Big Mac JCPenney Plaid Flannel — Green/Orange | Men's L Tall

A Big Mac by JCPenney flannel in a green, cream and burnt-orange plaid, 100% cotton and cut L Tall. Big Mac was the department-store workwear line a lot of dads wore to the job, and this one has washed down soft with the colors still clear.

Why it's vintage

Big Mac was J.C. Penney's very first store brand, started in 1922 as men's work clothes. Here's how collectors read this one.

KEY INDICATORS: what to look for

1. Collar: Long, pointed collar points with no buttons on the tips (not a button-down). Long points like these were a 1970s look that faded in the 1980s.
2. Bias-cut pockets: Both chest pockets are cut on the bias, meaning turned 45 degrees, so their plaid runs diagonally against the body plaid. It takes extra fabric and care to cut, a classic mark of a well-made flannel.
3. Placket: Six button spots down the front: five tan four-hole buttons plus one empty buttonhole, as pictured.
4. Fabric: Green, cream and orange plaid in 100% cotton. The plaid is woven in, not printed: you can see the colored threads running through the twill weave. Woven-in color holds up better than a printed plaid.
5. Logo (1971 or later): Both tags spell "JC Penney" in the newer style. Penney's adopted its JCPenney logo in 1971.
6. Care tag (1972 or later): Written washing steps but no care symbols. US law first required sewn-in care tags in July 1972; symbol-only US tags came in 1997.
7. WPL 11935: A WPL is an old government ID for wool and clothing makers, issued 1941 to 1959 and used long after. It dates the registration, not the shirt.
8. Origin: Tagged Tall Sizes L-Tall, Made in Portugal.

How to check: The tags are woven (the letters are stitched into the fabric, not printed on top), and the plaid shows the same colors through the weave. Look at the pocket plaid against the body plaid to see the bias cut.

The piece

• Brand: Big Mac (JCPenney)
• Tag size: L Tall (Tall Sizes)
• 100% cotton flannel
• Button front, chest pockets
• WPL 11935 (JCPenney)
• Made in Portugal
• Era: 1970s-1990s

Measurements are pictured in the photos (PP, NH, SS, PC).

Condition

1. Right cuff (as worn) is missing its button and is held closed with a safety pin, as pictured
2. Front placket is missing one button (3rd from the bottom, 4th from the top), as pictured
3. Soft wash wear consistent with age
4. Care tag print is worn

Ships from Ontario, CA.