1930s – 1940s Hercules shawl collared leather coat

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271547750220
This vintage coat was made for Sears in the 1940s and was sold under their Hercules workwear label. The coat is made of black front quarter horsehide with a brown mouton collar. It is double breasted, with a shawl collar, handwarmer pockets and flapped cargo pockets, square yokes front and back and buttoned adjuster belts on the cuffs. The coat has a quilted cotton lining, lighter in weight than the typical sheepskin lining found in this style coat. Sleeve linings are purple, and have knitted cuffs to keep the wind out. The Hercules label is of the style used in the 1940s, however the last time I can find this model in any Sears catalog is in the Fall 1940 edition. This style of double breasted, shawl collared, hip length leather coat was popular in the 1920s and 1930s and changed very little through its production run. By WWII, this style coat would have been considered old fashioned and was replaced by zip-front sheeplined surcoat style jackets.

Chest (pit to pit): 24″ (doubled = 48″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 20″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25-3/4″
Length (base of collar to hem): 33″

1960s Sears D-Pocket motorcycle jacket

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281318786990
This vintage D-Pocket leather motorcycle jacket was sold by Sears in the late 1960s-early 1970s. Sears introduced their D-Pocket motorcycle jacket model in the late 1940s. A simplified version, made of Steerhide instead of the Horsehide of the original came along in 1953. The model continued to be produced into the early 1970s with few changes. Although all sold by Sears, these were sold under a variety of Sears house brand labels, including Allstate, Sears Outerwear, Sears Fieldmaster, Oakbrook Sportswear and several versions of The Leather Shop label. The label, the hardware, and subtleties of the design help pin down the date of manufacture.

The jacket is made from black steerhide, with a D-Pocket (originally known as a map pocket and also known as a pistol pocket). The pocket on these 1960s models continue to the side seam. There is a smaller flapped cigarette pocket, and a zipper handwarmer/ slash cargo pocket on the other side. The jacket has a red nylon lining, Serval zippers, epaulettes, and a zipper at the collar for a detachable mouton collar. In a tradition dating back to the days of cowboys, and passed down through generations of bikers, the back of the jacket and the epaulettes have been embellished with stud work, in three sizes of studs.

Tagged size: 42
Chest (pit to pit): 23″ (doubled = 46″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25″
Length (base of collar to hem): 23-1/2″

1949

1958

1968

1972

Active Sportswear Hunting Vest

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281306020882
This vintage hunting vest was made in the 1950s. It was sold by Sears under the Active sportswear label. Due to similarity in design and construction to their product, I would guess that this was made under contract by the Empire Mfg. Co. It has two large cargo pockets on the front with shotgun shell loops inside. There is a game pouch on the back.

Chest (pit to pit): 21-1/2″ (doubled =43″)
Length: 24-3/4″

1950 JC Higgins hunting coat

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281304264630
This vintage coat was made in the early 1950s for Sears. It was sold under the JC Higgins label. It is made from heavy red and black plaid mackinaw cloth. There are handwarmer pockets and flapped cargo pockets. There is a game pouch on the back. The coat is lined in a different plaid, with rayon linings in the sleeves. This model can be seen in the page from the 1950 Sears catalog below. This model goes back with few changes to the 1930s, but earlier models had patch cargo pockets.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″ (doubled = 44″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 23-1/2″
Length (Base of collar to hem): 29″

1930s – 1940s Hercules sheeplined work vest

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271418501090
This vintage work vest was sold by Sears under their Hercules workwear label in the late 1930s or early 1940s. It predates the (R) on the label which would come after WWII. It has a high necked cut favored by work vests due to the greater warmth and protection it offered. The vest has two pockets and a full sheepskin lining. Construction and materials are similar to the shawl collared sheepskin mackinaws sold by Hercules at the same period.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″
Length: 22″

Sears Oakbrook D-Pocket leather motorcycle jacket

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271351691584

This vintage leather jacket was made in the 1960s by Sears under the Oakbrook Sportswear tag. This style was around for a while, with very little change made other than the label and zippers. 1950s models made under the Sears Fieldmaster label. It is made of black steerhide. It has a large D-Pocket (also known as a pistol pocket), with a smaller cigarette pocket. The other side has a zippered handwarmer. The lapels have exposed snaps, while the collar has concealed ones. The sleeves zip with Serval zippers, while the main is a large gauge Talon. There is a zipper on the collar, presumably for a zip-on mouton collar. The front of the jacket has an attached belt. It has a yoked back, bi-swing shoulders, and spotwork on the kidney panel. Pocket flaps are lined with black corduroy. The coat has a quilted red lining, with black corduroy trim on the pockets and the hem.

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

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″

J.C. Higgins Hunting Vest

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271301570163

This vintage hunting vest was made in the 1940s, and sold by Sears under their JC Higgins label. Due to similarities in their design, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Hettrick Mfg. Co. of Ohio made this under license for them. It has elastic loops for 24 shotgun shells, and a breast pocket. The four-hole buttons are textured.
Chest (pit to pit): 22″
Length: 19″

Sears Shawl Collar Mackinaw

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281017848697

This vintage shawl collar mackinaw was made by sears. While it was made around 1970, the style remained unchanged since the 1910s save for material. In the early models, they were generally wool, by the 1930s and 1940s, many were canvas with sheepskin linings and collars. This example replaces that sheepskin with acrylic pile, and the canvas shell with corduroy, but the idea is the same. This coat has four main front patch pockets. Two have smaller cigarette pockets on them, which close with Talon zippers. There is a loop for closing the collar when it is turned up. The coat still has all of its original tags and has never been worn.
Chest (pit to pit): 22″ (doubled =44″)

Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24-1/2″

Shoulder to Shoulder: 17″

Length (collar to hem): 36″

Sears fedora

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Spencer Stewart

There was a time when Sears made great stuff. High quality leather jackets, high quality shoes, high quality hats.

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