THE PACIFIC: WW2 USMC 41 HBT JACKET

The front of the jacket with its crude EGA [eagle,globe & anchor] stencil .Love the stripes with a double applied paint .....
The amazing back with a great and unusual gothic font.......

After seeing the 1st episode of "THE PACIFIC" ,the new series from the Hanks/Spielberg team of "BOB" fame , i've decided to dig in my collection and showcase my favorite M41[ early sage green] USMC HBT jacket for your enjoyment . over the year i've seen my share of tactical markings ,stenciled names and so on ... but i must admit this one tops them all.........

WW2 US NAVY roughout ankle boots

The crew of a construction battalion aka "SEABEES" wearing their weathered N1 ankle boots on their way to Normandy......
A never issued pair .The USN N1 boots the NXSX marking places them around 1944......
The rubber and cord sole is different in design from the WW2 USMC "boondocker" .....

A real USN marked pair of roughout ankle boots,although similar in appearance to their widely manufactured USMC counterpart [aka "boondocker"],are one of the hardest item to find when you're a collector. They look sharper,as they don't have a reinforced toe and should not be confused with the army M43 riveted model,popular with Japanese vintage enthusiasts for it's the one worn by the Steve Mc Queen in "the great escape"....

THE REAL DEAL... the WW2 watch cap & 30's cpo shirt

Nice WW2 picture of a crew in the pacific theatre. Almost everything is there...N1,N4,denim shore jacket and pants,white t-shirt and the very desirable watch cap.......
The rare 1930's CPO shirt/jacket ........
Gone fishing....The one and only WW2 watch cap.Be very careful while shopping on ebay,i've seen a bunch of fake tags on 60's caps lately......
This is what you should be looking for on ww2 navy knitwear.......

As much i love Buzz Rickson and their breathtaking repros,i must advise the new comer in the Navy collecting field,to be cautious before taking Rickson's prose as " the word of God".A little research will pay and prove you they're not always right,when reproducing some of the more iconic pieces of vintage. I was a little disappointed when looking at some of their new items .The ww2 watch cap is beautiful .It has the perfect wool color,density,weave and number of seams [6 on top]but has it's most visible feature ,the white tag ,WRONG .In fact all of Navy's knitwear had the same white cotton tag ,with only 2 printed lines:one for the owner's name the other for it's rate.You'll find the same tag on the knitted sweater and mittens too.I guess the foul anchor sales better.As for their 1930's CPO[chief petty officer] shirt ,not all of them had a scalloped flap over the single breast's pocket .In fact there were multiple variations of the single pocket shirt/jacket.I've even seen one without flap.

FORGET BUDDY LEE...

Shorter arms and a fractured skull ,i had to have him ....
great attention to details,look at the button -hole .........
Gotta love that ol' denim ........
These boots are made for walking ....

Forget the mass produced "kewpie doll" faced BUDDY LEE .I'd rather go with something more original, unique and hand made anytime.I've always been on the look out for great "self taught" paintings, sculptures or folk art related items while at my local flea market.That's why i couldn't resist buying this little guy ,as he pretty much sums up everything i love about art and vintage in general .

AN AMERICAN CLASSIC :the hunting/game jacket

Straight from the pages of an old 1917 Ward mail order catalog .A traditional simple and functional hunting jacket .No brand name here, just the product. i've found the exact same jacket featured in a 1909 Sears catalog too.........
The actual jacket.One of the oldest in my collection .It's nice when you're actually able to date,with more or less accuracy, such an item .A classic early 20th century fit with it's narrow shoulder and "A" shape body, still based on the European tailoring techniques and cuts....Note the nice and unusual double compartments frontal pocket......

The pocket's separation has been reinforced by the addition of a leather tab underneath the flap
Old and so fragile celluloid button ..... leather all over the jacket to reinforce it's weakest points....

One might have noticed by now, that MADE IN AMERICA is making a noticeable come back on the fashion scene.Are the good ol' days, when "made in America" or "union made" meant something to the average consumer,back to stay !?? one never knows!? we can only dream.Strange to see though,that some of these "come backs" have been orchestrated by some of the most passionate foreign designers ,either from Japan ,England ,Italy and even the usually very conservative France... let's hope that it's not just another fad and that woolrich ,filson ,duxbak among other iconic figures of the great american garment industry ,are back to stay .

IF ONLY WE KNEW....

In the ever growing series :"if only we knew", aka : things dreams are made of,here's another one from the archives .This ad was featured in the December 1946 issue of Esquire magazine .Perry sportswear, as an original ww2 contractor took advantage like many of his peers, of the popularity of the famous jacket in a post war consumer crazy America. Those of you who've been looking for a decent original ,will without a doubt laugh at the ridiculous price......

A COLLECTOR'S DREAM

From top to bottom.

winter jackets either: M445A orANJ4 AN6552

intermediate jackets either:M422 or ANJ3A

summer jackets :likely M421A

While browsing "the archives", i came upon a juicy little cliche of aWW2 naval clothing supply depot and its racks of naval aviator's jackets .The ultimate dead stock.....a collector's dream indeed .