Prior to Fall 1984 the line of safari jacket and pants were called “Kenya Safari Clothing” and were made for BR by the American outfitter Willis & Geiger. For more info, see Safari Jackets
“We are a safari clothing company. All our energy is directed towards finding and designing quality safari clothes. Safari jackets and safari pants are the key elements of the safari wardrobe. The reason we offer Kenya Safari Clothing is because, frankly, we’ve scouted from one end of this globe to the other and have never found any better, at any price.”
This changed in Fall 1984 when Ventile Poplin was introduced, according to the catalogue: ” As the premier, pre-eminent purveyor of safari clothing, we are forever circling the globe, scouting for exotic, highly functional natural fabrics. We take pleasure in now re-introducing and old fabric gem we recently rediscovered in the British Isles-ventile poplin.” The copy goes on to explain the particulars of the weave that cause it to swell and repel moisture when it gets wet as well as the silky texture and wrinkle resistance.
The Fall 1984 Catalog introduced “Ventile Poplin” Egyptian Cotton Safari Clothing and extolled it’s special weave that repels water and keeps cool. Previously, the safari clothes were simply “100% Egyptian cotton” claiming similar properties, and I don’t know if there’s a real difference. According the Wikipedia it’s a trademarked weave that originated in Britain.
I believe the “Ventile Poplin” safari line represents the manufacturing power of the GAP with the imagination and exacting standards of the Zieglers. These were clothes they had always dreamed of making and the infusion of money and know-how from the 1983 sale to the GAP allowed them to create their own safari clothes at last.
An un-hemmed mint with tag pair of Ventile Poplin Safari Pants.The Fall 1984 catalog introduced the Ventile Poplin Safari pants and matching jacket. It shows the waistband and has a smooth front and it’s possible they thought the pants looked too dressy. This art was discarded in the Fall update for art that had more wrinkles and hid the waistband behind a belt. In the Fall Update 1984 the art for the pants was changed to emphasize folds and creases in the waist and added a belt. The art style no longer perfectly matches. Note the dress pants waist style with hook closure. This descriptor tag uses copy from the 1984-1985 catalogs.Artwork and description changed again in 1986. Artwork changed again to full colored pencil renderings in 1987. The Safari pants were last seen in the Summer 1987 catalogue.Click to see more about the companion Safari Jacket.
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.
2 Comments
Calvin James Wetzel on July 10, 2021
Hey Robyn, my pants are dark khaki, and have button back pockets with no flaps. The coin pocket is just below the waist, and front zipper fly. Now, I don’t think they are the safari pants. Any idea what pants these are Robyn ?
Hey Robyn, my pants are dark khaki, and have button back pockets with no flaps. The coin pocket is just below the waist, and front zipper fly. Now, I don’t think they are the safari pants. Any idea what pants these are Robyn ?
Not sure, you’ve have to dig through the pants page. Pants are hard to identify, sometimes, they look so much alike.