Two collegiate knits from the early 1900s, reimagined with Far Afield & Uncle Otis

For those of you who’ve been shopping with us for a while, you’ll know about Far Afield. Brothers and co-founders, Mark and Chris Scholes, from Far Afield have been great friends of ours, and we’ve really believed in their mission to make great clothes that are, as they put it, “designed for the journey”. And what an amazing journey Uncle Otis has had for the past 35 years!

As our shop continues to evolve, one thing definitely remains constant: our love for quality clothes that stand the test of time.

For our 35th anniversary, we’re keen to collaborate with Far Afield and create some pieces we’re all excited about.

Looking back to vintage clothing for inspiration, we decided to reference sportswear from the early 1900s that took Ivy League campuses by storm. The first item we have for you is the Cricket Cable Knit Pinto Vest. 

Originally designed to keep cricket players warm between matches in the rainy English climate, it was quickly adapted for casual wear by the students at American Ivy League universities in the early 1900s.

Originally designed to keep cricket players warm between matches in the rainy English climate, it was quickly adapted for casual wear by the students at American Ivy League universities in the early 1900s.

Styling the Uncle Otis x Far Afield Cricket Vest

Identified by their deep V-neck construction, cable knit pattern, ivory colour, and contrasting stripes along the ribbing to indicate which school you belonged to. We’ve taken it a step further and added a custom “UO” letterman patch to the front of ours for that collegiate look.

Savas is pictured here wearing our Uncle Otis x Far Afield Cricket Vest with a Drake’s ticking stripe oxford button down, an Oliver Spencer silk tie, and a pair of white orSlow 105 denims.

Last but not least, we have a knit jacket inspired by the vintage letterman jackets worn by college varsity athletes. Vince has an extensive collection of vintage clothes (emphasis on extensive) and one of his favourite pieces is a dark green varsity jacket with cream coloured leather sleeves.

This piece also has our custom “UO” letterman patch, and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.

For this collaborative project, he wanted to bring his favourite jacket to life using Far Afield’s Zigger cardigan as the base. We kept the body the same rich dark green, and used a contrast cable knit in white for the sleeves to emphasize the textural difference from the body. 

This piece also has our custom “UO” letterman patch, and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.