Club Obi Wan

I thought this shirt would be a good comfortable summer weight shirt, though not screen accurate.

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... ch&feat=sr

Turns out to be one of the worst shirts ever! Never mind the sleeve buttons (thought I might just remove those), or the lack of epaulets, but the linen was extremely scratchy even after washing, and the fit was baggy to the extreme. I definately don't recommend this shirt, though I have had pretty good luck with LL Bean in the past.

Has anyone else tried this shirt out, or is it just me?

thanks for the tip.

I recently got the recomend LLbean shirt... very nice... however is there anyway to lighten the color?

Jack,
I was taken by this shirt as well. And I love LL Bean. Nearly my entire casual wardrobe comes from there. I bought the shirt hoping to wear it in the summer, since it is linen, but I also found it ridiculously scratchy and baggy. The linen is really cheap. Nice linen is soft. I do like their Chambray shirts and their Madras, but they don't make a safari-style in these fabrics.

ZeusCow wrote:I recently got the recomend LLbean shirt... very nice... however is there anyway to lighten the color?

It seems like I remember reading a tutorial sometime back about lightening the color, but I can't remember where.

I have one of those shirts that is around 20 years old. The color is perfect. I just wish it was long sleeve.

Ack, it seems they aren't offering the poplin field shirt anymore this season. :evil:

I was about to place my order too.

My experience with this shirt was the same. Poor, I do not even wear mine out and use it only for those times when a 'disposable' shirt is required.

I am not well versed in screen accurate, but I am fond of the cabelas safari shirt.
It feels a heavy material to the touch, and wears very durable yet light and breathable. It is cut comfortable, but I do not find it baggy to my taste. Regardless, check the price! I am not praising this shirt above all, and will comment on others as practical, but I feel this is a good place to start for an all purpose adventure shirt.

J_Weaver wrote:

ZeusCow wrote:I recently got the recomend LLbean shirt... very nice... however is there anyway to lighten the color?

It seems like I remember reading a tutorial sometime back about lightening the color, but I can't remember where.

http://dalexs.whitvani.net/shirt/shirtFAQ.html

IndyFlyer wrote:My experience with this shirt was the same. Poor, I do not even wear mine out and use it only for those times when a 'disposable' shirt is required.

I am not well versed in screen accurate, but I am fond of the cabelas safari shirt.
It feels a heavy material to the touch, and wears very durable yet light and breathable. It is cut comfortable, but I do not find it baggy to my taste. Regardless, check the price! I am not praising this shirt above all, and will comment on others as practical, but I feel this is a good place to start for an all purpose adventure shirt.

I actually like this shirt. Yes, it is not a summer shirt, but it is pretty accurate, and the 'Stone' color is great. I spilled milk on it once, and there was no stain or anything! I highly recommend this shirt.

Andiana148 wrote:

IndyFlyer wrote:My experience with this shirt was the same. Poor, I do not even wear mine out and use it only for those times when a 'disposable' shirt is required.

I am not well versed in screen accurate, but I am fond of the cabelas safari shirt.
It feels a heavy material to the touch, and wears very durable yet light and breathable. It is cut comfortable, but I do not find it baggy to my taste. Regardless, check the price! I am not praising this shirt above all, and will comment on others as practical, but I feel this is a good place to start for an all purpose adventure shirt.

I actually like this shirt. Yes, it is not a summer shirt, but it is pretty accurate, and the 'Stone' color is great. I spilled milk on it once, and there was no stain or anything! I highly recommend this shirt.

I've often thought about getting one of these shirts but hesitated due to the high polyester content. Maybe it's an old prejudice of mine, having grown up in those awful polyester shirts in the 70s! How comfortable is this shirt on hot days? Does it get itchy?

Mojave Jack wrote:I've often thought about getting one of these shirts but hesitated due to the high polyester content. Maybe it's an old prejudice of mine, having grown up in those awful polyester shirts in the 70s! How comfortable is this shirt on hot days? Does it get itchy?

Your not the only one. I won't buy a 'bush' shirt if its not 100% cotton. The polyester just doesn't agree with me on those hot, humid summer days. I wish Cabela's would offer the shirt in the same 100% cotton material as their Serengeti Shirt.

Mojave Jack wrote: I've often thought about getting one of these shirts but hesitated due to the high polyester content. Maybe it's an old prejudice of mine, having grown up in those awful polyester shirts in the 70s! How comfortable is this shirt on hot days? Does it get itchy?

The Cabela's shirt IMHO is a pretty good shirt. The color, cut and style is very good. I have a slight problem with the material. The exact content escapes me but it is a poly/cotton mix. A bit too much poly for my sense of touch. Do not think this shirt equals those poly shirts fromthe 70's! This is a better shirt. I do not recommend wearing it in the summer but it can be done. The shirt has held up well to multiple washings.

My Cabelas shirt in New Mexico.

Looks like we were posting at the same time Feraud.

The shirt is a 65% polyester/ 35% cotton blend.

J_Weaver wrote:Looks like we were posting at the same time Feraud.

The shirt is a 65% polyester/ 35% cotton blend.

Great minds think alike!
It is not a bad shirt for me considering the high poly content.
Not to highjack the thread but I stopped at the Orvis store and had a chance to try on this shirt.
Orvis Bush Shirt It is a really comfortable shirt! IMHO, the size seems to run a bit large if anyone is interested in ordering.

I ended up ordering this online.
British India Officer's Shirt I am really psyched to received this shirt! I think Hemingway Jones posted the link for this shirt some time ago. I will post a review and pictures when I get it.
Sorry to hijack! Back to Mojave Jack's thread!

That's disappointing to read about the L.L. Bean shirt. The linen would have made for a great summer shirt down here in humid north Texas.

Has anyone tried Filson's shirts? Although I like them, their 6 oz. Safari Cloth poplin is a bit heavy and wind resistant for use here in the summer months, but the lighter 3 oz. Feather Cloth is much more breathable. I bought a couple when they first introduced the fabric several years ago and I my only complaint was that they wore out rather quickly compared to the Safari Cloth. That and the price, of course.

I love Orvis' stuff. I have one of their bush shirt(although mine is reg not buzz off). The quality it top notch. Although the color is wrong their Field Twill pants are great too.

EDIT: Baggers, yup, the Filson shirts are top notch too. I have one of the feather weight shirt. (well, I've out grown it now) Dad has a few of their Safari Cloth shirts that he has worn for years. The Safari Cloth is excellent, it holds up to hard use. If they weren't so expensive I'd buy one.

Feraud wrote: I ended up ordering this online.
British India Officer's Shirt I am really psyched to received this shirt! I think Hemingway Jones posted the link for this shirt some time ago. I will post a review and pictures when I get it.
Sorry to hijack! Back to Mojave Jack's thread!

I did indeed and I am glad to see that someone is buying it. I can't wait to hear the review.

I have been meaning to get one, but I have been distracted by other thigns; most notably the WPG shirt.

It should be noted that the regular poplin LL Bean field shirt is a very nice shirt. It is soft and comfortable and darned near indestructible. I have two that I have put through the ringer and they are extraordinary. They are not really Indiana Jones shirts, but neither do they purport themselves to be. They are outdoorsman's shirts for the New England hunter, so they should be thought of in this manner.

Baggers wrote:That's disappointing to read about the L.L. Bean shirt. The linen would have made for a great summer shirt down here in humid north Texas.

The material is just terrible: sandpaper rough like the cheapest linen imaginable.
Personally, I would like a safari shirt in a very lightweight cotton. I realize that it would lose durability, but it would be very comfortable for summer travels.

J_Weaver wrote:I love Orvis' stuff. I have one of their bush shirt(although mine is reg not buzz off). The quality it top notch. Although the color is wrong their Field Twill pants are great too.

Me too. Between my wife and myself, I think we must have about half their catalog in our closets. It didn't help when they opened a larger retail store last year within a half an hour's drive of us! And the store also stocks a little Filson stuff as well. Although, when I want something, I check it out in the store and then order it from David Morgan. DM's prices are always a buck or two cheaper than Filson's catalog, but they're a lot cheaper than what Orvis marks them up to and then charges state sales tax on! I bought a medium field bag for my wife last Christmas and paid about $15 less by ordering it from DM instead of buying it from the Orvis retail store.

Filson's Medium Field bag is one of the toughest bags I've ever seen. My dad bought one for me 8 or 10 years ago. Its been carried many miles through heavy underbrush and over sharp rocks. It beautifully distressed, but is good for a million more miles! Its definitely a once in a lifetime purchase.

Feraud wrote:[I ended up ordering this online.
British India Officer's Shirt I am really psyched to received this shirt! I think Hemingway Jones posted the link for this shirt some time ago. I will post a review and pictures when I get it.

Orvis is awesome! Alas, this is one of the few shirts they don't offer in a tall. In a Homer voice, Stupid lanky arms!

Looking forward to your review, Feraud. Especially the sleeve length!

Zach R. wrote:Ack, it seems they aren't offering the poplin field shirt anymore this season. :evil:

I was about to place my order too.

Must be a seasonal thing as I just received two & am sending back the other two I ordered in the wrong size

Yeah, thats what I thought.

The fact that the shirts were in my shopping bag for a month and I didn't get around to ordering them is what is burning me up.

Thanks for the coloring link VP!

Interesting shirt. Too bad it has poly. Boy, I remember the poly craze of the 70s also and one negitive about it other than the feel is it retains certain odors long after washing & - one reason the clothing industry backed away from it in high content.

Yeah Linen Shirts tend to feel like a lighter version of burlap. I guess if you really wanted to put good use to it, wear it long-distance driving, you are guaranteed not to fall asleep wearing it!

Mystique wrote:Yeah Linen Shirts tend to feel like a lighter version of burlap. I guess if you really wanted to put good use to it, wear it long-distance driving, you are guaranteed not to fall asleep wearing it!

Fine linen is as soft as most cottons. There are also some linen/cotton and linen/silk blends which are very soft. The Bean shirts, sadly, are very low-grade linen.

I've found Cabela's outdoor clothing (like the shirts we've been discussing) to be fairly mid quality. Don't get me wrong, I love Cabela's. The workmanship is pretty darn good, but the material just can't compair to Orvis, Filson, etc. But obviously for $30 a shirt their not trying to compete with the top of the line companies.

Another consideration before knocking a synthetic blend like poly/cotton, and especially a pure synthetic, is drying time in wet/humid climates. Cotton is comfortable and great when dry, but cotton clothing wears like a slug when soaked in a tropical rain or dampened by a humid climate. When traveling or away from home, I opt for versatile fabrics that include the ability to dry in minutes if required.

IndyFlyer wrote:Another consideration before knocking a synthetic blend like poly/cotton, and especially a pure synthetic, is drying time in wet/humid climates. Cotton is comfortable and great when dry, but cotton clothing wears like a slug when soaked in a tropical rain or dampened by a humid climate. When traveling or away from home, I opt for versatile fabrics that include the ability to dry in minutes if required.

Very true. The new synthetic fibers are excellent at wicking away sweat and drying quickly. A lot of them are alsmost indistinguishable from cotton, too, but many of those higher end shirts run towards expensive all the way up to "holy @#$%!"

Then, too, I think it is a matter of personal comfort. I can handle the desert heat just fine, but when I am in high humidity I get pretty sluggish, cranky, and unhappy! My wife, on the other hand, wears a sweater when it is 80 degrees (Fahrenheit, for those of you overseas).

I guess I'm just too old fashioned, but I like 100% cotton. Cotton really doesn't bother me in humid climates. As an example here in southern WV today it was about 90 degrees and high humidity. (typical summer) I spent the whole day (and much of this evening) working outside in my old reproduction Army HBT's. After an hour they were pretty wet from sweat and the humid air, but I was still as comfortable as you can be in weather like that. No doubt that some of this new fangled stuff is pretty cool though.

J_Weaver wrote:I guess I'm just too old fashioned, but I like 100% cotton. Cotton really doesn't bother me in humid climates. As an example here in southern WV today it was about 90 degrees and high humidity. (typical summer) I spent the whole day (and much of this evening) working outside in my old reproduction Army HBT's. After an hour they were pretty wet from sweat and the humid air, but I was still as comfortable as you can be in weather like that. No doubt that some of this new fangled stuff is pretty cool though.

I have had microfiber shirts that feel soft and very cotton-esque, if you will, but still there is no substitute for natural fibers. Light cotton and fine linen, even seersucker are probably the best materials for summer.

Just wanted to let you guys know that the Cotton Poplin LL Bean Field Shirts are on sale for 18.00.

There isn't a picture or a link on the website, but if you enter the item number 10937, it'll take you straight to it.

Zach R. wrote:Just wanted to let you guys know that the Cotton Poplin LL Bean Field Shirts are on sale for 18.00.

There isn't a picture or a link on the website, but if you enter the item number 10937, it'll take you straight to it.

Zach that's an awesome find. It should be its own post so everyone can see! Well done, my friend.

I just bought one. Thanks again!

Hemingway Jones wrote:Zach that's an awesome find. It should be its own post so everyone can see! Well done, my friend.

Will do.