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.

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.

.

.

.

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.

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.

With a chill in the air fall starts to blow in but, in these early days when we still have warm afternoons and crisp nights dressing for the weather can be difficult especially in a place as fickle as Portland.  Enter the classic rugby jersey.  The brightly colored long or short sleeved cotton shirts with the white contrasting collar make for the perfect transition shirt for those early fall days.  They look good enough to wear out yet are resilient enough to wear doing anything.  The rugby is really a perfect complement to the heavier fabrics of fall yet light enough to slowly easy into the season.

Rugby is a form of football that originated at the Rugby School, a boarding school in Rugby, Warwickshire England, in the mid-19th century.  Although rugby football was codified at Rugby School, many rugby playing countries had pre-existing football games not dissimilar to rugby.  English football, as it was called in the UK, had been played on a mass scale at boarding schools across the region for a long time but, it wasn’t until 1845 the the pupils of the Rugby School laid down an official set of laws for the first time.  In the early years of official competition Rugby and Football were governed by the same Football Association but, in 1863, there was a split and the two distinctly different sports went there separate ways.  By 1871 the Rugby Football Union was founded and laid the frame work for an international Rugby organization.

 XIXth century Victorian die-cuts of British ruggers

In these early days the clubs were mostly based in prep schools and universities.  Although there were smaller less well funded clubs in working class towns across the northern UK the Rugby Union gained a reputation for being predominately run by men of means in the south.  This conflict grew to a head in 1895 when a group of 20 clubs broke from the Rugby Union to form the Northern Rugby Football Union renamed the Rugby Football League in 1922 with a few slight changes to the common rules.

cartoon lampooning the divide in rugby captioned  (Rev. Frank Marshall: ”Oh, fie, go away naughty boy, I don’t play with boys who can’t afford to take a holiday for football any day they like!”  James Miller: ”Yes, that’s just you to a T; you’d make it so that no lad whose father wasn’t a millionaire could play at all in a really good team. For my part I see no reason why the men who make the money shouldn’t have a share in the spending of it.”)

Rugby Union held a strict, amateur only eligibility as well as a tight grip on tradition where as the Rugby League was derided as the professional version of the Union.  One of the great traditions from the prep school days of rugby football is the jersey.  Rugby jerseys were traditionally made of cotton with five or six hoops of alternating color corresponding to the club colors.  Most jerseys also have a placket with two or three rubber buttons down the front.  The rubber was purely functional, making it so if some one pulled on your collar or neck during a game the buttons simply slip out instead of popping off.  Finally, many traditional jerseys have a small stiff white collar and white cuffs.  This look is the one that became popular among British prep school students and quickly spread in America.

Dress it up or dress it down. Bastian Rugby via StyleBlogger

It seems like everyone is making one these days but, the best on the market is from Michael Baston.  Probably a bit out of most peoples price range but, on the other end of the spectrum American Apperal that brand everyone hates to love but, makes some kick ass basics is coming out with a rugby of their own so keep your eyes open. Otherwise almost every modern mens wear label has at least one.  So, go out an don’t be afraid to get it dirty.

Rugby in the mud.  Perfect for any occasion

Plus a little treat.  An explanation of the rules of rugby that you will actually watch.

The M-1965 or M65 field jacket is simply the latest in a long succession of attempts to keep troops comfortable and protected in a variety of hostile climates.  As the name suggests the M65 was introduced into US military service in 1965 at the beginning of the escalation of the Vietnam War.  It was a further improved version of the M-1951 which replaced the World War II field jacket, the M-1943.

(from top to bottom) original M-43, M-51, and M-65 field jackets.  you can see the slight changes over the years

These jackets all had a few things in common.  Tough durable material, some degree of water resistance, a collar that could be turned up to block the elements and plenty of pocket space for gear.  Although popularized by American GIs and icons such as Ernest Hemingway this jacket was in no way an American invention.

Ernest Hemingway with his fourth and final wife Mary after killing something in his bush jacket

Throughout the 1800’s the European powers engaged in a race to map, explorer and colonize the deepest darkest parts of Africa.  People like Dr. David Livingstone, Henry Stanley and many other equally successful adventurers spent much of the 19th century spreading religion throughout untracked sections of African territory mapping new areas all the way.  These intrepid men knew that in the heat of the African bush one had to dress appropriately but, a gentlemen still wouldn’t be caught out doors with out his jacket.  The men developed light weight jackets cut from cotton and linen that had been dyed in khaki brought back from the British Raj.  These jackets had four large pockets for carrying various gear and were generally belted to support extra utility and better fit.  These bush jackets, as they came to be known, were so well designed and loved in the colonies that the British government incorporated them into the offical field uniform of the British Army starting in 1897.  The light weight and tan color made them ideal for tropical war zones and harder to soil then the older brightly colored wool uniforms of the old European empires.  Soon, similar jackets were incorporated into the uniforms of many of the major military forces around the world, including that of the good ol’ US of A.

(L) Dr. David Livingstone in Africa in the late 19th century wearing a makeshift precurser to the field jacket (R) British troops prepared for the Second Boer War in their new field uniforms, c. 1900

The field jacket took the elements that worked best from the original bush jackets and tried to improve upon them as the needs changed.  The M-43 incorporated a drawstring waist, doing away with the belt, and an attachable cotton pile liner for cold weather conditions.  The M-51 further improved the jacket by treating the fabric so as to repel water and adding a detachable hood.  Finally, the M-65 built the hood into the jacket making it stowable in a pouch on the back of the neck giving easy access as well as upgrading the liner to include a warmer synthetic pile.

The M-65 jacket became iconic with the Vietnam War but, it also became a symbol of the counter culture.  It was such a utilitarian design that even the protesters couldn’t deny its utility and with the jackets flooding the market through surplus stores and second hand shops with the ramp up in production for the war they were easy to get at very low prices.

Vietnam War protesters in fatigues

Of course militaria has always made its showing on the runways and fashion shows.  It works for the same reason it works for soldiers, functional pieces look good for their function.  The same reason why basics are sometimes the best thing you can have.  These days every major mens wear manufacturer has dabbled in the field jacket world.  One can find them at any price range and every level of luxury.  From bargain basement surplus to haute couture, its all about making sure it stays functional and fits.  Jackets like this are perfect for fall and spring because they are infinitely layerable.  I really like the ones below from J.Crew but, a lot of that has to do with the fact that they fit me really well.  So, go out and get yourself a modern, vintage, surplus, custom field jacket and where it like its meant to be worn.  On a great adventure.

(L) Safari Jacket from Berretta (R) J.Crew Fatigue jacket 

As I mentioned in an earlier article, great leaps in eye safety, by that I mean the creation of eye safety, in the form of goggles and glasses were made during the industrial revolution.  With the advent of so much new technology and the capability of traveling at much higher speeds then ever before people started to notice the need for shielding to protect their eyes from, at the very least, flying debris.  Although the incidence of people losing eyes to projectiles definitely went down the understanding of solar radiation and the damage it can do to eyes was in its infancy so, these early lenses were little more then smoked glass and did little to nothing to combat infrared and ultraviolet rays common in welding arcs and high intensity sunlight.  These same wave lengths as well as UVA and UVB are the most common causes of photokeratitis.

John Kaminski c.WWI, the pilot goggles shape was the inspiration for the modern aviator

(L) Col. Donald Blakeslee with US Army Air Corps goggles, (R) Col. Glenn T Eagleston with RAF style goggles

These glasses never really made the leap from factory to runway.  Although they were durable and quality made they weren’t exactly comfortable or very attractive in the eyes of the Edwardian dandies.  They did however gain a following among adventurers and motorcycle enthusiasts who returned to civilian life after the first world war with their new found accessories.

Lt. John A. Macready and Lt. Oakley Kelly in 1924 before completing the first transcontinental flight

It wasn’t until the 1920’s when an adventurer, test pilot and Lieutenant in the US Army Air Corps noticed the damage done to his eyes after a prolonged balloon flying adventure and decided to do something about it.  Lt. John A. Macready enlisted the help of Bausch & Lomb, an established eye glasses manufacturer out of Rochester, New York to develop a pair of sunglasses that would provide the protection he required while retaining a certain elegance and in May of 1937 Bausch & Lomb took out a US patent on a prototype known simply as ‘Anti-Glare’ founding a sunglass devision branded Ray Ban.  Anti-Glare, the first pair of Ray Bans, had gold plated metal wire frames, in the same shape of pilots flight goggles, with green mineral glass lenses, called G-15s, all in a package weighing less then 5.3 oz but, the real achievement was in the glass.  The G-15 lenses filtered out both infrared and ultraviolet light making them the first functional sunglasses that would quickly become the trademark of quality sunglasses as well as the Ray Ban company.

pre-Ray Ban, Bausch & Lomb aviators

By the late 30’s almost all aircraft had enclosed cockpits so, flying debris was almost a none issue but, with flying altitudes quickly rising the risk of eye damage from intense sunlight increased.  As soon as Lt. Macready realized what he had with the newly founded Ray Ban he brought the glasses to the Air Corps which is where, like all good things, they spread like wildfire among the aviators of the Corps.  And so, the Anti-Glares were coined aviators after its legion of devoted adopters.

Ray Ban aviators quickly became a symbol of the fly boys fighting in the South Pacific.  One of the many iconic pictures to hit the papers toward the end of the war was of General Douglas MacArthur landing on the beach in the Phillippines wearing his aviators smoking his trademark corn cobb pipe.  Although the glasses were in demand back state side they weren’t really available until after the war.  Many of the solders brought their Ray Bans back to civilian life with them making them a must have all across the nation.  Soon there were all sorts of varieties on the aviator theme from brands all over the world but, few stacked up against the original Ray Bans.

General Douglas MacArthur in the Phillippines 1945, Life Magazine

Today, almost everyone has owned at least one pair of aviators.  They have been showcased in major blockbusters, like Top Gun, and worn by the in the know for more then 50 years.  They are perfect for those bright spring and summer days when your wearing little else and with the Americana revival aviators are once again cool and fashionable.  They key is to pick the right pair and they will last you forever.

basically think more Top Gun and less unibomber

The shapes and sizes are endless these days, from the original Ray Ban tear drops to crazy designer numbers made by underpaid natives in some obscure country (do to their small nimble fingers of course).  There has been a lot of talk about authenticity with companies like Randolph Engineering and American Optical both claiming to be the “original pilot glasses” but, when the hype falls away its all about how they fit.  I have worn RE glasses and they are very well made but, the balance feels off and they are very wide.  AO tends to have a similar problem.  I personally wear Ray Bans.  Although the tear drops are iconic I don’t like the way they fit on most peoples faces so, I leave you with a recommendation.  The Ray Ban Caravan.  They have been making them for decades, they weigh nothing, they look good on everyone and they have the original G-15s, all for under $100.  So, just remember try a bunch on, it doesn’t matter the name as long as they fit.  And if your looking for that throw back vibe the gold rims are as classic as they come.

travis bickle says Caravans are the way to go