Here’s a vintage, 1930s-era Filson cruiser jacket up for auction on ebay. The seller emailed the other day because he was trying to date the jacket and saw a similar version on my flickr photostream. Pricepoint for the jacket is too steep for me. However, I asked permission to post some auction photos to document design details– snaps, garment tag, double fabric arms, perfect pocking, stitching style–still found on current generation cruisers.
Archive for June, 2009
From the Archives: Barbour 1998/99

In case you missed it, here are some product offerings from the Winter 1998/Spring 1999 Barbour catalog. In the day, these catalogs were the best means of tracking new Barbour releases (beyond the stock range of Bedales, Beauforts and Borders). Many of the more exotic items–moleskin and Bushman jackets–never made it to (my corner of the) US. So, it was always fun to see non-stock Barbour items in cameo catalog form.
Shopping from 2001/2002: Barbour
Archival Expedition: Everest 1938
Filson Field Bags in Film: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Eastwood 1997)

Friend Vaughn W. (of bike collection fame) sent me these cameo views of a Filson Medium Field Bag from the film, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Eastwood 1997). Aside from the bag and Johnny Mercer/jazz soundtrack, I don’t remember much about the movie itself. Worth revisiting?
Patchwork Admiration
Archival Eyewear: 1968 Preview
An article in the June 10, 2009 Thursday Styles section of the NY Times declared round sunglasses the hot fashion trend of 2009. Article author Eric Wilson writes:
This summer…the memo for sunglasses says circles are in. Very round shapes, as round as goggles in some cases, appeared in the recent women’s collections of Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler; and, for men, from Ralph Lauren, Zegna and Lanvin (most costing from $300 to $400). Last month, New York magazine included round sunglasses among the anticipated trends of the summer. And, as predicted, they are already appearing on the streets in numbers not seen since the release of the last Harry Potter book.
I present some eyewear examples from Frederick Wiseman’s 1968 documentary, High School, as possible candidates for the next “newest old thing” for 2010.
And an addendum:
Archival Revival: Barbour Retriever Bag
One of my favorite Barbour bags, the Sports Twin Pack (rebadged the Waxed Cotton Retriever Bag), is once again available. I sold off my original version a few years ago due to an intense mildew odor (the problem with purchasing “vintage” barbour on ebay). I’d definitely like to secure a new version (UK made, I hope) before it disappears again.
Just stumbled on this more minimalist version of the Retriever Bag (pockets on an envelope):
Shopping from John Ford: Neckerchiefs
Archival Actress: Helen Twelvetrees




From the digital collections of the State Library of New South Wales
Per the notes of the collection: “Helen Twelvetrees was one of the first American women to star in an Australian film. Photographs taken during the filming of Thoroughbred, Sydney, 1936.”