Sketches from the Front line 1943 number 4.

Sketches from the Front line 1943 number 3

Some members have of course been preparing themselves for the 'after struggle' for sometime.

Post War occupation.....you have nothing to fear girls the concert piano awaits you.

Sketches from the Front line 1943 number 2.

Difficulty in sending and recieving messages in the Signal Corp.

Sketches from the Front line 1943

Home for Xmas

The Papa Sale is On Now!

Ok fans here we go. Im posting my goodies all of which I purchased whilst living in Tokyo 1996-2000, Many now are quite collectible and so Ive asked a very fair price for them I believe. As this is not an auction I guess its first in best dressed so the first email I recieve requesting the item wins that garment. As far as shipping goes its impossible to be exact so I'll charge a flat $25 and send to anywhere in the world using airmail unless you specify otherwise. My email is rocket_ace47@hotmail.com and so is my PAYPAL account. All prices are in US dollars.

Item 1. SOLD
Skull Jeans Yellow Sweat shirt size 40" Great cotton sweat, vintage box shape with wide ribbing very clean and hardly worn bought in Daikanyama at their store.
Price $50.



Item 2. SOLD
Barns Japan White sweatshirt with USMC AVIATION spray print, size marked as 40"-42", square boxy shape, a little grimey at collar but in good condition.
Price $30.




Item 3. SOLD
Allen & Hanson workshirt in unbrushed flannel twill. A fabulous re-make of a Big Yank style workshirt. This was bought from the Emporium which is a bizarre little store in the back streets of Harajuku behind Meji Dori and Otamosando. Allen & Hanson from what I can understand is a collaboration label between Evis and Take five and Emporium in a way that only the Japanese can really appreciate. The Papa was just confused but bought the shirt anyway. Size is marked 40" and condition is excellent with cool detailing.
Price $75





Item 4. SOLD

Real McCoys 8Hour Union sanforized chambray workshirt. Fantastic original McCoys shirt in vintage grained chambray super tight weave with a snappy character, condition is excellent. Styling is similar to a WWII USN shirt. Triple stitched felled seams, side gussets, Navy plastic buttons. Size marked Large 16.
Price $100.






Item 5. SOLD

My favourite Real McCoys 8Hour Union chambray workshirt. This ones a beauty! Cotton and linen chambray mix which creates a very textured appeal with a distinctly vintage appeal, very 1930's effect. Great pocket details, twin stitched felled seams, side gussets, union made tag etc. This shirt shows why the McCoys at this time was the absolute best. Tagged a size 16-16 1/2.
Price $120.







Item 6.

Original 1940's super tight weave fine poplin,'Aerocrat' shirt. Military-esque design with epaluetes and anchor buttons. At one time appears to have had 'change' buttons. Beautiful qualtity with the finest stitching Ive ever seen, amazing manufacture that makes you realise the state of the art in those times. Dark navy blue this poplin has plenty of Pop! Size unmarked but will fit a 40"
Price $60.






Item 7. SOLD

Cushman of Japan Boiled wool sweater. Magnificent navy military sweater in a heavy wool styled after a vintage 1940's althetic sweatshirt with sweeping gusset insert and wide bask. Yellow/Gold felt sewn on lettering of a Military Signals Unit. Essential for the uncoming winter, Buy it Now!! Condition is excellent with only minor pilling. Size unmarked but 40"-42" sizing.
Price $110.





Item 8.

68 & Brothers New York City. Purchased this great WWII US Army pull over workshirt from Backdrop in Shibuya back in the day when 68 were getting established. Strange that so many people think this is all new but the truth is these brands have been at it a very long time. This shirt is perfect for doing KP duty in style, think Montgomery Cliff in 'From Here To Eternity'. Cotton linen mix with a slub texture. Size Medium to fit a 40" chest, condition is excellent rarely worn.
Price $70.





Item 9.

Real McCoys 8Hour Union canvas engineers railman pants. Heavy duck canvas work pants styled after vintage Carhartt I believe. Super rugged and tough and a great look with double knees, worn a little shorter with loggers boots these are perfect for traversing the urban forest. Size 34" waist, inleg is 27". Washed up with a nice patina, condition is excellent barr one broken stitching at pocket corner.
Price $90.






Item 10.

Real McCoys Military Division, HBT WWII US Army pants. Nice item I bought from the original McCoys store in Daikanyama. Waist is a size 36" and inleg is a shorter 23 1/2". These are a true vintage fit with a very deep rise and wider legs. I used to wear these in winter so I could tuck in a sweater and then wear a navy wool work jacket over the top, A-1 Mechanics beanie and my loggers boots. Wearing them short was a styling tip I got from a 20's photo taken up in Washington State where the lumberman had his pants half way up his 12" calked boots
Price $70.

Laurels for Lofgren

We take it for granted that the Japanese are the only ones out there doing great reproductions however this is not always the case. Of late there's been some great additions to the market place by companies around the world including Rising Sun Jeans in Pasadena and even Pike Brothers in Germany but for me hats off goes to John Lofgren of Lofgren Traditional Garments in Sendai Japan. For a Gaijin to make any impact in the zenophobic closed shop that is Japan is amazing, to take on the Japanese at their own game is even more courageous. For me my money is on Johnny-boy! The stuff that he has started to produce is really great and certainly worthy of wardrobe space in our closets, what's even better is through his store the Speedway Shop you can purchase online and he will send it across the globe. In admiration of his achievements I wrote a little spiel about his gig. Enjoy and thank you, The Papa.

A California native and long time resident of Japan, John Lofgren is the creative force behind Lofgren Traditional Garments.
John’s vision for a brand began when he first ventured into a thrift store in the early 1980’s and sensed a deep connection with the style and quality of another time, a time when substance and tradition were considered important and pride was taken in craftsmanship and excellence.
The Lofgren brand embodies these values, timeless, traditional and superior, like an old pair of blue jeans. It’s about garments designed for a customer who understands the difference between fashion and eternal style, who recognises the graceful fading of indigo or the gentle patina of time on an old leather jacket. It’s a brand that connects the customer to an exclusive circle between the designer, textile maker and craftsman and allows for a rugged individualism in the wearing of the product.
Drawing inspiration from 19th to mid 20th century American style and an archive of original vintage items, Lofgren Traditional Garments handcraft their classic and enduring products in Japan using artisans to construct a collection that has a sense of history underpinned by the highest level of quality in manufacture and materials.

Funding the Julian Boots. A Papa Sale?

Friends of the Papa, your ear for a moment if I may.
In thinking of ways to fund a pair of custom Julian loggers boots I was wondering is it worth posting a bunch of my stuff here for you to view and perhaps buy or should I go to ebay? I have a bunch of early McCoys shirts from the mid 90's, all their catalogs dating back to before their bound volumes, A Buzz Rickson nylon L2b in olive drab with a Bell experimental patch, McCoys duck work pants and an assortment of other vintage goodies. Im just time poor at present and the listing process on ebay is such a drag.

40's Aviator sunglasses.

My 1940's aviators really set off the USN herringbone cap I had made whilst away in the Indian Ocean. Im thinking these are perhaps American Optics 18K G/F, a little more interesting than your straight up Ray Bans eh?

Lace to Toe Julian Smoke Jumpers.

These Julian handmade boots would have to be one of the most magnificent things Ive seen in a long long while. I know they're bound to cost a fortune but Im thinking I've just got to have a pair. Does anyone know his contact details? Through Rising Sun Jeans perhaps?

Teenage Ingenuity.

Despite my pleas my son went ahead and got his first ink. Although I wish he hadn't I was also secretly pleased that he at least chose a Sailor Jerry flash. In his efforts to be able to wear shoes without rubbing, Chip came up with this solution, "Van-e-drilles" I suggested, "no Vans Homme" he counted.