Colamatiss hunting jacket
From the archives

From the archives: Colamatiss Hunting Jacket

Found on Etsy: a rare, Colamatiss hunting jacket —a French brand that was never distributed in the US. I love the action back, two-way zipper, pocketing configuration and contrast cord collar. If you have any information on this company, let me know. As it were, Colamatiss made some collaboration hats for Hunting World in the …

Continue Reading
Women's Land Army Shop Jacket
From the archives

Wishful Shopping: Women’s Land Army Shop Jacket

Just spotted this wonderful, Women’s Land Army jacket at one of my favorite online vintage shops, Saunders Militaria. Here’s a description of the jacket from the site: “Without a doubt a stunning article of clothing. This deadstock (mint/ unused) pattern is dated 1943 and was designed for the Women’s Land Army as a sort of …

Continue Reading
Hikers and mountaineers from the 1940s
From the archives

From the archives: at ease in the Sierras

The Sierra Club-Angeles Chapter History Archives recently published these fab photos of Glen Dawn and other club members on the summit of Mt. Langley. The images were taken in the 1940s and feature club members posing during outings and at camp.Per usual, the photos illustrate a bygone approach to dressing for the outdoors absent of …

Continue Reading
From the archives

Tour of Italy: Archival Musette

Thanks to Archival friend Ryan Schoeck for sending along these snaps of an original Archival Flap Musette on tour in Italy. I know many of our musettes are still in circulation traveling around the world by foot, bike, and motorcycle. If you have a photo of your Archival bag on tour, please send it my …

Continue Reading
Archival Field Trip From the archives

Crescent Down Works Revisited

It’s November so naturally I’m shopping for a new down vest. In the past few years, I’ve gotten sidetracked by Rocky Mountain Featherbed and Western Mountaineering. But this fall, I’m checking back in on an old friend, Crescent Down Works. If you recall, Archival did a collaboration with CDW back in the day using Swiss …

Continue Reading
From the archives

Montgomery Ward Manifesto

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 …

Continue Reading
From the archives

Comfort Media: 1961 Barbour Catalog

Under quarantine, I’m consoled by livestreams of apartment concerts with Ceceile McLorin, free access to Met Opera broadcasts and Blossome Dearie playlists on YouTube. Soundtrack secured, I’m browsing comfort print catalog content and ephemera via Google Books, Flickr Commons and the Library of Congresss Digital archives. Beyond that, I’m turning back the clock to a …

Continue Reading