mondo

Pfft.. philistine! That's prime Fiorucci you're knocking..

ha.. me too on the hair – no blue forehead, though. Perhaps because it's a synthetic indigo intended to resemble the wartime denim. Having said that, I've not had any blue stains from denim or indigo headgear – I've a Troy O'Shea cap made of early 20th century Japanese indigo fabric, an Iron Heart one from years ago made of some heavy but soft and pliable denim.. another Papa one, I think..

I've been happy with Papa Nui's version – a decent degree of floppiness, doesn't bleed even though it's been subjected to a fair amount of Australian sun and sweat, "M1937" rather than the typical Daisy Mae so it has a point of difference. https://papanuicapco.com/en-au/products/army-denim-hat

Couple of favourites still on active duty... I like the faded gradients on the screen print for this one, plus it's such a strange way to plug a resort... This Pat Metheny 1993 tour shirt was a thrift store find, but I would definitely have been there if they'd come out to Australia at that point. From about '86–'89 my night-time listening consisted of C-90 cassettes compiled by my guitar teacher – I'd put them on as I was going to sleep (as a result, there were tracks on the B-sides I only discovered after a few years, and many I was unaware I'd assimilated until encounters later in life) – and one prominent side was a bootleg (made by the same teacher) of a Sydney show, with the track "Phase Dance" looming large in my psyche. Later, in 2020, I scored a last-minute ticket on a whim to see Metheny and experienced many of those tracks from my teenage subconscious... a memorable evening, not least because it was the last thing I saw before pandemic lockdowns hit. Unbeknownst to me I'd been able to get the ticket so easily due to all the cancellations – there were many empty rows in the grand old theatre...

^ lovely.. I'll bet mrs mondo wishes I had a blue chair – excellent choice of reading material as well

I have a couple of the Permanent Style / Allevol white t-shirts which are rather short and boxy – although loop wheeled (allegedly), they have been recut at the the sides so they have seams and are somewhat tapered (i.e., not as boxy). This was the P.S. attempt to arrive at a t-shirt that sat a bit higher on the back of the neck and had a vintage fit without being too shapeless and flappy at the hem.. with some success, I think. Not sure how it compares to the usual Allevol fare, but these shirts have seen more frequent wear than many other Japanese tees (Full Count, Dubbleworks, Flat Head, Iron Heart, etc, etc, much as I like all these) so.. yeah. Disclaimer: I have had several beers

Mötley Sküe

Hi @indigoeagle, today I have mostly been wearing the hickory painter pants from Orslow – nice washed indigo stripes (don't think I'll get the chance to put much visible wear of my own on them); not sure of the fabric weight on these but I'd guess 11oz. They feel quite substantial, but I think the softness of the "used" wash makes the fabric seem heavier. In my opinion, Orslow excels when it comes to painter pants, chore coats and denim/chambray oxford shirts. And their reverse sateen stuff.. that's close to the original military issue.

You'll be wanting the 18-18 1/2, which I think is the current XL. According to History Preservation, BR revised their shirt sizing a while back so that everything is effectively one size smaller. 18 equates to a FW 17 (I have a Neal chambray for comparison, as well as a few other designs). Perhaps intentionally, the work shirt sleeves are quite short – the cuffs will not entirely cover a watch, for example, or protrude from a jacket sleeve. I generally wear them rolled up. Also, they're prone to coming unbuttoned at points of stress – the buttonholes seem to stretch more on these shirts than the average chambray. Having said that, the character of the chambray is more "three dimensional" than just about any other work shirt I own (FW, Papa Nui, Homestead, Orslow, Sassafras, probably some others I've forgotten). The Gibson shirts may well have slightly different measurements.

I have pairs of both, and they're interchangeable in terms of waist measurement – the top block of the BR's is a little more slim fitting and the leg is a couple of inches longer. The 1082 is right without any alteration (my ideal measurement is W 34" L 32"), whereas I've hemmed the BR pairs. When hemming, it's hard to get someone to preserve the wider hem and cut the leg so you'll get a nice straight edge embedded within the hem (if that makes sense) – the 1082s are fading more tastefully as a result. Once hemmed, the BR pairs do flare out just a little more for me, but it's not that noticeable. I wear them all frequently but the 1082 is definitely a Goldilocks fit for me.