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Oil Driller’s Shirt

From the Summer 1986 “Voices from Africa” catalogue: ” Life frequently gets warm for foreign technicians working the offshore oil fields of North Africa. Going about one’s business while the aircraft and carriers of super-powers and quasi-powers jostle for media coverage is enough to make any geologist break into a sweat on occasion. When you figure in temperatures of 130 degrees, it’s obvious why oil workers need soothing, character-building clothes. Like this breezy but resilient suit made of lightweight 100% cotton twill. The pleated shorts have an elasticized waist that stays flexible under adverse conditions; the short-sleeved, open-necked shirt is worn outside the shorts. We discovered them in Italy, where they’ve known since B.C. how to keep cool when the Mediterranean heats up.”

NWT example from eBay July 2022

Oil Driller’s Shirt courtesy Gary Pinkerton.

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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