Gibson and Barnes A-2

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281195687466
This is an older Gibson & Barnes reproduction of a WWII Army Air Corps A-2 flight jacket. It is made of heavy russet brown leather, with dark brown knits. The pockets are authentic patch style, not the hand-warmer style they are currently using. The jacket has a one piece back. The jacket has a Scovill Gripper Zipper and Scovill snaps. The tag is long since missing, but the cut, detailing, hardware, and liner color and material identify it as an older G&B.

Chest (pit to pit): 23″ (doubled = 46″)
Shoulder to Shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to end of knit cuff): 25″
Length (to end of knit waistband): 24″

35th Engineers – Skyline jacket

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281195672861

This vintage jacket was made in the 1950s for a “Bill Story”, a member of the Army 35th Engineer Battalion. The 35th engineers were stationed in Germany from March of 1952 until early 1957, and the jacket dates from within that timeframe. It is satin, in air force blue, with white knit cuffs, collar and waistband. The jacket has a German made “Opti” zipper, the 35th crest embroidered on the back, (ability, courage, results) and the owner’s name embroidered on the front. The lining is quilted.

Chest (pit to pit): 24″ (doubled = 48″)
Shoulder to Shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Length: 20″

Melton Wintermaster two tone jacket

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271306991316
This vintage jacket was made in the USA by Melton, under their Wintermaster line. The overall lines of the jacket, with its two tone styling, unlined construction, pocket setup and back belt adjusters all suggest the 1940s or early 1950s, but the hardware points to a date of manufacture no older than the 1960s. This is probably a model that was kept in their product line with no major changes for a long time.

Chest (pit to pit): 23″ (doubled = 46″)
Shoulder to Shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 23-1/2″
Length: 25″

Hunting and Fishing jacket

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271306401483
This vintage jacket was made in the 1940s under the WeatherBak label. This style was designed for hunters and fisherman, with space for every possible need. The canvas is advertised as “snag-pruf”, and the picture on the label of a hunter in the rain, along with the brand name reinforces the idea of water resistance which goes along whit this kind of tight, high quality canvas. Although canvas will get wet in the rain, the fibers swell with moisture, making a tight fabric even tighter, not allowing the water to actually pass through. I took some canvas gear on a canoe trip in Nova Scotia a year and a half ago. It rained the entire trip and my vintage canvas duffle was soaked, but everything inside remained dry.

The jacket has a short cut. There are pleated breast pockets, and wraparound double hip pockets. One has a divider with separate flaps, one has a single flap. There is a fly rod loop, a waist drawstring, pockets on each sleeve, and a roomy rear game pocket. There are two interior pockets. Room to fit everything you own! The underarms have open bottoms, an alternative to gussets for greater range of motion.

Chest (pit to pit): 23″
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 23″
Length: 21-1/2″

For a modern leather interpretation of this style, check out: http://fcancan.blogspot.com/2013/10/i-had-dream-part2.html

Alpaca lined shawl collar mackinaw

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281195223460

This vintage coat was made in the 1930s. While I have seen several of this particular model, none have had any tags. Originally, these coats were known as “sheeplined” coats, and were popular with railroad men, ranchers and other men who worked outdoors, as they were light for their warmth when compared to wool coats, and were particularly hard wearing. This one defies that name slightly by having an alpaca pile lining and collar. As is typical of the style, instead of buttonholes, this coat has loops, in this instance made from leather. Likewise, the pockets are reinforced with leather. There is a waterproof layer in between the outer canvas layer and the inner warm lining. In lieu of a tag, there is a military style size stamp at the bottom of the coat.

Chest (pit to pit): 34″
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 26-1/2″
Length: 33″

Sears Fieldmaster shawl collar mackinaw

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271306426480
This vintage coat was made in the 1940s or 1950s, and was sold by Sears under their Fieldmaster label. It as a canvas shell, with slash handwarmer pockets and flapped hip pockets. Both have leather reinforcement at the corners. As was typical with this style of coat, there are loops instead of butonholes. The collar is black mouton, the lining is sheepskin. The sleeves have a quilted lining. Although this coat was made in the ’40s or ’50s, the style had been around basically unchanged since the turn of the 20th century. They were popular as workwear for men who worked outdoors- for whom a coat that was lightweight yet warm, and which was rugged was a must.

The reinforcements are very similar to what was on the Montgomery Ward coats of the same era. Possibly the same maker? https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2013/03/14/powr-house-shawl-collar-mackinaw/

This one is also quite similar: https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2012/05/23/shawl-collar-mackinaw/

Chest (pit to pit): 22″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Length: 32″

Late 1920s tweed jacket

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281195246419

This vintage jacket was made in the late 1920s or very early 1930s by Capps clothes. It is made of a bold herringbone tweed. The jacket has fishmouth peak lapels, a slanted breast pocket, and a three button front. The jacket is unvented, has a cotton petal lining with taped seams. The jacket is deadstock and still has the original tag, identifying the model as “York”, sewn under the collar. This is the perfect jacket for an upcoming tweed ride, tweed pub crawl or general autumnal wear.

Chest (pit to pit): 20″
Shoulder to shoulder: 17″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24-1/2″
Length: 29″

East West Musical Instruments style leather jacket

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271306455788
This vintage leather jacket was made in the late 1960s – 1970s time frame, and is one of the coolest from that era I’ve seen in a long time. The western pictorial theme, with a desert landcape and a bird (or is that a “Gilded Palace of Sin” era Sneaky Pete pterodactyl?) put me in mind of Nudie’s rodeo tailors. The western yoking and brass studs on the front further that western theme. This style of jacket was pioneered by California’s “East West Musical Instruments” although this jacket isn’t nearly as complex as most of their output. There’s no, or evidence that there was one, so who actually made the jacket is a bit of a mystery. There is a standard style for the era “Medium” size tag. My guess would be it was made by a small custom leather shop. The jacket is leather, sewn rough-out. It has a snap front.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Waist: 18″ (doubled = 36″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 18-1/2″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Length: 22″

1960s Stetson Forty fedora

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271306470121
This vintage fedora was made in the early 1960s by the John B. Stetson company. At that time, it retailed for $40. This was a time frame when the average fur felt Stetson sold for around $10. This was topped in the lineup by the 7X clear beaver Stetson, which sold for $50, and the Stetson 100, which sold for $100. Both the 7X and the 100 were “Clear Beaver Quality”, or undyed pure beaver. I have sold a number of these hats, and the felt on this one is nearly identical, with the important difference that it is dyed instead of a natural color.

The hat has Stetson’s “Mode Edge”, their version of the seamless welt Cavanagh edge, a process no longer available today. The hat has a wide ribbon and a wind string and is creased with a center dent and widely spaced front pinches. Inside, the hat has a black sweatband, stamped with the Stetson crest and the felt designation “Stetson Forty”. A slightly different crest, which came into usage in the early 1950s, is in gold on the liner. The hat was originally sold by the Pantke Harpke company of Milwaukee, WI.

Size: 7-3/8
Ribbon Width: 2″
Brim Width: 2-1/8″
Crown Height: 5-1/4″

Mid-Western Sport Togs deerskin jacket

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271306482905
This vintage jacket was made by Mid-Western Sport Togs, of Berlin, Wisconsin, probably in the early 1960s. It is a western style, with a fringed hem, sleeves and yoke. The jacket is made of deerskin. At some point, the original buttons were changed out for the current metal eagle buttons.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″
Shoulder to shoulder: 17″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 22″
Length (not including fringe): 25″

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Vintage-Haberdashers Blog

Quality vintage menswear

Monthly Archives: October 2013

Gibson and Barnes A-2

35th Engineers – Skyline jacket

Melton Wintermaster two tone jacket

Hunting and Fishing jacket

Alpaca lined shawl collar mackinaw

Sears Fieldmaster shawl collar mackinaw

Late 1920s tweed jacket

East West Musical Instruments style leather jacket

1960s Stetson Forty fedora

Mid-Western Sport Togs deerskin jacket