Heads Up: Denim Tank Suit news

[Jesse Browning]

I will try to list the positives and negatives from my experience with this suit and SF.
The positives: Like I said, the suit is very well make; very heavy duty. It was at my house (in the Midwest USA, from the UK) in 3 days after ordered. The size 4 fits me well with tee shirt and shorts under it (I’m 6’ 200 lbs). The buckles are all the same and machine made (I have one of Irfans Pixie suits).
The negatives: The sizing with SF was a problem too. According to their size chart, I needed a size 5. When I first tried it on, the sleeves were 6” past the end of my fingers. Likewise the legs were 6” too long. The actual waist measurement was 62”. SF didn’t want to take responsibility for the error, sending me a picture of someone they said was my same size wearing a size 5. They said he looked fine ( even though his shoulder seam was half way between his shoulder and elbow. After many emails and phone calls, I didn’t hear from them again, and had to have my credit card company reverse payment. I’m still out the $80 it cost to send it back. The suit was 80 GBP and about 60 GBP shipping to the US. My son ordered me the size 4. As I said, I don’t know much about the accuracy. Someone with more knowledge on the subject can critique that.

[Tim Bell]

Irfan has one of my original 1950s denim tank suits to use for reference.

Tim

[Jim Burrill]

Jesse... That fabric doesn't look like denim, but simple dyed cotton twill.

Look at the insides of your bluejeans... Denim is woven with the warp a previously dyed color thread, and the weft is white. Both are cotton threads. So the woven fabric is all cotton, like twill. But twill as used by What Price Glory and other firms as they couldn't get denim of a wartime color.

Irfan and I received an order of 3,000 meters from a mill in Pakistan he had a relation work for.

I have the advance notice from DHL that I should have the prototype this Tuesday. I will give it a close scruitiny for proper construction and details and report here.

Adrian, PM me your friend with the problem with the Pixie. I am tryign to guide Irfan in resolving the remaining issues. A bit tricky... I am not a business partner with him.More of a B2B consultant. I have put in money to help buy the denim, but will not see any back. I will eventually receive some private order items - BREN Ammo boxes, pouches, BESA tool roll, and Wireless covers as repayment for my investment to buy the denim.

But I want everyone to be whole for trusting my "source" of buying the pixies.

[Ed Storey]

Why are these things being clearly marked as reproductions on the inside of the clothing? It is a difficult and challenging task already to document the story of most wartime clothing without an infusion of similarly marked reproductions to muddy the waters. Taking the responsible approach of clearly marking these garments as reproductions has no effect on how the items look when being worn by today's hobbyists and is respectful to future enthusiasts who will be left trying to sort out the copies from the fakes.

[Jim Burrill]

Ed, it is the hobby of reenacting vs. Collecting. Reeanctors don't want to trash originals, or originals to fit you are not available.

So reproductions will be made. At least Irfan is marking the lable to use his business name as the give-away while the rest of the lable looks "Authentic".

There are an awful lot more reenactors than there are collectors who can't tell the difference between 70 year old clothing and something made in the last couple of years.

Also, the whole concept of mistaking a newer made item from an original is just part of the collecting world, even if military reenactors didn't get repros made to play in. Just ask any museum or auction house.

As they say, the cat's out of the bag.

[RichardT10829]

Ordered three sets of them today from Irfan, aiming on delivery at the end of Jan.

[Robert Bergeron]

Hey , wait a minute ! We were not supposed to wait for Jim to inspect the prototype and give the go ahead before ordering ?