HAPPY HALLOWEEN...

could not photographe it but at the bottom of the shirt there's a special warning that cracked me up :"REMEMBER-THIS SUIT WONT MAKE YOU FLY.ONLY SUPERMAN CAN...."

This nice Superman costume from the 50's to wish all of you an happy and safe halloween with special thoughts to all our friends on the east coast ......

A UNIQUE PIECE

As i've pretty much been absent for the last month or so ,i've decided to "come back" with a unique piece.This beauty,straight from the riveted's vault,is an original Captain's tour jacket from the 50's. US Navy souvenir/tour jackets are plenty full ,in fact as numerous as crew members right !? As for a Captain's jacket, it's another game as there's only one on board ...this jacket is very special to me,as my nickname back in the days was "Captain" .

The Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, was established after the First World War and went under this designation until April 1962 when it was renamed destroyer cruiser force.

Between the years 1946 and 1953 the U.S.S. CORRY operated over practically the entire North Atlantic Ocean,as part of the destroyer force of the Atlantic fleet. She also made three cruises to the Mediterranean for a sum total of sixteen months. While there, the men of the CORRY visited every major port from Gibraltar to Suez and back again. Then for two and one-half years she operated out of Pensacola, Florida, while she trained reservists and assisted carrier groups as they qualified air cadets.

FOR YOU TO GRAB

After seeing the insane price fetched by an original shirt last week on the Bay,i've decided to give some of you the opportunity to get your hands on something similar ....As usual i've used a vintage 100% cotton sweatshirt for the job,this one being in a dead stock condition .Unfortunately for some of you it's a small .This is my own rendition of this PT BOAT logo meaning:this design as a © on it .....got it !??
it's for you to grab ....

ANOTHER WORK OF ART ...1920'S

André Dignimont

Etching for André Beucler, Un nouvel amour, 1927

While visiting in Nice last month,i took the time of course,to stop at the local weekly fleamarket held every Monday on the beautiful "court Saleya"...Nothing mind blowing there and certainly not in the vintage clothing field,beside some high end vintage clothing for women that is .Anyway,i managed to score an amazing original etching from one of my all time favorite artists the great Dignimont .Needless to say the vendor had ,thx God,no idea about who did this nice piece of art ,as it's not signed.I recognized Dignimont's work at first glance and made a ridiculous offer that was accepted ....lucky me . 

André Dignimont studied at the Académie Julian in Paris. His work consists largely of nudes and Parisian scenes in the manner of Jules Pascin,another one of my favorites along with Gus Bofa under whose influence he became one of the foremost illustrators of the period. André Dignimont was also using pochoirs and watercolors on his original etchings for a variety of projects such as illustrations he did for his friend Francis Carco, whose underrated novels of Paris low-life are full of street slang and sleaze,ideal the artist's style. Dignimont/Carco was and still is,what i consider the perfect collaboration for this kind of book .....

WW2 USN DENIM PANTS aka DUNGAREES

NOS pre ww2 model.no front patched pockets here,just a double stitching blue on blue and metal buttons on the fly and side seams.....

Back .pleats under the waist line for better fit.pockets here aren't round at the bottom....

The sailor on the right wears a similar pair of early denim 

Same pair as above a little saltier with plastic buttons and side seams....

Pleated waist here too but the back pockets are different....

This great ww2 picture features the 3 variations available at the time.from left to right: common ww2 model with 4 patched pockets and no side seams,next is a earlier version of the patched pockets this variation retains the side seams, far right is a pre war model 

variation of the patched pockets with side seams as seen on picture above

Back....

Second from the right : Gregg "pappy" Boyington of VMF 214 fame after is rescue from a prisoner's camp in 1945.....

Last but not least the more common ww2 model as seen on numerous ww2 pictures and movies .......

There's been a lot of confusion surrounding WW2 US NAVY dungarees, so i've decided,for info,to showcase 3 of the most commonly seen models of USN regulation denim pants, manufactured or issued by the Navy .Only pre and ww2 pants will be featured on today's post. In 1946 "seafarer" trademark of Polkton Mfg. co, dba Seagoing Uniform of Marshville,NC,took over the contract and messed up with the cut and fabric and ,in my opinion,ruined the look and feel of what was a great pair of pants.....  

"the colors of Nice" an inspirational travel log

Today will be about personal inspiration, bright colors, patina and beautiful decay .Here are some random shots brought back from my latest trip to the city of Nice on the French riviera, kind of a "carnet de bord "that i thought will nice to share....

By the end of the 19th century the Côte d'Azur and the city of Nice began to attract painters, who appreciated its climate, bright colors and clear light. Among them were artists like Picasso, Matisse, Chagall,Raoul Duffy whose wife was from Nice and Renoir who settled in Cagnes s/ mer.All captured the beauty and light of the land and created some of  their most famous works of art.