This entry in the vintage archive is a Hilton bowling shirt, catalogued as late 1950s to early 1960s, carrying the chainstitched name of Lammlein's Bowling Shop at 5603 Hampton on the back. It is a single needle sleeve construction, size M (15–15½), in cream rayon with a black underlay running through the front placket and side vents.
The Front
Full front — open camp collar, short sleeves, and two symmetrical patch pockets, each built as an action pleat with a single button. The black facing runs the full length of the placket with no buttons visible on the outer face — the closure sits behind it, out of sight.
The Back
Full back — Lammlein's in gold script above a bowler figure worked in the same gold, the word BOWLING in black outlined block letters, SHOP beneath it, and the address 5603 Hampton in fine gold script below. The scale and density of the chainstitch here is the piece's strongest feature — a large uninterrupted area of embroidery rather than a small chest patch.
Action Pleats
What sets this shirt apart from most Hilton bowling shirts of the period is the placement of its action pleats. Most examples carry pleats only at the back yoke for freedom of movement; this one carries them at the front pockets and sleeves as well, each finished with the same black underlay visible through the back vents.
Front pocket — the patch pocket itself is built as an action pleat, opening at the centre to reveal the black underlay, closed by a single button rather than sitting flat like a standard patch pocket.Sleeve — the same black-underlay pleat construction repeated at the sleeve seam, giving extra room through the upper arm.Side vent — the pleat runs the full length of the body, visible here at the hem beside the embroidered Hampton address.
Hidden Buttons
Placket, opened — pulled open here to show the two sew-through buttons and the black facing they sit against. Closed, as seen in the full front view above, neither the buttons nor the buttonholes show — only the black strip reads from the outside.
Condition Notes
Shoulder, close up — small thread holes are visible above the Lammlein's lettering. A possible explanation is a personal name once chainstitched here and later removed, though this is not confirmed.
Label & Provenance
The interior label reads Hilton, Single Needle Sleeve, 15-M-15½, with the maker's top-hatted bowler mark.
Structurally sound with light surface wrinkling to the shoulder consistent with age and storage. The action pleats and concealed placket point to a higher build tier within Hilton's bowling shirt range rather than a standard house style.
