Cushman Japan reproduction wool half-belt jacket

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281687597362
This jacket was made by high end Japanese manufacturer Cushman, inspired by a mid 1930s workwear jacket. It is made from gray and eggplant plaid wool, with a half-belt back, built in vest, handwarmer pockets, belted cuffs, breast pocket and zip front. The jacket has a Waldes main zipper with an early 1930s Talon influenced grommet stopbox. The pocket zipper has a ball and chain pull, again typical of mid 1930s jackets. The jacket is, as was typical of this style of 1930s jackets, unlined. The front panels have a sort of half-lining, from the same wool as the jacket, which folds forward into the attached vest. It has cat-eye buttons. The side adjuster belts have fancy metal buckles. The jacket has a black and yellow label reading, “Outerwear by Cushman, Smarter Styling – Longer Wear”, in addition to a keystone All Wool tag.

Chest (pit to pit): 22-1/2″ (doubled = 45″)
Sleeve (center of collar to end of cuff): 34″ (roughly equivalent to 18″ shoulders and 25″ sleeves)
Length (collar seam to hem): 25″

1930s German sleeved leather vest

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281596561896
This vintage jacket is made in a sleeved waistcoat style, with a five button front, turnback lapels, and four flapped pockets. It has a belted back and snap cuffs. The style of snaps used are typical of German manufactured leather jackets. It is fully lined, and is tagged a German size 54, which is equivalent to a US size 44. With a 45″ chest, I would say this would best fit a size 40-42

Chest (pit to pit): 22-1/2″ (doubled =45″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 27″
Length (base of collar to hem): 21″

1940s Canadian Tropal Coat

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271731865127
This vintage coat was the Canadian version of the English Tropal coat. While the British versions were originally insulated with sheepskin, and later kapok, this is lined with a green pile. The coat is single breasted, with a wide overlap and internal windflap to keep out the harsh North African winds. The oversized collar flips up and latches for extra protection. The buttonholes are leather backed for durability and the collar is wool faced. The lining is removable via Newey snaps.

Chest (pit to pit): 26″ (doubled = 52″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 20″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 27″
Length (base of collar to hem): 46″

1910s The Gem Hunting vest

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271654532285
This vintage hunting vest was made by the Gem Shirt Company of Dayton, Ohio in the 1910s. The Gem Shirt Co. was founded c.1888, and diversified into canvas hunting clothes in the early part of the 20th century, innovating the usage of lined waterproof game bags. They were a high end maker at the time, making their products from an excellent grade of cotton canvas duck. They ceased production by the 1920s.
This vest is their budget version, with sewn on buttons instead of changable ring-backed ones, and without the side adjusters or buckle back which other models featured.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Length (front): 22″
Length (rear): 19″

For other vests made by the Gem shirt company, see here and here

Glen Isle two tone sweatervest

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271548021785
This vintage sweatervest was made in Canada for Penmans and was sold under the Glen Isle Sportswear label. It has a brown and cream body with brown trim and back.

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

c.1940 Woolrich railroad vest

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281349001502

This vintage vest was made in Woolrich, Pennsylvania by the Woolrich Woolen Mills. Woolrich changed their label design frequently, which makes them easy to date if you know what you’re looking for. This variant on the label was used from about 1940-1945. The design of the United Carr snaps are also a giveaway for this vest’s date of manufacture. In the 1930s, Woolrich used snaps with one of two variations on a greek key pattern. During WWII, they switched to a plain topped design, featured on this vest. Starting in the late 1940s, Woolrich switched to snaps bearing the Woolrich name, before switching back to a different variation on the plain topped snaps in the 1960s. The design of the back of the snap further confirms this dating.

The vest is made of Woolrich’s signature mackinaw wool. The vest has a snap front, and bound seams. Although some examples you see are the sleeved variation with the sleeves removed, the construction on those is different. The vest has a belt adjuster back and asymmetric top and bottom patch pockets. Comparisons to Brown’s Beach Jacket vests of the same period are inevitable. This vest has a single large interior pocket.

Woolrich still makes a version of this model, however, the snaps have given way to a zipper, the cut has been lengthened, the armholes lowered, the shape of the front and rear changed, the wool fabric is now a blend, the pockets are a different shape, the construction is different and the taped seams altered. There is really no comparison the the original.

Chest (pit to pit): 20″ (doubled = 40″
Length (back) 20-1/2″
Length (front): 23-1/2″

1920s high-neck buckle-back hunting vest

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271491035755
This vintage hunting vest was made in the 1920s. It is made from canvas, with thirty four closed bottomed shotgun shell loops. It has a high necked closure to keep out the elements, similar to the Browns Beach vests of the period, which were also designed for hunting. The vest has a buckle back. An ink-stamped canvas tag identifies this as a size 40.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″
Length: 19-1/2″

Repro Indian Blanket railroad vest

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281277739940
This vest was made by a company called Maxwear, in the style of a 1930s work vest, similar to the ones made by Brown’s Beach Jacket and the sleeved versions made by Woolrich. It is made of thick wool approximating the pattern of an Indian blanket. It has a five snap front, with patch pockets. The back has adjuster tabs. Snaps have a star design, continuing the western theme started with the material.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″
Length: 25″

White Chimayo Blanket Vest

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271416082201
This vintage Chimayo Indian blanket vest was made by Americraft of El Paso, Texas, probably in the 1970s. The design and cut of these vests changed very little since the 1930s or earlier. This one has a white field, with black, turquoise, red and yellow pattern. It is a one button version, with a loop closure. The button is missing.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″
Length: 21-1/2″

Green Hunting Vest

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281191411402
As someone who has been collecting and researching vintage hunting vests, this one strikes me as particularly interesting. It’s not as old as most of the ones I’m selling, probably dating from the 1960s, but it’s made in an earlier style. Although hunting vests were a purely functional garment and didn’t really change with fashion, certain details did change over time, largely with innovations in materials and hardware. By the time this vest was made, the closed bottomed canvas loops has largely been supplanted by elastic knit loops, which were easier and less expensive to construct, and lay flat when not in use. This vest has the older style loops, heavily reinforced at the bottoms. This vest is reinforced throughout with green textured naugahyde, making for extremely strong seams. Another unusual thing about this vest is its color. Most hunting vests of this type are in shades of brown canvas. This one is in a minty gray green with forest green trim. The vest has DOT snaps throughout, and a removable, vinyl lined game bag.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″
Length (with gamebag): 30″
Length (without gamebag): 22-1/4″

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