Flosmore sweater twin set

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281081144060

This vintage men’s twin set was made in the 1940s by “Flosmore”. It’s an unusual material, with a knitted texture on one side and a fleece texture on the other. The original tag states that it is made with a 100% wool pile and a 100% cotton back, treated to give it a fur like finish. The box is stamped that the set is a size Medium. It also comes with the original guarantee ticket. The set consists of a matching pullover sweatervest and five-button front cardigan. They are both in excellent condition and have never been worn. I would say the set would best fit someone in the size 38-40 range.

Vest
Chest (pit to pit, unstretched): 18″
Chest (pit to pit, stretched) : 22″
Length: 20″

Cardigan
Chest (pit to pit, unstretched): 21″
Chest (pit to pit, stretched): 25″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 18″
Shoulder to Cuff: 23″

 photo IMG_4225.jpg
 photo IMG_4216.jpg
 photo IMG_4217.jpg
 photo IMG_4219.jpg
 photo IMG_4220.jpg
 photo IMG_4221.jpg
 photo IMG_4223.jpg
 photo IMG_4226.jpg
 photo IMG_4227.jpg
 photo IMG_4228.jpg

Italian Police jacket no. 2

A second version of a jacket I sold a couple of months ago, in much better shape.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271175519611

This vintage jacket was made in Italy by “Giusti”. It is police issue, a double breasted style. It has raglan shoulders, buttoned tabs on the sleeves, a buttoned throat latch, and slash handwarmer pockets. It has a blanket wool lining. The leather is in great shape.

Chest (pit to pit): 25″
Sleeve (center of collar to cuff): 33″

 photo IMG_4290.jpg
 photo IMG_4292.jpg
 photo IMG_4293.jpg
 photo IMG_4294.jpg
 photo IMG_4295.jpg
 photo IMG_4296.jpg

Belknap hunting jacket

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271175537380
This vintage field coat was made by the Belknap Hardware and mfg co of Louisville, KY. It is a standard field coat, with a large came pocket, corduroy collar, action back and multiple front cargo pockets. It is made from heavy water resistant duck canvas. It is partially lined in plaid flannel.

Chest (pit to pit): 27″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 20″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 22-1/2″

 photo IMG_4238.jpg

 photo IMG_4239.jpg
 photo IMG_4240.jpg
 photo IMG_4241.jpg
 photo IMG_4242.jpg

Leather Jerkin no. 2

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271175509970
This vintage leather jerkin was made in 1950 for the Belgian military. It is a similar model to that used during WWII by British forces. These were popular, both pre and post war among European laborers and hunters as an overgarment. This one has an olive drab blanket lining and plain shoulders. The tweed jacket pictured under the jerkin not included, and is pictured only to illustrate this vest’s use as a piece of outerwear.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″ (doubled =44″)

 photo IMG_4312.jpg
 photo IMG_4314.jpg
 photo IMG_4317.jpg
 photo IMG_4318.jpg
 photo IMG_4320.jpg
 photo IMG_4323.jpg
 photo IMG_4324.jpg

New Mode 1950s leather utility jacket

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281081116224
This 1950s vintage leather jacket has classic styling of the time period, with a zipped breast pocket and handwarmers. Examples from the 1930s generally would have had a half-belt back and side adjuster belts. This one has a plain back, with elastic in the side panels. With a nod to motorcycle jacket styling, it has zipped cuffs. The hardware is somewhat unusual. The jacket has super-early YKK zippers, from when that Japanese company first came onto the American market in the 1950s. The brass slide fasteners are near clones of the Talon zippers made at the time, with the logo replaced. The jacket has a snap front leather vest sewn in, so that the jacket can be worn open and still offer some protection from the wind. At the bottom, there is a double snap fastened tab, a detail more commonly seen on European jackets. The panels between the leather vest and the zipper are lined in corduroy, and have a leather reinforced pistol pocket. The rest of the body of the jacket is lined in a velveteen material. The leather collar of the jacket has a knit collar inside of it to hug your neck and keep the wind out. There are marks from where there originally would have been knit storm cuffs in the sleeves. The jacket has an earlier style label which reads “New Mode – Special Product”. A secondary label, sewn directly above the main one, also reads “New Mode”. The underside of the collar has reinforcement stitching. With a 48″ chest, this would best fit a size 44-46, depending on how you wear your leather jackets.

Chest (pit to pit): 24″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 22″

 photo IMG_4297.jpg
 photo IMG_4298.jpg
 photo IMG_4299.jpg
 photo IMG_4300.jpg
 photo IMG_4301.jpg
 photo IMG_4302.jpg
 photo IMG_4303.jpg
 photo IMG_4306.jpg
 photo IMG_4307.jpg
 photo IMG_4308.jpg
 photo IMG_4311.jpg

Country Western

Here’s another piece from the collection.
This suit was originally owned by a country/western performer named Robert Frost. Unfortunately I have been able to find out very little about him. The suit is a home-made job from the ’60s, in the style of the Nudie suits worn by Porter Wagoner. If anyone has any info on it, I’d love to hear from you.

 photo IMG_4234.jpg
 photo IMG_4236.jpg
 photo 8523_porterwagoner2.jpg

Joseph Jaeger Jacket

Here’s one from my collection, which is not for sale, but certainly is worth sharing.

I found this jacket at a Salvation Army thrift shop in Halifax Nova Scotia. It was custom made by Joseph Jaeger, a furrier in Berkeley, California, and is truly one of the most unusual pieces of vintage menswear I’ve lucked across. The detailing is odd enough that dating is difficult.

 photo IMG_4229.jpg

 photo IMG_4230.jpg

 photo IMG_4233.jpg

 photo IMG_4231.jpg

 photo IMG_4232.jpg

Simplified Hat Photography

Most of my shots are done professionally in a studio by Michael G. Stewart, but those of you at home can get good looking results with a minimum of cost or effort.
Here’s how.

01: A hat stand of some description is important for photographing your hat while maintaining the shape of its brim. This purpose made one cost $5. The backdrop is a sheet of 18″x24″ paper from an art store.
02: To minimize shadows, shoot outdoors on an overcast day, or at the very least in shadow. Make sure what you’re shooting does not hang over the edge of the white.
03: In photoshop (or GIMP, it’s free), white balance to the lightest point of the white backdrop.
04: Use a brush tool to knock out all the non-white sections of the photo.
05: Select the shadows and white balance that selection separately to eliminate them.
06: Crop.
Photobucket

Five Pin Bowling Sweater

I found this vintage sweater in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It is handmade from a pattern by the Canadian company, Mary Maxim dating to the 1960s, and depicts the sport of Five Pin Bowling, played only in Canada. Watch the video below to see another one of these sweaters in action.
PhotobucketPhotobucket
Photobucket
 

Powr-House shawl collar mackinaw

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281078381329

This vintage shawl collar mackinaw was made under Montgomery Ward’s workwear label, Powr-House. This style was popular from the 1930s-1950s and the style remained basically unchanged during that time. It has a cotton shell, with a mouton collar and sheepskin lining. There are leather reinforcements at the corners of the pockets, and a throat latch under the shawl collar. The label and the quilted material in the sleeves make me think this is probably a ’50s version of the coat- earlier ones, while nearly identical on the exterior, would likely have had blanket wool linings in the sleeves. There is some light colored staining to the mouton collar, and at the bottom of the coat, some light colored staining, which cleaning has not been able to remove. The coat is labeled in the pocket as a size 42.

Chest (shoulder to shoulder): 24″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 20″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″

    Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket