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Richard Walker’s Pants

A mint in package example of Richard Walker pants. The buyer graciously sent in more pictures (see bottom of post).

Richard Walker is mentioned in the Wild Company book (pg. 106) as an American working in London as a buyer who helped connect the Zieglers with Mr. Brady for the Traveling Bag, among others. When they ran into difficulties with fussy English factories he sent them to Italy for designing their leather and linen bags.

The pants he inspired, WW2 US Army issues, debuted in Spring 1986 and remained through Spring 1988.

Copy from the catalog:

One day in London, our expatriate friend Richard Walker pulled out a pair of pants that had been issued to him as an Army recruit, 25 years earlier. “The best-fitting, sturdiest pants I ever owned,” he announced.  “They don’t make ‘em like this anymore!” They were classic chinos, vintage 1945-button fly, no pleats, rugged twill. At Fort Carson, Colorado, Richard had surreptitiously procured pair after stylishly baggy pair for civilian friends, and couldn’t part with his own, despite his relentlessly expanding waistline. Moved by his plight, we had no choice but to replicate the pattern and fabric, and dedicate the pants to Richard Walker, who by now owns a lifetime supply. 

Spring 1987
Summer 1987. This second illustration of Richard Walker’s Pants does a better job of showing the drape of the baggy legs.

About The Author

Robyn Adams
Robyn’s fascination with Banana Republic began in 1984 when her Alaskan adventurer father began buying their clothing and giving her their catalogs. She loved the clothes, and as an artist, she was drawn to the illustrations. Robyn went on to study illustration at an art college in Banana Republic’s hometown of San Francisco, CA, and she worked for years as a background artist for animation. She is now based in Oakland, CA and works as a graphic designer and illustrator. She has been collecting and archiving at Abandoned Republic since 2011.