The Indiana Jones shirt is a typical
safari-style shirt in a light khaki color. Its distinctive
feature is two strips of cloth or pleats above and
below both pockets. For a long time, this was a
difficult item to find. Noel Howard emerged in recent
years and offered authentic replicas of the shirt
for sale. Both the Raiders & Last Crusade color
buttons were available.
In terms of authenticity, the MBA
Costumes Shirt by Noel Howard was your choice if
you are looking for an item than can boast being
made by the original production supplier. However,
not all fans have agreed to certain specs in relation
to the "screen seen" or visible accuracy, and yet
others have been interested in more economical versions.
In order to make this reference more complete, we've
listed below, our analysis on the current market.
This shirt, from jacket
maker Peter Botwright, has been highly anticipated. The material
is lightweight 150gm cotton poplin. Many
Club
Obi Wan members offered up
input into the shirt's creation. Similar
to a dress shirt, the bottom is tailored
and finished. The shoulders are double stitched
and the epaulettes have the point squared
off. The buttons, like the shirt in Raiders
of the Lost Ark, closely match the fabric.
As a bonus, Wested ships the shirt with
a darker set of buttons, similar to those
seen in Temple of Doom and The
Last Crusade, free of charge.
Some have commented that
the standard weight fabric is noticeably
heavier than the Noel Howard shirts. Additionally,
the color is very close to what is viewed
on screen.
Sizes offered are Small,
Medium, Large, XLarge and XXLarge. Orders
can be placed directly through Wested's
Order Page.
What
Price Glory
Indiana Jones Shirt
Price: TBD
This shirt is still in the
prototype phase. What Price Glory currently
offers a reproduction of Indy's famous MKVII
gas mask bag. Next up on the radar is
their Indiana Jones shirt offering. Similar
to the Wested shirt, Club
Obi Wan members are submitting feedback
into this shirt's development.
No price has been determined
and no ship date has been set. This page
will be updated when there is more information.
MBA
Costumes
Indiana Jones Shirt
Note: These shirts are
no longer available. On September 19, 2003,
Noel Howard stopped offering Indiana Jones
items. This information is here for reference
purposes only.
Noel Howard, who worked on the Indiana Jones
trilogy, sold a reproduction of the shirts
that were custom made for Harrison Ford.
Noel's shirt has the distinct
pleats that are the most identifiable feature
of the Indy shirt. The single stitched construction
is adequate for casual (or movie) use, but
I wouldn't put it through a real adventure.
The consensus of most Indy
fans is that the color is a bit too pink.
Some have gone to the trouble of re-dying
their MBA shirts for a more true khaki color.
According to Noel, the shirts are made from
100% superior "mercerized" Swiss
Cotton, yet it feels like a blend of cotton
& polyester. The shirts come pre-shrunk.
Our model nailed it when he commented. "It
feels like a costume shirt".
This shirt has the most
buttons you have ever seen. Made of garment-washed,
6-oz. per/sq. yd. 100% cotton canvas and
has two flap-closed bellows chest pockets
with two zip-closed pockets behind. Being
a fraction of the cost of some of the others
make it a real bargain.
An even better bargain is
a new shirt by Cabelas called the "Safari
Shirt". Like the Tilley shirt (see
below), it's 35% cotton and 65%
polyester. It's pocket design is more "Indyesque".
It even has the MBA style, forward setting
epaulets. Although it comes in the standard
tan khaki color, it also comes in "stone."
This is the closest color to the Raiders
film shirt. Also it's a real plus for those
who prefer to dye it to match their tastes.
At this price die-hard fans could have a
seamstress change it to beige buttons and
have money left over.
Note: This
shirt was added after the original review
and is not represented in the photo at the
end with the other shirts. The insert shown
with the LL Bean shirt was added for comparision.
A favorite of Indy fans
for some time, the Poplin features two chest
pockets and epaulets. The khaki colored
buttons are very Indy-esque. Though it may
lack gussets and features that some of the
other shirts have, the cotton poplin field
shirt is very close to what most feel an
Indy shirt should be. It is a bit dark when
compared to the movie shirt though. The
Field shirt is cut from 4 oz. cotton poplin
and is triple-needle stitched at all major
seams.
Orvis
Red Hills Shirt
$59 USD
One of the best all around
shirts made. It's very lightweight and extremely
comfortable. Excellent for those triple
digit temperatures. At the time of this
writing it was unfortunately out of stock,
but we are told it will be back soon.
Built using a cotton fabric that has been
standard issue in expedition and safari clothing
for nearly a century, the Bush Shirt is made
of tightly woven 8-oz. cotton twill. Two big,
button-through bellows pockets, working epaulets,
and roll-up sleeves with tabs. It's too heavy
for blazing heat, but perfect for a rugged
safari in African.
3 Colors:khaki, olive, stone.
Paul Roos
Outfitter's Shirt
$79 USD
This olive drab 5-oz cotton shirt was designed
by one of Orvis's long time guide/outfitters,
hence the name. It is a rugged adventure
shirt that is best suited for cooler climates.
Ample pockets, under arm gussets and articulated
elbows indicate Paul had function in mind
when designing this shirt. Not very Indy-ish,
but like the Bush shirt it's an authentic
adventure shirt that's right at home in
the jungle or rain forest.
Lands
End (Willis & Geiger)
Button Down Shirt
$39.50 USD
W&G was the oldest outfitting
company in the United States. They outfitted
Teddy Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Ernest
Hemingway, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable,
the Flying Tigers and other legends of the
20th Century. Unfortunately they were sold
to Land's End who fumbled the ball and discontinued
the line. Land's End has brought back one
the cotton twill adventure shirts. The bi-swing
back (action pleats), underarm gussets and
articulated elbows are designed for maximum
freedom of movement. An "action shirt"
if you will. The sleeves are a bit to long
and it would be nice to have epaulets, yet
a really super adventure shirt.
Best known for their canvas
boating hats, TE makes excellent travel/adventure
clothes as well. Alex Tilley's spirit of
rugged individualism is reflected to his
products. He describes his Bush Shirt as
A classic design for demanding outdoor
adventure. From the anti-bug gussets at
the wrist to fully functional epaulettes
on the shoulders, this shirt is engineered
for virtually any situation. The best of
its type in the world. The TE Bush shirt
is made from what he calls Adventure Cloth:
polyester (65%) and cotton (35%).
The rugged elbow patches
are a nice touch, but the most unique feature
is the wrist gussets. Perhaps the best indicator
of Tilley's confidence in their shirt is
the washing instructions: "Give 'em
hell".
*The colors on their
website are NOT accurate. Khaki is the color
you want.
Route
66
$16 USD
Available at K-Mart, this low cost option
has an Indy look without breaking your pocketbook.
Light weight. Comes in khaki and white.
At press time K-Mart is
closing most of it's stores. Get them while
you can.
Where Orvis and L.L. Bean
lean towards the traditional, Ex Officio
is the high-tech end of the spectrum of
adventure shirts. Their climate control
ventilation system are mesh vents in the
armpits and sides of the shirt that can
be opened during desert expeditions. Made
with 55% cotton and 45% micro polyester
and Ex Officio's "Indestructible Button
System". Should make for the best hot
weather shirt of the bunch.
Indy Shack
(Indiana Dan)
Fan Shirt
Indiana Jones Shirt
In the early days of Indy
Gear, everyone was wishing someone would
make a better Indiana Jones shirt. Well,
Dan made a real attempt to achieve just
that. He was the first one to attempt making
his own shirt. Not having any experience
in manufacturing garments, Dan traveled
along a real learning curve. On that first
shirt, the stitching was sub-par and the
cut a bit home spun. However, he has a keen
eye for detail and knows exactly what he
wants. We look forward to what the future
holds for Dan and his shirt creations.
Pyroxene
Fan Shirt
Indiana Jones Shirt
This khaki version of the
Indiana Jones shirt was commissioned from
a local tailor by Pyroxene. Authentic shirt
specs combined with personal measurements
and requests produced a comfortable and
practical replica. The shirt is broader
in the chest than the Noel Howard version
and has buttons on the sleeve. Similar to
the Wested and a dress shirt, the bottom
is tailored
and finished. One interesting
feature is the collar stays sewn into the
shirt's collar. Rather than the tips of
the collar pointing up, the collar stays
keep the tips flat and against the shirt.
There's
Khaki, Then There's Khaki!
As you can see manufacturers have differing
views of what color khaki is.
