Unique elbow articulation

I'm always on the lookout for unique articulation in garments, this is one of the more unique elbows I have seen:

I did not record the details as well as I should have, I only know it was a woman's jacket for sale on eBay. It goes without saying that pleats placed perpendicular to each other are uncommon.

And Wander pockets

And Wander is a very intriguing brand that I appreciate.

External pocket bags give more room for pocket expansion without compressing the leg like internal pocket bags do. Also note the dart in the pocket bag for more space.

These would be snaggy enough I don't know that'd I'd want to use them, but I appreciate the idea.

eBay find: Hybrid Scandinavian sweater

As I've mentioned before I like Nordic sweaters. I also have an ongoing curiosity towards hybrid knit/woven garments. Here we have both:

I woven upper yoke area, extending down the tops of the sleeves. The collar and placket are included in this, something I appreciate. I tend to dislike buttons on knits as they seem to pull at the buttons if you utilize any of the benefits of the stretch. The woven collar might also stand up a bit better then a knit one would, better protecting the neck.

In theory this design would add some weatherproofing and durability to the tops parts of the garment, the only thing I find odd is that the armpits are barely included in the woven section, perhaps one of the places where knit is the most desirable:

eBay find: Wool pullover photograph

Continuing an infuriating trend of finding images of garments that just cannot be found anymore:

Images of pullover garments used by lumberjacks and sportsmen of yesteryear are not hard to come by, extant examples are. This appears to be a caped shirt-jacket with a very wide placket.

Red Cloud Collective waxed work pant

I keep an eye on the heritage market and came across these awhile ago:

Red Cloud Waxed Canvas Fitted Work Pants

While waxed pants are mostly for hipsters and old loggers, these pants have one feature I'd like to call out:

Using the double front as the material for a pocket is something I've considered in several different ways but these guys pulled it off nicely with more subtlety then I would have managed. Good use of materials and a nice, unique feature to separate them from the heritage saturation.

Crewboss Elite Wildland Pants

Looking for Nomex pants the other day I found these:

Obviously taking a good bit of inspiration from Vertx with those inset angled single-gusseted cargo pockets, but a few notable differences.

For one they claim to have a reinforced knee, which I hope means it's actually a double knee unlike Vertx's faux-double knee. For two they have an interesting double crotch, this unfortunately replaces the wonderful crotch gusset but it does reinforce what I am starting to think is one of the major week points of many pants. Less knee articulation and the typical wildland fire feature of velcro leg closures as well as a more typical slash pocket round out the differences.

Why was I looking at Nomex pants? I have heard it suggested (in a textiles textbook) that nomex is slightly stronger then normal nylon (which is much stronger then cotton duck, denim or canvas) and I was wondering if Nomex pants might provide a more durable work pant if you could find a good deal on them.

Double seats are fairly common (at least on military pants) but double crotches much less so, I will be keeping an eye out for more now.

eBay find: experimental PCU jacket

Another mystery for the archives, a seller posted several of these all at once but they went for far to much for me to scoop one up. They were all solid colors, various greens and tans:

The seller claimed they were Goretex instead of the DWR nylon of the normal Level 5 garment this is obviously patterned off of, but with eBay seller's tenuous grasp of fabric terms this is unconfirmed. While I think the hoodless PCU level 5 garment is a fantastic jacket (in some ways better then the new hooded version) I have mixed feelings about hoodless goretex jackets in general. I think the cut of this jacket has advantages over the ECWCS and PCU level 6 jackets, and maybe with a helmet it makes sense to ditch the hood. I wouldn't know, I only ever wear a hat.

Wrangler's new work shirts

My buddy showed me his new work shirt the other day, it was a Riggs twill longs sleeve button down.

http://www.wrangler.com/store/WRG_STORE_US/en_US/style/3w501.html#searchTerm=RIGGS%20Workwear 

 Lots of good features, dual chest pockets (wish they had flaps), button down collar, pretty hefty fabric. What Wrangler mentions (without explaining) and utterly fails to illustrate anywhere online, is that there is an impressive full side gusset  on this, as well as Wrangler's pearls snap work shirts and a few others.
So I had to go to my local Coastal Farm to sneak a photo for myself. Jeeze Wrangler, make me do your marketing for you.

If you go to all the work to design a good feature at added cost you'd think you'd show it off. I compared it to a similar Carhartt shirt in the arms-overhead-reaching-for-stuff test and it did do a little better (as in the hem had less vertical travel) but only an inch or two difference. A well fitted set-in sleeve probably does the same thing but this is a pretty bold feature for such a static brand, I approve.

Wild Things Tactical Anorak

The Japanese might have dubious fashion ideas but you can depend on them to take great photographs.

http://www.bambooshoots.co.jp/category/A005001/V13FWWT091.html

 On one of my many google image searches I came across a jacket I didn't recognize. Turns out Wild Things has been busy and made some garments for export that aren't available on their US site. This wouldn't be the first time the Japanese taunt us with cool American made goods that we can't even buy (COUGH, Filson) and it looks like they have made some collaborations with other companies for some fun, less technical items.

But back to the subject at hand:

Pull-over rainshells are fairly rare in the US so I usually take notice when they pop up overseas. eVent membrane with a tough face fabric is also quite rare, so when the three come together in one spot I sit up and take notes. I've been very impressed with my WT tactical hardshell (the first gen version) so I am a little biased toward products by these guys.

What do I like about it? Gorgeous arm pockets are always a plus, the fabric story as I already mentioned is second to none, and the pullover factor might be just a novelty but still cool in my book. It also looks like they replaced the obnoxious hood adjuster tabs with traditional cordlocks (one of my few complaints about the Hardshell 1.0). I also think the integrated flap over the arm pocket zipper is a better design then on the 2nd gen american market hardshell. Also one of perhaps three eVent jackets on earth available in Multicam:

What do I think is silly? The gap between the front opening and the pocket. Biggest mistake you can make with a pullover, it should either have a low hand pocket and a deep front opening for ventilation and easier donning and doffing, or it should have a short zipper and a high front pocket to clear a pack belt or harness. Any gap is essentially wasted space that gains you nothing, good examples are Kifaru's discontinued packlock praka (low pocket, deep zipper) and the TAD anorak (short zipper, high pocket).

Of course all this is moot since I'm fresh out of Yen.

Sweater Quest: Norse edition

Some family friends introduced me to Scandinavian sweaters several years ago (the same ones that introduced me to Swanndri, expensive friends to have) and I've been on the lookout ever since. I've scored two Dale of Norway sweaters in the last few years, one with their Gore Windstopper liner and one without, but because of the wide range of patterns and sizing discrepancies I haven't found my perfect one yet. I thought I'd post some of my best Norse sweater finds, most are from eBay, and many of them are Dale of Norway but there are several other brands mixed in. The line between ugly and awesome is quite thin in this case.

I've found I quite like the deep placket on a lot of these sweater for putting on over hats as well as tucking scarves into. I also think the pewter clasps are way more interesting then buttons (which I've never really liked on sweaters) but I still feel some draw to the henley pattern. In case you couldn't tell I also like the contrasting yoke that may of these have, as well as the short stand collar.

eBay find: Ibex Ventile

I had no idea that Ibex, famous for it's merino garments, dabbled in ventile. I like the deep-zipper opening but I'm not a fan of hand pockets placed so close to the side seams.

Chinese cargo pocket

The chinese have managed to design something innovative while trying to knock off American tactical pants. While browsing eBay for some Kyptek clothing (I have yet to try any out) I found a pair of pants from China with this pocket:

At first I thought it was just a gimmicky feature to lure in highschoolers with large airsoft budgets, but the more I looked at it the more impressed I was. I have mixed feelings about cargo pockets in general but one of my main complaints is loosing small things in the corners. This design creates a lot of usable space for large items (watch caps, gloves, notepads), but the bottom of the pocket is much smaller, meaning that small items will congregate to the front of the cargo pocket for easy retrieval.
Another cool feature is that the dual gussets are set in the middle of the pocket rather then the edges, which cuts down on snag potential (a small beef I have with TAD and Riggs cargo pants).

Unfortunately the inseam selection means that these pants aren't on my shopping list, unless I decide I really need a pair of Mandrake cargo shorts.

Mountain Hardwear knee articulation

Not really sure what the model name of these pants are but I found the knee construction interesting:

Rather then just have a double set of darts like most pants out there they added a whole extra circular panel to the inside of the leg, I couldn't say without holding them but it has the potential to add quite a bit of knee room to the pants. 

Also notice how the crotch gusset extends down the entire inside of the leg.

The M1916 Wool Shirt

After publishing the last post I did some digging around about the M1916 shirt, I had ran across it some time ago but since most specimens were commanding collector's prices on eBay I had written it off as a source of pull-over wool shirts. Revisiting to subject I came across these images:

Particularly notice the one-piece sleeve placket and elbow reinforcement, if anything I like it even better then Best Made Co's design. Elegant simplicity at its best.

Best Made Co: The Wool Pullover

I couldn't say were I first heard of Best Made Co, but I've had a love/hate relationship with them for some time now. As with any similar company it is easy to dismiss them as a marketing-centric style-over-substance brand, but I have to begrudgingly admit they have put out a few killer products. Whether it is the hipster-filled photo-shoots, the repainting-affordable-axes-then-adding-a-huge-markup scheme, or simply my own suspicions of an "outdoorsy" company born and headquartered in America's largest city, I'll admit I watch them with a mix of interest and disdain. When they released their Wool Pullover though, I was willing to forgive quite a lot.

http://www.bestmadeco.com/collections/clothing/products/wool-pullover#product-tab

I'll preface this post by saying I've been a Swanndri fan for a number of years, and have gotten a lot of use out of their secondary-flagship product (is that a term? I don't know what ship follows flagship in the pecking order) the Swanndri Ranger bushshirt.

The magic of Swanndri is that they can almost universally overcome the wearers better judgment and earn huge esteem despite their obvious faults. Despite still loving my rangers I have become more honest with myself; the cuffs suck, the center front gusset is dumb, the fit is pretty poor, the zipper isn't the best and the weave is pretty loose. I have taken in the sides of two of my rangers (because my waist is actually smaller then my chest, despite what the swanni designers expect) and made one of them a short-sleeved garment and have found them much more useful for it, but with the lack of wind resistance they really are closer to a sweater then a shirt in their use.

So what does the BMC pullover offer? By all appearances a much tighter weave, smarter fit, large flap pockets, a button front, better cuffs, and overall a more refined appearance. 

Some of those are guesses, but I have not seen a Pendleton wool fabric that is looser then the swanndri ranger, and all of the photos suggest a heavier-then-shirtweight that very much appeals to me. Even just the rounded pockets and flaps speak of higher attention to detail then the relatively crude swanndri. The placket is deeper than the swanndri as well, extending to the bottom of the pockets for better venting and easier donning and doffing. I've no doubt that the designers were aware of the ranger when they made this but they have certainly improved on it. The other design they obviously were inspired by is the WWI wool Army shirt:

Pendleton and Woolrich both have examples of wool pull-over shirts in their histories, but often with only one pocket or a zipper opening.

The icing on the cake for me though is one feature I have never seen before:

An elbow reinforcement that is one piece with the sleeve placket. Someone was really thinking when they came up with that one (or had access to vintage garments I've never seen before). Echoing the army pullover but thankfully not being limited by it. 

My hesitation with elbow patches is that often they don't actually end up under the users elbow during use, but the photos imply that these in fact do:

What don't I like about this garment? well I'm not to keen on the cotton lining and I'd like to see a second button on the sleeve placket but those are hardly dealbreakers. The price is out of my range but hardly out of line with a small run american made wool garment.

I have found a heavy wool pull-over shirt to be a very versatile garment in my wardrobe, something akin to a heritage softshell jacket and the BMC pullover appears to be the best game in town currently.

Dutch Sleeves

Tumblr find:

I found the sleeves of his smock/shirt intriguing. Looking closely I couldn't deduce what closure system is used at the wrist but it's possible there isn't one, there is no separate cuff. The tapered elbow patches are fairly unique, either a different material or a different print than the DPM smock/shirt and the fact that it is placed over the seam shows more nuance then the usual military practice of burying at least one side of a reinforced elbow into an existing seam.

The Hat Quest

We all have quests periodically, I usually have 3 or 4 going at any given time. This is an account of my quest for the perfect hiking/everyday/end of the world hat.
Between a dislike for showers and a dislike for haircuts I wear hats a LOT. I'm also getting to were I like insulated hoods more then insulated hats so I more or less wear a ballcap in all weather which I find handy to keep the hoods pointed the way my head is and keeps them out of my eyes (a down puffy hood inside a gortex hood has a habit of only pointing forward).
I try to avoid the over-velcroed "tactical douche" look but unfortunately tactical hats fit my needs more then most outdoorsy hats. My current solution is to pull off the front velcro and sew on a subtly humerous patch to offset the camouflage (BPRD, OCP, and Weyland-Yutani are my current top picks).

I decided I wanted:

-more then 50% nylon
-high breathability (mesh preferred but not required)
-appear to be a mostly normal baseball cap
-good adjustment system (NO plastic snap adjuster, non-velcro preferred)
-earth tones preferred, subtle camo allowed
-no velcro (or has to be easily removed)
-no top button (I'm tall and it hurts a LOT to hit my head on stuff with it there)
-low denier cordura is my first choice, followed by "supplex" style nylon, followed by softshell

My first real attempt at this was the Outdoor Research Swift cap.

http://www.backcountry.com/outdoor-research-swift-cap

Doesn't fit the "normal baseball hat" requirement, but nearly everything else was there. available in several earth tones, nice thin nylon fabric, big mesh panels, subtle logo and no velcro. Adjusts with thin webbing and the same cam-lock buckle you'd find on the OR gaiter. Great price to boot.

Unfortunately this hat just barely falls into the dreaded "diaper hat" fit category. If my hair is very short and I put it on just right it will stay, but otherwise it doesn't come down far enough to lock onto my head. Comes off very easily when adding or removing layers or even messing with a hood. Sad.

My second attempt was the Kuiu Icon Cap.

http://store.kuiu.com/icon-cap-p/70010.htm

Perfectly ticks the "normal baseball cap" box, no mesh but the thin fabric breaths exceptionally regardless. Reasonably subtle logo I don't mind wearing. Velcro adjustment, but I only have to mess with it about twice a year as my hair grows. The top button counts against it but otherwise my hopes were set quite high.

I will say the fabric and color is nearly perfect, and I still do wear this hat periodically, but it is also a borderline diaper hat that doesn't quite hug my head like it should. It has more or less replaced the OR cap though.

So what choices do I have now? Here is what I have found so far:

215 Gear Ultimate Blended Operator Hat:

http://215gearstore.com/ultimateblendedoperatorshat.aspx

Softshell with mesh, slightly off the norm with the side mesh but that doesn't bother me. Velcro would have to be removed and Multicam isn't my first choice but allowable. Velcro adjustment.

Black Palm Syndicate Softshell Cap:

http://www.tacticaldistributors.com/bps-soft-shell

This is probably my first choice at this point, made with Multicam Alpha fabric (91% nylon 9% spandex). No mesh but I like high nylon content softshells and I'm sure breathability is fine (and a pretty good DWR on top of it). There is a sterile version floating around but I'm not sure were, there is no top velcro so I would only have to remove the front. I've never owned a flex-fit hat before but I know the L/XL fits down around my head and really locks on, no diaper risk here.

My ONLY complaint (beyond lack of mesh) is that they oriented the multicam up/down rather then front/back. Nit-picky I know, but an odd choice on their part. Made in USA is always a plus.

Kuhl Renegade Hat

http://www.rei.com/product/830803/kuhl-renegade-hat#descriptionTab

Like the Swift cap this has a "dorky hiking hat" vibe to it. I'm not a huge fan of the seam lines (aesthetically, functionally it looks like a good design) but it does have the same fiber content as the BPS softshell cap in a solid color. I've tried on the similar "uberkuhl" cap (disqualified for low nylon content) and I think it is just on the acceptable side of diaper hat status, but I have been tricked before. I like Kuhls pants enough it wouldn't bug me to wear their tiny logo.

Mil-spec Monkey CG-hat Mesh RAW

http://milspecmonkey.com/store/head-gear/52-msm-cg-hat-mesh-raw.html

hard to find mesh flex-fit. Huge swatches of velcro count against it, and my assumption is that the fiber content doesn't pass muster (polycotton is my guess) but I need to email MSM to verify.

GORUCK Mesh Tac Hat

http://www.goruck.com/en/mesh-tac-hat#.U0hCXa1dU54

I don't really like GoRuck as a company but they are one of the few making a cordura ball cap. I'm pretty sure there was a limited run of different colors, the regularly stocked black is a deal-breaker. I'd prefer 500 denier but uncoated 1000 denier probably breaths just fine.

I will update if I find more options but I feel I've scoured the web pretty thoroughly.