1982 Bush Shirt

This is the earliest Banana Republic piece we’ve documented and it’s a very exciting find. From the collection of Gary Pinkerton, this is the Bush Shirt from the 1982 Holiday catalog. This makes it a definitive pre GAP item, and as such it’s exciting to confirm that the Stars and Bananas tag was in use before Gap.

From the catalog: “A thinking man’s safari shirt, with authentic bellows pockets that hold a lot of 3×5 notecards, or other weighty things. Roomy fit in the shoulders and comfortable tailoring in the body help you endure tough challenges and/or cogitations. No skimping on this shirt. And the old-style khaki twill fabric looks better and better, the more you wash it (It’s built on the same principle as the twill in good denim.).”

About The Author

Robyn Adams
Robyn's fascination with Banana Republic began in 1984 when her Alaskan adventurer father began buying the clothing and giving her the catalogs. She loved the clothes and as an artist she was drawn to the illustrations. She went on to study illustration at art college in BR's hometown of San Francisco and worked for years as a background artist for animation. She is now based in Oakland, CA as a graphic designer and illustrator with Secret Fan Base . She's been collecting and archiving at Abandoned Republic since 2011.

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