Elusive perfect khaki field shirt

[sam Browne]

For the life of me, I absolutely cannot find the perfect vintage style khaki field shirt, of the sort worn in "The Jewel in the Crown".

Khaki "safari" or military style shirts are plentiful, but most modern ones have too many tabs, zippers, and other bells and whistles, and the pockets and epaulettes that are small and wimpy looking. Also, I want the scalloped pocket flaps, not the pointed ones.

What Price Glory's reporoduction shirts come very close, but I am not looking for the pull-over kind of shirt, just the plain old full button front. A very good example of what I am trying to find is seen in photos of British General Percival during the defense of Singapore in WW2. Does any body know where one of these can be found?

P.S. khaki dril ---not airtex!l

 

[1961MJS]

Hi Sam

If you look up James Country Mercantile, you'll find that they are a Civil War and Old West shop making their own uniforms for sale. If you find a good local tailor to measure you, they should be able to make what you want. They have a very good reputation, but I haven't actually bought anything (yet).

Jame Country, as in Jesse James Country, from Independence Missouri.

Later

 

[MisterCairo]

Indy Magnoli has this American-based design, not sure it's what you're after though:

http://www.magnoliclothiers.com/rangoon-shirt-shirts-p-163.html

 

[Baggers]

While they don't have epaulettes, I've been very happy with Filson's Feather Cloth Shirts, as sold by David Morgan. Available in short or long sleeve, full cut, and they have nice large very functional pleated pockets. And the last one I bought was a very good shade of tan. I've also had the same pattern as originally made up in their heavier weight Safari Cloth, but the fabric is woven so tightly that it doesn't "breathe" down here in our humid Texas summers. After checking the web sites of both companies, however, I couldn't find the Safari Cloth shirts in stock at present. Hopefully it's just a seasonal thing and they haven't been dropped from the catalog.

ETA: I just noticed you wanted scalloped pocket flaps. Filson's are single pointed, but they have a rather elegant curve. My only other suggestion would be WPG's Australian Pattern KD Shirt, but it's a half front just like the British Aertex ones. Sorry.

 

[sam Browne]

To give you an idea, the California Highway Patrol long-sleeve uniform shirt, most closely resembles what I am looking for. Although it is commonly available on-line from uniform stores, it is always of a rayon or polyester material, ----forget khaki drill. Arrghhhhh!!!

 

[sam Browne]

Mr Cairo - the "Rangoon Pattern" shirt you linked to is just about spot on. Howver, all of the repro U.S. Army "Rangoon Pattern" shirts Ive come across are of a wool blend, not KD

 

[Bumper_Morgan]

This is the outdoor shirt we have used in our Boy Scout Troop for the last 5 years. It is made of 100% cotton ripstop, is durable and after a few washings will feel and wear like a second skin. Soft and comfortable. The price isn't that bad either.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/TROPENHEMD-L...reizeithemden_Shirts&var=&hash=item6d71e974ca

We don't buy through Ebay, but I didn't have a nice picture at hand.

 

[MattieA65]

"Sam Browne," the old WWII and post-WWII era cotton officer's khaki shirts don't have scalloped pockets, but they are very rugged and can be found at thrift stores (I hate to resort to cutting and pasting an on-line auction location, but my camping clothes are packed away right now).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/kol175-WW2-...961?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5890fe8b51


http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-WW2-U-S-A...322?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231c2fc23a

 

[MisterCairo]

Mr Cairo - the "Rangoon Pattern" shirt you linked to is just about spot on. Howver, all of the repro U.S. Army "Rangoon Pattern" shirts Ive come across are of a wool blend, not KD

Sam, Indy will consider material choices not necessarily displayed on the site. Curiously, there is no mention of what his version ordinarily is made from, but as you say, most likely some sort of cotton blend.

Email him to seek some info perhaps? If you do let us know, I'd likely be interested as well.

 

[Renault]

"Sam Browne," the old WWII and post-WWII era cotton officer's khaki shirts don't have scalloped pockets, but they are very rugged and can be found at thrift stores (I hate to resort to cutting and pasting an on-line auction location, but my camping clothes are packed away right now).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/kol175-WW2-...961?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5890fe8b51


http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-WW2-U-S-A...322?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231c2fc23a

That's right Sam. You should check out the old USGI "suntans" from WWII as Mattie has suggested. They as well as the trousers were good gear. WPG does make affordable repros. If you go with the officers shirt, they come with epaulettes....

I lucked into one of the J. Peterman khaki shirts at a thrift store. It was unworn and only $5 . They are a nice shirt, but a bit pricey as khaki shirts go if you buy them from Peterman.

I also noticed that WPG has this shirt;

http://onlinemilitaria.net/shopexd.asp?id=5060

newly listed in an e-mail ad I justreceived. I dunno how I would personally like the poly/cotton blend....

Renault

 

[Baggers]

You beat me to posting about that new shirt from WPG, Renault. It's everything Sam wants except for the blended material. The only other thing that concerned me were the epaulettes. It may just be whoever modeled it for the photo wearing too large a size, but they looked a bit short to me. Aside from that, it's a sharp looking shirt for the money. I might give one a try on my next order.

Another source for GI suntans is At The Front. I got two sets when they first got them in and have worn the heck out of them. The shirt actually fits better than the WPG versions I've bought in the past. They're out of most sizes at the moment, but restock is on the way according to the web site.

 

[Canadian]

I bought a khaki shirt from Sears for ten dollars. Light 100% cotton, khaki (British tan) with two pockets and epaulets and I wear it in the field when I go hiking. I typically layer it with a polypro undershirt or maybe alone. They're not warm, but for a day's tramping through the mountains, it's good.

For desert wear, I wear this shirt. I typically pair it with blue cargo trousers which isn't traditional, but they're more practical than standard gabs, because they have the pockets needed to hold the map and K rations.

Also, the local surplus shop has s/s versions for about 25 bucks. Genuine stuff.

Tom

 

[Edward]

Somewhere at home I have an all-cotton Dutch Army officer's dress shirt which I bought in a (now gone) n army surplus shop in Camden market about ten years ago. Was about a fiver, I think, and wore and washes really well. If memory serves correctly, the cuffs were even convertible, so (assuming you don't mind they'd be single thickness) they could even be worn with cufflinks.

 

[DeaconKC]

I don't know if you would be interested in this shirt, but it is super comfortable and wears like iron. Also available in short sleeves and a poly/cotton blend.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabe...s&Ntt=safari&WTz_l=Header;Search-All+Products

 

[John in Covina]

Not the most correct for you but I have been using Cabela's short sleeve safari shirts for years and like them for our blistering SG Valley Southern Califonia summers.

 

[MattieA65]

John, have you hiked into "Devil's Canyon?" My Dad used to do this annually back in the early 60s. He and his friends said there was an easy way and a hard way, and most people took the easy way, from some trailhead or someplace. I guess they took the hard way, or so they said.

 

[John in Covina]

John, have you hiked into "Devil's Canyon?" My Dad used to do this annually back in the early 60s. He and his friends said there was an easy way and a hard way, and most people took the easy way, from some trailhead or someplace. I guess they took the hard way, or so they said.

out this way i have hiked some of the trails by JPL and a few in the San Gabriel Mtns. Also out by the 395 past Adelento many years ago.

Not hiking much these days.