I think the chore jacket has a long way to go before it achieves Harrington status.

It’s only comparatively recently come into fashion. And seems to be fading in popularity already? In a wider sense than Ivy fans?

Whether it lasts the distance as a cult item or goes the same way as snow wash denim remains to be seen.

I don't know if they're as adaptable or flexible as a harrington.

I had one years ago (which means I've still got one somewhere), before they were 'chore' and still called a bleu de travail. For me they didn't work with a shirt. Especially a button down. With a striped Tee I felt I was missing a beret and a string of onions. Looked okay with a chunky roll or crew neck. But being practical, why wear heavy knitwear with a light cotton jacket?

I have no recollection of seeing any Harringtons in tan or navy back then, which is ironic seeing as those colours are by far superior to black or red. Black Harringtons were ridiculously popular as I recall (around 1981), and a few years later no one would be seen dead in one.

Which possibly brings us back to the original point?

Like them or not, harrington jackets are pretty much ingrained on both sides of the pond, and around the world, to a lot of different people with many different reference points.

The chore, or bleu de travail, has been around longer but only recently had its moment in the sun. I'm not sure if they're something people will repurchase once they're bored of the one they've got. I was possibly unfair comparing them to snow wash denim, maybe more in line with a letterman jacket? Always been around but very few people have owned more than one, if at all.

Last edited by Spendthrift (2022-02-14 05:16:17)

I had an olive G9 from the Ivy Shop, served by John Lally, Autumn 1968, 2nd item purchased from there, I did initially buy a black one, went outside and (I think), there was an olive one in the window, went back in and exchanged it, good decision for a 15 yr old,

I'm relieved that Yuca has no knowledge of the chore jacket.
He and I often bicker but I respect his position as an Ivy purist.

"I think both Baracuta and Gant did a version."
Actually the ones sold in the Squire Shop - and presumably the Ivy Shop too - were very decent copies by a brand called "Skyjump", who in the 70s morphed into "Ulysses" I believe, and put out some pretty cheap and nasty clobber!

'I had an olive G9 from the Ivy Shop, served by John Lally, Autumn 1968, 2nd item purchased from there, I did initially buy a black one, went outside and (I think), there was an olive one in the window, went back in and exchanged it, good decision for a 15 yr old,'

A black Harrington, even of decent quality, aligns you with all sorts of uninspiring mod/skin and wannabe mod/skin types. Even in 1968 that was the case, I suspect. Well, if black looked good then I wouldn't care too much about who else wears it - but for me it doesn't. Olive, however, is far classier. Not only is it a lot nicer looking but it's far more exclusive (i.e. less popular). I bet a lot of people wouldn't even recognise one as a Harrington.

I think tan/stone is the original or at least that's what the Harrington character wore on Peyton Place and what Jeff Dexter and/or Mickey Tenner wore with Levis on RSG whilst demonstrating the block. It's probably my favourite, although it only seems to work with jeans. Navy with chinos is a classic too.

Last edited by Yuca (2022-02-14 07:01:33)

Definitely my dark navy is the most versatile. Darker than any shade of jean so goes well with those and khakis.

I'd definitely pick up an olive if I chanced accross a decent one.

I regret passing on a couple of MIE Harris Baracutas in TKMaxx a decade or so ago. Can't remember if they were G9 or G4. No idea why I did that as I remember them being around £40

I bought a Harrington from JS when he was in Russell St about 20 years ago, it's made by Field & Stream and it's a pretty good copy of the Baracuta G9, even down to the lining.
A good friend of mine who I played football with and who's about 6 or 7 years older than me, was an old Squire Shop/Ivy Shop customer, he had two really nice Harrington's made by an Italian company called Ivy Oxford, one in Navy, the other Burgundy.

The Ivy shop and the Squire shop were selling Baracuta Harringtons in 69/70. A bloke I knew had a rare chocolate brown one from the Ivy shop and I had a bottle green one from the Squire shop. The olive one that Stax had was one of the coolest but a mate of mine had a lime green one that was considered tasty at the time. In my gang we all got different colours but no one I knew got a black one.
I bought a off white one from JS about 35 years ago which I still have

'Field And Stream'.  Interesting.  Their shirts (there are a couple on Ebay) look like the kind of things I might buy if labelled 'Made In The USA'.  These are - one Cambodia, the other China.

I think this Field & Stream G9 is made in China, but it's pretty good.