WW1 USN WOOL SHIRT ...the missing link

straight from the pages of the 1917 blue jacket manual

Called this post the "missing link"simply because i've spent years finding a clean example of what is the first USN enlisted men's regulation wool shirt .That's the second example i've had in over 25 years and this one is in pretty good condition.....

WW2 US NAVY SAILOR'S PANTS

Kinda tired of over used and abused "magic words" on ebay that are supposed to attract a potential buyer.It seems that over the last year or so ,everything is either : rare, ww2 or from the 30's ....Lately i've seen scores of USN uniforms misrepresented or posted as rare, regulation sailor's blue wool pants being one of them.Sailor's pants from ww2 are far from rare and a ww2 USN uniform,is probably the easiest uniform to complete if you're a new comer to the militaria hobby .Only the size is an issue and finding a size above 32 ,such as the one presented today ,can be tricky indeed but not impossible.So today i've decided to show all the details one should look for when looking for a ww2 regulation pair of blue wool pants.Nothing more ,nothing less....

1900'S LUMBERJACK COAT

Classic 2 pockets "buffalo plaid"lumberjack jacket ....

Early to mid 1900's A shaped cut ,with an expected positioning of the brand's tag and this up to the 30's.....
All silk thread .......

Celluloid buttons .....

The famous "Malone plaid" as produced nowadays by Johnson woolen mills.....

Fall is here ,so it's time to switch wardrobes and pull out some of the good old "Autumn's classics" .So,today's post will be about an early 1900's lumberjack coat from the elusive J.O. Ballard company.needless to say,that finding infos about the brand,was quite a challenge .So,fyi here's what i was able to gather ,about Ballard,during the course of the last 2 years .....

The J.O Ballard Mill was built in 1901 in Malone NY along side the Salmon River. For many years ,the woolen mills gave employment to area residents.Those loyal employees, were proud of their superior product, as was Capt. J O Ballard . Its motto: “all wool and a yard wide”, exemplified quality and became a mainstay with distribution nationwide for sports and utility outdoor clothing, and was a major industry in town. Civic minded and philanthropic, Captain Ballard was an “institution” in Malone, part of its forward-thinking attitude that created the prosperity prevailing at the time.

The Ballard Woolen Mill was famous for its heavyweight wool garments designed to endure the rigors of Adirondack Winters, constructed most of the clothing used by Adirondack guides and their wealthy patrons such as the Roosevelts, Carnegies, Vanderbilts and Whitneys in the first half of the 20th century.

Ballard's plaids were all copyrighted pretty smart at the time ,as the brand designed then,what became some of the most iconic and classical patterns.when Ballard went out of business in the 70's,their entire collection was bought by Johnson Woolen Mills.Among favorite textile patterns bought from J. O. Ballard Co.,was the way famous old favorite “Malone plaid” .Thanks to Johnson it's still in production today. this plaid was used by " engineered garments " for one of their winter collections.

even if Ballard's garments were widely popular,mostly on the est coast and Canada,they remain quite rare and finding one in good condition from the 1900's is always a treat........