Looking for some shirts

[Spearhead]

TagSafari.com, Houston, Tx. I have 5 of their shirts and they're good well constructed cotton, lighter wait, long tails, monochrome dull earth tones, well placed pockets and so forth. I understand the Tag clothing is put together in South Africa through a coop and sold stateside. Good value.

Are they US sized or European sized?

 

[Rob404]

E-Bay

 

[rookhawk]

Are they US sized or European sized?

TAG safari shirts are made in Zimbabwe (Bulawayo) and retailed online with shipping from Texas. Great quality.

The bad news is their sizing is beyond awful. Their sizing is all based upon average Zimbabwe PH trial-and-error sizing rather than adopting either a US or EU standard pattern size.

So they are all generous in the yolk and neck to accommodate the stereotypical PH / rugby player build but they are very, very short. (Zim folks are pretty small people compared to Americans…they are all built like Navy Seals 5’9” tall and shaped like inverted triangles)

In the USA I’m a size 2XLT, which is a 2xl Tall, meaning 38-39” sleeves rather than a 36-37” sleeve. My size in USA sizing also means a 35” collar to tail measurement and a 50-52” chest. Industry standard sizing. So since they don’t have a tall size, I should be able to order a short sleeve 2XL and be fine, right? Negative. In fantasy-land Zim sizing the 4xl fits my chest if I wanted to have my navel uncovered in style I’m told is popular at gay bars.

Whatever size you are in America, order many sizes larger with TAG and assume that they will be very, very short in length If you’re 6’ or taller.

There Is a Zimbabwe competitor that runs longer called Salty. Equal quality. Still a bit short in length on the tails, and still insane-wacky in their sizing, but still closer. My Orvis 2XL Bush Shirts are the same size as a Salty 4XL Bush Shirt.

Avoid long-sleeve shirts from either of these brands because they do not scale them correctly. Short sleeves have a much better chance of fitting.

Best plan is to buy them in Bulawayo where you can try them on and buy a bail of them for $12 each. Or you can buy them for $65 in the States through the mail and then give them away to children when you find out that their sizes are way off.

 

[Tanks]

+1 on TAG safari, I have been happy with their shirts in the past and will be taking a couple of them back to Zimbabwe with me in 10 days.

Another is Avedon & Colby. They are higher quality and have more features than TAG shirts (with commensurate pricing) and they come in pewter green. I will have a couple of theirs as well. The founders have been in this business for decades and produce great products.

Signature Field Shirt | 100% Cotton Bush Poplin | Safari Shirt | Avedon & Colby International Outfitters

The ultimate field safari shirt made with 100% cotton, true Bush poplin made popular during our Willis & Geiger days, this field shirt will out perform any other in the bush, on safari or in the field. Bush Poplin breathes and wicks moisture to keep you dry and cool on your adventures. Bush...

avedoncolby.com

 

[rookhawk]

The Avedon & Colby folks have been private labeling for a very long time. They can’t say they are Willis & Geiger because Lands End owns that label now. $189 for a bush shirt, not cheap, but very good.

But they are indeed Willis & Geiger for all reasonable purposes. They also made the Orvis Bush shirts which are fine shirts that also come in tall sizes, but I think they run about $129.

Vintage Willis & Geiger stuff can be found on eBay as well. Not cheap, but it is vintage and the best there ever was.

 

[Happy Myles]

Fifty years ago i purchased all Willis & Geiger clothes and liked them so well I bought a lifetime supply. I was startled to see there is a second hand market. Fortunately, they still fit. And I have a few left.

 

[sureshot375]

Check out Poncho shirts. I have a few and I like them. They are synthetic performance type shirt. I haven’t taken one on safari yet, but I think they will do well. Green Long Sleeve

 

[Tanks]

Check out Poncho shirts. I have a few and I like them. They are synthetic performance type shirt....

I don't like synthetic anything for a Safari as they use hot irons after the shirts dry to kill bugs. Everything I take is cotton or cotton canvas.

 

[sureshot375]

I don't like synthetic anything for a Safari as they use hot irons after the shirts dry to kill bugs. Everything I take is cotton or cotton canvas.

I am a little concerned about the ironing. I took one synthetic shirt a few years ago and it survived. Synthetics are about all I wear around home now. It’s so damn hot and humid in Georgia.

I’ve never heard of ironing to kill the bugs.

 

[Happy Myles]

Do yourself a favor and use high quality cotton, leave the synthetics at home..

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Spoil yourself just once and get a Westley Richards Expedition Safari Shirt in brushed Italian Cotton. They look the part, feel the part and are the part - long and comfortable. Yes of course they cost a lot, they are the WR of the shirt world, and worth every penny. Being so thick they are warm though.

 

[Happy Myles]

Wow, Kevin those Westley Richards safari shirts look pretty swanky.

 

[Francis W Chickilly]

I bought a vintage Willis and Geiger hunting jacket on ebay. It's old and faded and probably washed a dozen times, but it performed well in South Africa. I'm wearing it in this avatar.