#prison chambray

[mus1g4]

I grew up in an upper-class, north shore suburb of Chicago. As barely a teenager, I can remember driving past Youth Facilities that were teeming with incredibly fit teenage boys with shaved heads and wearing prison denim.

It helped spur my deep interest in this topic.

But seeing 17 year old guys in chambray shirts with stenciled prison numbers and wearing scuffed work boots and denim work pants made me desperately want to commit a crime!

I would love to hear anyone else's inspiration!

[mus1g4]

of all the states who has the best denim/chambray shirt?

Historically, it has to be the LA CO JAIL! They used those things well into the 1970s and they were just epic! Stencils were harsh and random and the shirts were great!

Currently, I would say it is a tie between Idaho and Kansas!

[mus1g4]

This posting shares a uniform piece that I have been searching for.......well for decades! It is a circa 1950s blue chambray shirt from the Bureau of Prisons. These were the shirts used on Alcatraz. In fact, my alter-ego on this blog is an Alcatraz inmate wearing this style shirt.

I have staged the mannequin in Alcatraz uniform consisting of a white tee shirt, button fly khaki pants and the chambray shirt.

The shirt is different from the USN shirts you often see because it has only one chest pocket.

I have also staged the mannequin with both a buttoned and unbuttoned collar. And finally with a surplus USN pea coat which Alcatraz inmates were issued for yard time.

Finally, a little screen shot from Escape from Alcatraz! They got it pretty close!

[mus1g4]

Justin Crenshaw, Life Sentence Without Parole for Murder, Spokane Washington

Chambray blue jumpsuit and handcuffed behind the back

[mus1g4]

Louisiana State Pen mugshot

[mus1g4]

Jackson State Prison shirt in faded blue chambray. This is likely a fake, but it is a fun shirt and in many ways very accurate.

[mus1g4]

Film still photo from Jamesy Boy.  Prison issued chambray shirts, buttoned at the collar while the inmates sit in the prison yard.