Mombasa Suit

I love the marketing for this wonderful suit. It’s all classic Banana Republic, with a great spread of artwork with background art that inspires the imagination and catalog copy that manages to namedrop both Isak “Out of Africa” Dinesen and St. Tropez. It really makes you want to be this person.

From the catalogue: “Mombasa,” wrote Isak Dinesen in 1914, “is a fiery hothouse…the sun blazing down on your head makes you unconscious.” Today, Mombasa is a bustling seaport on the Southeast Kenya Coast-requiring cool, urbane attire-and still a fiery hothouse. Thus, our Mombasa suit–designed to keep you looking crisp no matter how high the mercury climbs. Its room comfort, stylish cut and utter practicality will get you through the hottest, stickiest, steamiest burgs of Africa, Asia, and Alabama; yet its savoir-faire suits St. Tropez. It’s made of luxurious Egyptian cotton that feels silky, reflects sun, resists wrinkles, washes nicely, dries overnight-in short, travels beautifully. Finally–the quintessential minimal women’s traveling wardrobe.”

At this time I don’t have photos of a real life Mombasa Suit.

They actually did two drawings of the suit, the first was in Spring 85 and is rougher than the colored pencil version, but it does show the details of the pleats and button on the skirt better.