String Vest

A trip to Beamish Museum today where I saw this string vest lying on a bed in the newly opened Aged Miners Cottages.

I do remember string vests as my dad used to wear them.  Apparently they were invented by Henrik Brun in 1933.  He was a commandant in the Norwegian army.  The idea is that they kept men warm by trapping a layer of air between the skin and the shirt.  They were also supposed to keep men cool in the summer too.  

Although a Norwegian invention they were enthusiastically adopted by British men from the 1950's.  However, Tesco and Asda stopped selling them in 2007.  

I have attached a few extra photos from today.  It was so good to get out for a walk after the storm.