Ralph Lauren Reproduction suede leather A-1 jacket

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271688862141
This jacket, made by Ralph Lauren under the Polo label, draws heavy design influence from the leather “windbreaker” jackets of the 1920s which evolved into the A-1 flight jacket. Many of these early jackets were made of lightweight leathers, suede or capeskin. Separable bottom zippers were not invented until 1927, and didn’t go into production until early 1930, so jackets of the 1920s had button fronts. In this period, knit collars, cuffs and waistbands were popular. These jackets were originally marketed toward the sporting market: golfers, hunters, outdoorsmen. This short style would come to be adopted by civilian aviators, as it was far less clumsy than the full length coats of the WWI period.

The jacket is made of brown suede. It has a full wool tartan lining.

Tagged size: M (always go by measurements)
Chest (pit to pit): 26″ (doubled = 52″)
Waistband: 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 23″
Sleeve (shoulder to end of cuff): 25-1/2″
Length (base of collar to end of waistband): 27″

1930s fringed deerskin leather cossack jacket

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271685853101
This vintage leather jacket was made in Mexico. This waist length, button front, leather waistbanded style with triangular side panels, patch pockets and side adjuster belts was popular in the early 1930s. This was the original cossack style jacket before the half-belt back models took over. As was typical of many early leather jackets, this one is unlined. It is marked a size 36 in pen but measures smaller, probably originally worn by a teen.

Chest (pit to pit): 18″ (doubled = 36″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 15″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 22″
Length (Base of collar to end of fringe): 21″

1940s Kit Karson Indian Scout goatskin leather half-belt cossack jacket

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271685789633
This vintage leather jacket was made in the late 1940s by Kit Karson Indian Scout sportswear. It is made of goatskin, in a half-belt cossack jacket style. The distinctive pleats of the pocket conceal handwarmers with the flapped cargo pockets. The jacket has a pin lock bell shaped Conmar zipper.

Chest (pit to pit): 20″ (doubled = 40″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 17″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 22-1/2″
Length (base of collar to hem): 22-1/2″

1930s capeskin belted leather jacket

Posted on November 23, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

This vintage leather jacket was made around 1937 from pig-grain textured russet capeskin leather. The jacket is single breasted and belted, with caramel colored corozo buttons and distinctive semi-raglan shoulders. The jacket is fully lined.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″ (doubled = 44″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 16-1/2″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 22″
Length (Base of collar to hem): 27″

Late 1940s Deerskin cossack jacket

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271647952876
This vintage jacket was made in the late 1940s from soft buckskin leather. Going by the unusual details, like the reinforcing stitching at the base of the bi-swing back, it’s safe to say that it was made in Denver, Colorado. The jacket has a Talon zipper front in a transitional style, with a large holed pull, unmarked slider connection and Talon branded stopbox. That helps narrow the dating down considerably, since these Denver produced jackets had their own unique style and did not follow the larger overall fashion trends the way mass produced jackets did. The jacket has flapped pockets with leather buttons, a plain front, bi-swing back, and a seam where there would generally be a half-belt, but which performs the same visual function.

Chest (pit to pit): 21-1/2″ (doubled = 43″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25″
Length (Base of collar to hem): 25-1/2″

A guide to dating Talon Zippers

Posted on October 26, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

1970s Brill G-1 leather flight jacket

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281472908007
This vintage jacket was made by Brill Bros under the Mil-J-7823E G-1 contract. It is made of brown goatskin leather, with a brown mouton collar and knit cuffs. The wind flap is stamped USN and the jacket does up with a Scovill zip.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″
Shoulder to shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25″
Length (base of collar to hem): 25″

1920s leather lined shawl collar coat

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281406909215
This vintage coat was made in the 1920s. It is a shawl collared mackinaw style, with a sheepskin collar. The coat is belted with an early style buttoned belt. It has handwarmer pockets on the chest and flapped cargo pockets on the hips. The coat is leather-lined in the body and sleeves for windproofing. Prior to the adoption of leather as a common exterior material for coats in the 1920s, it was popular as a lining material for outdoorsy garments like this one.

Chest (pit to pit): 23″ (doubled = 46″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 20″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 26″
Length (base of collar to hem): 43″

1960s Suede Californian leather Norfolk jacket

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281384906338
This vintage leather jacket was made by the California Sportswear Company of Los Angeles, California under the Californian label. It takes heavy stylistic cues from the Norfolk jackets of the 1910s and 1920s. The jacket has two breast pocket flaps with chest pleats, a full attached belt, flapped hip pockets, and a pleated back with a scaloped yoke. The jacket is fully lined.

Chest (pit to pit): 23″ (doubled = 46″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24-1/2″
Length (base of collar to hem): 30″

1930s Pritzker Air-O-Coat leather cossack jacket

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

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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