Whilst not being any kind of beardy workwear East End type (and in fact in spite of that) I have always had a soft spot for classic American functional clothing. Back in the day it was LL Bean’s catalogue that was prized and poured over just as much as Brooks Brothers or any other obscure US mail order companies (who remembers Lawson Hill?).
As proud owner of a 1960s Golden Bear suede Bean field jacket, various Bean camp mocs and early 60s cursive script Cord hunting jacket amongst other things, I appreciate that sometimes one wants a thick flannel workshirt or perhaps Bean boots in the snow. Like the estimable HTJ, I also love trawling old catalogues – these days made easier by trawling the web also.
I recently came across this for Corcoran maker of various boots that can be found on trad sites like US Wings, but in 1959 still incorporating some really nice items. The photos are from an online seller so I tried to straighten the images a little so they can be read.
I particularly like the Cordovan Oxford (sic – it’s a blucher) and I know Herb Lester will enjoy the British Walker – here it’s a nice shawl collar coat not a hip hop shoe – and the Corcoran Stag Shoe, a deerskin perennial made by many a manufacturer back then and with a similar profile to a Paraboot Micheal.
Personally, I might draw the line at the ‘safety pants’ or the ‘frigidwear undersuit’, but perhaps it’s because I don’t smoke a pipe whilst dancing a jig with my shotgun.
tt
Corcoran’s catalogue looks great. I feel my continuing attraction to workwear is that of all clothes they really are time-less classics of “form following function”. L.L.Bean – 100 years of trading! With workwear companies such as Carrhart, Filson, Woolrich et al trading internationally Tennessee’s Pointer Brand remain essentially U.S. I have a couple of their duck and denim “Chore Coats” – a real steal at $55.00! However, I have spotted Pointer Brand jackets in a hip new workwear place in N.Y.’s Soho, so it can only be a matter of time for the East End Beardy Brigade……