THE "PLIMSOLL SHOE"not your ordinary canvas shoe

The inside with its printed "Plimsoll lines" reminiscent of the lines on a ship's hull...

Some more "Plimsoll lines"where the nickname is coming from...

Detail of the pebble like molded under sole .....

We finally have an Indian summer here in San Francisco so yesterday ,while looking for the perfect shoe to wear ,i came upon a long forgotten "friend " at the bottom of the closet's floor,my good ol' Plimsolls.So today's post,will tell you the story of this not so ordinary shoe :the great Plimsoll....

It's said that the canvas and rubber sole shoe,was first developed in the 1830's in England,by the Liverpool Rubber Company ,who later became Dunlop[in1925].By the 1870's the shoe was nicknamed 'Plimsoll'.......

This name derives from the "Plimsoll lines",a system invented in the 1870's, by the victorian engineer Samuel Plimsoll. Back then,unscrupulous ship owners for maximum profit,had the tendency of overloading their ship,resulting,most of the time ,in loss of goods but mostly loss of crew at sea.

The "Plimsoll lines" are the system of lines seen on ship's hull ,designed to control and limit the volume of goods loaded onto ship.It was said that,on the shoes ,the rubber part attached to the upper canvas part resembled the Plimsoll lines ,hence the name.

The shoe, generally black or white with a few in brown,was commonly used as a typical gym shoe and part of the school uniform in the British Commonwealth,where it was also often used for corporal punishment.

In India, where the shoe is still produced,white plimsolls are often worn by school children.A brown version is used by most police and military units as a gym training shoe; they are also part of the uniform.....

30'S SUEDE VEST.... A FALL FAVORITE

Frankly ,for once,not much to be said about today's beauty.Beside the fact that it doesn't bare any brand,it as the most coveted zipper :the infamous deco style TALON grommet zipper.The simplicity of its design and the addition of adjustable side buckles ,make this suede veste very versatile and desirable.I guess that makes it a keeper right !??

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........

VINTAGE HARLEY HAT

It'll be almost impossible to upgrade this one, as i've got it in "dead stock" condition.found it sunday for a ridiculous price [yes it's still possible no kidding] but won't keep it ,as i'm not into that stuff anymore .......

FOR MISS O.

AN AMERICAN ROAD TRIP

Ever since Ford first rolled out it's first Model T , Americans have had a love affair with the automobile and with it,the great American adventure was born- The Road Trip .The automobile allowed everyone to travel America's vast distances, move quicker, and further and in the mean time ,create a sense of freedom and adventure. Be it two days, two months, or two years, all Americans have done at least one.

for those of you who follow RIVETED ,you know by now,my obsession with flea market and most of all ,my quest for unsorted vintage photo albums. here's one i've saved lately,from the hands of unscrupulous pickers who's only concern is a quick flip on ebay.

The album dates from 1929 to 1931 and is about friendship ,as it follows these guys from high school to their arrival to west point .Enjoy the ride...

denim of the wild west :Pearl Hart

"I wasn't born anywhere" Pearl once said to a census worker....

As i'm sure you all know,wearing pants for a woman,was politically incorrect.what about denims and suspenders then !!?...

If you're lookin' for trouble !!...

Meet the great Pearl Hart "bad girl of the wild frontier"...She was the first and last know woman stagecoach robber .she was born in Ontario of French Canadian descent .enjoy the all story here......