Do you know how khaki
was invented and why? Well, the British officers
in India wore white uniforms, but they were constantly
getting coated in brown dirt and dust from the
day's travel. One innovative soldier dyed
his uniform in tea and it turned a light brown
color. From then on, he didn't have to worry
about the dust showing up as easily on his duds,
and the color khaki was born. At least, that's
the story I was told.
Indy's shirt
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Indiana Jones' khaki pants
and shirt, while loosely modeled after U.S. Army
wear in the years preceding World
War II, are really more of a throwback
to the safari wear of the 19th Century. To this
day, khaki remains a practical adventure color
for clothing as it repels heat and masks the dust
of travel. The amount of khaki clothing in other
films is a countless amount.
Designed by Indy's safari
shirt has the distinct feature of two pleats that
run from the shoulders, through the pockets to
the end of the shirttail. His pleated pants are
a kind of taupe color without cuffs and they sport
flaps on the back pockets. The shirt and pants
were manufactured by Noel Howard of MBA
Costumiers in London for the Indiana Jones
films and up until a year or so ago, Howard was
still offering these items. He has since retired,
but it seems that Indy jacket maker Peter Botwright
has taken up the challenge. At www.wested.com,
Mr. Botwright is offering the Indy shirt and pants
for the die-hard fan.
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