G-1 Leather Flight Jacket AOPA

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281384893346
This vintage leather jacket is a USN G-1 flight jacket. It has a half-belt, bi-swing back, knit cuffs and waistband, button closure patch pockets with a pencil slot and a button throat latch on the underside of the collar. There is a patch for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association on the chest, attached by pinbacks rather than stitching.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to end of knit): 24-1/2″
Length (base of collar to end of waistband): 24″

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1970s Trumpeter D-Pocket leather jacket

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281350988381
This vintage leather jacket was made in Spain in the 1970s and was sold under the Trumpeter label. It has a broad coat style collar, front and back yokes, side button waist adjuster tabs, patch pockets and a zipped D-pocket. The yokes give the jacket a bit of western flair, while the style of D-pocket and the pointed patch pockets are a stylistic quote from Cossack and Aviator jackets of the mid 1930s.
The jacket is tagged a size 42, but with a 42″ chest, would best fit a size 40.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Length (base of collar to hem): 24″

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1930s Pritzker Air-O-Coat leather cossack jacket

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281350510684
This vintage leather jacket was made c.1936-1937 by A. Pritzker & Sons, Inc. of Boston, MA. The jacket is a Cossack style, with a fancy belted back. The 3/4 zip with 1/4 button detailing, borrowed from “Gaucho” style shirts of the period, enjoyed a brief stint of popularity in 1936-1937 before falling out of favor. Pritzker & Sons was owned by Aaron Pritzker and had a factory at 1020 Washington Street, Boston, MA. They are probably now best known for their USN G-1 flight jackets, although prior to WWII, they were a prolific maker of civilian styles. This one was sold as the “Air-O-Coat”, conjuring up the romantic imagery of 1930s aviators.

The jacket has an early Talon Hookless style grommet zipper.. The jacket is lightweight and partially lined, as is typical of these early windbreaker styles. The shoulder yoke is lined, as are the cuffs. It has a half-belt back with one of the fanciest pleated back styles I’ve seen. Pockets are D-style due to the unlined construction.
The jacket was bought by Bucky Wadon around 1937. Wadon played football, hockey and baseball during the 1930s and served in WWII.
With a 42″ chest measurement, this would best fit someone who wears a size 36 or 38 jacket. The sleeves are uncommonly long for most jackets I’ve found from this era, perfect for the taller guy. The leather is still soft and supple and the jacket is still very wearable.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25-1/2″
Length (base of collar to hem): 20″

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Monarch horsehide barnstormer leather jacket

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271493775559
This vintage jacket was made by Monarch Mfg. of Milwaukee WI in the late 1930s or early 1940s. It is a belted, double breasted style. This has since come to be known among collectors as a barnstormer style, named after the aviators of the 1920s who wore similar styles. The jacket is made of russet horsehide, with a 3×6 double breasted front. There are handwarmer pockets (known originally as “muff” pockets), as well as flapped cargo pockets. These have deeply scalloped pocket flaps. The jacket is lined with blanket wool in the body, with quilted shoulders and sleeves. The U shaped seam between the two lining materials is a detail I have only seen on other Monarch jackets. The label is of a style used in the 1930s through about the end of WWII. The leather has some really incredible grain, highlighted by decades of usage. The treatment of the seams is unusual. Whereas most jackets, leather or otherwise, will have a seam at the edge of the jacket, or on the edge of the lapels, this one minimizes them by folding the leather around to form the front and back panel.

The Monarch Manufacturing Company was founded in 1892 by Paul Asch. In 1917, they relocated to a new factory, located at 246 East Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI. They built at least four more factories in Milwaukee, employing over a thousand workers by 1922. Throughout the life of the company, they specialized in leather, sheepskin and fabric outerwear for men and boys. They produced A-2 contracts during WWII.

Chest (pit to pit): 23″
Shoulder to shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 26-1/2″
Length (collar seam to hem): 30″

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1950s Windward Steerhide jacket

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271183853958

This vintage leather jacket was made in the 1950s. It was sold by Montgomery Ward under their “Windward” line. Stylistically, it is about halfway in between an A-2 style flight jacket and a utility jacket. It has flapped pockets with side entry handwarmers, and epaulettes. It has a one piece back, with a leather hem and cuffs. The cuffs have decorative buttons at the ends. One is missing on the left sleeve. The jacket originally had a Conmar zipper. The puller is missing and the track is missing teeth, so it will definitely need to be replaced. There are elasticized side panels to provide a sung fit. The lining is qulited, and there are knit storm cuffs in the sleeves.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 17″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Length (bottom of collar to hem): 23″

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The Postwar Outdoorsman

Knapp moc toe hunting boots with ripple soles.
American Optical Aviator Sunglasses.
Horsehide A-2 leather jacket
zip front plaid railroad vest

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Ray Ban Sunglasses 1950

Early aviators and proto – wayfarers. Crystal frames, green lenses. The crystal frames sunglasses look pretty close to what would become the iconic wayfarer, but from a couple years before the official introduction of the model. Maybe they weren’t as “groundbreaking” as the current literature would have you believe.
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