Army surplus as antidote to ‘Miami Vice’-wear

Press, 6 January 1987, Page 17

Army surplus as antidote to ‘Miami Vice’-wear

By

GARRY ARTHUR

When Jim Wilson looks around him, it seems that all the citizens of Christchurch are dressed up for walk-on parts in “Miami Vice” — wearing dazzling white and coloured cottons. It bores him silly. As an antidote, he is likely to drive to work in a United States Army tiger-stripe flak jacket and a combat helmet complete with netting. It makes people stare, but it might also lead like-minded souls to follow him to the shop he recently opened in Sydenham specially to sell that sort of gear. Whatever the reason, people have been flocking to the shop which is trying to turn army surplus into fashion clothing. Not all of the customers are merely the fashion-conscious reacting against Miami Vicewear. Some are collectors of militaria, and others are after gear that will help them look the part for playing such things as the Ultimate Game where they hunt each other in the woods.

Jim Wilson has spent a long time preparing to give Christchurch its first army surplus store for many years. Twelve months ago he went to the Ministry of Defence and the Government Stores Board to talk about buying their military leftovers, and he wrote overseas to manufacturers and distributors throughout the East.

He is now on the United States Defence Department’s reutilisation bidders’ list, and also the Pacific area tender list, which gives him access to such bulk items as 2000 cold-weather jackets for sale in Hawaii, or a thousand rip-stop pants in Okinawa.

The New Zealand Government Stores Board sometimes puts up clothing for tender, but they, too, sell in bilk — 2500 Malayan jungle shirts for instance. Another source is the seconds sold

off by manufacturers who supply the “I’m like a magpie,” Jim Wilson says. “I get stuff from all over the place. A lot of it is my own collection. I’ve been wearing this style of clothes for a while.” He is not the only one. Many young people like to wear United States Army M 65 jackets which they get sent to them from overseas. Others send off to Australia for United States marine “fishtail” parkas. Now a Wellington importer is bringing them into New Zealand. Christchurch has not had such a place for a long time, but there are Army surplus stores all around the world, and Jim Wilson has been visiting them and seeing how they operate. Word that his shop had opened spread quickly, and in his first week he was being asked for special items like United States Navy deck hats and “bloodchit” T-shirts that bear the legend, in half a dozen languages: “I am a citizen of the U.S.A. Misfortune forces me to seek your aid. Please give me shelter, food and water, and take me to the nearest Allied base. My Government will reward you.”

He had to sell the one in his own collection, for $2O. “I’ve got

to learn about this sort of collectors’ item in a hurry,” he says. Workers are another category of customer. “Military clothing is very well made,” Jim Wilson says, “and bushmen have been asking for black singlets and blankets.” Veterans of New Zealand’s wars have been dropping in for a nostalgic look and a chat about the stuff they used to wear. Youngsters who have been to “Rambo” are looking for military clothes close to their size, and Jim Wilson says hairdressers and punks are buying military gear because it is “anti-fashion.” Collectors are looking for military badges, medals, and flashes, and even weapons, but the proprietor has no plans to stock those.

Deerstalkers and duck shooters have also found the shop, and even serving soldiers have been in looking for American military clothing, presumably to upgrade their issued gear.

Jim Wilson brought back quite a bit of American military cloth-

ing from a recent visit to the United States, but it has moved so fast that he has had to get busy restocking. “The best time to be in army surplus is after a major war,” he says, a bit wistfully. “After Vietnam, you could go to a warehouse in the East and buy 20,000 United States Army shirts for 5c each.” What he has spotted is an obvious gap in the retailing market. Wellington has two Army surplus stores. One of them, “Crazy” Rick’s in Cuba Street, is a city institution. A new one, called Splendiferous, is bringing in similar clothing to Jim Wilson’s Army-Navy-Westem store. Auckland has a chain of four such stores. The “western” side of Jim Wilson’s stock-in-trade is still in its embryo stage — a few cowboy hats that sold like hot cakes, and some belts and bootlace ties. Buckskin jackets are now on order.

Although he has only just started, Jim Wilson already has enough variety to start equipping an International Brigade. He has

United States Navy pea jackets and “extreme cold weather” parkas, red vests made for the West German Army; German Army down sleeping bags (they sold on the first day); New Zealand Army boots and dress shoes;

Italian Army shorts; and flags of all the most militaristic nations. Accessories range from “police and firemen’s” braces to red berets, C-rations, Zippo lighters, and bags for carrying your antipersonnel mines.

Not all of the clothing has been through military hands. So great is the world-wide demand for “army surplus” that the Taiwanese and Koreans are manufacturing imitation uniforms for sale.

Later, Jim Wilson wants to start a uniform hire service for parties and the stage. Already a fashion photographer has been along to borrow uniforms in which to dress three female models.