When you are out on a ship, you take good fortune with you. This is a 100% Cotton hand embroidered vintage U.S. Naval shirt. This vintage shirt has 2 rust spots as well as a couple of holes that have been hand mended by us. All visible in the photos above.
HOLD FAST- Spelled out on front facing fingers brings sailors good luck while gripping the rigging.
BLACK CAT- Having one aboard brings a sailor safely home from sea
PIG AND ROOSTER- Sailors shipped animals in wooden crates by sea. When ships went down, the crates floated and the animals inside (usually pigs and chickens) would be the only survivors! Pigs and chickens were worn by sailors in hopes it would bring them the same luck.
GOLDEN EARRING- This served as a protective talisman and a sailor wearing one would not drown.
BOTTLE OF RUM- Neptune loves rum and the offer of a shot overboard insures his protection for the duration of the journey.
SWALLOWS- These birds are a good omen to those at sea. They are land based birds so seeing them at sea informs a sailor that he is close to shore.
HORSESHOES- To keep storms away, a horseshoe is secured to the mast. Facing up the horseshoe catches all the good fortune, facing down the horseshoe spills the good fortune all over the ship.
SHAMROCK- Come on y'all, everyone knows this is good luck.
Good Luck!
We like to give you the actual measurements of the shirt as these are all vintage and not of uniform size. Please check the measurements carefully to ensure the desired fit.
Measurements in inches (not doubled) -
Pit to pit - 22
Waist - 20.5
Nape of collar to hem - 30.5
Center back collar to end of cuff (sleeve measure) - 34
Collar - 16This vintage shirt is hand embroidered. Please take care to hand wash separately in luke warm water and mild detergent. Do not wring, and hang dry. Press carefully (preferably with cloth).