Vintage safari shirt - is it 1970s? 1940s?

[Andrii]

When I found this safari (or military uniform?) shirt initially I thought it is from the 70s. However this style was also popular in the 1940s. So how to tell if it’s 70s or earlier? It lacks any tags but is very well made and in a great condition. I believe the fabric is cotton or other natural cellulose fiber. What is interesting to me here is the seams ( surged? ) and the buttons, which are very lookalike to those I’ve seen on some of the 40s 50s safari shirts available on the internet. The ivory color plastic buttons look like they are faded in the sun and initially were darker beige tone. How would you date this one? Any ideas on the style and construction?

 

[Ranch Queen Vintage]

When I found this safari (or military uniform?) shirt initially I thought it is from the 70s. However this style was also popular in the 1940s. So how to tell if it’s 70s or earlier? It lacks any tags but is very well made and in a great condition. I believe the fabric is cotton or other natural cellulose fiber. What is interesting to me here is the seams ( surged? ) and the buttons, which are very lookalike to those I’ve seen on some of the 40s 50s safari shirts available on the internet. The ivory color plastic buttons look like they are faded in the sun and initially were darker beige tone. How would you date this one? Any ideas on the style and construction?

Your shirt is contemporary, but it is a traditional Guayabera shirt. Here's a link about its history.

 

[The Vintage Vendeuse]

Definitely agree with guayabera shirt.
I remember the "Mexican wedding shirt" being popular in main-stream fashion in the 1960s/70s (at least it was here in the Midwest US).

 

[MagsRags]

I agree with Marsha and Donna that it is not 40s - a 40s shirt would have flat felled seams instead of serged seams and wouldn't have those side seam vents.

 

[Andrii]

Your shirt is contemporary, but it is a traditional Guayabera shirt. Here's a link about its history.

Many thanks for your input and especially the link! So the two chest and two hem pockets appeared in the mid 20th century, this is a very useful info.
@MagsRags @The Vintage Vendeuse Thanks for sharing your knowledge too! Based on what you said, overall feel of the item and the condition of the buttons I am leaning towards 1970s era on this one

 

[Andrii]

However what made me think of an earlier date was the absence of any tags on this presumably factory made shirt. I believe in the 1970s including fabric content and care labels became mandatory. So perhaps it could be from the 1960s and then it could’ve had a swing tag that was lost? How often do you see garments from the 70s or later, excluding homemade, that doesn’t have any tags or labels?

 

[MagsRags]

How often do you see garments from the 70s or later, excluding homemade, that doesn’t have any tags or labels?

The 1972 mandate for care labels was from the FTC and aimed at clothing manufactured for sale in the US. Other countries & regions have their own mandates, but bottom line, if your shirt was not sold in the US first time around, dating via care tag has room for error.

 

[Andrii]

The 1972 mandate for care labels was from the FTC and aimed at clothing manufactured for sale in the US. Other countries & regions have their own mandates, but bottom line, if your shirt was not sold in the US first time around, dating via care tag has room for error.

I know that so it is only an assumption. However here in Ukraine the majority of vintage goods is from Europe. And in Europe and UK care labels appeared even earlier - in the late 1960s. So almost every country had them by the 1970s. I can’t say about Cuba or Mexico though. But as @The Vintage Vendeuse said if these shirts were popular in the 60s/70s in US it seems like a good guess to me.

 

[MagsRags]

here in Ukraine the majority of vintage goods is from Europe

Got it. But if it was a tourist-on-vacation purchase in a country where guayabera shirts are more common, it would be sold under whatever laws exist in that country.