legs look even skinnier.

a good visual on how to wear shorts but, remember proportion is top priority. remade from Primer via

Now that your wearing your cut-offs everyday remember to put some attitude into it.  These aren’t slacks and you aren’t going to the country club.  A bit of a roll on your shorts legs can be great or a funky belt that you normally wouldn’t think about wearing, this is the place.  Go a little crazy… it SUMMER!!

TIPS ON CUTTING YOUR OWN

1. Remember when cutting your pants mark them, then cut them a few inches longer then you think you might want.  Cutting more is easy, adding fabric isn’t.
2. Mark one leg then fold together and cut both legs at the same time to make sure they come out even.
3. A few inches above the knee is a good safe bet.  If you have bigger thighs err on the longer side and if you have thinner thighs on the shorter side but, never longer then a couple inches above the knee.
4. After you make you final cut at the length you want wash them to get the perfect fray and wear them till they fall off.
5. Have a pair of scissors handy every time you wash them to trim back the ever growing fray.

In the summer there is nothing quite like a well worn pair of canvas sneakers.  Preferably in white or some other equally light tone, canvas shoes have been favored by summer lovers for years.  They were a staple of tennis attire as well as a must have on and around New Englands docks and there was nothing better to bring to summer camp.  No need for socks, just some perfectly tanned ankles and a pair that fit just right.

I have had a love for canvas since I was little.  My dad played tennis and wore through at least one pair of Nylites and I ran through more Vans then I can count.  With everyone online talking about which is best and who should wear what I decided its the right time for another round up SO, here are my recommendations.

…and before you say it.  I don’t like converse, never have, never will.  They may look good but, at least for me, they are really uncomfortable especially sans socks.

Tretorn Nylites   $45… born in Sweden in 1967 the Nylites are regarded as the first luxury tennis shoe.  They were sported by tennis great Björn Borg in the 70’s and even immortalized in The Official Preppy Handbook in the ’80s

Feiyue Classics  $30… developed in Shanghai, China in the 1920’s Feiyue or Fly Forward in Mandarin was the most popular athletic shoe in China through the 1980’s.  Feiyue expanded with a French arm in 2005

PRO-Keds Royal Lo’s  $50… originally released in 1949 as the beginning of an athletic footwear line by Keds, the Royal’s were endorsed by NBA greats and Hip Hop royalty alike

Volley O.C  $80…. produced by Dunlop Australia in 1959 the Volley O.C. (Orthopaedically Correct) which was developed as a tennis shoe for Australian pro Adrian Quist became a main stay of Australian innovation and was worn by children, military, laborers and sports pros alike.  Volley will be suppling shoes for the Australian Olympic team for the 2012 London Summer Olympics

see the US site here—> volleyshoeco.com

Vans Authentic’s  $45… created by the Van Doren brothers in 1966 in Southern California the Vans Authentics became a symbol of west coast American style and laid back beach attitude

Every country at one time had their brand.  These are just a few that have the heritage and some nice simple kicks out now.  Also check out Gola and Umbro from the UK, Fila, Diadora and Superga from Italy, Spring Court from France, Adidas and Puma from Germany, and Onitsuka Tiger (ASICS) from Japan.

Moral of the story is… get yourself some white sneakers and make sure they don’t stay white for long.  Like everything I talk about on here, they are not meant to be baby’d they are meant to be worn hard till they fall off.  You can find a pair pretty cheap so, wear the hell out of ‘em and get a new pair next season.

The breton stripe sweater, as many other long lasting clothing trends has, surprise surprise, military roots.  In this case it was actually the French navy. On March 27, 1858 Napoleon III declared in an Act of France new requirements for naval uniforms which included a knitted shirt with 21 navy and white horizontal stripes one for each of his victories and at least 3/4 sleeves.  The easily recognizable sweater became a staple in Brittany where, because of its abundance of coastline has a thriving seafaring culture.  These sweaters were also practical since the distinct pattern was easily sighted beneath the ocean’s surface. Highly visible shirts meant less sailors consigned to Davy Jones’ Locker upon falling overboard.  Although the shirt was originally known as marinière (mariners style) or matelot (sailor) it didn’t take long before it became a symbol of the breton region and in doing so took the name.

(L) the flag of Brittany.  notice the stripes (R) French sailors in the galley in their breton uniforms.

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Since 1889, the sweaters were manufactured by Bretagne, Tricots Saint James in wool and cotton for sailors.  With its wide boat neck, 3/4 sleeves and soft knit textures it quickly became popular with breton workers.  They also released the Saint James Binic II sweater around the same time in Normandy.

(L) the original French navy boat neck breton (R) Saint James Binic II.  notice the button details and the gap in the stripping

So how did this now iconic sweater jump the pond and rise to international acclaim?  Legend tells that in the early 1900’s Mademoiselle Chanel took a trip to the fashionable shores of the French Riviera, where she was taken by the distinct look of the breton stripe shirts donned by the hard working fishermen in the riviera marinas.  After the trip rumor has it that Chanel brought these amazing stripes home and incorporated them into her wardrobe and in 1917 included them in a new nautical collection.  She often paired this much beloved nautical staple with other mariner mens wear such as high waisted wide leg pants.  The breton top became a symbol of haute-bourgeois loveliness during the pre-war riviera years

Coco Chanel in her boat neck breton

It even started to make its way into movies and make appearences on the backs of Hollywood A-listers all the way through the 50’s and 60’s.  it was first worn in the Hollywood biker classic The Wild One in 1953 by Brando’s co-star Lee Marvin who sported a breton style t-shirt for much of the film.  The story goes that after seeing that movie the biker Frank Sadilek drove from his home in the bay to Hollywood to buy his own breton.  Frank would later become the president of the infamous San Francisco chapter of the Hell’s Angels from 1955-1962. His style which included a gold earring, clip-on nose ring and his worn out breton stripe influenced biker style and culture immensely throughout his time at the top.  James Dean, who is still influencing people to this day, wore a breton stripe T in the 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause and also in 1955 Edith Head, the legendary Hollywood costume designer, dressed Cary Grant in a breton T with a white polka-dot cravat in To Catch a Thief.

(L) possibly Frank Sadilek in his breton with the Hells Angels (R) Lee Marvin as Chino in The Wild One

The breton is one of those amazing basics that has gone from the decks to the docks, from the runways to the big screen, and from high fashion to street style.  Today it is impossible to pin exactly where the breton belongs because it can fit anywhere.  Just about everyone is makings some form of the breton these days so, get it in t-shirt or sweater form and beat the hell out of it.

Here in Portland, spring is usually quite a wet season.  We understand rain.  Just like the Sami people of northern Europe who have literally hundreds of words to describe snow, we here in the northwest have more ways to say its raining then you could shake a stick at.  So, on those spring days when its not cold enough to pull out the parka but its pouring so hard the streets look more like rivers, the Mack is about as perfect as it gets.

the Mack also known as that jacket Tintin wears

Mr. Charles Macintosh was no fashion designer, in fact he was a professional clerk and a science hobbiest, today we would probably call him an engineer.  Either way he is responsible for an innovation that changed the clothes we wear forever.  In 1823, while experimenting with rubber he stumbled upon the world’s first completely waterproof textile.  He found that by sandwiching liquid rubber between two layers of wool fabric the resultant material was entirely sealed, preventing any water from seeping through.  Macintosh called his invention “rubberized cloth” and soon founded a company to produce and develop waterproof versions of traditional British outerwear.  The result being the, at the time, unimaginable combination of being able to be comfortable, presentable and dry all at the same time.  The company found amazing success in the rain soaked UK.

(L) Mackintosh cutting room (R) Mr. Charles Macintosh himself

In 1830, Charles Macintosh and Co. merged with Thomas Hancock, a Manchester based inventor who was also studying rubberized materials.  Although the early jackets had problems with smell, stiffness, and a tendency to melt in hot weather, the combined talents of the two lead to the discovery of vulcanized rubbers in 1843 perfecting their, in comparison, rudimentary naptha rubber all weather jackets.  Mackintosh (note the addition of the ‘K’) became the official supplier of the British Army, railways, and police department and continued to produce their rubberized jackets throughout the 19th and 20th century but by that point the original patent’s had expired and nearly every company on the planet had a version of the “mack coat.”

Now a days all Mackintosh garments are made using their famous rubberised cotton fabric that is put through a patented welt, seal and coating process. Furthermore, backing tape is placed behind all seams to ensure complete waterproofing, and all pockets and linings are glue fixed and hand finished in their Scottish factory.  Yes, the real thing has gotten very expensive but, its been around so long that there are more copies then you can shake a fist at.  You can find them in just about every color and vary massively in price.  Look for one that doesn’t play to much with the original.  Its simplicity is what makes it.  Slant pockets, hidden buttons, and a high collar in a nice neutral color will last you a life time.

(L) Bonobos (R) Mackintosh x Epaulet

If you’ve been reading tingsic for awahile then you know that I make clothes mostly because I have a hard time finding things that fit the way I like at a reasonable price point.  The more I make the more I realize it is very possible to make quality clothes for very meager prices and still make a sustaining profit.  With the Spring/Summer collections and trends coming out in full force, white pants are strongly represented and the continued slide toward the extreme casualization of American mens wear lingers.

GQ spread on the white jean spectrum. From casual to buisness in a snap

Over the last week or so I’ve been working on finding fabric and starting to pattern some good summer jeans.  Since I started I’ve been getting a lot of shit from friends with regards to white pants.  So, for all yall who are against white pants as a concept please take a moment to ask yourself, why do we always wear dark colors on the bottom and lighter colors on top?  What’s so wrong with white pants?  Now, there are some good reasons for this configuration for some people and breaking these rules tends to automatically be more casual but, rules are meant to be broken and can expand your wearable wardrobe exponentially.

If you look at the clothes you already wear, I guarantee you have at least a white shirt.  Now think of the outfit you normally wear with your white shirt, maybe jeans? Now, turn the colors upside down.  Now you’re wearing white pants and a denim shirt or, instead of gray trousers and a white button down, how about white pants and a grey linen jacket?  Just by flipping what you already have you double your possibilities and make old things feel brand new.

the same guy, same colors and materials just in different combinations. two distinct looks.

White pants have been around forever but, white denim came into its own in the late 60’s when jeans started to become more then just work wear.  White jeans were becoming a staple of summer wear as they are once again.  Now, when you are looking for summer pants you want them to, obviously, be lighter weight then your heavy selvedge as well as lighter in color.  In denim that means somewhere between 8-11 oz per yard as opposed to the 11-15 oz per yard of the dry raw selvedge thats flying off the shelves these days.  When you start looking at colors for the warmer weather remember that the darker colors will absorb the heat where as the lighter ones will reflect it so, the whites, beiges, kahkis and pastels like powder blue or pale red not only look great but, are much more comfortable on those hot summer days.

take a cue from the style blogger.  enjoy the sun in your light white summer denim

Don’t forget that just because they are white doesn’t mean you should baby them. Don’t spend to much and wear them hard just like you would your dark jeans and stand out a bit this summer.

There are a lot of iconic watches out there with brands holding storied histories that reach far back into an era of craftsmanship and handmade specifications.  Cartier is indeed in this elite group.  It in fact produced the very first wristwatch for men, the ‘Santos’ but, thats for another time.

Although many brands have a long history, most of their timepieces do not.  They are made to fit a need and become exquisite pieces of engineering in the process.  This is one of the many reasons we love them but, the watch I bring to you today is different.  It tells the story of a time in war torn Europe.

Louis Cartier, who had turned Cartier into one of the best selling watch companies in Europe, had a front row seat to the Great War.  France being the front line in the west, the Allies and their machinery were a normal sight all through out the war.  As the war continued and the Renault FT-17 light-tank became the standard for quick effective assault and Louis Cartier soon became inspired by the shape of these game changing machines.

The FT-17 with its long rectangular body and tall rotating turret became the inspiration for one of Cartier’s most iconic and best selling watches. The Tank.

The watch, released the same year that production of the FT-17 was building, 1917 toward the end of the war, mimiced the shape of the tank from a birds eye view.  With its blue bladed hands and crocodile bracelet gave a new look to what a watch could be.  The face has always had roman numerals and as Cartier’s signature the crown is set with a sapphire.

(L) original Cartier Tank 18k gold c. 1930    (R) Cartier Tank platinum with bladed hands c. 1960s

The watch was so connected with the Allied victory on the western front in Louis Cartier’s mind that when the war was over he presented General John Pershing of the American Expeditionary Force with the prototype that would go into production later that year.

The Cartier Tank has been in continual production ever since with very minimal changes.  Although, there are variations on the original theme I think the first design from 1922 has an elegance that hasn’t been matched often in both form and history.  On top of all that, Im pretty sure this is one of the most amazing and over looked watches still available out there.  I mean you always hear about Rolex or TAG or Patek or Omega but, Cartier is seen as a jewelry company and I think this watch would make a statement among all those divers.  Now, just to find the money…

High button boots were the dominant boot style for men and women through the end of the 19th century and fell out of favor after WWI.  Efficient and cost-effective sewing machines specialized for button attachment brought button boots into mass production in the 1880s. Elias Howe first patented a hand-cranked lockstitch sewing machine for cloth in 1845, leading to a proliferation of sewing devices designed for specific tasks.  After 10 years of development James Morley, a sewing machine salesman from Massachusetts, began to patent industrial button-sewing devices adapting an existing automated eyelet feeder to feed buttons into his stitcher.  He started manufacturing buttons to fit his machines and soon with the manufacturing problems remedied high-button boots became the fashion icon of the era and a hallmark of the industrial revolution.

19th century shoe laster making a high-button boot by hand

Queen Victoria was crowned at age 18 in 1837 and the queens style was automatic fashion.  Stylish American women were quick to adopt her preference for low-heeled ankle boots.  By mid-century, the queen’s tastes made boots the preferred footwear of both men and women. Ankle boots even replaced velvet Prince Albert slippers for formal wear. The trade name for copies of Queen Victoria’s favorite boot was Balmoral or The Bal, after a vacation home her husband, Prince Albert, purchased for her in Scotland.  The Balmoral was a square-toed boot, laced at the front, with toe and ankle trim of a darker color than the vamp (upper). This image of being well-dressed in boots set the stage for the high-button shoes to come.  As women’s hemlines rose to the ankle, Queen Victoria’s flat boots morphed to include side buttons and overlapped edges that obscured the actual closure allowing women to wear the smallest possible size, even if their flesh bulged over the tops of the boots under their skirt.  They quickly became deregur for anyone in the know.

(L) an ad for the Wilkins One Prong button fastener, promises not to mangle the boot (R) vintage sterling silver button hook

Although button boots were gorgeous they proved difficult to put on and take of with so many tiny buttons so, the button hook was invented to ease the trouble of the fashionably inclined.  At first these hooks were luxury items for the rich made from silver and jewels making it easier to fasten and unfasten the custom button boots.  The hooks became almost a marker of status, but as the boots became more common with mass production the hooks starting being produced in larger numbers as well and quickly became a regular dressing accessory.

a variety of edwardian era mens footwear.  many with button fasteners

Apart from being attractive and fashionable, button boots were considered functional in that they were more secure than laced boots because they didn’t have the ability to come unlaced or loosen with wear through the day. Certainly there were many other styles of boots available, but just a quick browse through any antique fashion magazine will reveal that the high-button boot was considered the upmost in 19th century footwear.  Just after the turn of the 20th century, advertisements for a wholesale direct distributor, the W. L. Douglas Company of Brockton, Massachusetts, advised purchasers that every gentleman required only three pairs of shoes to “dress his feet properly on all occasions.” He needed lace shoes for cold and rainy weather. He needed Oxfords for warm sunny days. For dress and street wear, all he needed was a pair of patent Corona button shoes.

Ernest Shackleton rocking button boots with his dinner suit or tuxedo for the modern audience

The high button boot lingered until World War I although with less popularity.  In 1914, rationing of leather and other goods necessary to production and a move toward more functional forms pushed button boots to the side and frugality took hold.  Although high-button boots held on in affluent circles, the September 25, 1933 issue of “Time” magazine published the death of the high-button shoe, as pronounced by President Roosevelt during his first year in office. The president had read through the Department of Labor’s cost-of-living index, which was used to adjust federal employees’ wages, after seeing high-button shoes among indexed items the president ordered the department’s statisticians to revise the index’s list to reflect a contemporary selection of consumer items. The high-button shoe was officially out and so ended the fashion worlds long standing love affair with this most glorious style.

These days finding a quality pair is very difficult.  Your options are down to custom or vintage and both come with their own down sides.  There is one other possibility through a Japanese company which is making very high quality formail high-button boots but, at the price they are asking you’d be better off getting custom.  Either way, I thinka nice pair of would give an awesome unexpected bit of interest to formal wear these days when some many people are just doing it wrong.  If I had the money you know I would have a pair.

If your curious about that Japanese company their website is here

A hip length, open front sweater with a low neckline and some sort of closer down the front is so simple that its hard to imagine there being a time before it.  When it comes down to it the cardigan has probably been around in some form or another as long as knitting.  The name Cardigan, on the other hand, didn’t get coined until the mid 19th century.

Charge of the Light Brigade by Richard Caton Woodville

The British Major General James Thomas Brudenell, who was also the 7th Earl of Cardigan, was stationed in Crimea (that leg off the south of the Ukraine) in 1854 to defend the UKs interests in the declining Ottoman Empire from the Russians.  This engagement became known as the Crimean War.  The Major General was ordered to lead a doomed cavalry assault across a valley against a Russian cannon emplacement on high ground.  The casualty count was eulogized by Lord Alfred Tennyson in his poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and was stressed by the eye witness war correspondent William Russell with his reporting, “our Light Brigade was annihilated by their own rashness, and by the brutality of a ferocious enemy.”  Making it one of the most remembered battles of the war and Brudenell or the Earl of Cardigan, who survived, one of the important names and since the officers wore, what is remembered as, a type of knit and braided “sweater coat” trimmed with fur throughout the campaign, this garment gained the name Cardigan after Brudenells post.

By 1865 the Cardigan hit the ivy league in the form of the letter sweater.  The Harvard baseball team added the ‘H’ to the front of their jerseys and with the casual revolution pushing out the starched collars of 19th century edwardian fashion out it made room for 20th century school pride.  This look consisting of cardigans, button down collars, and  casual slacks became known as the prep look.  Soon everything from scarves, shirts, hats, socks, ties, sweaters, coats, and socks where being made with school colors in mind.

Beginning in the mid 20th century, with the rise of the atomic family and the suburbs, as fireplaces and gas space heaters were replaced by forced-air central heating, heavy indoor clothing became unnecessary. Heated automobiles and heated public transit made the bundling-up season shorter in much of the country.  The new cardigan sweater traveled easily without wrinkling, unlike the woolen blazers and cotton or linen suit coats it was quickly replacing in casual and fair weather conditions.

Mr. Rogers in Mr. Rogers Neighborhood with his famous cardigan and sneakers (1968-2001)

Finally we can’t mention cardigans without bring up Mr. Rogers, the beloved childrens TV host.  One man has never done more for the awareness of cardigans. Remember like everything there are good and bad cardigans and fit is all important.  The oversized ‘bag-lady’ cardigan has become popular for women and in hip hop but, if you want to look sharp wear it like a t-shirt.  Fit and just long enough to hit your belt.  There are many different kinds with collars, zippers, buttons, pockets and combinations of them and there are good in all as long as it fits.