Ask Tug Update: Short Sleeve and Long Sleeve Henley T-Shirts

Here’s an update from the reader who wrote me in late November looking for the short sleeve vintage henley undershirt from the 2006 movie Flyboys:

Ask Tug: Where can I find vintage short sleeve henley undershirts like the one in the movie Flyboys (2006)?

Hi Tug,

Last weekend was my boyfriend’s bday and I ended up getting him 3 versions which he was very very happy with. I bought a waffle Henley from jcrew that had those nice thick vintage cuffs (which I think is his favorite). As well as a long sleeve and short sleeve henley from Adam. He loved them all but I never felt like I really found the exact one he wanted. I think I would like to have a seamstress make it and a pattern maker- do u have some contact numbers in nyc? I have some other ideas I would love made as well.

Thanks for all your help and interest.

Hi there,

Thanks for following up! I think having a seamstress make the shirt is a wonderful idea. I don’t have any specific contacts in NYC, however, here’s a couple ideas that might help get you started:

If you’ve ever watched Project Runway, you may have noticed that the designers always go to a really big fabric store called Mood Fabrics. They are located on W37th between 7th Ave & 8th Ave. Most certainly you can find fabric there and they just might be able to refer you to a seamstress and a pattern maker.
I believe the founder of the Vdri men’s undershirt lives around the NYC area. If you go to his website (vdri.net) and email him, you could ask him if he has any referrals for where to get fabric, a stitcher (the commercial version of a seamstress), and a pattern maker. If you need an introduction, let me know.

Hope the information above helps you get started. Please keep me updated on your progress and do send me the links to the Henleys you bought your boyfriend.