Double Knits

I mentioned earlier that I sometimes wore double knit pants when I was off-duty in Taipei. Hey, it wasn't really my fault. Lots of guys wore double knits in the early seventies, right? Can I see a show of hands?

I also mentioned that I had a bright plaid pair at the time but I didn't mention that they were bell bottoms with wide cuffs (Cue up the calliope).

I never did own a leisure suit, but I'm thinking about getting one now, moving to Florida, and complaining about politicians full time. I think that maybe something in a powder blue, accessorized with white shoes and belt, matched with a polyester shirt with oversize collar would just about do it. Add a thick gold chain or two and I'm ready.

Anyway, all of this jogged my memory regarding double knits at TDC. I don't recall that any of the Army, Marine or Air Force guys wore them, but I do remember that several of the Navy guys wore tailored double knit whites to work. They really looked sharp, but I often wondered how often they had to have them cleaned.

These fashion statements would have been during 1973-74, but I assume they were still doing it a few years before or after as well. Does anyone remember double knit uniforms?

Amahs & Apartments & Shoes

Sarj provided these photos of his apartment in the early 1960s.

After reading the post on servants, I remembered that I had a picture of the amah who worked for Joe Kowalowski and me before I got married. I made comment on the blog that I would find the photos and scan them for you. Joe and I shared this apartment until I got married in Nov '62.

When I found the pictures and looked at them, I noticed the calendar on the wall. It's a 1962 calendar from K Shoes on Chung Shan N. Rd. I always thought of this place as K Tailors. They did do tailoring, but as the enlargement of the calendar shows, shoes were their main thing.

*** UPDATE ***

Just received this photo of K Shoes from Roger, over at the Linkou website.

Clothing in Taiwan

Chapter 11 of the Taiwan Report described what types of clothing were generally worn, as well as their availability in-country. It also provided tips for clothing maintenance.

Many people had clothes custom made while I was there in the mid-seventies, though I think it was more common a few years earlier. Friends of mine who visited Hong Kong said that they could visit a tailor in the morning to pick out a suit style and fabric and be measured, return for a fitting in the afternoon and have the suit delivered to their hotel by evening.

My wardrobe was pretty simple in those days. Still is, come to think of it. Anyway, what I remember most is how the high humidity and frequent rainfall made everything feel damp most of the time. I had just spent about five years in Colorado Springs, with its cool and dry climate before heading to Taipei, so it was quite an adjustment.

After leaving USTDC, I was assigned to a base near Houston, Texas, and barely noticed the high humidity there.