Featured Dresses and Skirts 1978 Spanish Paratrooper Shirt DressTo see a relic from the founding moments of Banana Republic is a really special thing. So much so, at one point I mentioned to Patricia Ziegler that I’d “KILL to find a Spanish Paratrooper Dress”. Months later, she sent a message: Patricia HAD one in her [...]

Featured Items: Women's Shirts Ventilated Henley ShirtThis shirt is not listed in the catalogue as far as I can tell. It’s a 100% cotton ventilated shirt with a Yukon style Henley collar. Pictures from Etsy Update: A Blue version with an attached price tag was discovered. Item number 1619 is not in the catalogues as [...]

Featured Women's Shoes and Boots: Women’s Leather Traveling BootAn all-leather version of the famous Women’s Leather and Linen Traveling Boot was produced in Fall 1985. While it lacks the buckled straps of its sister, they were apparently sold with surplus Swiss leather and linen “gaiters” available in store. The catalogue copy partially matched the Leather [...]

Featured Women's Jackets Amelia Earhart JacketThis amazing jacket was made in two different styles. The Fall/Xmas 1986 version is brown with a button-on mouton collar attachment and striped lining (photos courtesy Tiff Wimberly). The following year they offered the jacket in dark brown without the attachment and with a quilted lining. The 1987 version is [...]

Featured Women's Belts British Regiment BeltFirst seen in Summer 1983 as the British Regiment Belt, this nifty two-buckle adjustable twill belt with English leather and brass fittings was re-introduced as the Twice Buckled Belt with an updated design (the new belt was not adjustable length and made of jute, leather and brass.) The British Regiment [...]

Banana Republic Sweaters: Featured Items Winter Tennis VestFrom the Fall/Holiday 1987 catalogue: “On cold, wet winter days, when the closest you can come to racquet sports is a desultory game of Ping-Pong, our Winter Tennis Vest is a remembrance of swings (and springs) past. V-necked and striped like a traditional tennis vest, it’s as soft [...]

Herringbone VestWhat’s interesting about this vest is it was sold in Fall 1988 but it’s label says 1986! It’s the same 1986 Original Design label seen on the Photojournalist Vest. From the Fall 1988 catalogue: “We’ve always felt that vests encompass the best of both worlds: warmth without weight or constraint. We’ve styled a sleek, [...]

Turkana JewelrySold only in the Holiday 1987 catalogue: “Our customers used to ask why we don’t sell jewelry. “Because we think it’s more fun to discover it while you’re traveling,” was our response. Then we discovered Turkana Jewelry on our own travels in Kenya, and decided it was too special to keep to ourselves. Handmade [...]