Military 'woolly pully' sweaters

[Jon Crow]

Yes, the summer would be my problem with living in Madrid. I have thought about it as I have an EU passport (my father was Irish-born) and I do think about leaving the U.K. for a European city when I retire because of the diminishing quality of life and the scary rise of the far right. I just haven’t decided which city yet. …

Summer is awful in London: hot, humid, with the warmth clinging on at night. Yuck!

August is the hottest, we're thinking of retiring south, bay of Cadiz, it's like the Canaries, doesn't get too hot and winters are mild, like today its 11c but the rest of the week going up to 17c and snap, I moved here before Brexit, Irish parents so I had the passport for residency, far right brrr yeah my Son informs me about the news, my Wife she's a northern girl, Palentina from Palencia but she moved to Madrid as a teen, trained as a teacher but worked at The Polytechnic of Architecture Madrid for 32 years now

 

[Ticklishchap]

August is the hottest, we're thinking of retiring south, bay of Cadiz, it's like the Canaries, doesn't get too hot and winters are mild, like today its 11c but the rest of the week going up to 17c and snap, I moved here before Brexit, Irish parents so I had the passport for residency, far right brrr yeah my Son informs me about the news, my Wife she's a northern girl, Palentina from Palencia but she moved to Madrid as a teen, trained as a teacher but worked at The Polytechnic of Architecture Madrid for 32 years now

I think I would probably find that too mild for winter weather, unless those temperatures fell dramatically at night. I like to feel that there are four seasons. However I would consider San Sebastián, for example, or across the border in Porto.

Bartender Edit: please remember TFL house rules proscribe contemporary political discussion. Thank-you!

 

[Edward]

I moved back to NYC. We in the 20's today Also rethinking why I moved back East.

Ticklishchap and I are old friends. He should be able to give me a hall pass until my new jumper arrives.

Happy New Year everyone.

I'm clearly all out of time with this post... I blame being thoroughly institutionalised. Since September 1978, I've never existed in a world that isn't controlled by the academic year rather than the calendar; NYE for me is, effective, 31st August. Maybe why I initially rad this post and thought "blimey, the 20s? Bit warm for wool...". Then I remember you mean Farenheit! I never got to grips with the F (I was educated solely in Celsius), but I'm guessing the 20s F is very much on the cold side. My one and only visit to NYC to date was in Mid-February 2004. I recall the cold being fairly brutal, though much easier to cope with than extremes of heat. Ideal temperatures for a hefty wool sweater - enjoy it in this entry month to 2026!

Been a cold winter this year in Madrid, I've had my woolly on most of the time 100% lambswool submariner, next week down to -3c mornings View attachment 758994

Nice sweater. My limited experience of Spain was in the South (a few work trips to Mallorca about twenty years ago; for some years my parents also had a holiday place in a village about an hour from Alicante, which I saw when went to view with them when they were buying in late December 2005. It was twenty degrees Celsius then), but I think the climate in the North would be more suited to my constitution. Madrid and Barcelona are both places I want to see at some point.

Haha oh and the pup, he's a 76 kilos cross Bernese cross St Bernard but for a huge breeds the boys old now at 7 View attachment 758998

Lovely boy. That sort of big dog is what our Bertie sees in the mirror, I'm convinced. Except he's a jack russell chihuahua cross; I've known bigger cats. We should have called him Napoleon.

It’s good that you got to wear your WP. I am certainly wearing mine - I am still on the Black but will switch to Navy tomorrow. It is unusually cold here with very hard frosts, snow and icy winds - with beautiful clear blue skies.

Definitely the coldest Winter we've had in the East End for some years; I hear there's a chance of snow at the weekend. If it does come down, it'll be the first time we've had snow here for about a decade, I think. Took the dog out this morning, and it feels very similar out there to how it was in Beijing last month. Colder than the London norm, but much more manageable for all that due to it being dry.

I remember Silverman's 20 years ago, hell you could buy vintage British camo smocks reasonable priced back then, not so now, even Belgy post war smocks are through the roof now

They're still very much here - walking distance from my front door. One of the few surplus places that hasn't changed much. When I first started buying my own clothes something over thirty years ago, local surplus places were a big part of that. Most of my old surplus haunts, both in Belfast and around London, had by Covid times either disappeared or evolved into generic camping supplies places. Not sure why that trend happened, unless maybe various world militaries just got better at getting their order quantities right.... Silvermans had a tendency to be somewhat more expensive than other places for the same stuff, but equally they've always had a lot of stuff that can't be bought elsewhere, and they're not badly priced for new items. I'm actually giving serious thought to one of their in-house G1s for a niche custom patching project. I've looked at quite a few alternatives (including a nice Kay Canvas option from SoF), but they all seem to come up small in the sizing.

Silvermans is also one of the very few Schott stockists in London, though the retail price of those here is crazy now.

 

[Ticklishchap]

I'm clearly all out of time with this post... I blame being thoroughly institutionalised. Since September 1978, I've never existed in a world that isn't controlled by the academic year rather than the calendar; NYE for me is, effective, 31st August. Maybe why I initially rad this post and thought "blimey, the 20s? Bit warm for wool...". Then I remember you mean Farenheit! I never got to grips with the F (I was educated solely in Celsius), but I'm guessing the 20s F is very much on the cold side. My one and only visit to NYC to date was in Mid-February 2004. I recall the cold being fairly brutal, though much easier to cope with than extremes of heat. Ideal temperatures for a hefty wool sweater - enjoy it in this entry month to 2026!



Nice sweater. My limited experience of Spain was in the South (a few work trips to Mallorca about twenty years ago; for some years my parents also had a holiday place in a village about an hour from Alicante, which I saw when went to view with them when they were buying in late December 2005. It was twenty degrees Celsius then), but I think the climate in the North would be more suited to my constitution. Madrid and Barcelona are both places I want to see at some point.




Lovely boy. That sort of big dog is what our Bertie sees in the mirror, I'm convinced. Except he's a jack russell chihuahua cross; I've known bigger cats. We should have called him Napoleon.



Definitely the coldest Winter we've had in the East End for some years; I hear there's a chance of snow at the weekend. If it does come down, it'll be the first time we've had snow here for about a decade, I think. Took the dog out this morning, and it feels very similar out there to how it was in Beijing last month. Colder than the London norm, but much more manageable for all that due to it being dry.



They're still very much here - walking distance from my front door. One of the few surplus places that hasn't changed much. When I first started buying my own clothes something over thirty years ago, local surplus places were a big part of that. Most of my old surplus haunts, both in Belfast and around London, had by Covid times either disappeared or evolved into generic camping supplies places. Not sure why that trend happened, unless maybe various world militaries just got better at getting their order quantities right.... Silvermans had a tendency to be somewhat more expensive than other places for the same stuff, but equally they've always had a lot of stuff that can't be bought elsewhere, and they're not badly priced for new items. I'm actually giving serious thought to one of their in-house G1s for a niche custom patching project. I've looked at quite a few alternatives (including a nice Kay Canvas option from SoF), but they all seem to come up small in the sizing.

Silvermans is also one of the very few Schott stockists in London, though the retail price of those here is crazy now.

Edward, I’m quite surprised that you haven’t had any snow in the East End. Here in leafy Southwest London there has been snow on the ground for the past couple of weeks; sadly it has been swept away by the rain over the past couple of days. It wasn’t heavy snow but enough for a snowman to be built in the garden of our apartment block. There has also been a lot of frost and ice.

You mention Belfast, which was my late father’s home city - he came to London in the late 1950s. This is why I have an Irish passport, which is very useful post-Brex****.

I remember that in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s Army Surplus stores were part of our way of life. Thank goodness Silvermans is still going strong.

 

[RDS]

As well as Siverman’s there was also Laurence Corner on the Hampstead Road, not far from the Capital Radio studios in the Euston Road.
I also spent a fair amount of time in Flip in Covent Garden and even more time at the Flip Warehouse on Curtain Road out in the City.

 

[Jon Crow]

Edward, I’m quite surprised that you haven’t had any snow in the East End. Here in leafy Southwest London there has been snow on the ground for the past couple of weeks; sadly it has been swept away by the rain over the past couple of days. It wasn’t heavy snow but enough for a snowman to be built in the garden of our apartment block. There has also been a lot of frost and ice.

You mention Belfast, which was my late father’s home city - he came to London in the late 1950s. This is why I have an Irish passport, which is very useful post-Brex****.

I remember that in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s Army Surplus stores were part of our way of life. Thank goodness Silvermans is still going strong.

You Londoners must remember Angels the costume suppliers, when they had a sale in the 90s I bought a couple of para lids used in the eagle has landed, turned out to be real wartime bmb helmets, I bought a nice denison smock also

 

[Ticklishchap]

As well as Siverman’s there was also Laurence Corner on the Hampstead Road, not far from the Capital Radio studios in the Euston Road.
I also spent a fair amount of time in Flip in Covent Garden and even more time at the Flip Warehouse on Curtain Road out in the City.

I remember Laurence Corner well and was a customer there! There was also Victoria Camping & Surplus on Wilton Road, near Victoria Station, run by two very nice brothers called Howard and Mark.

 

[Ticklishchap]

You Londoners must remember Angels the costume suppliers, when they had a sale in the 90s I bought a couple of para lids used in the eagle has landed, turned out to be real wartime bmb helmets, I bought a nice denison smock also

Angels Costumes is still going strong.

 

[Jon Crow]

Angels Costumes is still going strong.

I wish they still did ex stock sales like the old days though

 

[Edward]

Edward, I’m quite surprised that you haven’t had any snow in the East End. Here in leafy Southwest London there has been snow on the ground for the past couple of weeks; sadly it has been swept away by the rain over the past couple of days. It wasn’t heavy snow but enough for a snowman to be built in the garden of our apartment block. There has also been a lot of frost and ice.

Yes, surprised us too. A light sprinkling for a few minutes earlier in the week which turned to rain almost immediately before it had a chance to lie has been the height of it. It was certainly cold enough on Tuesday, but its' gotten gradually warmer since. We've had a tiny amount of early morning frosts, but I think it's still too wet here for anything to lie, albeit the forecast a few days ago was predicting a snowy weekend.

Still, plenty cold enough for knitwear and a good coat, so I'll take that!

You mention Belfast, which was my late father’s home city - he came to London in the late 1950s. This is why I have an Irish passport, which is very useful post-Brex****.

I remember that in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s Army Surplus stores were part of our way of life. Thank goodness Silvermans is still going strong.

Yeah, I don't know what happened to it. I remember when my generation started to embrace it as a deliberate, and defiant, alternative to mainstream fashion. It used to mystify my own dad, for whose generation (who came of age in the sixties), it was a wardrobe option of last resort for people too poor to afford anything else, and for guys working on building sites who wanted clothes that didn't matter for a messy job. If that was the core of the business, then the arrival of really cheap fast fashion in more recent decades coupled with the rise of purpose-made clothing for construction sites (and more regulation of safety clothing in those sorts of environments) maybe was a big part of it. Those of us for whom is was an antifashion choice back in the day in Belfast were all metalheads, punks, or grunge kids (depending on age and style gateway), so I suppose subculture fashions moving on (and having greater access to online providers of genre-specific wardrobe options) played into it.

It's a real shame, though, whatever caused it. Even when I was put through the Duke of Edinburgh scheme (yet another of those things that middle class kids in my day were expected to do "because it'll be good for your university application".... on the other side of the table all these years later I know how laughable that all is now!), the army surplus places were where we'd go to buy all our clothing for the expeditions. combat trousers for the handy pockets, field jackets (I remember 'Nam era M65s selling for £20) and much else. My favourite score ever were (nearly a decade apart) two West German naval peacoats. Hefty, pure wool shells, with the body lined in a second layer of the same wool. Never had anything like them before or since. The first was £20 in 1990, the second £50 in about 1998. I dearly wish I could get one of those in my size now... they turn up very rarely online, usually about £150, and never in the size I'd need these days.

By this point, SoF is my favourite for the repro stuff, with the very occasional foray into WPG for the odd bit you can't get at SoF. If only they'd offer an unfinished, longer length to the trousers (and ideally do them in a range of colours, ha....), I'd buy a lot more there. Allowing for working around the obvious colour range limitations, they can be a much more affordable source for a period-cut trouser that can be worked into a convincingly civilian look than most any other option.

As well as Siverman’s there was also Laurence Corner on the Hampstead Road, not far from the Capital Radio studios in the Euston Road.
I also spent a fair amount of time in Flip in Covent Garden and even more time at the Flip Warehouse on Curtain Road out in the City.

I well remember Laurence Corner. I wish it was still there now. Service Dress trousers that would look great with tweeds for about £20 a pop, as-new. The old Danish Civil Defence greys that just looked like civilian flannels.... boy, I wish I'd stockpiled a bunch of those now... they were everywhere for a tenner or so for years, but now seem to be totally gone.

Angels Costumes is still going strong.

Indeed. The last thing I bought from them was a wig... They used to do really nice, casual (by 40s standards at least) pull-over/half button spearpointg collar shirts on their "Wardrobed supplies" site. Had one of those at a time and loved it, I wish I could find more now. Need to check in the store if they still do them - the separate wardrobe supplies website closed down some time back.

 

[Jon Crow]

Yes, surprised us too. A light sprinkling for a few minutes earlier in the week which turned to rain almost immediately before it had a chance to lie has been the height of it. It was certainly cold enough on Tuesday, but its' gotten gradually warmer since. We've had a tiny amount of early morning frosts, but I think it's still too wet here for anything to lie, albeit the forecast a few days ago was predicting a snowy weekend.

Still, plenty cold enough for knitwear and a good coat, so I'll take that!



Yeah, I don't know what happened to it. I remember when my generation started to embrace it as a deliberate, and defiant, alternative to mainstream fashion. It used to mystify my own dad, for whose generation (who came of age in the sixties), it was a wardrobe option of last resort for people too poor to afford anything else, and for guys working on building sites who wanted clothes that didn't matter for a messy job. If that was the core of the business, then the arrival of really cheap fast fashion in more recent decades coupled with the rise of purpose-made clothing for construction sites (and more regulation of safety clothing in those sorts of environments) maybe was a big part of it. Those of us for whom is was an antifashion choice back in the day in Belfast were all metalheads, punks, or grunge kids (depending on age and style gateway), so I suppose subculture fashions moving on (and having greater access to online providers of genre-specific wardrobe options) played into it.

It's a real shame, though, whatever caused it. Even when I was put through the Duke of Edinburgh scheme (yet another of those things that middle class kids in my day were expected to do "because it'll be good for your university application".... on the other side of the table all these years later I know how laughable that all is now!), the army surplus places were where we'd go to buy all our clothing for the expeditions. combat trousers for the handy pockets, field jackets (I remember 'Nam era M65s selling for £20) and much else. My favourite score ever were (nearly a decade apart) two West German naval peacoats. Hefty, pure wool shells, with the body lined in a second layer of the same wool. Never had anything like them before or since. The first was £20 in 1990, the second £50 in about 1998. I dearly wish I could get one of those in my size now... they turn up very rarely online, usually about £150, and never in the size I'd need these days.

By this point, SoF is my favourite for the repro stuff, with the very occasional foray into WPG for the odd bit you can't get at SoF. If only they'd offer an unfinished, longer length to the trousers (and ideally do them in a range of colours, ha....), I'd buy a lot more there. Allowing for working around the obvious colour range limitations, they can be a much more affordable source for a period-cut trouser that can be worked into a convincingly civilian look than most any other option.




I well remember Laurence Corner. I wish it was still there now. Service Dress trousers that would look great with tweeds for about £20 a pop, as-new. The old Danish Civil Defence greys that just looked like civilian flannels.... boy, I wish I'd stockpiled a bunch of those now... they were everywhere for a tenner or so for years, but now seem to be totally gone.



Indeed. The last thing I bought from them was a wig... They used to do really nice, casual (by 40s standards at least) pull-over/half button spearpointg collar shirts on their "Wardrobed supplies" site. Had one of those at a time and loved it, I wish I could find more now. Need to check in the store if they still do them - the separate wardrobe supplies website closed down some time back.

Edward quite recently they were offering those shirts as I got a reply for mailing list, as for surplus, you ever remember those nice west German grey leather flight jackets, orange lining, grey knits and a small German flag on the shoulder, they were low priced back then, now they're silly prices if you can find one, same with the olive green German Army utility shirts, china even copies them now haha up north also we had decent military surplus shops, or you could order in exchange and mart, there's a blast from the past haha

 

[Jon Crow]

Yes, surprised us too. A light sprinkling for a few minutes earlier in the week which turned to rain almost immediately before it had a chance to lie has been the height of it. It was certainly cold enough on Tuesday, but its' gotten gradually warmer since. We've had a tiny amount of early morning frosts, but I think it's still too wet here for anything to lie, albeit the forecast a few days ago was predicting a snowy weekend.

Still, plenty cold enough for knitwear and a good coat, so I'll take that!



Yeah, I don't know what happened to it. I remember when my generation started to embrace it as a deliberate, and defiant, alternative to mainstream fashion. It used to mystify my own dad, for whose generation (who came of age in the sixties), it was a wardrobe option of last resort for people too poor to afford anything else, and for guys working on building sites who wanted clothes that didn't matter for a messy job. If that was the core of the business, then the arrival of really cheap fast fashion in more recent decades coupled with the rise of purpose-made clothing for construction sites (and more regulation of safety clothing in those sorts of environments) maybe was a big part of it. Those of us for whom is was an antifashion choice back in the day in Belfast were all metalheads, punks, or grunge kids (depending on age and style gateway), so I suppose subculture fashions moving on (and having greater access to online providers of genre-specific wardrobe options) played into it.

It's a real shame, though, whatever caused it. Even when I was put through the Duke of Edinburgh scheme (yet another of those things that middle class kids in my day were expected to do "because it'll be good for your university application".... on the other side of the table all these years later I know how laughable that all is now!), the army surplus places were where we'd go to buy all our clothing for the expeditions. combat trousers for the handy pockets, field jackets (I remember 'Nam era M65s selling for £20) and much else. My favourite score ever were (nearly a decade apart) two West German naval peacoats. Hefty, pure wool shells, with the body lined in a second layer of the same wool. Never had anything like them before or since. The first was £20 in 1990, the second £50 in about 1998. I dearly wish I could get one of those in my size now... they turn up very rarely online, usually about £150, and never in the size I'd need these days.

By this point, SoF is my favourite for the repro stuff, with the very occasional foray into WPG for the odd bit you can't get at SoF. If only they'd offer an unfinished, longer length to the trousers (and ideally do them in a range of colours, ha....), I'd buy a lot more there. Allowing for working around the obvious colour range limitations, they can be a much more affordable source for a period-cut trouser that can be worked into a convincingly civilian look than most any other option.




I well remember Laurence Corner. I wish it was still there now. Service Dress trousers that would look great with tweeds for about £20 a pop, as-new. The old Danish Civil Defence greys that just looked like civilian flannels.... boy, I wish I'd stockpiled a bunch of those now... they were everywhere for a tenner or so for years, but now seem to be totally gone.



Indeed. The last thing I bought from them was a wig... They used to do really nice, casual (by 40s standards at least) pull-over/half button spearpointg collar shirts on their "Wardrobed supplies" site. Had one of those at a time and loved it, I wish I could find more now. Need to check in the store if they still do them - the separate wardrobe supplies website closed down some time back.

Talking of London Edward, I've got one of the first ASOS Chelsea, wool boating blazers, black with white stripes from the year 2000, get a few compliments in that here, nice flat brass buttons also

 

[RDS]

I used to pass Angels on an almost daily basis when they were based on Shaftesbury Avenue/Cambridge Circus.

Also, I think it was from the Flip warehouse where I picked up a set of German tank overalls.
Like most army surplus clothing these came with the obligatory stitched repairs and had elasticated cuffs, waist and leg bottoms.
Coupling the overalls with a pair of white baseball boots I think I was try to channel Sting in his early days with The Police, although I did draw the line at bleaching my hair.

 

[Jon Crow]

I used to pass Angels on an almost daily basis when they were based on Shaftesbury Avenue/Cambridge Circus.

Also, I think it was from the Flip warehouse where I picked up a set of German tank overalls.
Like most army surplus clothing these came with the obligatory stitched repairs and had elasticated cuffs, waist and leg bottoms.
Coupling the overalls with a pair of white baseball boots I think I was try to channel Sting in his early days with The Police, although I did draw the line at bleaching my hair.

I'm not surprised, Angels supplied a lot of war movies, back even in 60s and 70s there was still a lot of original ww2 uniform around as well that studio wardrobe departments utilised, sadly to some collectors, they blame said wardrobe supplies for destroying a lot, after all they were filmed sets not museum curators, we know better now obviously, at the end of ww2, a lot of axis prisoners were given civilian clothing to be repatriated and the uniform left with allied commissioners for destroy or use

 

[Edward]

Edward quite recently they were offering those shirts as I got a reply for mailing list, as for surplus, you ever remember those nice west German grey leather flight jackets, orange lining, grey knits and a small German flag on the shoulder, they were low priced back then, now they're silly prices if you can find one, same with the olive green German Army utility shirts, china even copies them now haha up north also we had decent military surplus shops, or you could order in exchange and mart, there's a blast from the past haha

I think I still have four of those shirts somewhere, though as I got the first when I was fifteen.... (it even still has a couple of pulls on the sleeve made by a dearly-missed cat who went to kitty heaven in 1993...) I doubt they'd fit now. I do remember those eighties Luftwaffe jackets, yes: Rothco are now reproducing those, which is quite something. Never occurred t me there'd be that demand, but there we are. I suppose it's all part of the Eighties revival...

Must check in with Angels about those shirts. THe one I had was fantastic until it, eh.... shrunk in the wardrobed somehow.

 

[Jon Crow]

I think I still have four of those shirts somewhere, though as I got the first when I was fifteen.... (it even still has a couple of pulls on the sleeve made by a dearly-missed cat who went to kitty heaven in 1993...) I doubt they'd fit now. I do remember those eighties Luftwaffe jackets, yes: Rothco are now reproducing those, which is quite something. Never occurred t me there'd be that demand, but there we are. I suppose it's all part of the Eighties revival...

Must check in with Angels about those shirts. THe one I had was fantastic until it, eh.... shrunk in the wardrobed somehow.

Yeah I heard something about Rothco, as for shrinkage, those pesky wardrobe fairies eh

 

[Edward]

I used to pass Angels on an almost daily basis when they were based on Shaftesbury Avenue/Cambridge Circus.

Also, I think it was from the Flip warehouse where I picked up a set of German tank overalls.
Like most army surplus clothing these came with the obligatory stitched repairs and had elasticated cuffs, waist and leg bottoms.
Coupling the overalls with a pair of white baseball boots I think I was try to channel Sting in his early days with The Police, although I did draw the line at bleaching my hair.

Where did they move to? That's where I remember them being. A lot of places I remember being in town gradually moved out... my favourite guitar shop was in Leytonstone til it moved somewhere in Es*** where it wasn't practical for me to get, with not running a car. A few years later they went online only and then disappeared, I think the owner retired.

Had a set of those overralls about twenty years ago; deflagged and rebadged they serves as a Ghostbuster uniform one Halloween. No idea where they went. Thinking of trying a WW2 era US HBT equivalent as a warm weather round the house onesie when Summer comes up again. Actually been tempted, if I think I can build the nerve, to wear one of those flying in an attempt to make life easier at the security checkpoint...

 

[RDS]

I may well be mistaken, however I believe a few years ago Angel’s moved the theatrical costumier side of the business to a large warehouse somewhere in N.London.
The Shaftesbury Ave. shop then became just fancy dress but don’t know if it’s still there.

 

[Jon Crow]

I may well be mistaken, however I believe a few years ago Angel’s moved the theatrical costumier side of the business to a large warehouse somewhere in N.London.
The Shaftesbury Ave. shop then became just fancy dress but don’t know if it’s still there.

I heard about that warehouse, I saw photos and there was a documentary the history and productions they'd served

 

[Peacoat]

I'm afraid our WP season is coming to a close here in Middle Tennessee. For the past couple of weeks we have had mild weather–mild for this time of year.

I may get another few days of wear out of them, then back to the cedar chest until next season.