Bush Jackets

[Matt Deckard]

Nothing says I'm on safari like a bush jacket. Some can be dressed up and some can be dressed down though they all say I've got some extreme work/lounging to do.

Any of you guys go for the safari look?

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/barnard/theater/kirkland/3136/1940s%20Gallery/images/37.1943.2.jpg

http://www.bigmen.com/jacket/images/bushjacket.jpg

[BellyTank]

WWII British Khaki Cotton Aertex.

Matching Strides too, of course-

B
T

[Slate Shannon]

I'm rather fond of the safari look, myself. I have a old Willis & Geiger bush jacket that I've had for awhile, and a light-weight bush jacket from the original Banana Republic, before they went yuppie. And, of course, a couple of wide-brim safari hats.

[Baggers]

WWII British Khaki Cotton Aertex.

Matching Strides too, of course-

B
T

And don't forget your brothel creepers!:cool:

During the warmer months, my daily wardrobe looks like something out of Mogambo. I'm still searching for the perfect bush jacket and I'm thinking I may have to go custom to get what I want: British style epaulets (wide base with no "x box" stitching and tapering up toward the button); large pleated chest pockets with maybe chest darts above; and large flapped bellows pockets that are mounted slightly back and on the sides more like a suit jacket, not directly under the chest pockets; and a belt with a removeable leather buckle for washing. Of course, it needs to be made of a decent weight of pre shrunk cotton twill and built with a flattering fit, not some oversized SML sack like styling.

Cheers!
:cheers1:

[Prof. Ed]

I love "bush" clothing and wear it often.

[Baggers]

I'm rather fond of the safari look, myself. I have a old Willis & Geiger bush jacket that I've had for awhile, and a light-weight bush jacket from the original Banana Republic, before they went yuppie. And, of course, a couple of wide-brim safari hats.

I've got a W&G bush jacket that I got fifteen years ago when I worked in one the retail stores they had briefly when owned by Laura Ashley. It no longer fits, but I still have it in hopes of someone being able to copy it. I haven't been able to find one as well made since.

Cheers!

[Nick Charles]

I've got a Van Husen Safari Jacket I like to wear with my brushed cotton Bill's khakis and cap toe boots. And either pith helmut or safari hat.

[green papaya]

http://rddusa.com/images/products/clothing/CJ10019.jpg

I like to wear foreign surplus fatigue jackets like this FRENCH jkt

[The Mad Hatter]

I have one from Orvis.

[Phog Allen]

Filson makes good quality stuff albeit a bit high priced. Hope this link works. I do like the style of that jacket. Funny, when I was younger I thought I'd never be caught dead in one of those. After watching my DVD of Hatari, I realized Bruce Cabot looked quite dapper in one.

Todd

http://www.filson.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2092514&cp=2065674.2065685.2065690&view=all&parentPage=family

[SHARPETOYS]

US Wings is mine.:) I like !! :)

http://www.uswings.com/khakis.asp $50.00

[Matt Deckard]

Too bad Willis and Geiger went the way of the Dodo.

[BellyTank]

http://rddusa.com/images/products/clothing/CJ10019.jpg

I like to wear foreign surplus fatigue jackets like this FRENCH jkt

A lot of European military surplus is actually really kool. Some of the gear I see in the Surplus shops over here is really old and obscure- not necessary military-like in appearance. Some of the stuff in my local shop dates back to the 1910s...
...I must go and rescue all that stuff.

B
T

[Hemingway Jones]

Too bad Willis and Geiger went the way of the Dodo.Here, here! W&G had a safari jacket that was their "Hemingway Jacket." It was very stylish. It shows up on eBay from time to time and commands a decent price.

I still laugh when I read in Hemingway biographies that he took his son to Abercrombia and Fitch in NYC to buy a spear gun for a trip to Bimini.

[BellyTank]

So, we've had a little bit of discussion- but what would YOUR ideal Bush Jacket LOOK like?
What features would it have?- keeping in mind it might/should be a '30s style.

Fabric type, collar style, pockets, pleats, length, belt, ..other features/details...?

I'm interested to hear-

B
T

[Mojave Jack]

Do I like the safari look?! I gotta be honest; I like nothing better! My bush jacket (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/MojaveJack/BushJacket.jpg) is an Orvis, which I wear continuously. It's no longer made, but looks very similar to the Baretta jacket (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Item/94/24/68/i942468sq01.jpg) offered at Cabela's. Mine has a patch on the right shoulder, though, in matching material with a croshatch stich pattern. It is a bit heavy, but as soon as I need a jacket, out it comes. The things I love about is that it has useful pockets, including on the sleeve, it has coconut buttons, and it absolutley never wrinkles. It also has an interior drawcord, rather than a belt. I've found the belts to be a pain, so though the drawstring may not be strictly accurate, I prefer it. It also has action pleats with a short strip of elastic inside. I thought that I would feel that, but I never do, and it keeps the back pleat closed. Other details I like are the ammo pockets above the left pocket, and the small coconut D-ring under the left pocket. Here's a pic of me looking rather serious, in my Orvis and pith helmet (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/MojaveJack/BushJacketandPith.jpg)

If I could, I'd dress like anyone of these folks (http://www.geh.org/ar/strip37/m198512570365.jpg) (with the exception of Osa, hiding third from the left) every day. I originally got into the safari look because my dad was in the Air Force in the early 1960s. He came in just about the time they issued a full-on safari uniform (http://www.afa.org/magazine/1991/0691splendor.asp), including shorts, bush jacket, and pith helmet. The uniform was really unpopular (:eek: ), so it was abolished within a year or two, but I inherited all my dad's uniforms, and wore that bush jacket to death.

I've really considered getting one of Cabela's bush jackets (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0018715902476a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnString=QueryText=safari&Ntk=Products&_D%3AhasJS=+&Go.y=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&No=20&Ntt=safari&noImage=0&Ntx=matchall&N=4887&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.22&Go.x=0&returnPage=search-results1.jsp), because it incoporates all the things I like about my Orvis jacket, but of a lighter material. I'd be interested in a review of anyone has this jacket. My wife keeps telling me "No more khaki!"

How about this for a theme for the next gathering of the FL? Safari Dinner (http://www.geh.org/ar/strip37/m198512580068.jpg) Life in the Bush (http://www.geh.org/ar/strip37/m198512580067.jpg) Bush Picnic (http://www.geh.org/ar/strip37/m198512580069.jpg)

[Nick Charles]

Great stuff Jack, where did you get those boots? they are tip top. Very Denys Finch Hadden.( or Rick Oconnel)

I'd love to attend a Safari weekend. I'll be there with bells oin next time.

[Mojave Jack]

Great stuff Jack, where did you get those boots? they are tip top. Very Denys Finch Hadden.( or Rick Oconnel)

I'd love to attend a Safari weekend. I'll be there with bells oin next time.

Thanks, Nick! Rick O'Connell, I can live with that! Denys Finch Hadden, too, for that matter!

I think those are the one time I got a great deal on e-Bay; actually, that's not true, because my bush jacket is also an e-Bay steal. I had my boots at the QM summit (http://www.thegoldenera.net/images/events/QM_Mojave_Hem.jpg), which was probably the first time I wore them for a long period of time, and they were just awesome. They do need a bit of conditioning and polish, but I haven't been brave enough to start applying stuff to them yet. I to bring my pith helmet and my bush hat (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/MojaveJack/BushHat.jpg) to the QM, but forgot them both in the rush.

[Jokerswild7]

I love that outfit Jack!

and whats this about a gathering in Fl?????




Glenn

[Mojave Jack]

I love that outfit Jack!

and whats this about a gathering in Fl?????

Glenn

Thanks, Glenn! Now I just have to learn to smile for pictures.

Actually, though, that was a gathering of F(edora) L(ounge), rather than in FL(orida). Like the Queen Mary summit of a couple weeks ago. Sorry! Though a gathering in Florida doesn't sound too bad, now that the cold is starting to set in (even here in the Mojave; down to a high of 53 today)...

[Jokerswild7]

Whoops,
wheres the icon for slapping ones forehead in disbelief.....
You all may now continue with the previously scheduled programing...




Glenn

[Matt Deckard]

Mojave... love the pith... I myself go fot the sport coat and aussie slouch hat when really in the field. Next Meet we need to have an adventurers dinner one night and a black tie affair the other.

[Biltmore Bob]

*DELETED*

[BellyTank]

...now try seaching for 'Bush Hat' and see what you get...

B
T

[Matt Deckard]

I miss staying on topic... This is a good thread on bush jackets... I want to see more of the cool safari styles.

[Mycroft]

Late comer here, I am currently going on a safari in December to Kenya and the surrounding area, any suggrestion on the Bush Jacket I should get, I am not sure what type because of the weather differences? Orivis is good, from what I have heard and used (fishing stuff only though). Matt, am I sabatoging your thread or do you want me to move it?

[Hemingway Jones]

Mojave,
You know I love your gear. You put it together so well. You have that Golden Age Adventurer look down.
On the Orvis jacket, I rather wish it had a belt. I think that the belts break up the 'tunic of khaki' look of a longer jacket. I think I might throw on an ammo belt or some sort of gun belt to break it up a bit.
It looks great. Keep them coming!

[Hemingway Jones]

http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/9969/hem7zo.th.jpg (http://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hem7zo.jpg)
The icon! Hemingway on his last African safari.

[MrBern]

I love it , Mojave Jack!
I bet the indy gear folks would look great at a Bush Picnic.

Personally, I love the various incarnations of the costumes used for bush adventurers in TheLostWorld.

Incidentally, have you ever checked out the `42 airborne jump jkt?
http://www.101airborneww2.com/uniforms.html

MAgnum Photogs looked very dapper in them
http://www.magnumphotos.com/C/HTM/CDOCZ_MAG.ASPX?&E=29YL53UR3S2&DT=ALB&PIC=1&O=0S

[Biltmore Bob]

*DELETED*

[Flitcraft]

Late comer here, I am currently going on a safari in December to Kenya and the surrounding area, any suggrestion on the Bush Jacket I should get, I am not sure what type because of the weather differences? Orivis is good, from what I have heard and used (fishing stuff only though). Matt, am I sabatoging your thread or do you want me to move it?

Mycroft:
That's great! I'm green with envy!

Anyone have any experience with this bush jacket?:
http://www.whatpriceglory.com/pic/bushjacket.jpg

Price seems right- but anyone know anything about sizing and durability?
Your help is much appreciated!

[MrBern]

I was eyeing that one myself at the beginning of the summer.
I have mixed feelings about reenactor products.
Sometimes its gold & sometimes its garbage made in pakistan.
Didnt soemone here get the matching pants on ebay a few months ago?

[BellyTank]

Sometimes its gold & sometimes its garbage made in pakistan.
ago?

But ALWAYS what the US vendor ordered from the Pakistani garbage supplier.
Is it actually worse than domestic US made garbage?

Nothing wrong with clothing from Pakistan. It's more the tight-fisted vendors trying to scrimp so many pennies. You get what you ask/pay for.

B
T

[Mojave Jack]

Anyone have any experience with this bush jacket?:
http://www.whatpriceglory.com/pic/bushjacket.jpg


I've got one of Jerry's aetex shirts, and the durability is definately there. There are some awkward things about it, though, such as the cuffs. For some reason the buttons on the cuffs are rotated to far and the buttons are almost inside my wrist when I wear the shirt. Other details, though, are superb, and I actually wear that shirt as a regular garment. One word of warning, though, they will shrink if ever machine washed or dried. The weight is not as light as I expected it to be, but the weave is realtively open, and the ventilation is good. Mr Bern is dead on, though, sometimes I love Jerry's stuff, sometimes not so much. I can't say, however, that I would get one of these for daily wear. I think you're better off spending a few extra bucks on a really good bush jacket that you will be able to wear a long time.


On the Orvis jacket, I rather wish it had a belt. I think that the belts break up the 'tunic of khaki' look of a longer jacket. I think I might throw on an ammo belt or some sort of gun belt to break it up a bit.

You're absolutely right, Hem. The belt does complete the look. I wear bush jackets so much, though, that I got really tired of doing the belt up all the time. I found the same thing on my trench coat. I like your idea of an ammo belt, or even just a plain leather belt. That would make it more versatile.


Mojave... love the pith... I myself go fot the sport coat and aussie slouch hat when really in the field. Next Meet we need to have an adventurers dinner one night and a black tie affair the other.

Matt, I agree completely! Thanks for the compliment, too. I think we need to go to the UK, though, and rent a room in one of those late 19th/early 20th century gentlemen's clubs with dark wood paneling, overstuffed leather furniture, at least one wall lined with books from floor to ceiling, a few mounts on the other walls, and a huge fireplace. Ah, brandy and cigars after dinner...heaven! There must be someplace like that in the LA area.

[Matt Deckard]

must[/I] be someplace like that in the LA area.

There was a place like that in the LA area... though it was designed with virtual reality gamers in mind and had a few planet maps on the wall, pics of game hunters with Dinosaur heads and a few miscelenious animals mounted on the walls along with a library in the corner and stuffed lather chairs. Very Earnest Hemingway meets battle betond the stars. They closed down a few years back as no new VR games were being produced.

[Mojave Jack]

There was a place like that in the LA area... though it was designed with virtual reality gamers in mind and had a few planet maps on the wall, pics of game hunters with Dinosaur heads and a few miscelenious animals mounted on the walls along with a library in the corner and stuffed lather chairs. Very Earnest Hemingway meets battle betond the stars. They closed down a few years back as no new VR games were being produced.

Story of my life. A day late, and a dollar short. *sigh*


Personally, I love the various incarnations of the costumes used for bush adventurers in TheLostWorld.

Incidentally, have you ever checked out the `42 airborne jump jkt?
http://www.101airborneww2.com/uniforms.html

Bernard, I never really thought about that, but the jump jacket really is pretty much a bush jacket, isn't it?! Yours, BTW, is awesome.

As for the Lost World, are you referring to the Bob Hoskins version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story (or a number of others, actually) or the TV series? I have to admit, I watch the TV series every morning at breakfast, well, the first fifteen minutes before I have to leave for work, anyway. That's one of my guilty pleasures. Yes, I know it's implausible, poor acting, but whatever; I like it! (Just don't ever ask Hemingway Jones what he thought of The Rocketeer!) I'd love a shoulder rig like Roxton's. I don't think he had that until the second or third season though, so I guess RIck O'Connell still has dibs on being the first.

[Slate Shannon]

My W&G bush jacket, with a belt that I added and a bandoleer. I was just foolin' around to see what kind of look I could come up with.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c99/knrckr/lounge/mod5.jpg

[Nick Charles]

looks pretty good, are those WWII leggins or Rough Rider?

[Slate Shannon]

looks pretty good, are those WWII leggins or Rough Rider?

Thanks. They are WWII.

[Matt Deckard]

Late comer here, I am currently going on a safari in December to Kenya and the surrounding area, any suggrestion on the Bush Jacket I should get, I am not sure what type because of the weather differences? Orivis is good, from what I have heard and used (fishing stuff only though). Matt, am I sabatoging your thread or do you want me to move it?

No sabataging... it's about bush jackets.

[Mycroft]

No sabataging... it's about bush jackets.

Ok, just clearing up some doubts, anyhow are Bush Jackets water-resitant or how do they hold up in the rain(I am inticipating all weather for my trip).

[Matt Deckard]

Most I know of are untreated cotton and are not good rain wear. I am sure ther are some on the market that are water resistant.

[Mycroft]

Most I know of are untreated cotton and are not good rain wear. I am sure ther are some on the market that are water resistant.

Thanks for the heads up.

[fedoralover]

I love safari jackets, in fact just yesterday I found a Willis and Geiger safari jacket my size and in excellent shape in Goodwill. It's the second Willis and Geiger I've found at Goodwill. I've also found Orvis, Cabela's, Banana Republic, LL Bean and even a great Ralph Lauren one. Needless to say when I brought home another Willis and Geiger my wife said "ANOTHER ONE" you've already got a bunch of them! I've seen a few others that weren't my size and didn't bother buying them. At $4.00 a piece I can't resist buying them when I see them, especially the Willis and Geiger, they have a very distinct look about them. Both mine have the maroon tags.

This last one has the padding on the front right chest area for shooting a rifle. It doesn't have a belt like my other one does, it has some short pieces of elastic sewn into the front on both sides to pull it together just a bit at the waist. My daughter thinks it looks stupid, but hey it's a Willis and Geiger so I don't care, besides I only paid 4 dollars for it. Here's a pic.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v683/fedoralover/DSCN0651.jpg



regards fedoralover

[Phog Allen]

Mycroft; Try looking at Filson's bush jacket. It isn't cheap but it is listed(I think)as being treated for water repellancy. If washed, it will need to be re-treated. I'm sure you could scotch guard any of them for some water shedding effect. You might even try some of Filson's treatments for their shelter or tin cloth materials.

Fedoralover; Neat jacket. I'll have to look through the one decent and several meager used clothing shops in town for one of those Willis and Geiger jackets. They are just too cool to pass up.

Todd

[Mycroft]

Mycroft; Try looking at Filson's bush jacket. It isn't cheap but it is listed(I think)as being treated for water repellancy. If washed, it will need to be re-treated. I'm sure you could scotch guard any of them for some water shedding effect. You might even try some of Filson's treatments for their shelter or tin cloth materials.

Fedoralover; Neat jacket. I'll have to look through the one decent and several meager used clothing shops in town for one of those Willis and Geiger jackets. They are just too cool to pass up.

Todd

Thanks man, I will look into it.

[Slate Shannon]

At $4.00 a piece I can't resist buying them when I see them, especially the Willis and Geiger, they have a very distinct look about them. Both mine have the maroon tags.

Okay, now I'm curious. What are the different tag colors, and what's the difference between them? I'm guessing it's something about the quality of the jacket.

[fedoralover]

Well, I'm no expert but from what I've been told the tags were changed to a blue after they sold out to Lands End. Generally when companies change hands like that the quality goes down. However I can't say that happened in this case. Maybe someone else knows for sure.

fedoralover

[BellyTank]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/images/400/itainthalfhotmum_2.jpg

B
T

[Zemke Fan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/images/400/itainthalfhotmum_2.jpg

And which one of these dudes BU, BT?

[BellyTank]

None of them Zemke- but the actor, centre bottom sitting is not Indian...

B
T

[falcodriver]

http://rddusa.com/images/products/clothing/CJ10019.jpg

I like to wear foreign surplus fatigue jackets like this FRENCH jkt


Aren't the 'hands' supposed to be raised up!!!!!:p

[Baggers]

Thanks man, I will look into it.

I just saw Filson's latest incarnation of their bush jacket today, and I'm afraid I wasn't impressed. The fabric feels thinner, it now has shorter (what I consider vestigial) epaulettes, and when they redesigned the back to incorporate bi swing pleats they did away with the yoke which just seems to weaken the overall design, in my opinion. And the leather buckle is still sewn into the belt, which makes it difficult to launder without damaging it.

It seems that since the company was acquired by a larger concern (Ralph Lauren?) they've started skimping on some the things that made Filson clothing seem so darn bullet proof. I spoke with their former sales rep back in March when I visited the David Morgan store in Bothell Washington, and got a bad vibe when he informed me of the change in ownership. Looks like my instincts were correct.

I've been buying Filson stuff for years -- I have two of their earlier bush jackets hanging in my closet right now -- but it looks like they've started cutting corners, at least with their bush poplin gear. Frankly, I'm doubtful that this new one will be as durable as their earlier versions. What a shame. :cry:

Cheers

[indyjim]

I am so tired of companies aquiring other companies and then cheapening the
product. I once had a wonderful Banana Republic photojournalist's vest, but
gave it away when I ...er... outgrew it. Now I wouldn't consider any BR products, if they even made this stuff.

[Mycroft]

I just saw Filson's latest incarnation of their bush jacket today, and I'm afraid I wasn't impressed. The fabric feels thinner, it now has shorter (what I consider vestigial) epaulettes, and when they redesigned the back to incorporate bi swing pleats they did away with the yoke which just seems to weaken the overall design, in my opinion. And the leather buckle is still sewn into the belt, which makes it difficult to launder without damaging it.

It seems that since the company was acquired by a larger concern (Ralph Lauren?) they've started skimping on some the things that made Filson clothing seem so darn bullet proof. I spoke with their former sales rep back in March when I visited the David Morgan store in Bothell Washington, and got a bad vibe when he informed me of the change in ownership. Looks like my instincts were correct.

I've been buying Filson stuff for years -- I have two of their earlier bush jackets hanging in my closet right now -- but it looks like they've started cutting corners, at least with their bush poplin gear. Frankly, I'm doubtful that this new one will be as durable as their earlier versions. What a shame. :cry:

Cheers

Oh really, I was planning on going with the Cabells since it is lighter I think and nicer cut for me anyhow. Thanks for the heads up though.

[macawber]

Belly tank

what a great comedy series that was, I recently got the series on dvd and enjoyed it all over again.

[Wolfmanjack]

A few months ago, I had the good fortune to find a (1940-50's) vintage cotton-khaki bush jacket, authentic (British?) government issue, with the original military laundry mark on the inside. It is professionally tailored, very form-fitting, with mitered seams across the chest, precise waist supression via multiple vertical seams in the front and back, inverted box pleat in back, and a self-fabric belt.

http://www.geocities.com/timberwolfmanjackie/BushJacket.jpg

BT, do you think I am correct about the history of this jacket? It has had multiple launderings, and the text on the label is totally washed away, so that is no help. I am guessing it is British government issue because it very closely resembles those I have seen in photos and it has a military laundry mark (W-5247) stamped on the inside.

The extensive professional tailoring is an unusual feature. BT, did British army officers buy their own uniforms in the 1940-50's? If so, perhaps the original owner opted for sartorial splendor in the field with a bespoke jacket?

As you can see in the photos, it fits me like a glove?¢‚Ǩ‚Äùalbeit a very snug glove. I had to suck in my gut a bit for these photos. Perhaps that?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s appropriate for a military garment.

I'm eager to hear what the militaria buffs on the Fedora Lounge have to say about this jacket.

Regards,

?¢‚Ǩ‚ÄùJack

[BellyTank]

Hi!
It appears similar to an issue '40s British job but not exactly like any issue Bush Shirt/Jacket-

What are the buttons like/made of/how are they attached?
What is the weave of the fabric?

Yes- British officers were required to purchase their own duds- which amounts to off the rack private military outfitter menswear or tailored.
Are you sure it has to be British? The US Army and AAF use Bush Jackets into the '50s and beyond...
Could also be Canadian of course.

For British Officers (or of any nation)stationed in Egypt, Afghanistan, Persia, India, China...etc,. there were always plenty of sukh, or market Tailors to choose from for a pittance paid.

There is an excellent book: "Khaki Drill & Jungle Green", which covers the inter-war and WW2 periods in British and Commonwealth tropical attire- covers a vast ocean of issued variants and privately acquired items-

It's a very nice example! nicely proportioned- Ilike the back pleat a lot.
You have a great jacket there-

B
T

[SPAD]

Just got a Safari -Bush jacket, short sleeve, from US Wings at a reasonable price. 2XL, and I wear a 46- 48 jacket and the jacket fits good and is made of pretty heavy weight cotton. Nice khaki color. Summer is coming. Looks good. SPAD

[cookie]

Pix...please!

[John in Covina]

Some how this post is giving me deja-vu! Anyway here goes: although bush jackets are pretty neat, I tend to associate them with the reporters of the 60's and 70's.

[Jay]

Like this?
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p7/Penguinleather/vlcsnap-3472108.png

[DnSchlng]

Does anybody know the Lost World's bush jacket, particularly the Hemingway bush? What are your opinions on it? Do you know if it appeared in any movies?

P.S. Im a new member
please reply so i can get to know everyone

[eightbore]

Hi there! There's an original Willis and Geiger Hemingway on an auction site right now and I just don't care for it. I don't really like the lack of a belt. Check out the bush jacket made www.filson.com. Pricey, but very sharp.

eightbore

[Cobden]

If you go onto the UK ebay, you can often find original British Army one's for good prices (usually less then £25/$50). Perhaps not as sharp or well tailored (unless you find an officers one), but that's compensated by the fact it has a story behing it!

[johnnycanuck]

I have two bush jackets. First is a London Fog I got from my old man. The second is a Tilley I bought off e-bay. Both are fantastic but neither have belts.
Johnny

[Adventure Nick]

I wonder if a khaki shirt would give the same effect of a safari explorer?

[BellyTank]

Now that this thread has come back to life,
we should inject some images into it.


B
T

[bburtner@moran]

Anyone know if Van Heusen makes the Hampshire Khaki bush jacket anymore?

[avedwards]

Is it worth is to get a safari jacket? My local vintage clothing shop has a very large selection of them and most of them fit me, so I am considering getting one. The only issue is, when would I wear one? In town they would look too costumey and if I am outdoors I have enough other suitable clothing.

[bburtner@moran]

I think you are correct,you may get a little flak,what are you on safari? where`s your gun & guide,your not in Africa you know.But anyway the look is dashing I must say.

[Creeping Past]

What he said. Wear it if you want to. But wear it like you mean it.

[budrichard]

When I worked as a newspaper photogrpaher in the late 1960's, there were no 'photographer clothing' and a Safari Jacket was just the thing with the four pockets for an additional lens or two. Today the two garments seemed to have merged. Anyway I like the versatility even if not on Safari!-Dick

[Mike K.]

Glad to see this thread revived. I can no longer keep count of the number of safari/bush jackets I own or have owned (if anyone is interested in one just PM me; I seriously need to thin my collection). If I get the time this weekend, perhaps I can sit down and write a comprehensive review of what's out there, what to look for, what to stay away from, etc. Of all the bush jackets I have ever owned, I must say that my favorite is the UK Belted Bush Jacket currently offered by What Price Glory (http://onlinemilitaria.net/shopexd.asp?id=1243&bc=no).
http://onlinemilitaria.net/images/khakibushjacket.jpg
The cotton drill is sturdy, the collar just right, the pocket flaps just right, and...Matt Deckard you'll love this...it has proper high armholes!! My only quibble (and it's a very minor one) is that I would have preferred wood/horn buttons and a leather-covered buckle (but I can always make these replacements on my own). Overall, I LOVE THIS JACKET!!

Also, I have found a good way to avoid the dumb remarks from the general public when wearing a safari/bush jacket.
Wear it with blue jeans and without a fedora-style hat.

[Creeping Past]

Mike

That's some recommendation. I've been thinking of getting a WPG bush jacket. I passed last year due to other spending commitments.

I was advised by the Major that I might need a size up. Do you find yours true to size? Was he pre-empting my wanting to wear a shirt underneath -- perish the thought! -- or saving me grief prior to washing it?

Cheers

CP

[avedwards]

Also, I have found a good way to avoid the dumb remarks from the general public when wearing a safari/bush jacket.
Wear it with blue jeans and without a fedora-style hat.
I'm fine with wearing jeans to avoid stupid comments. My black everyday trousers (when it's not sunny enough for khakis, in other words most of the year in England) would probably also avoid comments, but they would look ridiculous with a safari jacket. But I cannot go without my fedora. Never. So I suppose that if I get a safari jacket I'll just live with stupid comments. Can't be more stupid than the Indiana Jones comment I got when I was in a grey hat and a beige suit.

[Mike K.]

I was advised by the Major that I might need a size up. Do you find yours true to size? Was he pre-empting my wanting to wear a shirt underneath -- perish the thought! -- or saving me grief prior to washing it?
I would recommend ordering two jackets to start - your normal size and one size larger. WPG is really good about returns and this technique will give you the chance to see which size fits you best. Expect some shrinkage, but not too much. Also, as indicated on the WPG page, you should definitely order the LONG size if you are 5'10" or taller. I ended up going with a 40L (my normal size is 40R).

[Creeping Past]

Good advice. Thanks for that. If it weren't for the £-$ rate inflating postage and customs charges this end being sky-high, I'd do that.

I think I might order from Soldier of Fortune in the UK, as I suspect they've an arrangement with WPG to sell WPG stuff de-labelled, as it were.

[Mike K.]

Probably a good idea. For what it's worth, the WPG bush jackets are shipped directly from Dubai with no brand/company labels.

[BellyTank]

Dubai?


B
T

[Mike K.]

Dubai?
...as in United Arab Emirates. Yep, that's where mine was shipped from. [huh]

[Creeping Past]

They've a warehouse there for international distribution.

[cookie]

Glad to see this thread revived. I can no longer keep count of the number of safari/bush jackets I own or have owned (if anyone is interested in one just PM me; I seriously need to thin my collection). If I get the time this weekend, perhaps I can sit down and write a comprehensive review of what's out there, what to look for, what to stay away from, etc. Of all the bush jackets I have ever owned, I must say that my favorite is the UK Belted Bush Jacket currently offered by What Price Glory (http://onlinemilitaria.net/shopexd.asp?id=1243&bc=no).
http://onlinemilitaria.net/images/khakibushjacket.jpg
The cotton drill is sturdy, the collar just right, the pocket flaps just right, and...Matt Deckard you'll love this...it has proper high armholes!! My only quibble (and it's a very minor one) is that I would have preferred wood/horn buttons and a leather-covered buckle (but I can always make these replacements on my own). Overall, I LOVE THIS JACKET!!

Also, I have found a good way to avoid the dumb remarks from the general public when wearing a safari/bush jacket.
Wear it with blue jeans and without a fedora-style hat.


I had the sleeves shortened on mine and bought a 46 instead off 44. The colour though is nothing like the picture and is a more khaki trad colour than the French dusty khaki in the picture above.

[Edward]

I am currently awaiting the arrival of one of these jackets, ordered through soldier of fortune. I took a risk and ordered my regular suit jacket size, figuring that as I don't plan to wear anything more than an undershirt below it, I should be okay.... we'll soon see! My excuse to buy it in the end is an upcoming burlesque night with a jungle exploration theme. I'll be wearing it with a cravat, my safari-ised Akubra Riverina, a pair of my Wested Indy trews, leather Caterpillar roughout-style boots, and a pair of WW2 British canvas gaiters. I'll also be sporting a (cheap kiddy, but actually reasonably decent and not likely to get me into legal trouble) Winchester rifle and an original British Army leather machete holster, albeit (again, for legal reasons) containing a plastic machete. Next time I hit a hot climate and am doing something on the active side, such as a trip to the Great Wall of China, I suspect I will end up sorting much of this outfit, less, of course, the "weapons" necessary for the 'big game hunter' costume look. I've not yet put it all together, obviously, as the bits and pieces are still on the way, but I think it should hang together fairly well. Eventually I'll buy some of the KD trews to go with the jacket, but for now funds are a touch tighter than would justify that.

[H.Johnson]

IMO the cheapest (and most authentic) tropical outfit is the current issue RM/RAF belted bush jacket and trousers. It can also be worn with the matching issue shirt and tie. The basic buch jacket pattern hasn't changed much since WW2 (collar is slightly different, the poplin material is more tightly woven than KD).

The jackets usually go for ten GBP and the trousers and shirts for five each. You need the buttons and two-prong buckle, but they're cheap enough. A complete travel outfit (practical for day, smart for evening) for less than half the price of a SoF jacket. Can't be bad...just my opinion, of course

[Edward]

IMO the cheapest (and most authentic) tropical outfit is the current issue RM/RAF belted bush jacket and trousers. It can also be worn with the matching issue shirt and tie. The basic buch jacket pattern hasn't changed much since WW2 (collar is slightly different, the poplin material is more tightly woven than KD).

The jackets usually go for ten GBP and the trousers and shirts for five each. You need the buttons and two-prong buckle, but they're cheap enough. A complete travel outfit (practical for day, smart for evening) for less than half the price of a SoF jacket. Can't be bad...just my opinion, of course

That sounds worth investigating, thanks. :)

[Edward]

I think I might order from Soldier of Fortune in the UK, as I suspect they've an arrangement with WPG to sell WPG stuff de-labelled, as it were.

Mine, ordered from SoF, arrvied this morning..... with WPG label still intact. I ordered my own size (42), and it's just the size I would expect from a slightly-neater-than-blazer garment - room for a shirt under there if I wanted to do that, but not too roomy to look 'right' without one, as it should be worn. No indication of length, though I'm assuming long as it would certainly cover my shirt cuffs were I to wear one under it. Very pleased - it's first outing will be in a couple of weeks, at a jungle-themed burlesque evening. (Yeah, maybe I should have gone OD instead of KD for that, but that would have meant buying more trousers too, for which I don't presently have the budget). All I need now are my gaiters and the Winchester...

[H.Johnson]

Edward,

The SoF JG bush jacket is a bit different to the KD version (and 10GBP cheaper). It has been withdrawn from the latest SoF catalogue but is still on their website.

Let us not forget that reliable old standby, the Aertex 1950 Pattern bush jacket, which is not that uncommon, usually in the smaller sizes. Like Marmite, some people hate 'em, some love 'em. I don't dislike them. They go along with 1950 Pattern 'cross-over' (now that can be taken the wrong way...) trousers (which come with or without map pockets) and shorts. Don't call them Gh_rka!

I'm in the late stages of reproducing the 1950 Pattern 'Trousers, KD, Airmen' at the moment.

[Edward]

Is that for yourself, or are you looking into this as a commercial venture?

Hmmn.... does that mean the greens are no longer available? Or should I snag one now while they're still on the website?

One thing I will have to pick up for the jacket is a buckle for the belt.... the plastic one that comes on it is wholly adequate for purpose, but it doesn't look so great as say something in brass..... What would they have had in WW2?

Oh... also, has anyone any photos of how exactly the belt should be affixed? Mine has a couple of little tabs on it, which I presume are designed to hold it in place on the jacket if worn open or when the jacket is on a hanger, but I can't quite figure out how they go on neatly (with the belt not back to front)?

[Mike K.]

Edward, I cut the tabs off the belt (not the jacket belt loops) and also removed the snaps from the pocket flap corners. With the belt tabs in place I found it difficult to adjust the belt without the buckle ending up in some really odd position around my waist. Removing the tabs increased functionality without detracting in any way. As for the pocket snaps, same thing, they really are not needed. I've been looking to replace both the buckle and the buttons. There's a 1 3/4" antique brass buckle made be Dritz (fabric notions company) that will fit but I haven't tried it yet.

[Edward]

Edward, I cut the tabs off the belt (not the jacket belt loops) and also removed the snaps from the pocket flap corners. With the belt tabs in place I found it difficult to adjust the belt without the buckle ending up in some really odd position around my waist. Removing the tabs increased functionality without detracting in any way. As for the pocket snaps, same thing, they really are not needed. I've been looking to replace both the buckle and the buttons. There's a 1 3/4" antique brass buckle made be Dritz (fabric notions company) that will fit but I haven't tried it yet.

I'll check that out at some point.... I'm fine with the buttons, just the buckle looks a little on the cheap side to me. Still, it is purely a personal cosmetic preference, it's certainly not necessary for functional reasons - at least, not this stage anyhow.

[Creeping Past]

Mine, ordered from SoF, arrvied this morning..... with WPG label still intact. I ordered my own size (42), and it's just the size I would expect from a slightly-neater-than-blazer garment - room for a shirt under there if I wanted to do that, but not too roomy to look 'right' without one, as it should be worn. No indication of length, though I'm assuming long as it would certainly cover my shirt cuffs were I to wear one under it. Very pleased - it's first outing will be in a couple of weeks, at a jungle-themed burlesque evening. (Yeah, maybe I should have gone OD instead of KD for that, but that would have meant buying more trousers too, for which I don't presently have the budget). All I need now are my gaiters and the Winchester...

Try British 12" canvas gaiters, which're around for not very many £££s on the internet at the moment. Can't help with the cannon... :eek:

[Edward]

Try British 12" canvas gaiters, which're around for not very many £££s on the internet at the moment. Can't help with the cannon... :eek:

lol

I have a set of gaiters on order from SoF as well; started to wonder whether I shouldn't have gone with puttees instead, but we'll see how these are, I'm sure they'll be grand for my purposes. They should be here v soon, as they were ordered the same day as the jacket.

As for the Winchester, well.... I've elected to go for a kiddy cap gun version (which looks pretty good in the photos) for now - just waiting for it to arrive. Eventually I'd like a "proper" replica for my wall. I'd love an Enfield as well, but unless I get into re-enacting, that's not an option. As I understand it, here in the UK the only replica guns that are legal to own if you're not a member of a recognised re-enactment unit are those which mimic weapons made prior to 1870. The Winchester qualifies for this, the Enfield does not.

[H.Johnson]

Edward,

If you mean commercial as in, made in large batches third world 'sweatshops', advertised with spurious claims of derivation, sold over the Web with little or no customer contact? No. If you mean commercial as in planned by an obsessive (some would say) collector of the breed, hand made in limited quantities by a highly skilled seamstress who retired from the company that makes most UK police uniforms, sold face to face with the intention of making customers friends and the whole thing done as a hobby? Yes.

WW2 bush jackets used a variety of buckles (especially those made in India) so you can't go wrong. British made WW2 and postwar (e.g. 1950 pattern*) bush jackets usually used the two-pronged service buckle which was brass in WW2, Staybright postwar and black plastic for tropical kit. In WW2 brass buckles were not usually used apart from the two prong type.

The green SoF (WPG) bush jackets are still available on the web.

* Which reminds me, the 1950 Pattern Aertex half belted bush jacket is a good alternative to the modern RAF/RM stone poplin bush jacket. They are still available in unissued form in small sizes (especially if you live near Exeter...) and although Aertex drew its critics under combat conditions, as warm weather wear it has much to recommend it. Hang on, that has given me an idea for another product...


Is that for yourself, or are you looking into this as a commercial venture?

Hmmn.... does that mean the greens are no longer available? Or should I snag one now while they're still on the website?

One thing I will have to pick up for the jacket is a buckle for the belt.... the plastic one that comes on it is wholly adequate for purpose, but it doesn't look so great as say something in brass..... What would they have had in WW2?

[BellyTank]

Aertex... good luck!


B
T

[Mike K.]

WW2 bush jackets used a variety of buckles (especially those made in India) so you can't go wrong.
That is a very good point, and one I can certainly back up from another source of waist belts - flying suits. Except for the very late war K-1/L-1 suits and the leather ones, just about every WWII flight suit had a fabric belt with buckle. I have seen these run from nice looking plastic ones to cheap painted metal ones and everything in between. I think it's safe to say that what comes on the current reproduction bush jackets is historically accurate; however, that doesn't mean that there isn't something nicer looking out there to replace it with. After all, who wants to be standard issue when you can personalize! ;)

[anon`]

Of all the bush jackets I have ever owned, I must say that my favorite is the UK Belted Bush Jacket currently offered by What Price Glory...the cotton drill is sturdy, the collar just right, the pocket flaps just right, and...Matt Deckard you'll love this...it has proper high armholes!! My only quibble (and it's a very minor one) is that I would have preferred wood/horn buttons and a leather-covered buckle (but I can always make these replacements on my own). Overall, I LOVE THIS JACKET!!
So uhh... how about some pics of it? Action pics are great, but I'd also be super interested to see the back and interior of it, also!

Thanks =)

[Mike K.]

So uhh...I already have, of this and other safari jackets. Unfortunately, you'll have to go sifting through the endless halls of The Adventurers Gear Thread in order to locate them. Have fun! ;)

In the meantime, I might be able to get a few new photos taken to post.

[anon`]

So uhh...I already have, of this and other safari jackets. Unfortunately, you'll have to go sifting through the endless halls of The Adventurers Gear Thread in order to locate them. Have fun! ;)
You've got to be kidding me? I wasted my weekend reading through that thread, and went over the last twenty or so pages of it this morning trying to find a post that was in this thread!

Sadly, the forum's search functionality is severely gimped. I don't mind looking for them again, but I couldn't find any non-WPG pics of their bush jacket in the other thread. When'd you get it?

[Mike K.]

Welcome to the chaos that is The Golden Era of the Great Outdoors! lol

Besides that mega thread, there are unfortunately numerous others of the same genre scattered all over the Fedora Lounge. It's like trying to find a 6-of-diamonds when half the deck is on the table and the other half is mixed in with cards all over the room. There's been continual petitioning of the "powers that be" to separate things into a separate forum. If we truly want this place to be a respectable reference site, then it should be obvious that periodic housekeeping is needed to keep it organized. To be totally honest, I don't know if my original posts are even on that thread. We lost half of it awhile back when the server crashed. Again if it wasn't such a huge thread.... I purchased my WPG jacket about a year ago if I remember correctly. I'll be taking another sick leave tomorrow to beat off a sinus infection, so I'll try to get photos and a safari/bush jacket review posted...maybe to multiple threads for easier referencing.

[H.Johnson]

You're right - hard to get, but I'm very patient. Aertex still uses it although it's 'underwear' grade now...

Anyway, although I'm a big fan of Aertex for tropical wear, I wouldn't rule out making a 1950 Pattern bush jacket from another material, such as poplin. It's a good style in its own right. You think?


Aertex... good luck!


B
T

[Creeping Past]

Poplin would be good for that kind of jacket. Perhaps have a think about hemp canvas, too, as after washing this is soft and light, and it's durable and rot-proof: ideal for a tropical jacket.

Old Town, a great champion of Aertex, has reported that the light blue is now discontinued. It seems they're reducing the available range, perhaps to accomodate the needs of larger wholesale customers (?). I inquired last year about whether they'd be producing khaki Aertex again, but I received no reply.

On the subject of summer weight fabrics, but veering off-topic, I'm having trouble finding a supplier of the cotton modal I need to make a lightweight scarf. Any clues, HJ?

[H.Johnson]

Mr. Past,

Yes, Aertex is frantic to hide its traditional roots - look it its corporate website. No over-20s allowed! It still does the lighter colours and it takes a dye reasonably well, so there is at least the possibility of some yardage suitable for a bush jacket.

You have a point about hemp, but somehow I don't see it in a bush jacket - perhaps I'm influenced by seeing (and being disappointed by) Orvis's recent offering in a similar fabric. Thinking about poplin as a bush jacket material, wlthough I like the 1950 pattern jacket a lot, I can also see the merits of the current 'Number 6 Uniform' bush jacket, which already comes in poplin, is available in large sizes and has an ingenious method of suspending the removable belt (the fixed half belt is often not liked on the 1950 pattern jacket)

Cotton modal. Forgive me - I have a 'gap' in my knowledge here. Modal is (AFAIK) a processed cellulose fabric (like Rayon). Is 'cotton modal' a blend of the two or the latter woven to resemble the former? I always associate modal with er... ladies nether garments. Am I erroneous?




Poplin would be good for that kind of jacket. Perhaps have a think about hemp canvas, too, as after washing this is soft and light, and it's durable and rot-proof: ideal for a tropical jacket.

Old Town, a great champion of Aertex, has reported that the light blue is now discontinued. It seems they're reducing the available range, perhaps to accomodate the needs of larger wholesale customers (?). I inquired last year about whether they'd be producing khaki Aertex again, but I received no reply.

On the subject of summer weight fabrics, but veering off-topic, I'm having trouble finding a supplier of the cotton modal I need to make a lightweight scarf. Any clues, HJ?

[Edward]

Edward,

If you mean commercial as in, made in large batches third world 'sweatshops', advertised with spurious claims of derivation, sold over the Web with little or no customer contact? No. If you mean commercial as in planned by an obsessive (some would say) collector of the breed, hand made in limited quantities by a highly skilled seamstress who retired from the company that makes most UK police uniforms, sold face to face with the intention of making customers friends and the whole thing done as a hobby? Yes.




Thanks for the info on the buckles, I'll have to keep an eye out for something suitable. Getting harder to find a decent Army Surplus these days (I live near Silvermans, but they can be pricey, IMO). I used to use two or three regularly in Camden, but since Camden BC in their wisdom decided to make it a concrete and glass minime Covent Garden, rolling the good stalls out and filling the place with hippy beads and smelly candles, they're all gone. :(

Re your venture: I could have been clearer - when I said commercial, I simply meant something produced for sale to others as opposed to purely for your own wardrobe. Be interested to see the end result when you have the processes all in place.

[Creeping Past]

Mr Johnson,

Many thanks for your post of the 02:32 PM inst.

Yes, the Orvis hemp thing is appalling. I think they made the mistake of overwashing a lighter weight fabric that would probably grow soft and baggy with light wear, much like lightweight linen. I'm thinking of a heavier hemp canvas that retains its shape a little better and would stand the sort of use a jacket would get. I've a cap made of this fabric (natural colour, undyed) and it's both light and sturdy and not at all saggy.

You've mentioned the No. 6 jacket before. I've seen photos on Ebay of things that purport to be current British military bush jackets, and these have two breast pockets, no waist pockets and short sleeves. I don't know where to look to locate a photo showing precisely the style you mean. It might be a useful alternative to those searching for safari-style clobber. I use a British army surplus heavy cotton shirt in OD as a shirt-jacket: it works welll.

You're bang on with your description of modal and cotton modal (no surprises there!). It can also be blended with silk. Both ladies' and gents' undercarriage benefit from modal's soft caress.

Drakes make a fantastic silk modal scarf (http://shoponline.drakes-london.com/zoomx-123-1-650-3-Scarves-85%20modal%20%2015%20silk%20scarf.aspx) that they're asking £195.00 for. This very scarf is worn rather uncomfortably, with accompanying nervous grin, here (http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2009/06/no-pith-helmet.html). I like to think I'll be wearing my cotton modal version with a more raffish air. And my linen bush jacket will be much dirtier.

[Mike K.]

Long overdue, but the purpose of this post is to provide members of The Fedora Lounge and other researchers a useful and definitive reference to a classic piece of adventurous attire. Obviously this post is not an exhaustive thesis on the safari/bush jacket, but instead is intended to be updated continually with new, quality information by others. Enjoy….

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/JLPowell.jpg

The safari/bush jacket is, in many respects, the tropical cousin of the A-2 leather flying jacket. Although designed for functionality, with its clean military-inspired lines, sturdy materials, and dashing looks it is a jacket that also exudes timelessly classic style and a sense of adventure. Stains and tatters do not detract from its aesthetic but are a testament to that morning encounter with a leopard, high tea with the Raj, or that sunset balloon ride over the veld. “Like a thoroughbred filly…the Safari Jacket looks like it does, and does like it looks.”

According to the Banana Republic Guide to Travel & Safari Clothing, the venerable safari/bush jacket is “the crux and symbol of the expeditionary and internationalist spirit. The jacket takes its epaulets from the traditions of the French, its pockets from the practical genius of the British, its swagger from the confident swank of American bravos, and its fabric from the natural bounty of the Nile Delta.”

“…The heart and soul of the Safari Jacket has nothing to do with image and everything to do with function. The jacket is about survival and its younger cousin, comfort. It’s about mobility, ease, and pockets. It’s about morning chills, noontime heat shimmers, and sudden late-afternoon thunderstorms. That the jacket looks right is not a coincidence but arises from a probably instinctive appreciation of form in the service of function.”

I think that pretty well sums it up. So what defines the classic safari/bush jacket, and what is best forgotten?

[Mike K.]

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/51yGybatrlL_SS500_.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/safari.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/air7.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/0a_1_b.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/GeorgeAdamson_SafariJacket_620Cl.gif http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/WindsorSafariGear2.jpg

[Mike K.]

Purpose

function first
thought to be of military origins it is outerwear intended for warm climates to protect against sun and wind
popular with big game hunters and photographers as a work jacket
can be used as an alternative sport jacket for casual outdoor events

Material

commonly lightweight cotton drill, poplin, or ventile
other natural textiles such as hemp or linen are perfectly acceptable
have seen them in a rip-stop weave that is very practical (although less esthetically pleasing)
heavier weight fabric for durability, lighter weight fabric for increased breathability


Design

traditionally some variation of khaki/tan in color but also olive green
belted and unbelted versions exist (belted more traditional)
front and rear yokes
usually has shoulder epaulets but can also be found without
front typically has four gusseted/bellows pockets with button closure
a rear “small game pocket” is uncommon but acceptable, as are supplementary sleeve pockets
pocket flaps typically scalloped, angled, or square in shape
firearm cartridge loops on chest or waist optional
long or short sleeves (shirt-style button closure on long sleeve cuff)
collar style variable but traditional point collar is most common.


Examples that can be purchased today:
Cover photo: J. L. Powell
From left to right: Beretta, Filson, What Price Glory
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/Beretta.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/Filson.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/WPGBushJacket.jpg

Ralph Lauren, Boyt, Cabela's
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/RalphLaurenPolo2.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/Boyt.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/Cabelas.jpg

L. L. Bean, TravelSmith, Fatigues Army Navy
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/LLBeanExplorer.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/TravelSmith.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/FatiguesArmyNavy.gif

[Mike K.]

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/af11b346.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/fa1a1d24.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/3ae48501.jpg
The third jacket is actually the most traditional design, while the first two border on the too-trendy side (not that I'm complaining...wow!).

Here are a few more ladies jackets produced today.
From left to right: WalkAbout.com, TravelSmith, She Safari
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/wlkabt.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/trvlsmth.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/shesafari.jpg

[Mike K.]

Purpose

not meant to be worn as a dress jacket - wear it to watch the game but not for dinner at the club house afterwards
natural fiber construction and lack of insulation preclude wear in very cold and/or very wet conditions
it is meant more for stalking man-eating cats of Africa or India than prancing the catwalks of Paris
not meant as a fashion statement or billboard for designer logos


Material

never never NEVER anything made of synthetic textiles (i.e. no polyester, nylon, microfiber, gore-tex, etc.)
no colors - pink, yellow, even pure white is unacceptable (many of these non-earthy hues are nature’s warning colors, subtlety is what speaks so profoundly with the true safari jacket)
if it is powder blue and comes with matching flair-legged pants (even if the sign claims it was actually worn by J. R. Ewing on Dallas) leave it be!
no plaids, stripes, polka dots, enormous designer logos, etc.

Design

if the collar lapels are large enough to generate aerodynamic lift, leave the jacket on the store rack
there should not be so many pockets that you require a map to find items stashed in your jacket (now what pocket did I put the map in?)
no use of noisy velcro anywhere (preferably no zippers either)
fit should be trim, not overly baggy, comfortable and allow plenty of room for movement including reaching overhead without the sleeves riding up
suede shoulder patches are okay but avoid the rhinestones, faux zebra hide, and theme park patches


Examples of what NOT to wear:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/FakeSafari1.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/FakeSafari.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/FakeSafari3.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/OrvisPink.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/FakeSafari2.jpg
Too bad about the pink one from Orvis. Everything is actually good about this jacket except the color.
Honestly now Orvis...pink?!

[H.Johnson]

Mr. Past,

At your service, I'm sure. The No. 6 tropical uniform jacket is the standard...errr tropical jacket of the British Military. It has four flapped pockets (the lower ones without buttons), eppaulettes, removable buttons (makes fitting those leather jobs easy), a centre pleat in the back and a removeable belt that stows away inside. The sleeve end are plain rather than buttoning at the cuff.

I like them because they can be had for 10GBP unissued if you know where to look. But then, so can 1950 Pattern Aertex jobs, and they have more historical credibility. Suez, Malaya, Aden, Dharfur and all that.


Mr Johnson,

You've mentioned the No. 6 jacket before. I've seen photos on Ebay of things that purport to be current British military bush jackets, and these have two breast pockets, no waist pockets and short sleeves. I don't know where to look to locate a photo showing precisely the style you mean. It might be a useful alternative to those searching for safari-style clobber. I use a British army surplus heavy cotton shirt in OD as a shirt-jacket: it works welll.

[Creeping Past]

historical credibility. Suez, Malaya, Aden, Dharfur and all that.

Pardon my impudence, but I think you meant to type "Dofar" or similar phonetic variant.

[H.Johnson]

Yes, Dhofar is what I meant. Thanks for pointing out my mistake. An example of how current news corrupts history!


Pardon my impudence, but I think you meant to type "Dofar" or similar phonetic variant.

[H.Johnson]

Edward,

Silverman's do two types of trousers that may be of interest to you (OK, slightly off topic for bush jackets, but not too far). One is the Khaki drill 'cross-over' trousers (actually a reproduction of 1950 Pattern Trousers, Airmen) and the other is the legendary 'P Company' cross-over trousers that are basically 1950 Pattern SSI army trousers in Jungle Green. As reproductions the former are 90% accurate IMO. They have the same problems I am struggling to overcome - getting the buckles right - but at least I use NOS 1950 buttons.


Getting harder to find a decent Army Surplus these days (I live near Silvermans, but they can be pricey, IMO).

[Creeping Past]

Some photos of British 1950s pattern tropical jackets (http://mpmuseum.org/postxpattern.html)

The first example is described as a coarse kind of Aertex. The weave certainly looks cellular, but Aertex is not a coarse fabric. Perhaps you have to see that version close up to appreciate it.

CP

Edit: These are Canadian jackets, not British... (see below)

[H.Johnson]

They are Canadian, of course (and 1950s, rather than 1950 Pattern, which is a specific design) and Postwar Canadian stuff is very different from the British equivalent. I have a few Canadian items, so I find these interesting. I don't think that any Canadian jackets used real Aertex - I suspect it's used as a generic 'Hoover' term here.

The last example is something like the British No. 6 uniform jacket, with a lapels rather than a shirt-style collar.

Incidentally (going off topic) one of the un-noticed subtleties of 'Dad's Army' is that Captain Mainwaring wears Canadian battledress, which was much superior to British BD and was 'wangled' by senior officers. In a HO Home Guard officer this would have been a sure sign of pretentiousness - entirely in character.

[BellyTank]

Aertex-

A couple of years ago, I was in the "Moslem" canvas market, in Old Delhi and saw bails of Aertex bush jackets(He wouldn't sell them to me- I know not why). The cloth was actually quite "ropey"- a lot rougher than what you see on the modern shirts and repro WW2 shirts.
I don't have a WW2 vintage Aertex shirt to compare with but would it be true that there were 2 or more weights/qualities of Aertex- shirts/jackets?
I realise that "Indian" uniform manufacturers would have had different sources for cloth. My '50 Aertex bush jacket is surely of thicker stuff/stoff than Aertex shirts(?)

Please correct me...

The '50 pattern is very nicely styled, I think.


B
T

[Creeping Past]

Aertex types and grades: another example of lost fabric knowledge. It's the cotton canvas story all over again.

Who holds this knowledge? How can we retrieve it and put it all in one place? Should we?

[H.Johnson]

BT,

You need no correction. There were different weights of Aertex (e.g. for underwear and outerwear, shirts and jackets) produced by the eponymous company. The Indian stuff was probably unlicenced copies of the trade protected item, do you think, and maybe that's why the seller would'nt deal with you.

In wartime, of course, such niceties were overlooked, so there is a wide variation in the material from which WW2 bush jackets are made. Many were made 'locally' in India. The collars are sometimes idiosynchratic when compared to British-produced jackets.

AFAIK all 1950 Pattern jackets were produced by the usual wide range of MOD-approved manufacturers but all the fabric appears to have been produced by Aertex and is identical.

An interesting 'aside' is the Aertex-type fabric used in Czech Army 'overhead' shirts (you know who sells those). I'd love to know where that material came from!


Aertex-

A couple of years ago, I was in the "Moslem" canvas market, in Old Delhi and saw bails of Aertex bush jackets(He wouldn't sell them to me- I know not why). The cloth was actually quite "ropey"- a lot rougher than what you see on the modern shirts and repro WW2 shirts.
I don't have a WW2 vintage Aertex shirt to compare with but would it be true that there were 2 or more weights/qualities of Aertex- shirts/jackets?
I realise that "Indian" uniform manufacturers would have had different sources for cloth. My '50 Aertex bush jacket is surely of thicker stuff/stoff than Aertex shirts(?)

Please correct me...

The '50 pattern is very nicely styled, I think.


B
T

[Creeping Past]

The Czech Aertex-style shirts are very good. I've been wearing mine non-stop for a couple of months and it's wearing well, despite being hard-worn in its previous life and having had an extended period in storage, judging from the folds ingrained in it.

In an attempt to remain on-topic, did the Czechs produce a bush jacket or a field jacket for warmer weather?

[BellyTank]

Aha- so, they are actually pre-loved shirts then.


B
T

[H.Johnson]

Very! B&B (Mark) had a crate at Malvern and they were mainly rusted and folded - not insurmountable, but all much too big for me!

BTW, on sourcing 'vintage style' Aertex fabric, I was talking to a guy I know in military supply about this and he asked if I had seen the new British Army tropical/desert 'base layer'. As a matter of fact, I hadn't. Perhaps the opportunities for examining the underwear of members of HM armed forces are not what they were. Anyway, I have managed to obtain a tee-shirt and it's moderately close to my sample of WW2 Aertex, but no cigar. Too light and too 'high-tech', really. A really practical garment, though, to be fair.

Let's keep looking, eh?

[Creeping Past]

I never stop looking at/for the right fabrics.

I've just returned from Paris, where the bush jacket — in linen and cotton drill and in all styles, from military style field jacket to classic 1930s-looking ones with pleated pockets — is much in evidence on gentlemen of a certain age.

Many elegantly dressed men were wearing cotton summer-weight scarves. Call them desert scarves and you'd have a hype right there. But in Paris they just wear them because they're comfortable and look good.

I was especially intrigued by a jacket worn by an elderly English chap. It was made from what looked like a cellular weave fabric in a mid-blue. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to ask him about it — I was standing behind him on an escalator, so the urge to grasp him by the lapels and interrogate him had to be checked — but it had the look of Aertex.

[H.Johnson]

Good observations, CP. Don't hesitate to interrogate! Seize the day, seize the lapels, identify the fabric. I once persuaded a young lady to let me examine the label on the inside of her jeans. It can be interesting...

[BellyTank]

Euphemism.


B
T

[Mike K.]

Good observations, CP. Don't hesitate to interrogate! Seize the day, seize the lapels, identify the fabric. I once persuaded a young lady to let me examine the label on the inside of her jeans. It can be interesting...
I have never tried that pick-up approach before! lol

[Edward]

Good observations, CP. Don't hesitate to interrogate! Seize the day, seize the lapels, identify the fabric. I once persuaded a young lady to let me examine the label on the inside of her jeans. It can be interesting...


Oh, my, now there's a line I've never tried! ;)

Thanks for the info on Silverman's, I'll be sure to check those out. Some light but (reasonably) dressy green canvas trousers would be very welcome. Much as I love tan and khaki, I wouldn't care to cause my Summer wardrobe to become too repetitive!

[H.Johnson]

They were Denime Taku, by the way. Very rare in England, so it was worth it.

[BellyTank]

Ah, well that's very understandable and not so strange.


B
T

[BellyTank]

Oh, right anyway, Bush Jackets.

I like mine Italian.
Giacca, Giubba, Camiciotta... I like all Sahariane.

I need more.


B
T

[H.Johnson]

So now you understand...


Ah, well that's very understandable and not so strange.


B
T

[Creeping Past]

Oh, right anyway, Bush Jackets.

I like mine Italian.
Giacca, Giubba, Camiciotta... I like all Sahariane.

I need more.


B
T

This chap (http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2009/06/no-pith-helmet.html) calls his a 'Safariana'. You could always expand your horizons and embrace this coinage.

I'm a camiciotta sort of chap. But I don't own one yet. Opportunities to wear them in England are few.

[BellyTank]

I call it something else.

No Sir- don't like it.

I have expansive horizons... , almost.
In the Psychiatric sense.


B
T

[H.Johnson]

Drakes of London may call it a 'Desert Cloth', but the British Army calls what he is wearing around his neck - it is on the label of the official army issue version - a Rag, Sweat, Desert . Says it all really.

[H.Johnson]

I wouldn't call 'P Company' trousers 'reasonably dressy', Edward.
They are what the Parachute Regiments used to make their applicants wear for the (very hard) selection tests. They have the cross-belts and a side thigh pocket (like 1950 pattern Army KDs).



Oh, my, now there's a line I've never tried! ;)

Thanks for the info on Silverman's, I'll be sure to check those out. Some light but (reasonably) dressy green canvas trousers would be very welcome. Much as I love tan and khaki, I wouldn't care to cause my Summer wardrobe to become too repetitive!

[donCarlos]

The Czech Aertex-style shirts are very good. I've been wearing mine non-stop for a couple of months and it's wearing well, despite being hard-worn in its previous life and having had an extended period in storage, judging from the folds ingrained in it.

In an attempt to remain on-topic, did the Czechs produce a bush jacket or a field jacket for warmer weather?
I don´t think so. I´ve never seen anything like that. There was no use for it, since the last time the czech army was in hot weather was in Tobruk. For the next 50 years, there was no need for a hot weather uniform. And now, in Afghanistan and Iraq, they use standard modern uniforms.

[H.Johnson]

There we have it, on good local authority. The shirts are sourced through Solomon Adler, which is a Czech company, I think. I suppose we have to take them at their word that the Aertex-like shirts are ex-Czech(oslovakian) army.

[Edward]

I wouldn't call 'P Company' trousers 'reasonably dressy', Edward.
They are what the Parachute Regiments used to make their applicants wear for the (very hard) selection tests. They have the cross-belts and a side thigh pocket (like 1950 pattern Army KDs).

Sorry, yeah - speaking by modern standards, meaning 'not denim' and 'not pre-distressed' or any of the other joys we see on contemporary casuals! ;)

[Creeping Past]

There we have it, on good local authority. The shirts are sourced through Solomon Adler, which is a Czech company, I think. I suppose we have to take them at their word that the Aertex-like shirts are ex-Czech(oslovakian) army.

I've may have been kit-hyped! But I don't mind. I was aiming for a wearable, affordable Aertex-like shirt... and I got one.

The Czech hype is bearable. At least I wasn't got by the vintage special forces hype or semi-plausible heritage hype.

[donCarlos]

There we have it, on good local authority. The shirts are sourced through Solomon Adler, which is a Czech company, I think. I suppose we have to take them at their word that the Aertex-like shirts are ex-Czech(oslovakian) army.Just out of interest, what year are the shirts meant to be from?

[bburtner@moran]

The other day whilst surfing around I stumbled upon a company called the Royal Male in Newport RI,a Purdey(the London gun) has a 750.00 safari jacket!!What in God`s name makes this piece of cloth that much money?

[Creeping Past]

donCarlos: The Ebay seller I bought mine from (he's still selling them) doesn't mentioned a date.

bburtner: I guess if you're buying a shotgun for £20,000 you wouldn't blink at paying $750 for a jacket to go with it. Maybe they give them away free if you buy a brace of shotguns/rifles.

Royal Male, eh? Reminds me of a shop called His Royal Majesty (http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Royal_Majesty_for_the_Obese_or_Gangly_Gentleman) favoured by Homer Simpson. :eusa_doh:

[BellyTank]

Ridiculous cotton jacket for $790.
http://admiralnelson.com/shop/display.asp?ID=215

"Whether you are on Safari in Africa or heading down to the corner store for a pint of milk.
This Purdey's Safari Jacket made from a cotton canvas will have you looking rugged and good!"

So, obviously, it's designed more for the milk run.

Or, perhaps, for the English Sir, the equally stupid one, for £345.
http://www.james-purdey.net/store/product/39860/5/menswear/tailoring/4-pocket-safari-jacket/

"Four Pocket Cotton Twill Jacket
A cotton twill jacket is notable for its characteristic diagonal weave. "


Wow! Cotton twill is notable for its diagonal weave- is that all this jacket has going for it? Cotton twill has always been notable for its diagonal weave- that's what twill is.

The exclusivity of "Safari".
When rugged, basic clothing just will not do... or you like cotton twill
and need a pint of milk.


B
T

[bburtner@moran]

OOP`s my mistake,790.00!!!!YIKES....................

[bburtner@moran]

I believe there is a thread on the FL with a chap sporting a 790.00 Purdey jacket....

[BellyTank]

A Bush Jacket should/could be inexpensive.
A "Safari" jacket is whatever one imagines it is.
I guess.

A simple, cotton jacket...



B
T

[Canadian]

I own an inexpensive jacket bought from the HBC for 60 dollars. It's 4 pleated pockets and an inside wallet pocket. I wear it while tramping around in the bush. I also scored a similar jacket from GAP, which is made of hardier canvas and is perfect to wear to movie theatres where many small pockets come in handy. The HBC jacket is probably a better jacket, but the GAP one is disposable, so I wear both.

As for hot weather, I'll wear a safari shirt with a khaki coloured vest or bush coat overtop. I remember learning, as a boy soldier, that the most efficient way to carry something in hot weather is to wear it.

Thomas

[BellyTank]

Sensible.


B
T

[H.Johnson]

No doubt there are people who would ask what is the point of clothing that bespeaks of extensive leisure and/or expensive travel if he clothing is not itself expensive.

I like cheap and authentic - for me that means a bush shirt and trousers bought from a market in Zambia for the equivalent of around 5 GBP (I regard that as about as authentic as you can get) or a variety of modern or vintage (e.g. 1950 Pattern) British ex-military jackets and/or trousers (and shorts), none of which cost me more than 20 GBP. That has its own sort of authenticity.

You can get cheap 'safari' clothing and I don't see anything wrong with it. My favourite bush jacket is an ex-Indian army WW2 job that cost me nothing. It was given to me by a guy I worked for in the 1960s who had served in Ceylon (think of the scenes set in Ceylon from the film 'Bridge Over The River Kwai'). These jackets (which were produced in India) have a very distinctive collar and some people hate them, but I like them. Anyway, to me free is better than £345. Just my opinion, of course.

[H.Johnson]

I tell you what - I will give (as in for nothing) a similar lightweight jacket in cotton/linen mix (size 40"-42"chest for someone around 6ft tall) to anyone who will pay the shipping (postage). PM Me.


Ridiculous cotton jacket for $790.
http://admiralnelson.com/shop/display.asp?ID=215

"Whether you are on Safari in Africa or heading down to the corner store for a pint of milk.
This Purdey's Safari Jacket made from a cotton canvas will have you looking rugged and good!"

So, obviously, it's designed more for the milk run.

B
T

[H.Johnson]

If I recall correctly, the UK vendor I was talking to at a military fair recently (the same one who sells them on the WWW) told me that the shirts were from the 1960s.


Just out of interest, what year are the shirts meant to be from?

[H.Johnson]

They are fine! No need for hype. I'd have one myself if they were one or two sizes smaller


I've may have been kit-hyped! But I don't mind. I was aiming for a wearable, affordable Aertex-like shirt... and I got one.

The Czech hype is bearable. At least I wasn't got by the vintage special forces hype or semi-plausible heritage hype.

[Edward]

Finally, a picture of my WPG-via-SoF jacket, in, uhm, "action":

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/Edwardmarlowe/KKBB%20Jungle%20Fever/IMGP2611.jpg

Well, okay, it's in costume at a burlesque night, but still..... That's a size 42R, which is my normal jacket size, and it's plenty big without being too large. Certainly wouldn't go up to a 44. I'm only wearing an undershirt under there, but there would be sufficient room for a shirt were I to be so minded.

FWIW, the hat is my Safari-ised Akubra Riverina, the trews Wested's Indy pants, and the boots are Cats - a higher (think jumpboot) boot, but otherwise very similar to the WW2 US roughout service shoe. The leggings are vintage, via ebay. Seller listed them as "30s or 40s"; I'm not sure myself, but I'd have thought certainly pre-war in style. Lovely things to wear. Need a bit of leather feeding, I think, but grand condition. Due to complete lack of interest from any other bidders, I got them for about GBP10.00, which seemed cheap to me.

Oh.... and the machete sheath is WW2 era British issue. Rough, but again, cheap, and should clean up well when I have the time.... Mindful of the law on knives and not wanting to be arrested, it contains naught more than a plastic Indy-branded "knife".

[Cozmo]

I have been looking for this jacket since reading of it here but have been unable to locate one to purchase. Maybe they have stopped making them?:eusa_doh:

[Mike K.]

I have been looking for this jacket since reading of it here but have been unable to locate one to purchase. Maybe they have stopped making them?:eusa_doh:
The same question was posed just days ago on a different thread here at the lounge (http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=42005). Sorry, but the short answer is that the Beretta Kalahari jacket has been discontinued.

[Cozmo]

Thanks but I was afraid of that. Maybe I can scarf up a nice used one!

[bartil]

What do you guys think of Lostworld's (http://www.lostworldsinc.com/HuntingSafariBushJacket.htm) bush jacket? Is it worth the money?

[bburtner@moran]

TOOOOOOOOOO MUCH MONEY..........................

[Edward]

I can't comment on their Bush Jacket, but I do own a LW B3, and the quality of that is outstnading. I bought it used from another FL member, LW prices being a touch rich for my blood. The Bush Jacket they turn out is, I'm sure, excellent, but the price does appear rather outlandish given the number of much more affordable alternatives on the market. [huh]

[Gatsby84]

I ran across a safari jacket earlier this evening that Mike K. didn't have in his lineup a few pages back. It's over at the 'Gentleman's Emporium'. It's a site that has reproduction Victorian Era clothing for those unfamiliar with it.

The jacket itself looks decent. It might not be perfect, but it looks good in their setup. At $70 it's a little expensive for me. Anyone ever seen this one before or have any testament to the quality?

Here's the link (it's a long link):
http://www.gentlemansemporium.com/store/002316.php?__utma=1.2089236782322488300.1246767246 .1246767246.1246767246.1&__utmb=1.1.10.1246767246&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1246767246.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(di rect)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=-&__utmk=60810669

-Allen

[Mike K.]

Somebody posted a link to that on elsewhere on the lounge...elusive safari jacket thread or something (someone really needs to merge threads)...looks like a decent jacket. I honestly don't think the price is all that bad. For a safari/bush jacket, anything under $100 is good.


I ran across a safari jacket earlier this evening that Mike K. didn't have in his lineup a few pages back.
Sorry, I've got photos & info on just about everything on the market, as well as many discontinued and vintage jackets, but just couldn't post everything. :o

[Ed13]

Yesterday I received a Hunting World bush jacket purchased from the bay. Old stock still in packaging. A good deal for what they are selling for. I also purchased a pair of trousers.

Sorry I can't take pictures but my wife is out of town and I don't know how to work the camera. Do a search and you will find photos. One warning is sizing, I wear a 44L and the 44 is more than ample for my arms. The trousers are slim fitting with a high rise as well.

[Not-Bogart13]

Anyone ever seen this one before or have any testament to the quality?

Here's the link (it's a long link):
http://www.gentlemansemporium.com/store/002316.php?__utma=1.2089236782322488300.1246767246 .1246767246.1246767246.1&__utmb=1.1.10.1246767246&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1246767246.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(di rect)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=-&__utmk=60810669

-Allen

Never seen one in person, but it looks exactly like the US Wings version to me.

[DC3]

I like the bush or safari look and wear it often. I started with three shirts from Cabella's. Very nice and rugged. Not a wimpy shirt. I liked those as it has a staight bottom so you can wear it on the outside. The one I got from King Size Direct is of a lighter fabric and has a dress shirt style bottom to be worn inside the pants. I also like the bush style vest I once used while doing a little diggin for semi-precious stones a few years back before the knees went south.

[BellyTank]

Mr.Bogart13 is right- the Gentleman's Emporium "Safari Jacket" offering
is the same as the USWings one. USWings, however are $10 cheaper,
of course.

I wouldn't have thought that 70 bucks was anywhere near expensive for a Safari jacket but at that price, you certainly get (only)what you pay for.

It doesn't really evoke anything 1930s, or even 1940s and it's absolutely nothing
suitable for a 1930s "look", let alone a Victorian, or even Edwardian "Safari" ensemble.

It is possible to engineer at least a modicum of style into a functional garment but this example, sadly, seems to have been neglected in that regard.

I hope it has some "function", it certainly has very little going for it in the "form" stakes.

My opinion may differ from that of others, of course.


B
T

[Wolfmanjack]

With all this talk about outrageously pricey bush jackets, I thought I'd post mine, acquired at Goodwill a few years back for $2.00. It's the real thing in British KD cotton. A bit tight on me, alas; perhaps I should cut back on the cabernet and Stilton.

http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae169/timberwolfmanjackie/BushJacket.jpg

Incidentally, I don’t wear this outfit to run to the store for milk.

[Not-Bogart13]

It doesn't really evoke anything 1930s, or even 1940s and it's absolutely nothing
suitable for a 1930s "look", let alone a Victorian, or even Edwardian "Safari" ensemble.


It's actually a replica of an American military jacket from the 40's or 50's (I keep forgetting which). As bush jackets go... it's a bush jacket. lol Just as functional as any other, but appealing to a slightly newer vintage taste, I guess. Mine is quite satisfactory, though I'd rather have the British style of the same era.

[PADDY]

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/th_SAFARIJACKET003.jpg (http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/?action=view&current=SAFARIJACKET003.jpg)
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/th_SAFARIJACKET004.jpg (http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/?action=view&current=SAFARIJACKET004.jpg)
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/th_SAFARIJACKET005.jpg (http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/?action=view&current=SAFARIJACKET005.jpg)
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/th_SAFARIJACKET010.jpg (http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/?action=view&current=SAFARIJACKET010.jpg)
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/th_SAFARIJACKET011.jpg (http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/?action=view&current=SAFARIJACKET011.jpg)
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/th_SAFARIJACKET013.jpg (http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/?action=view&current=SAFARIJACKET013.jpg)
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/th_SAFARIJACKET015.jpg (http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/?action=view&current=SAFARIJACKET015.jpg)

[thunderw21]

Two thumbs up, Paddy. You pull it off well.

Diggin' the whiskers, too. Very British Army, North Africa.

[Mike K.]

That jacket looks great on you Paddy...and the beard suits you too!
:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

[PADDY]

Sadly, the Serengeti beard had to come off last night as I'm back to work today ;) I know, a man without a beard is like a lion without his mane!! [huh]

This morning's clean shaven look.

Just out exercising the 'boys' (dogs) this morning, and what a fine African morning it is indeed!!


http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/SAFARIJACKET027.jpg
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/SAFARIJACKET018-1.jpg
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/SAFARIJACKET016.jpg
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/BUSH%20JACKET/SAFARIJACKET021.jpg

[PADDY]

My Uncle Joe (Centre) around 1962 in Aden with the RAF. Note the Bush Jackets these three gents are wearing.

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/UNCLE%20JOE/UNCLEJOE003.jpg

[Edward]

Nice shots, Paddy - what's the hat?

[PADDY]

...is an Australian 'Statesman.' (That's the make of the company too). Rabbit felt and 'proudly' (as the label states), 'Made in Australia.' Probably not dissimilar to the Akubra range of hats.

[Edward]

Ah, I wondere - did think it might be an Akubra. Looks good - works very well for the whole 'safari' vibe.

[BellyTank]

And what kind/make of bush jacket is it?


B
T

[PADDY]

And what kind/make of bush jacket is it?


B
T

It's RL (Believe it or not! ). And very substantial. P.

[Seb Lucas]

...is an Australian 'Statesman.' (That's the make of the company too). Rabbit felt and 'proudly' (as the label states), 'Made in Australia.' Probably not dissimilar to the Akubra range of hats.

They are similar, Paddy, but you don't see them as often and they don't seem to do anything but bushman/drover hats - no Fedoras. They were always about 20% cheaper than Akubra, and they are a brand few Aussies have heard of. I used to see them often in the 1980's in country town hardware/stock supply shops. I have a black one which has held up well for 20 years.

[PADDY]

...I swear by when I'm out in the country and either the sun or the rain is beating down on me. I've even used this one to hold water whilst I shave!! a real 'boy's toy' if ever there was one!! and it looks *GOOD* to boot! (meaning "as well..").

[STW]

It's actually a replica of an American military jacket from the 40's or 50's (I keep forgetting which). As bush jackets go... it's a bush jacket. lol Just as functional as any other, but appealing to a slightly newer vintage taste, I guess. Mine is quite satisfactory, though I'd rather have the British style of the same era.
Here's another one that might fit that description--functionally very much a bush jacket but mostly failing, as BT says, to evoke anything of the 30s or to be a worthy facsimile of the Victorian or Edwardian safari jacket.

I got this recently for another use but found myself using it day after day as a bush jacket. I had been looking for a vintage looking safari/bush jacket, and had been considering one of Lost Worlds three versions, and have been particularly interseted in jackets that have full length collars that were common then (instead of the short collars ubiquitous since the 1980s). And a belt of course.

But this jacket has proven to be very useful in bush jacket conditions. For the last few months I've taken almost daily outings in a high desert mountainous wilderness where it's hot enough not to want a jacket but windy enough to need one for the protection, and where there can be sudden and dangerous thunderstorms at altitude. This Victorianox "military jacket" is a very tough abrasion resistant 57% cotton, 43% nylon that has a soft cotton hand, but is very water resistant, and rolls tight and packs down to nothing if I need to carry it in my bag. Best of all, it breaths so well and fits so well that I've been very comfortable in it in difficult windy heat where it may be 100 degrees F. but there is a sharp dusty wind blowing and in a couple hours it'll drop 50 degrees or more. Never overheating in it, but glad for the protection and versatility. Plus the pockets sometimes make a small pack unnecessary. I had planned on using one of my "technical" shells for these outings, but the Victorianox is better in everyway.

While it doesn't fit my picture of a true bush jacket, everybody who comments on it calls it a safari jacket so it must evoke that look a little. But in function it is doing well exactly what a bush jacket was meant to in heat, wind, and dust. While bush jackets have also been used effectively in the tropics, I have this idea that they were developed for Kenya and the Punjab, for the same northern Indian conditions that brought about the name and color of Khaki.
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/i/1136R,53,_Victorinox-Swiss-Army-Quad-Pocket-Military-Jacket-Water-Repellent-Twill-.html
My image link didn't work so here is a url:
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/i/1136R,53,_Victorinox-Swiss-Army-Quad-Pocket-Military-Jacket-Water-Repellent-Twill-.html

[PADDY]

Would leather buttons be appropriate for a true 'bush jacket?' As surely they would rot and when you throw your jacket into the river (or washing machine - these days!) the buttons (which aren't cheap) would just fall apart [huh]

But they do 'look good!' Any advice or suggestions (as I have a pile of buttons that would fit the bill, but not prepared to sew them on 'if' I have to have the jacket dry-cleaned all the time).

Cheers, PADDY.

[Mike K.]

Paddy, here is a photo of an original bush jacket that uses leather buttons.
I agree that machine washing might damage them, but you could probably wash your jacket on a gentle cycle and hang dry to avoid damaging the buttons.
Any "natural" material looks good for bush jacket buttons - wood, horn, coconut shell, leather, etc.
Coconut shell has the advantage of looking like leather (from a distance) but being hard and durable.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/07e3_3.jpg

[BellyTank]

Would leather buttons be appropriate for a true 'bush jacket?' As surely they would rot and when you throw your jacket into the river (or washing machine - these days!) the buttons (which aren't cheap) would just fall apart [huh]

But they do 'look good!' Any advice or suggestions (as I have a pile of buttons that would fit the bill, but not prepared to sew them on 'if' I have to have the jacket dry-cleaned all the time).

Cheers, PADDY.

Paddy/Mike-
In the day- and in the military, the well made (especially theatre made) bush shirt/jacket/safari shirt, and other KD and SD tunics had removable, shank buttons, or bachelor buttons. Removable for laundering.
The button has a shank/metal loop to he rear and a cotter/split pin, or ring is used on the back to hold it in place, inside the plaquet.
The garment has an inside "fly" to protect the garment and user from the hardware and sewn eyelets to take the button shank.
Of course the brass military buttons were shank buttons- removable for laundering by the Dhobi- the wallah who smashes your clothes on rocks in the river. Removing the buttons preserves the garment and the buttons from unnecessary abuse.

So- YES leather football/braid removable, shank buttons are the solution.

This would work best with a garment made for this application, as you need the sewn eyelets to the front and the inside fly to cover the hardwear- neither of which are standard on a garment with "normal" buttons.

B
T

[BellyTank]

Here's another one that might fit that description--functionally very much a bush jacket but mostly failing, as BT says, to evoke anything of the 30s or to be a worthy facsimile of the Victorian or Edwardian safari jacket....
....I had been looking for a vintage looking safari/bush jacket, and had been considering one of Lost Worlds three versions, and have been particularly interseted in jackets that have full length collars that were common then (instead of the short collars ubiquitous since the 1980s). And a belt of course.



Sorry to edit you-

Yes- I think, without the longer collar, belt, pleated back, pockets and the other small details, those that we associate with the first 3rd of the 20thC., the style of the bush jacket is totally lost. All that and the colour and fit, too. There are other things, not mentioned here, which really "make" the look.

Those modern examples, costing many hundreds of £s, are sorely lacking
and quite ridiculous. "Khaki utility jackets" we have plenty of.
"Khaki" has almost become a default colour and as such, has lost its "Khaki".

I will now make it my mission to bring back to life, the classic, khaki
Bush shirt/jacket style- something from late Edwardian to mid 1930s.
I am very familiar with his style.

Watch this space...


B
T

[Mike K.]

I will now make it my mission to bring back to life, the classic, khaki
Bush shirt/jacket style- something from late Edwardian to mid 1930s.
I am very familiar with his style.

Watch this space...
:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
Eagerly waiting!

[BellyTank]

Don't hold your breath!



B
T

[rikbb]

Sorry to edit you-

Yes- I think, without the longer collar, belt, pleated back, pockets and the other small details, those that we associate with the first 3rd of the 20thC., the style of the bush jacket is totally lost. All that and the colour and fit, too. There are other things, not mentioned here, which really "make" the look.

Those modern examples, costing many hundreds of £s, are sorely lacking
and quite ridiculous. "Khaki utility jackets" we have plenty of.
"Khaki" has almost become a default colour and as such, has lost its "Khaki".

I will now make it my mission to bring back to life, the classic, khaki
Bush shirt/jacket style- something from late Edwardian to mid 1930s.
I am very familiar with his style.

Watch this space...


B
T

have been looking for that too, including shorts, very wide ones…

[BellyTank]

OK,...
...that's rikbb and maybe Mike K.

Any other takers...?

It won't exactly be cheap but saying that, it WON'T be £700, £500, or £300, either. I can tell you that much.
What it WILL be, is Khaki, cotton, drill and 1930s style...and affordable*, then, maybe there will be a more
Edwardian/19-teens/WW1 example- if we go earlier than that, into the late Victorian era, we lose the Bush Jacket/Shirt style that we know and love.
However, a Norfolk styled Khaki jacket is well within my scope of interest and ability.

*affordable, meaning at reasonable cost, with consideration to such a garment being quality made, well researched and extremely low volume- exclusive, you could say but without an exclusive price... but somewhat more than the proverbial
"$70", which we have heard is too rich for some folks' blood.


B
T

[Creeping Past]

Me, please. Just to make up the numbers. And to encourage the others. Pants and jacket, with the emphasis on Norfolk.

I'm glad you've anticipated responses along the lines of "70 bucks for a pair of khakis? Are you insane?" I grow tired of that line of thought.

I think that the khaki colour needs to be communicated as a broad-spectrum term. On this side of the Atlantic, and in the Antipodes a brownish tinge is anticipated. Those on the western side will demand a greenish hue.

[BellyTank]

Ahhh... that was a welcome edit, Mr. Creeping.

And Creeping makes threee.

If the "70 buck" tires you, be prepared for a long winter...


B
T

[Lone_Ranger]

Paddy/Mike-
In the day- and in the military, the well made (especially theatre made) bush shirt/jacket/safari shirt, and other KD and SD tunics had removable, shank buttons, or bachelor buttons. Removable for laundering.
The button has a shank/metal loop to he rear and a cotter/split pin, or ring is used on the back to hold it in place, inside the plaquet.
The garment has an inside "fly" to protect the garment and user from the hardware and sewn eyelets to take the button shank.
Of course the brass military buttons were shank buttons- removable for laundering by the Dhobi- the wallah who smashes your clothes on rocks in the river. Removing the buttons preserves the garment and the buttons from unnecessary abuse.

So- YES leather football/braid removable, shank buttons are the solution.

This would work best with a garment made for this application, as you need the sewn eyelets to the front and the inside fly to cover the hardwear- neither of which are standard on a garment with "normal" buttons.

B
T

BT, If your idea pans out. Count me in for a jacket.

As for buttons....is this what you mean? The standard police "P" button? They have military logos, airline, cruise lines, etc.

https://tandtuniforms.com/shop/catalog/popup_image.php/pID/653?osCsid=pvs81k0lbkc8ipg2s9gecu0k12

The Waterbury Button Company.
They do custom work also. Maybe a special Fedora Lounge button?
http://www.waterburybutton.com/cart/pc/home.asp

Antique brass, or antique copper?
http://www.waterburybutton.com/cart/pc/viewContent.asp?idpage=4

[MrBern]

Would leather buttons be appropriate for a true 'bush jacket?' As surely they would rot and when you throw your jacket into the river (or washing machine - these days!) the buttons (which aren't cheap) would just fall apart [huh]

But they do 'look good!' Any advice or suggestions (as I have a pile of buttons that would fit the bill, but not prepared to sew them on 'if' I have to have the jacket dry-cleaned all the time).

Cheers, PADDY.

Couldnt you wrap the buttons before the jacket is washed? I know here, some of the better drycleaners will cover buttons in foil if there is a concern of possible damage.

[Ed13]

A Norfolk style bush jacket sounds good. I would like one as well. Trousers as well if they have a high rise.

[Creeping Past]

Would the trousers be high-rise or a modern low-cut, chino style, BT?

[H.Johnson]

Just to observe that I have leather buttons and buckles on Macintosh coats, trench coats and bush jackets that I have washed for many years with no adverse effect.

If the leather is tanned and curried correctly to be water-resistantand the buttons/buckles are made up properly there shouldn't be a problem, provided you use old-fashioned soap rather than a modern detergent cleanser. Such are the enemy of leather oils. You should oil the items afterwards, of course.

[BellyTank]

Would the trousers be high-rise or a modern low-cut, chino style, BT?

I don't think I mentioned trousers, did I?
But thanks very much for asking- they are on the cards and YES,
high waisted, with a good few period details.
I'm thinking of a high waisted, wide legged style AND a more Edwardian/WW1
style, with a norrower, tapered leg- a more sartorially suitable partner for
the Norfolk style jacket.

This project is actually in the works now(as always)but fast becoming reality.
I can't wait either.



B
T

[Speedster]

OK,...
...that's rikbb and maybe Mike K.

Any other takers...?

It won't exactly be cheap but saying that, it WON'T be £700, £500, or £300, either. I can tell you that much.
What it WILL be, is Khaki, cotton, drill and 1930s style...and affordable*, then, maybe there will be a more
Edwardian/19-teens/WW1 example- if we go earlier than that, into the late Victorian era, we lose the Bush Jacket/Shirt style that we know and love.
However, a Norfolk styled Khaki jacket is well within my scope of interest and ability.

*affordable, meaning at reasonable cost, with consideration to such a garment being quality made, well researched and extremely low volume- exclusive, you could say but without an exclusive price... but somewhat more than the proverbial
"$70", which we have heard is too rich for some folks' blood.


B
T

Yes, me as well. Have been waiting for a long time now. Ever since i saw/tried on a prototype of yours on Vesterbro.

[BellyTank]

Sorry about that, Rene...
A lot has happened since then but not so much on the Khaki front.


B
T

[Speedster]

Hey, nothing to be sorry about.

When you have little kids and moving country time flies.

[Edward]

BT, if you do go ahead with the 30s style trousers at the seventy dollar mark, please count me in.

[BellyTank]

BT, if you do go ahead with the 30s style trousers at the seventy dollar mark, please count me in.

Sorry, Edward- maybe I confused things, mentioning "$70".
There will be nothing as "cheap" as $70-
maybe if you were to triple it for a ballpark number... :)

As someone once said:



...I'm glad you've anticipated responses along the lines of "70 bucks for a pair of khakis? Are you insane?"
I grow tired of that line of thought.



I'm only trying to do better on price, than the £800 and £400 "bush jackets",
from Purdey, et al. This is whats spurring me on. I'm definitely not trying to make a line of low budget clothing-
that "ethic" would hurt the product.
I'm hoping to offer an excellent quality, authentically vintage styled Bush Jacket, (then other styles)
a vast improvement over such £800 travesties, for a fraction of the £800.
Unfortunately, small prices, does not a small, well crafted production allow.
A niche market cannot support mass production.

Of course, the trousers will demand a smaller price than the jackets,
due to there being less time and work in them, if that's any comfort.

Now, after all this talk, let's just wait for someone to try and beat me to the punch..;)
I'm not joking.


B
T

[BellyTank]

...I think that the khaki colour needs to be communicated as a broad-spectrum term. On this side of the Atlantic, and in the Antipodes a brownish tinge is anticipated. Those on the western side will demand a greenish hue.

I'm aiming at a British/Empire/Commonwealth "Khaki", which actually has a green-ish hue to it, as far as I'm aware.


B
T

[Zemke Fan]

Would leather buttons be appropriate for a true 'bush jacket?'

***

But they do 'look good!' Any advice or suggestions (as I have a pile of buttons that would fit the bill, but not prepared to sew them on 'if' I have to have the jacket dry-cleaned all the time).

Cheers, PADDY.
Do what they did with my USAAF summer Class A Uniform. Replace the buttons with a SECOND (much smaller) button hole and then use a cotter pin to attach/detach the buttons for cleaning!

Hair Pin Cotter (in case it's a non-UK term):

http://www.lynchpinexporter.com/images/products/hair-pin-cotter.jpg

Link: http://www.lynchpinexporter.com/hair_pin_cotter.html

[BellyTank]

Now why didn't I think of that..?:eusa_doh:

Cotter pins are also referred to as "split pins", (although slightly differen)especially in non-American, English-speaking circles... and triangles.

"Split rings", work too and were used for buttons- like a small (½", or smaller) key-ring, ring.


B
T

[Zemke Fan]

You answered that already! --


Paddy/Mike-
In the day- and in the military, the well made (especially theatre made) bush shirt/jacket/safari shirt, and other KD and SD tunics had removable, shank buttons, or bachelor buttons. Removable for laundering.
The button has a shank/metal loop to he rear and a cotter/split pin, or ring is used on the back to hold it in place, inside the plaquet...

B
T

[BellyTank]

Oh, really- my memory... what?


B
something

[Halfbreedinkc]

Long overdue, but the purpose of this post is to provide members of The Fedora Lounge and other researchers a useful and definitive reference to a classic piece of adventurous attire. Obviously this post is not an exhaustive thesis on the safari/bush jacket, but instead is intended to be updated continually with new, quality information by others. Enjoy….

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/safari%20jackets/JLPowell.jpg

The safari/bush jacket is, in many respects, the tropical cousin of the A-2 leather flying jacket. Although designed for functionality, with its clean military-inspired lines, sturdy materials, and dashing looks it is a jacket that also exudes timelessly classic style and a sense of adventure. Stains and tatters do not detract from its aesthetic but are a testament to that morning encounter with a leopard, high tea with the Raj, or that sunset balloon ride over the veld. “Like a thoroughbred filly…the Safari Jacket looks like it does, and does like it looks.”

According to the Banana Republic Guide to Travel & Safari Clothing, the venerable safari/bush jacket is “the crux and symbol of the expeditionary and internationalist spirit. The jacket takes its epaulets from the traditions of the French, its pockets from the practical genius of the British, its swagger from the confident swank of American bravos, and its fabric from the natural bounty of the Nile Delta.”

“…The heart and soul of the Safari Jacket has nothing to do with image and everything to do with function. The jacket is about survival and its younger cousin, comfort. It’s about mobility, ease, and pockets. It’s about morning chills, noontime heat shimmers, and sudden late-afternoon thunderstorms. That the jacket looks right is not a coincidence but arises from a probably instinctive appreciation of form in the service of function.”

I think that pretty well sums it up. So what defines the classic safari/bush jacket, and what is best forgotten?

I can't make out the logo from the picture and I'm curious as that is exactly what I'm looking for.

Thanks in advance.
HB

[BellyTank]

"J L Powell" is part of the file name of that image...

http://jlpowellusa.com/collection-1/2-SAFARI-COLLECTION.html

A JL Powell Bush Jacket? Maybe an old style.


B
T

[Mike K.]

...and also noted in the thread:

Examples that can be purchased today:
Cover photo: J. L. Powell
It is an insanely overpriced jacket (like most of the other items in the J. L. Powell catalog)!!

[PADDY]

In the meanwhile...leather buttons stitched on.

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/FOR%20SALE/FORSALE102.jpg
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/FOR%20SALE/FORSALE104.jpg

[BellyTank]

Looks good!


B
T

[Geronimo]

Following some of the advice on this thread, I purchased a WPG bush jacket in khaki.
http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo42/ALatchley/IMG_0211-1.jpg
http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo42/ALatchley/IMG_0212-1.jpg
It's a darker shade than the pictures show. Seems to be a very nice item so far.
:eek: Not quite sure what happened to my right arm in the second picture.

[BellyTank]

Looks good.
Now that you've shown us a pic- please tell us what size YOU are
and what size the BUSH SHIRT is.


B
T

[Geronimo]

Looks good.
Now that you've shown us a pic- please tell us what size YOU are
and what size the BUSH SHIRT is.


B
T
Normally a 38, decided to go with a 40 since I sometimes carry a gun. I'm 5'10 or just under, so I ordered the regular instead of tall size. It comes down far enough to cover my backside, same as a normal suit coat. Seems to be true to size, as far as i can tell.

[Edward]

I think they are true to size. In my photos above, I'm wearing a 42, which is my regular jacket size. Plenty of room under it to fit a shirt and tie should I so wish, though I prefer an undershirt and cravat.

[H.Johnson]

I'm surprised than no-one has advocated the acquisition of WW2-era original bush jackets. I have recently acquired two for less than 10 GBP each.

One is a KD that seems to have belonged to a colonel or brigadier in the Indian Army and it has that unique 'darzi' collar sometimes seen in wartime photographs. I'm just restoring it. The other is a JG (again Indian manufactured with nut buttons etc.) that came from a RE captain or major. It only needed the starch washing out of it - it took two washes!.

Both are in good wearable condition and have that character that (IMO) no reproduction has. The only downside is that one can see where the rank indications and decorations used to be. Personally, I don't mind this.

I found both in local surplus shops - they are still out there and they are cheap!

[H.Johnson]

Endicotts in Exeter - 1937, unissued, cheap!


Try British 12" canvas gaiters, which're around for not very many £££s on the internet at the moment.

[Edward]

HJ, you do seem to get some great bargains in surplus stores. I'll have to try and find myself some - all the ones I used to use here in London have disappeared (many of them due to the ongoing efforts of Camden Council to turn the market there into a place where tourists can buy shoddy t shirts and smelly candles), with the exception of Silvermans (not exactly a cheap option, though!).

[Creeping Past]

Endicotts in Exeter - 1937, unissued, cheap!

That's where I got mine. Unissued and cheap.

[H.Johnson]

Edward,

I do a lot of looking and, like hunting, you seem to develop a 'sixth sense'.

I agree about London - great for vintage clothing shops, not so for military surplus. My real interest is vintage civilian clothing - the military interest is peripheral.

Silvermans has some good stuff and even the occasional bargain, although they are pricey on most items (e.g. 175 GBP for a 'Coat, Duffel, Drab, Hood Attached'!)



HJ, you do seem to get some great bargains in surplus stores. I'll have to try and find myself some - all the ones I used to use here in London have disappeared (many of them due to the ongoing efforts of Camden Council to turn the market there into a place where tourists can buy shoddy t shirts and smelly candles), with the exception of Silvermans (not exactly a cheap option, though!).

[H.Johnson]

One should visit at least once in one's life. An institution. I was pleased to meet Kevin's dad, who started the operation in the aftermath of WW2. That guy is the godfather of army surplus in the South West.


That's where I got mine. Unissued and cheap.

[BellyTank]

HJ, you do seem to get some great bargains in surplus stores. I'll have to try and find myself some - all the ones I used to use here in London have disappeared (many of them due to the ongoing efforts of Camden Council to turn the market there into a place where tourists can buy shoddy t shirts and smelly candles), with the exception of Silvermans (not exactly a cheap option, though!).


EDWARD- I gave you a list of London surplus shops,
on another thread where you were complaining about Camden.
To cut a long story short- there is one near Camden-
Kentish Town Rd.

http://www.squadronhq.com/index.asp?function=WEBPAGE&page=2

Run by ex-staff of the famous but gone, Laurence Corner, which was
at the top of TCR.

B
T

[Edward]

EDWARD- I gave you a list of London surplus shops,
on another thread where you were complaining about Camden.
To cut a long story short- there is one near Camden-
Kentish Town Rd.

http://www.squadronhq.com/index.asp?function=WEBPAGE&page=2

Run by ex-staff of the famous but gone, Laurence Corner, which was
at the top of TCR.

B
T

BT, thanks I'll have ahunt or that - i must have missed it?? :) Laurence Corner, that's the one i was trying to remember. It was great. I'll check this new place out in the next couple of weeks. :)

[BellyTank]

Laurence Corner was great.


B
T

[cookie]

This rather nice example was recently sold on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220511183703&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Here's some pics: http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/3589/wwii40srafofficerkhakid.th.jpg (http://img684.imageshack.us/i/wwii40srafofficerkhakid.jpg/) http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/787/wwii40srafofficerkhakidn.th.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/i/wwii40srafofficerkhakidn.jpg/)

[KilroyCD]

Quite nice! I only wish the one I bought through WPG was cut as long as that!

[Beowulf]

Anything new on the bush jacket market? It seems it has been a while since any post.

[Mike K.]

I haven't seen anything new on the market, but noticed that anchor Brian Williams on NBC News has been wearing a nice olive-colored bush jacket while covering recent events in Egypt.

[PADDY]

Can't wait for the safari jacket to come out of the closet!! turn up the sunlight over here folks.



In the meanwhile...leather buttons stitched on.

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/FOR%20SALE/FORSALE102.jpg
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/FOR%20SALE/FORSALE104.jpg

[BinkieBaumont]

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc260/ROSSANDHARRY/FOR%20SALE/FORSALE104.jpg

Oh I Like that most awfully, the leather buttons certainly make it sing

[StewartU]

I just received the Cabelas safari jacket in large tall. I am very pleased. I am 6 foot 2 and about 195 pounds and this fits me perfectly. I got the green color and am very happy.

[Fitzcarraldo]

A cheap bush jacket: French m47 jacket (indochine war). I got one and its one of the best jacket i have ever had.

http://www.trancheemilitaire.com/1327-1666-large/veste-m47-algerie-originale.jpg




It appears also like ¨m47 veste¨ (veste: jacket) or Veste M47 Algérie in ebay.fr. Another place where you can find it cheap is

http://www.trancheemilitaire.com/1327-veste-m47-algerie-originale.html



. Sizes: XL is about 44´´ size underarms (112 cm around chest). The ¨french army¨ size printed on the XL jacket is ¨46¨.

[B.J. Hedberg]

Just picked up a new old stock bush jacket from Hunting World on Ebay. It showed up today and I’m very pleased with it. Wore it a bit outside where it’s near 90 degrees and it was quite comfortable. Here’s a quick shot. I’ll try and snap a decent photo later when it’s not so bright.

http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad24/BJMinnesota/BushJacket.jpg

[Eric P]

Nice fit! The collar almost has the 70's look. I can dig it!!!!!

[B.J. Hedberg]

Nice fit! The collar almost has the 70's look. I can dig it!!!!!

Thanks. I rather liked the collar when I saw it. Kind of fun.

[B.J. Hedberg]

Here’s a slightly more detailed photo with more even lighting. The color still comes out a bit light. Forgive the folds; I am horrible at ironing so I haven’t attempted it.

http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad24/BJMinnesota/Jacket2.jpg

Originally made in China for Hunting World. I went with the more versatile brown without shoulder epaulets. It has a larger 70’s style collar. 100% cotton, lightweight, with a pleated back for a greater range of movement. Four exterior pockets. The buttons feel as if they are sewn on well. Fabric feels quite durable.

Fit info: I’m a chest measurement size 40, but a size 41 if you go around the shoulders and subtract. I’ve only ever worn a size 40 suit and they are usually a bit tight so the jacket I ordered is a size 42 and the fit is perfect over a dress shirt and undershirt. If a 41 had been available I probably would have ordered it and it would have been too tight and constricting. If I wanted to wear it over a sweater or sweatshirt the fit would be tight. With a stomach measurement of about 40 as well, if I had ordered a smaller size it probably would have been rather tight in the midsection.

Wore it outside today for a few hours while doing some garage cleaning. It was about 90 degrees but I remained comfortable in it. I haven’t a clue how it would compare to higher end jackets, but I think this one is going to be fun to put it to use later this year. Paid about $55 total for it on Ebay.

[pipvh]

Just found a photo of my grandfather and some of his friends in India about 1925, dressed for pigsticking. An array of bush jackets: officers'-style tunics; recognizable ancestors of the safari jacket; a rather modern-looking KD hunting jacket with (possibly leather) patches on the shoulders; and amazingly, a leather jacket of some sort, which looks very much like a contemporary Belstaff piece. I'll try and remove the pic from its album and scan it.

[B.J. Hedberg]

Love my hunting world jacket for around the yard, but needed something better for heading out into the great outdoors. So here are some pics of my Orvis field jacket. Too bright so I had to stand on a hill behind a shed and they still didn’t come out right. Comfortable and not too heavy. Lots of big pockets. Only downside is the sleeves are about ½ shorter than I would like, and I can pull the sleeves up, but they’re not wide enough to properly roll up and button, but this should be a good one for getting out and about. Not sure why they put grommets in the belt, you’d have to have a pretty big stomach to be able to use them.

http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad24/BJMinnesota/Orvis%20Safari%20jacket/SafariJacket.jpghttp://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad24/BJMinnesota/Orvis%20Safari%20jacket/SafariJacket2.jpg

[Yeps]

I have a question for y'all about bush jackets. Do you know where I can find one that is not cotton? I would love to add one as a lightweight jacket to wear while in the outdoors, but cotton is notoriously heavy, unpleasant when wet, and generally unsuitable for serious outdoor activity.

I love natural fibers as much as the next guy (no synthetics in everyday life), but for technical gear, I prefer the advancements in textile technology that allow us to have lightweight, quick drying clothes.

So, that long, rambling post aside, does anyone know where I can get a classically designed bush/safari jacket suitable for technical use?

[Doctor Damage]

Anything new on the bush jacket market? It seems it has been a while since any post.
About two years ago, before I knew about this forum, I had researched safari jackets and found the list of available models is not very long. I liked the looks of the Beretta GU55 and Kevins's models best, but checking today it appears neither are available anymore. I never really liked the look of the Filson, since I thought the chest pockets looked too small and I would prefer the hip pockets to be bellows. Stafford & Sons make safari jackets (made in the USA!) which look good and have an interesting full-lenght rear box pleat. US Wings still has their affordable safari jackets, but in all the online photos I've seen of them the breast pockets never seem to line up. I don't know if there are any UK sources.

Beretta GU55:

http://s10.postimage.org/bdvte6twl/Copy_of_beretta_GU552590.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/bdvte6twl/)

Kevin's Catalog:

http://s10.postimage.org/s2x9a3qhx/Copy_of_17_0808.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/s2x9a3qhx/)

Filson:

http://s17.postimage.org/n7pp18b2j/Copy_of_filson_553tan_david_morgan.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/n7pp18b2j/)

Stafford:

http://s16.postimage.org/3t1dry829/Copy_of_stafford_khaki1.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/3t1dry829/)http://s14.postimage.org/cuxdls1ml/Copy_of_stafford_khaki3.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/cuxdls1ml/)

[Doctor Damage]

I ordered and received yesterday one of WPG's "bush jackets" in khaki. I'm deeply impressed by the quality and the details (and the ridiculously low price), but the colour is a middle brown colour, not the tan or khaki colour shown on their website which I was hoping for. I won't keep it, and it will cost more to ship back than it did to buy it(!), so I will probably post it in the Classifieds section for sale (size 42L). Nevertheless, a really nice garment and if all of WPG's stuff is of this quality then they must be one of the best deals around as other have stated.

[Baggers]

Sorry it didn't work out for you. All I can say in Jerry's defense is that his British KD has always been much more "golden" than the lighter shades of modern khaki with which most people are familiar. It might shift a bit from run to run, but I've always considered the variances to be well within the range of what was issued or purchased at the time. The picture on the web site, if I recall, is from his very first run and it has changed over the years, especially the fit which improved dramatically. Lighting can affect pictures as well. I should be getting his Australian pattern KD shirt and trousers in a day or two and I'll see how it compares with his previous offerings. Did you contact him directly about the cost to return it? It might not be as expensive as you think.

[Doctor Damage]

Sorry it didn't work out for you. All I can say in Jerry's defense is that his British KD has always been much more "golden" than the lighter shades of modern khaki with which most people are familiar. It might shift a bit from run to run, but I've always considered the variances to be well within the range of what was issued or purchased at the time. The picture on the web site, if I recall, is from his very first run and it has changed over the years, especially the fit which improved dramatically. Lighting can affect pictures as well. I should be getting his Australian pattern KD shirt and trousers in a day or two and I'll see how it compares with his previous offerings. Did you contact him directly about the cost to return it? It might not be as expensive as you think.
Good to know about the colours, etc, thanks! Truly amazing quality and the price seems almost improbably low.

Yesterday my dad gave me his old safari jacket which is in a light khaki, so ironically I didn't need to order one after all... (shake head). Anyway, I will post it up in the Classifieds and someone will probably want it. If not, I can use it for autumn wear.

[PADDY]

Thanks Pip, look forward to seeing that!! Regards, Paddy.



Just found a photo of my grandfather and some of his friends in India about 1925, dressed for pigsticking. An array of bush jackets: officers'-style tunics; recognizable ancestors of the safari jacket; a rather modern-looking KD hunting jacket with (possibly leather) patches on the shoulders; and amazingly, a leather jacket of some sort, which looks very much like a contemporary Belstaff piece. I'll try and remove the pic from its album and scan it.

[Doctor Damage]

Here's the hand-me-down safari jacket from my father, bought by him about a decade ago and worn on my parents' trip to Poland a few years back.

http://s17.postimage.org/8tuky8duj/gant_safari_jacket_1.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/8tuky8duj/)http://s15.postimage.org/vp7kv5z07/gant_safari_jacket_2.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/vp7kv5z07/)http://s14.postimage.org/tfoihpz0d/gant_safari_jacket_4.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/tfoihpz0d/)

[Mike K.]

I ordered and received yesterday one of WPG's "bush jackets" in khaki. I'm deeply impressed by the quality and the details (and the ridiculously low price), but the colour is a middle brown colour, not the tan or khaki colour shown on their website which I was hoping for. I won't keep it, and it will cost more to ship back than it did to buy it(!), so I will probably post it in the Classifieds section for sale (size 42L). Nevertheless, a really nice garment and if all of WPG's stuff is of this quality then they must be one of the best deals around as other have stated.

Don't send the jacket back or resell it just because you don't like the color!

DYE RECIPE FOR KHAKI
Two parts RIT tan dye + one part RIT pearl gray dye.

This is the recipe for all things KHAKI in color...the real khaki as it should be. For something the size of a WPG bush jacket, two full boxes tan and one full box pearl gray is sufficient to re-color the amount of fabric. Use an old bottle to pre-mix the dye powder (don't just dump it into the washer or whatever you're using for dyeing or you'll spot the fabric). Also be sure to pre-wet the jacket so it take the dye evenly. Keep it in the dye bath until it looks darker than what you want it to be (it will dry lighter in color). Do NOT put the jacket through a complete wash cycle, just dye it and rinse out the dye. Then put it in the dryer on hot (the heat helps set the dye). I've used this dye recipe countless times and it produces the perfect shade of khaki. I actually just purchased some new dye to re-color my own WPG bush jacket, along with some socks and other items.

[Michel]

Nice and beautiful.It gives the look of a detective.
I know that this jacket design was very inn in 70's and 80's fashion.

[Doctor Damage]

I contacted Filson yesterday asking for size information on their #553 bush jacket, since as a 42L I was unsure of which size I should order. Today they sent me detailed measurements, which I reproduce below. I'm glad I asked, because I would have ordered a L but now it's clear I need a M. I wish all clothing companies provided such detailed measurements!

Filson #553 bush jacket

SPECS: M L

CHEST 52 55
SWEEP 51 54
NECK 18 18½
BACK 33 33¾
ARMHOLE 25½ 26¼
SLEEVE 35½ 36
CUFF 10½ 11

[erik7181]

Could anyone tell me what types of stuff to buy for a safari impression? I know the bush jacket, what kind of pants,boots,shirts.
I appreciate it. You gentlemen make me what to look just as dashing.

[Oldsarge]

How much do you intend to spend? Is this just for goofin' around in or a party? Do you actually intend to go on safari? Even if only eventually? These are questions that help us help you. The times I went to Africa, the safari jacket itself was totally useless. By the time the temperature dropped to the point where a jacket was needed I was either sitting around a nice warm fire or already in bed. But for the look of it all, Cabela's Serengeti Shirt (http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/search_within.cmd?form_state=default_state&searchWithin=true&N=0&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=safari+shirt&search=safari+shirt&nttWithin=Serengeti+Safari+II&x=0&y=0&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products%3BSearchWithin), a pair of lightweight cargo pants, bush hat and (for the ultimate cachet) Russell PH II boots (http://www.russellmoccasin.com/boots_safari/safari_ph2.html). A proper double rifle will set you back as much as a medium priced car so if your budget restricts you to bolt actions, which are perfectly proper, as well, make sure that they are in real Mauser 98 action and have either shallow V open sights or peeps. A scoped rifle is really uncalled for in Africa except for the most unusual conditions. The ranges simply aren't that long.