Vintage Banana Republic safari jackets

[drjones]

BR stuff

A friend worked at a BR in the 80's. He bought up everything he could in his size when there was a closeout (combined with his emplyee discount). He just gave me a large duffle filled with old BR stuff, much of it still tagged, to sell on Ebay. Haven't looked inside it yet.

Sell it here instead. There is obviously a market.

DRJONES

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Banana Republic was never a real safari outfitter. It was never what Abercrombie & Fitch was. It was a retailer of khakis and cool jackets that got lucky when "Raiders..." made the look popular. They did have outstanding catalogues and some items. The photojournalist vest was a classic.

This apocryphal story that BR was somehow a real outfitter must end.

 

[1911 Man]

Cabels on the other hand really does make quality outdoor gear. I live very close to one, and love to take my kids there just for fun. I loved the old safari themed BR, but noticed years ago a huge change. I didn't know they were bought out until now, explains a lot.

 

[cookie]

SFO

I have about a dozen of these I've kept since receiving them in the mail when the store was original. It sucks now; a rehash of the Gap. The catalogs are 6" x 8" and have hand drawn pictures of the clothing and accessories with over the top descriptions. Basically they're done like a journal with color art work. I do remember for sure seeing one of the original stores in 1993 at Union Station in St. Louis. It had a old jeep cut in half and fitted back together on either side of the glass window at the front of the store and a jungle setting. Each store was unique in its decor. Another had the front of an old plane coming out of the wall.

The one downstairs in San Fran had a similar setting as did the one in DelAmo Mall in LAX if I remember right back to those days...1980s

 

[Tommydean]

I to like Cabels, they have clothes that fit and look good.
its a shame whats going on there. i have extended family in Sidney Ne and the talk is not good right now. i was told that the store that was planned
for Denver will be canceled along with five or so other stores that were planned as well some will be scaled back. i just hope everything gets worked out at Cabels. i have alot of good times spent with my wife going there on shoping trips and visiting family.
Tom

 

[Highlander]

First off, I recall when Abercrombie did have a store on the PLAZA in Kansas City, and it truly was an "OUTFITTER" store, and had the safari jackets, the cool loden green shooting jackets and all ...

I have one of the Banana Republic Photojournaist Vests, bought it 20-25 years ago or so... A true piece of great workmanship.

 

[nobodyspecial]

I have about a dozen of these I've kept since receiving them in the mail when the store was original. It sucks now; a rehash of the Gap. The catalogs are 6" x 8" and have hand drawn pictures of the clothing and accessories with over the top descriptions. Basically they're done like a journal with color art work. I do remember for sure seeing one of the original stores in 1993 at Union Station in St. Louis. It had a old jeep cut in half and fitted back together on either side of the glass window at the front of the store and a jungle setting. Each store was unique in its decor. Another had the front of an old plane coming out of the wall.

The first time I heard of Banana Republic was when I was in St. Louis and stumbled into this very store, must have been around 1985. I thought the place was really cool with the decor, the clothes, the music. I still have a couple of pieces I bought there, although the jungle pants are literally falling apart from use. It took a long time until Banana Republic opened a store in Minneapolis, but it was not long from the time the store opened until the GAP bought them out and the store completely changed.

I have an Abercrombie catalog from the 1950's and it's full of outdoor clothing and camping gear.

 

[AlanC]

I came across this BR safari jacket today. It's great. Just the sort of thing I've been wanting. And in reference to an earlier post in this thread, mine specifically says do not dry clean.

 

[rangerset]

1986 Banana Republic Ventile Safari Jacket, size42-44 Khaki

I am interested in purchasing one of these jackets. If anyone has one for sale or knows where to look for one, I would appreciate any referral information. Adventure and corporate photography are my strong suits. Photography is both a profession and a passion. Performance photogrpahy: musicians, theatre, opera, dance also part of my skill set.

 

[pipvh]

There's one on Ebay right now in the US. Just do a search for ventile.

 

[Silver Dollar]

I've been trying to find one of these for years. I had one with short sleeves that I fixed up to look exactly like an AVG bush jacket. I even had a really good set of repro Chinese pilot's wings on it. Now, I can't find a decent jacket.

 

[Richard Warren]

I bought a jacket like AlanC's in 1987 in L.A. I wore it a lot but most of the use it got was as a blanket for my daughter after she was born in 1989. Until she was about 10 wherever we went she would somehow end up wrapped up in that jacket.

About a month ago I told my wife its the only thing we lost in Hurricane Katrina I really regret not having anymore (which in the big picture means we were pretty lucky).

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I agree with the guy who said that Banana Republic wasn't REALLY an outfitter, just a store that got lucky when Raiders came out. I agree, but what happened to BR was bad. They sold comfortable clothing.

What happened to Abercrombie and Fitch was an absolute TRADEGY. A&F really was an outfitter who sold safari clothing, camping equipment, and even rifles in their stores. If memory serves, they were Teddy Roosevelt's outfitter for his post-Presidential African Safari.

Later

 

[DBLIII]

Lots of memories from this thread. In about 1988, I lost my job at the railroad and my sister suggested I move to Missouri and get a college degree at MU in Columbia. All I owned was dirty work clothes. So, with a big credit card, I went to some mall in eastern Pennsylvania (King of Prussia, maybe). There was a Banana Republic store there, everything marked down as they said the store was "changing" or something. I walked out of there with a ton of stuff. Over the years, some has gotten lost, some destroyed.

Ended up with a Journalism degree. Still have the photo vest (and the big F3 Nikon with the loud autowinder) and one of their canvas camera bags. But, all the other stuff went with my ex-wife.

I have found a lot of replacements right here in the FL classifieds. On the other subject of real outfitters, I don't know of any who do clothing. But, a neat site is drake dot net. Lewis Drake sells rifles, furniture and other stuff. I still have a leather bag from them that has just been beat to pieces and is still going.

 

[Tadite]

Every so often Banana Republic re-creates some of their older styles. I've a 5 year old leather jacket that has the old Travel and Savanna tag. It's the heaviest leather jacket I've ever seen at a normal mall and I think of it as my gateway drug to my first Aero.

I think the leather is likely steer and would be a mid-weight at Aero. The color is nice and deep with the only problem being that they spent no time or money on the buttons.

 

[budrichard]

A&F was THE outfitter store for not only the well to do and Stars but everyone that was really going on Safari or an expedition anywhere in the world. You could book your Safari, purchase your gun and gear at one place.
I worked in Chicago in the early 1970's and spent many a day drooling over the guns and bamboo fly rods in the Chicago store. A&F sold the best British guns pre-War along with American doubles. I finally was able to purchase a Brit pre-War double, branded and sold by A&F a few years ago. After the War, A&F held its own until about the 1980's when they started to import less expensive guns and gear. Of course when the Brand Name changed hands, everything changed and it became a trendy retailer of clothing to the younger set.
Banana Republic was never where anyone who was going hunting anywhere in the world would go to get clothes or gear of any kind.
Today, I get my gear from Filson on eBay and that will shortly change as Filson is gradually moving production off shore but keeping the same prices, instant improvment on the bottom line.
I don't miss Banana Republic but I sure do miss A&F.-Dick

 

[theman]

Tadite - I had that same jacket, was very nice... and also the exact jacket Bruce Willis wore in Live Free or Die Hard.

 

[frussell]

Foolish youth

There was a time when about 80% of my wardrobe was from Banana Republic. I had a leather flight jacket, dozens of slacks and ghurka shorts, many Expedition Cloth shirts, a 3/4 length tan duster that was really cool, two photojournalist vests, and at one time, one of these safari jackets. Problem is that I grew out of all that stuff and gave it to Goodwill or friends, including the safari jacket. Too bad, as it was in "as new" shape. I was cleaning out my garage this weekend and found an old pair of navy blue Banana Republic slacks, still heavily starched, four sizes too small, that had been following me since about 1985 or so. Some less fortunate person has a snappy pair of pants now. As for Cabela's, something happened in the last few years to the quality of a lot of their clothing, shirts in particular. All the heavyweight garment-dyed t-shirts I bought from them 8 years or more ago are still functioning, but getting pretty worn out. The ones I bought to replace them unravelled or shrunk, or just wore out within weeks. I talked to them about this, and they seemed pretty unconcerned with keeping my business. This is sad, because I have always bought clothing and shoes from them, and will spend my $$ elsewhere now. I do miss those old Banana Republic catalogs.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Has anyone scans of old catalogues? That would be very helpful and an amazing resource. I must try Google!

 

[bradford]

I still have and wear my Banana Republic safari shirt that I purchased back in 1986 or so at the Scottsdale location. Wearing that with a fedora and khakis definitely gives me the Indy look.

As some have said though, I don't think Banana Republic was ever a real outfitter type store the way Abercrombie & Fitch was or Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop are today. Banana Republic was basically a mall store that catered to the trend of safari clothes made popular by the Indiana Jones movies. Some may recall that even Magnum PI wore a safari shirt when he wasn't wearing his traditional red hawaiian one.

Also, every BR store I ever visited had either the plane or the jeep inside and some had both. During the 80's I know I went to BRs in Arizona, Detroit (Birmingham), Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. They all had the props and played swing music that was supposed to sound like it was coming over an old tube radio.