Jämä Blanket Shirt

A proper bushcrafty Blanket Shirt, a primite "low-tech" design where the superior natural qualities of wool combined with simple yet clever details make for a very functional outdoors jacket. These are sewn by us using good quality military surplus wool blankets!

Updated pattern! Fits better on the shoulders.

• Large chest pocket, positioned a bit higher up on the chest as not to interfere with backpack hip belts or equipment belts worn over the shirt. Great for storage or warming your cold fingers.
• Inside the pocket is a smaller pocket, sewn onto the body side of the shirt. This little flat pocket is intended to safely store any important valuables such as mobile phones.
• A hood, offers protection from wind and rain and keeps your head warm.
• Access slits on the sides to make rummanging through your trouser pockets or accessing equipment on your trouser belt easier.
• The hem is way longer on the back, this will keep the crack of your arse covered in any squatting position and it also offers simple protection from wet or cold surfaces when sitting.
• Raglan sleeves, these are a really neat thing! No seams anywhere on top of the shoulders means no chafing when carrying backpacks, as a bonus the raglans actually make the jacket look a bit better fitted (as if that would matter with clothing like this...).

Materials and variations

These are made from proper quality military surplus blankets. As availability of military surplus varies so does these shirts, we use what is available! This means that colours (even in the same jacket) and prices can vary, some stuff is more expensive, some cheaper.

JNA, these former Yugoslavian army blankets are nice quality, coarse but dense. Judging from our burn tests we guess these are 100% wool, but naturally we can´t be 100% sure so we´re not promising anything. The colour is a nice ghastly brownish-greenish gray.

Polish, made from Polish army gray blankets. These Polish blankets are a little, tiny bit thicker than most blankets (i.e. very thick). Our burn tests show that these are either 100% wool or a very, very wool heavy mix (90/10 wool/polyester for example). Model shown in the main picture.

H.R. Co., we have no idea about the actual origin of these, the only clue is a tag saying "H.R. Co Wool Rich Blanket" which appears to have been added later. The special thing is that the material is more like "normal" fabric, thinner and much more dense, almost like if a standard blanket would have been flattened by a steam roller. This makes these shirts feel a bit less cumbersome. Our guess is that the material is 90% wool. These cost a little bit more than the other models due to the fact that the hem and sleeves have all been finished by folding and stitching them, as opposed to most other blankets that come with their edges finished to begin with. The colour may rub off onto other clothing, so don´t wear your fanciest silk dress shirt underneath!

Finnish wool, this is the stuff used in Finnish army M/65 series of field clothing. It's strong qualities are a large wool content and the fact that it really is meant for clothes, so it's more durable compared to cut-up blankets. Army surplus!

And more to come, we will surely be making these from other materials in the future and as that happens we will update this spot.

Sizing

These are made in three sizes and the drop down menu indicates the recommended user height and chest circumference. A blanket shirt will never fit like a nice suit, but by choosing the right size you will get a functional garment that fits the purpose it was made for.

The most important measure is the chest, if the shirt is too tight you simply can´t get into it, if it is a bit too big: nobody cares, you look like a hobo anyway! The sleeves are generously long. Too long for you? Just fold them up for the perfect custom fit!

The model in the photos is 178 cm tall and has a chest of 95 cm. The shirt is a size S. This size leaves just enough room for a wool mid layer shirt to be worn under the Blanket Shirt.

The model in the photos is 5' 10" tall and has a chest of 37". The shirt is a size S. This size leaves just enough room for a wool mid layer shirt to be worn under the Blanket Shirt.

In the chart below you can see the actual centimetre dimensions of the shirts: first chest circumference, then front length from collar to hem, back length from neck seam to hem, and sleeve length from the center of the neck to the cuff (this measuring style works better with raglan sleeves). These measurements may vary a cm here or there from shirt to shirt.

Jämä is upcycled surplus

Click here for the whole Jämä selection.

Jämä is a Finnish word meaning leftovers or scraps. It’s also one of our house brands for equipment made from recycled or surplus materials. From time to time we accumulate stuff that doesn't sell well but is made out of outstanding materials. We've also got several capable seamstresses here, and the equation is pretty clear: cut that useless stuff apart and sew it back together to create something useful.

Because Finnish labour is one of the most expensive in the world, these are very simple, practical and rugged in design. Our development and prototype production remains in-house while most of the production is outsourced to Turku - still within Finland. Simplicity means strength: the fewer parts there are, the smaller the chance of breaking anything.