Film Noir Buff Style Forum / The American Sport Shirt

AFS · 2022-06-01 15:00:17

Truly, I've never been a hundred per cent certain what defines it or when it originated. The 1940s perhaps? I often read about them in a jazz connection (quite likely bebop). Were they made of rayon? Rayon and cotton? Poly/cotton? All cotton? Were they mostly short-sleeved? Are Arrow Cum Laude to be classified as a 'sport shirt'? Were they the original form of leisure wear? Did they make the leap from the States to the UK and elsewhere? Were they often in lurid colours? Would, say, Campus have done a version?

Last edited by AFS (2022-06-01 15:01:23)

AFS · 2022-06-01 15:02:11

Could/would Madras qualify?

AFS · 2022-06-02 08:17:10

Fifty two viewings. I guess it must be a pretty unoriginal post. Yet I remain curious. A quick search on Ebay for a 'sport shirt' reveals, well, polo shirts (by any other name) or something quite unlike what I'm referring to.

woofboxer · 2022-06-02 09:22:45

Most old sports clothing within the Ivy orbit seems to be more suitable for watching sport than participating in it. Something like an Arrow shirt with a check that is reasonably prominent, without going into full-on lumberjack territory, looks great under a cord or tweed jacket. The requisite dash of informality.

AFS · 2022-06-02 09:27:01

^ Yes. Good post. Thanks, Woof. Watching rather than participating. Indeed.
Did Arrow make some of their shirts in cotton? I only remember poly/cotton.

woofboxer · 2022-06-02 09:41:15

Pretty much all poly mix I reckon, certainly the one in my drawer is. Brooks also did some good sport shirts, I have a blue mini check one I got from Chris Hardy that I make a point of wearing once or twice a year. They also look good under a crew neck or Shetland on those days when you want that look, but an Oxford cloth shirt is going to make you too hot.

oxford cloth button down · 2022-06-02 10:10:17

While they tend to come in more patterns that non-sport shirts I always thought the defining characteristic was that they are alpha sized as opposed to offering neck/sleeve sizing. I am not sure why this is, but my thought is that it cuts down on the cost to the manufacturer so they can sell them for less.

AFS · 2022-06-03 00:43:19

I'd always thought of them as a kind of Boom Years, mass market thing. I guess they're what a good many jazz players are photographed wearing. There is a shot of Charles Mingus in one of Nat Hentoff's books looking particularly cool. A pity it's in black and white.
Arrow shirts often used to turn up at 'Wild' around 2007/2008, in colours like mustard. They gave every appearance of being a cheap shirt. Were they the kind of thing sold by Lou Austin in the early 60s, though? They'd have fetched high prices then, I guess.
Modern Arrow seem to be uninteresting to say the least of it.

AFS · 2022-06-03 00:56:25

Acrylic and wool in at least one case; precious few USA-made - more often places like Bangladesh.
I have a nice piece of advertising - for Arrow White Shirts - hung on my landing.

colin · 2022-06-03 02:20:07

I have a red arrow shirt, boom years, 100% cotton. Red's not the easiest colour to wear, but that's prompted me to wear it again...

AFS · 2022-06-03 05:19:27

I think, at this time of year, on a warm or hot day, red can work with denim (if bearable), chinos or linen. A Boom Years Arrow shirt, made of cotton, should certainly be cherished. I'm pretty certain most of those I bought were poly/cotton and with modest - non-button-down - collars. I wonder if Uncle Ian, Stax, Robbie and others were onto them. I did buy an inexpensive Arrow Cum Laude on Ebay recently but it turned out to be just an impulse buy and I ended up not wearing it. Sage green, poly/cotton, short sleeves. It went to a charity shop. In fact, many of my non-Makers shirts are currently falling by the wayside.

RobbieB · 2022-06-06 02:45:51

Don't know if it would qualify as an American sports shirt but I've just spotted an aquascutum shirt for sale in TKMaxx. (I'm killing time on way to airport). £30 originally £120. Sounds good? No, it's got a wacking great letter A as a logo. Ha

#1 2022-06-01 15:00:17

The American Sport Shirt

#2 2022-06-01 15:02:11

Re: The American Sport Shirt

#3 2022-06-02 08:17:10

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#4 2022-06-02 09:22:45

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#5 2022-06-02 09:27:01

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#6 2022-06-02 09:41:15

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#7 2022-06-02 10:10:17

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#8 2022-06-03 00:43:19

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#9 2022-06-03 00:56:25

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#10 2022-06-03 02:20:07

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#11 2022-06-03 05:19:27

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#12 2022-06-06 02:45:51

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