a guide to heritage clothing, canvas bags, steel bicycles, and Japanese web shops
Working from home, I have zero need to update my wardrobe. All summer, I’ve slipped into a sloppy fitting uniform of nautical tops, Orslow trousers, cardigans and Birkestock slides. In my mirror-facing paper doll pose, I vaguely resemble one of the unisex models from my fave Rakuten shop, Takanna. For fall, I’m considering a few …
The Archival blog started in 2006 as a place to presevere ephemeral print, digitized scans and new digital catalog content. Originally, I posted scans of my own outdoor clothing catalogs from the US and UK. Later, I expanded to include images from Japanese web shops selling Japan-only garb by US and European outdoor labels like …
Availalble through the Takanna web shop (Japan).
Ed. Note: Archival Clothing guest contributor Tom B. submits the following report on a formative sartorial handbook, The Golden Book of Camping and Camp Crafts. The Golden Book of Camping and Camp Crafts (1959) offers terrific examples of outdoor apparel. The illustrations are remarkably consistent, suggesting a uniform of jeans (rolled cuff), moccasins or …
Yarmo is one of those brands that maintains a dual identity, manufacturing earnest, industrial workwear for the UK while producing a more fashion friendly line for the japanese market (read this 2016 UK news story for more on the history of Yarmo’s Japanese collaborations). For my stay-at-home wardrobe, I’m thinking the Yarmo duster (sometimes referred …
Available through Rakuten. Size 40.
Props to Mike Hodis and his company, Runabout Goods, for this project to make N-95 mask covers for health professionals. Runabout is now taking pre-orders for a mask for the general public. For every mask sold, Runabout will donate one to a local hospital. I’m be putting in my own order for the denim head! …
It’s going to be awhile before I partake in recreational shopping. For now, I’ll be closely following my own Archival resolutions, namely, number three: Do more with less. Add a few key pieces to your wardrobe and wear them until they dissolve. Since my closet is well stocked with key pieces that are likely to …
The 1941 Montgomery Ward catalog reads like a menswear manifesto from the heyday of heritage clothing. I usually repost images of Ward product offerings. But this time, I’m lingering on the soothing, info dense pages at the back of the catalog. Here, I’m imaginging myself as a skitterish, 1941 shopper, short on cash, scanning the …