Swanndri

Swanndri is a trade name for a range of popular New Zealand outdoor clothing, and also used informally to refer to their original long heavy bush shirt.

The classic "swanny" or bush shirt is a heavy, hooded, woollen garment with a lace up section at the neck. Although a wide range of colours and patterns are available, the traditional swanny pattern is a dark tartan which could be described as a 'reverse gingham', with thick criss-crossing stripes of either blue or red over a black base. The item was widely worn by farmers, but in recent years its popularity has spread and it has become something of a fashion item.

The Swanndri company also now produces a range of more urban-focussed garments.

History

The Swanndri, or "swanny" as it has been dubbed, was designed by William Broome (1873–1942). Since he registered Swanndri as a trademark on 23 December 1913, it has become an iconic New Zealand garment, and the term "swanny" has, to some extent at least, become a genericised trademark for heavy bush shirts within New Zealand.