Submission: Our Southern Swanny

As many of my loyal readers have been prompting me to submit something into the mix, I present my first submission. Finally. Here’s the description from the official site:

Our Southern Swanny

Inspired by ‘Our United Tarpaulin’ from Kris Sowersby, ‘Our Southern Swanny’ is a staple of New Zealand fashion we proudly wear, regardless of the occasion. With its distinct pattern still found at fieldays, local pubs, and on the sidelines of school sports grounds, this uniquely kiwi icon historically “became the choice of pioneering New Zealanders the length and breadth of the country”.

Like ‘Our United Tarpaulin’, those who’ve already joined the Swanndri army can grab a stick and fly their ‘flag’ proudly with a little DIY. Originally made from 100% pure New Zealand wool this hardy and waterproof shirt is ideal for flying in a raging southerly or gentle nor’wester.

The ‘swanny’ was originally designed by William Broome, a Taranaki tailor.

— Discuss on flagpost.nz » View original submission on flag.govt.nz »

You can find out more information about the New Zealand Swanndri on Wikipedia.

UPDATE: After submitting this concept I realised there’s another side to this design, in that the production of Swanndri was outsourced to China in 2005, no longer qualifying for ”Kiwi-made status”. Let’s hope the new flag is made in New Zealand…