Anyone who’s had an in depth conversation with me knows that one of my goals in life is to identify the coveralls used in Halloween (1978). Well, after learning that the movie was filmed in Spring of 1978 and that the wardrobe was purchased from JC Penney, I decided to do some investigating…
I found a seller on eBay who had a 1978 JC Penney Spring/Summer Catalog for sale and keep in mind these things are about 2 inches thick. They contain nearly every item for sale at the time of its release. So I messaged the seller and asked if the magazine contained any men’s coveralls, and if it did if they could upload the photo to the listing. They responded promptly and uploaded the photos! Unfortunately, the coveralls in this photo did not have a squared off pocket flap. However, they were offered in the color olivewood green, the exact color that the original coveralls (supposedly) were! I’ve eliminated this catalog so now I will be checking the fall/winter 1977 catalog, along with the 1977 spring/summer catalog. I am super excited by the findings and I really think this is a step in the right direction!
Cover:
Big macs offered in Olivewood:
Other coveralls offered:
Pay close attention to pair “A”… Those are the olivewood green pair being modeled. Notice how they look navy/grey. That just goes to show you how accurate the Olivewood color is to the original movie pair. Amazing. I can’t quite see the pocket flap on that pair, so I will be asking for more photos. I will update this later!
Man this is awesome stuff, and I’m pretty much certain this is the sure fire way to finally find out the truth behind the H1 coveralls once and for all.
Has anyone ever thought about doing some kind of kickstarter/fundraising project to get JC Penney or maybe some independent company to make these coveralls again, at least for a few runs? Someone HAS to have the pattern laying around somewhere, and I know I’d be happy to put money towards such a project. If Ghostly can find the exact item number in one of these catalogs, I feel like that would be a huge step forward for such a project to occur.
I don’t believe anyone has, but it is certainly is a good idea. I know JCPenney keeps their patterns back to a certain point. If we could find that item number I’d more than likely be able to get the pattern. I also believe it would be an awesome step in Myers history.
They are VERY sick. I have always wanted a pair but I can never seem to find any in my size.
Thank you very much, sir . I too believe that this is what the boards are about. Everyone loves a good POTD thread, or someone showing off a new score, but it isn’t every day that a new discovery pertaining to the series is made. I’m not saying I’ve made any discovery, but I do believe this is a good start to solving the mystery of the H1 coveralls . Again thank you for the comment!
The thought of being able to simply buy a pair of olivewood big macs in the right size rather than having to scour ebay and make some sort of compromise with each pair I find is almost too much for me to bear! I really hope we’re able to get the pattern.
Update: The seller messaged me back. Those olivewood coveralls have a rounded pocket flap. DAMMIT! Oh well. There is another buyer who is sending me photos from their 1977 fall and winter catalog. We will see!
It very well could be that the h1 coveralls were big macs, but there are several things about the pairs that I’ve seen that make me doubt it. The first thing is that the large majority of the pairs that I’ve seen have the overhanging pocket flap with rounded edges. The other thing is that every pair that I’ve seen has at least the two seams running up the back to the shoulders in order to make the action back, and the majority that I’ve seen also have the seam going right up the middle. Compare this to the Halloween coveralls, which has a seamless back and pleats at the shoulders. There certainly could have been a pattern that had both the seamless back and the stitched front pocket, but it’s not evident from the pairs that I’ve seen.
I am super glad that you like both threads. I look at everyone’s role on this site as investigators. We should always question everything until it is proven with cold hard FACTS. And to be frank that just hasn’t happened with the H1 coveralls. We will soon see! I agree that big macs are nice but theres just something special about the Montgomery Wards.
I agree with you. I’ve questioned the use of big macs for a long time. I just find it odd that NO ONE has been able to find a pair with the correct stitching, pocket flaps, pleats, etc. I know they may be rare but come on- if they truly sold that many I am sure someone would have sold a pair by now.
. Again thank you for the comment!
I agree that big macs are nice but theres just something special about the Montgomery Wards.