A True Workwear Garment
This vintage pair of Jack Rabbit bib-overalls dates back to the 1950s. This was the period that is also known as ‘The Golden Period’ in the denim industry. After World War 2 denim became such a popular and important piece of clothing. Youth started to wear jeans, but workwear was still the main cornerstone in the denim industry. From railroad, to construction workers, to farmers. It was the typical American workwear garment.
Virginia
This specific Jack Rabbit bib-overall was owned by a farmer from Virginia. Virginia is one of the states in America. The name refers to Queen Elizabeth I from Engeland, The Virgin Queen. It’s one of the oldest of the thirteen colonies that would form the United States in the 18th century and was instrumental in the country’s early history.
A Corn Farmer
The farmer of this bib-overall was a corn farmer. There are several types of corn. The most common types are field corn, sweet corn, and popcorn. Popcorn is the official Illinois snack food.
Corn is a grain, not a vegetable, and is part of the grass family. Each corn plant produces just one or two ears of corn and is ready for harvest after approximately 120 days of growth. Corn is called maize in most countries, which comes from the Spanish word for corn ‘maiz.’
Vintage 1950s Bib-Overall
This Jack Rabbit overall is one of those brands that were active during the 1950s. A lot of small niche brands came on the market with a focus on workwear. It’s hard to imagine that this pair was unwashed (dry) in the beginning, as all the garments were back in those days.
The overall has a lot of repairs, as people were poor and repaired their garments over and over again to extend its lifetime. A lot of workers just had one item to wear, and used just a few in their entire career. Most of the workwear garments are big sized as they were worn a lot of times over their clothes, just as a Coverall.
Piece Of Denim Art
During the years this Jack Rabbit bib-overall turned into a unique piece with so many denim repairs, and stitches to keep it alive. On some points the thread is worn-out, also at the side seams, so you can see the beautiful selvedge ID-line running.
While this piece is over 70 years old, it represents the American workwear heritage and is retired in my personal denim archive.
Showcase your brand or product on Long John to reach your target audience, read more about it here, or send an email for the possibilities: wouter@long-john.nl
