The law of good design is not dissimilar to the law of the jungle. To survive, you have to fulfill a function. And function—along with good design—is what safari-style clothing is all about. It's the symbol of an adventurous international spirit. Indiana Jones and "Crocodile" Dundee are cinematic Johnny-come-latelies to the bwana look, as anyone who's seen The Roots of Heaven and endless episodes of the Jon Hall Ramar of the Jungle TV series already knows. Yet they've certainly contributed to the enduring popularity of the sun-never-sets-on-the-British-Empire clothes. And with sequels to both films rumored to be in the works, bush jackets, Bombay shirts, slouch socks, Foreign Legion jungle hats, sahib shorts, etc., aren't about to fade away.
Neither is a chain of stores named Banana Republic. Started in the late Seventies by Mel and Patricia Ziegler, Banana Republic is a retail phenomenon, with 66 outlets nationwide, as well as a thriving mail-order business. The company's catalogs are witty and imaginative, and excerpts from them have been incorporated into the Zieglers' hardcover Banana Republic Guide to Travel & Safari Clothing, published some months ago, that chronicles the couple's success while celebrating the adventurous life (and the clothes you'll need to enjoy it) in a tongue-in-cheek Walter Mitty style. While Banana Republic keeps the adventurous spirit alive, the details of the clothes themselves also add to the romance.
E paulets were created by the French to keep their bandoleers from slipping off their shoulders. Baggy bush-jacket pockets are credited to the British (an ideal place to stash trinkets liberated after a battle, perhaps?). And khaki, according to the Zieglers, can be traced back to one Lieutenant Harry Lumsden, stationed in the Punjab in 1846, who chucked his red-felt uniform in favor of dyed-cotton pajamas and, thus, "distinguished himself as the only comfortable Anglo-Saxon south of Liverpool." That's the kind of detail that enhances the romance of Banana Republic. It also makes for sharp, comfy clothing. Remember, men. it's a jungle out there. Adventure awaits. And so do stores filled with fashion prey. Bag yourself a winner.
