Shetland Writer’s Sweater

This interesting sweater just showed up on eBay. Kind of a fun challenge to identify! Going through the sweater category on the Abandoned Republic website turns up the Shetland Writer’s Sweater in the 1983 Christmas catalog, but without color to guide us. Is this brown sweater “russet” colored? The leather buttons, side pockets and collar match the drawing and the label on the sweater is definitely an early large logo. Hard to say 100% but I think this is it.

It’s very unusual to be able to positively identify a pre-color catalog item!

Thanks to HitList Vintage for the photos.

From the catalogue: “Clothing makes the man, said Mark Twain, a former San Francisco newspaperman. He might have been a customer of Banana Republic had he not had the misfortune to visit Earth one hundred years too soon. We he to have stepped into our store, he would have headed straight to the rack of Writer’s Sweaters. He would have found great virtue in the leather buttons, and perhaps the germ of a story in the thoughts of a debating with himself whether to purchase the fine specimen. Mr. Twain would have stroked the wool to determine if indeed it was so pleasing to the hand as to be real shetland. His anticipation would have been duly rewarded. One hundred percent shetland wool it was! And then to find two generous side entry pockets and a shawl collar! Not a greater thrill was to be had on all the Barbary Coast. Then he would have turned to see a young woman-indeed a striking young woman-smiling and coming towards him. When she failed to say “Can I help you?” But rather recognized him and professed to be an ardent admirer of his prose, Mr. Twain would have known at once he must immediately own a Writer’s Sweater himself, if only to assure the inspiration necessary to continue to produce the very work that would go on charming such a charming young woman. For men and women.”