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Most often when we’re talking about Ghurka, it’s in reference to fashion– the Gurkha pant (and short) and of course, the great American Ghurka bags and accessories. We seem to vaguely know that there’s a military influence going on– but to fully understand the story of the soldiers that originally bore the Gurkha name is mind-blowing.
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No one before or since, epitomizes elegance and style like the legendary Gary Cooper. No, Cary Grant doesn’t even come close. He was a fashion protege of Gary Cooper without a doubt– even Grant’s stage name was crafted by movie studio executives to look and sound like Cooper’s.
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No one has ever worn an ascot as well as Gary Cooper– a look that truly requires sartorial swagger and a deft hand. Cooper was always in command of his clothing– never the other way around.
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Harley-Davidson Flathead– 1929-36
The Flathead was named after the flat vented tops of the cylinder heads– 45 cubic inches of displacement producing about 30 to 35 horsepower. The engine proves to be so reliable that variations are available on Harley-Davidons as late as 1973.
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U.S. Navy recruiting poster– circa 1917. She’s sporting standard naval issue enlisted dress blues– or “crackerjacks” as they were commonly called in reference to the sailor boy on the popular Cracker Jack box.
Women have served as an integral and invaluable part of the U.S. Navy since the establishment of the Nurse Corps in 1908. Nine years later, the Navy authorized the enlistment of women as “Yeomanettes.” In 1948, the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act was signed, making it possible for women to officially enter the U.S. Navy in regular or reserve status.
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It’s commonly thought that the “bell bottom” trouser was introduced in 1817 to permit men to roll them above the knee when washing down the decks– and to make it easier to remove them in a hurry when forced to abandon ship or when washed overboard. Old Navy folklore has suggested that they may have also been used as a life preserver– by knotting the legs at the opening and filling them with air.
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Sandy Hook is one of our favorite local escapes– great beaches, hiking and history. There’s quite a bit of fishing to be had, and great seafood all around. One trip last summer, we tried a section of beach we hadn’t been to before… those cryptic bumper-stickers extolling the virtues of ‘no tan lines’ should have tipped me off. Needless to say, we quickly moved on.
Sea Captains have always been a symbol of stoic resolve and masculinity– as well as awesome mustaches & killer coats. Photos– The Library of Congress archive.
Recesionista is one of those buzzwords of 2008 that’s getting a little overplayed. In my small world, it’s feeling more like Great Depressionista— in regard to fashion and the economy. Looking at these pictures from the 40’s, they look like what you see in a lot of Soho shops & vintage Americana brands these days like– RRL, LVC, Warehouse, etc. There are great, rugged pieces, and little, honest details not to be missed– like our friend’s chambray workshirt (above) that’s been mended time and again over the years– out of necessity, not for fashion. That looks like a great old pair of Levi 501s. I like how the front belt-loops are placed nice and snug to the fly.
Junya Watanabe is still up to taking iconic American sportswear and giving it his signature funky twist– playing with texture, scale & functionality.
So– we can’t really talk about The Outsiders without acknowledging who was the King of 80’s teen cinema. Even with the borderline unibrow he sported back then, Matt Dillon was undeniably King of the clearasil screen. Yeah– I’m glad for Matt that he later found his comic side in films like There’s Something About Mary, and Herbie: Fully Loaded. But personally speaking, I would much rather remember him as Moody in My Body Guard, Dallas in The Outsiders or Rusty James in Rumblefish. The bad-boy Dillon as we knew back then ended with Drugstore Cowboy (directed by Gus Van Zant in 1989), which finally won him the critical acclaim and recognition he long deserved.
To say that my friends, Eric Jones and his wife Cary are patriotic– is kind of like saying that Martha Stewart is anal. It’s a major understatement. I asked him how many antique American flags they own– he lost count at 220. By now you probably noticed the vintage Goyard trunk resting casually under the table…
The Selvedge Yard 