Tadpole Dense
Although this shirt has an unusual fade, it's a prime example of a US-L sized Tadpole Dense. Typically, the black stripes remain black and the background colors take on a muted haze. The odds of finding a matching set of pants with this fade is probably next to nil. The patch on the left pocket is a hand-sewn example that has been machine sewn onto the garment. The fade and wear of the patch would indicate it's original to the shirt, but without taking it off or peaking underneath, there is no way of telling. If it is original to the shirt, the material underneath will be much darker...
The back panel of the shirts shows the detail of the pattern very well. Again, the fade is very distinct and has a used look even though the shirt is in great condition.
A close up of the patch.
I believe the following link is the Home Page for the Unit. If I'm incorrect, please let me know.
http://www.rattler-firebird.org/index.php
This unusual cut variation has been named "Airborne" by Johnson. You'll note the front pockets are turned up in the bottom corners and the flaps have a point rather than being flat. As you can see in the photo, it is a very wide size and the arms are long too. Certainly made for an Anglo sized person. Also of note is the way the lapels lay flat as there is no top button near the neck.
The colors of this shirt are also very unusual in that they have a light Brown or almost Gold color. Tadpole fabric can have a wide range of hues...
This closer photo shows the pockets more clearly and the tailored look of the lapels. You'll note that there is no stamped size in the neck either. The buttons appear to hand sewn on also.
The pair of pants was recently purchased out of Canada. They are marked US-S and are near mint. If anything, they've been washed once or twice as the colors are still very dark and vibrant. The waist size is 30" and the inseam is 30" also.
Here is a shot of the rear. Unfortunately, the photos were taken on a really bright day and the camera is slightly out of focus. At some point I'll take better pictures and update them on this site, but there will do for now.
It you look closely, you can see the US-S stamp up near the waist line. Again, I'll take better photos and update them later.
Although faded, these US-M sized pants were one of my first pairs. I bought these from a second hand store in early 1983 and wore them around for a number of years. They weren't this faded to begin with, but I washed them as needed.
The back side of the pants show the pattern well. Since the length of the inseam is about 32", you can clearly see the repeat in the pattern.
I thought I'd throw in a closer photo of the back pockets and buttons, which are green.
The waist and seat were taken in long before I bought them. But you can still make out the US-M which has been sewn up pretty well. US-M sized pants typically run big, (about 34-36 inch waist) and when I bought these, I was a slim 30" waist. I needed to wear a belt because the altered size is about 32".
This short sleeve shirt
