Avre Friday Briefing #59

Batch No. 4 — The 1940 Pattern Battledress Blouse

Batch No. 4 is the 1940 Pattern Battledress Blouse — Officer's Cut.

• Lined with authentic Allied WWII parachute silk
• Officer's Cut. Bespoke to your measurements
• Limited to 100 garments only
  

The Battledress Blouse

The 1940 Pattern Battledress replaced the 1937 Pattern after Dunkirk — a series of small refinements that improved fit and durability, notably a lined collar and a closer cut to the blouse. It was the uniform British forces wore through North Africa, Italy and Northwest Europe. 

Our version is made from 100% Merino wool, sourced from the same mill in West Yorkshire that supplied the original cloth during the war.

Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Arthur Montague Browning in a specially tailored battledress blouse with faced lapels.

 

Lined with authentic Allied parachute silk

The interior collar is lined with authentic Allied parachute silk which has been carefully preserved for over 80 years. We're only making 100 of these as that's all the silk we have available. 

1st Airborne Division paratroopers and gliders during the Battle of Arnhem.

Bespoke to your measurements

We're making it as an Officer's Cut, which means it's bespoke to your measurements. After you order, we'll invite you to London for a 1:1 fitting. If that's not convenient, we'll send you everything you need to measure yourself at home. Each jacket is then cut and finished exactly to your specification, hand numbered from an edition of /100, and signed by James and Al.

Yesterday we sent details of Batch No. 4 to our mailing list but will be launching it officially on the website in the coming days.

We'll be at the Imperial War Museum in June

For anyone who wants to see it in person before ordering we'll be running a launch event at the Imperial War Museum in June. You'll be able to try on a sample, get measured on the spot if you'd like to place an order, and have a proper look and feel of the garment in person. We'll confirm the date shortly.