My New Wested LC/KOTCS jacket

[davex247]

Hi all,
It's 11.00pm at night and i've just got back from Wested leather. Met a very nice man called Peter Botwright and bought one of his Last crusade/ Kingdom of the Cyrstal Skull jackets in lambskin. Had a nice chat with Peter, I asked him how he got involved with making film clothes and he told me it started with Robert Mitchum. I tried on a couple of jackets in diferent sizes and went for one that fit best as opposed to trying to force a specific design. Interestingly it came down to a 44" LC or a 42" Raiders jacket. The 44" Raiders was slightly too long in the arm and also the Raiders jacket has a more of a square shoulder whereas the LC has more of a drop shoulder cut. Also the length of the jacket for me is spot on, just below my waist. My only critecism is it looks too new and can't wait 'til it's aged and scuffed a bit. But I'll enjoy putting the rough edges on with wear.

[Indyzane]

Pictures! Please show off your new jacket!

[hoose55]

;0
Awesome, I've never gotten to do that before. It's like being the first to get the bubbe wrap.
J-

[davex247]

Well I would post pictures but it's my first piece of Indy gear, and i don't think it'd look cool without the other gear.

[Hollowpond]

Well I would post pictures but it's my first piece of Indy gear, and i don't think it'd look cool without the other gear.

Not so! Many of us who have all of the gear, only show off one new piece at a time. Post away, and welcome to gear obsession!


Travis

[davex247]

Well I would post pictures but it's my first piece of Indy gear, and i don't think it'd look cool without the other gear.

Not so! Many of us who have all of the gear, only show off one new piece at a time. Post away, and welcome to gear obsession!


Travis

I'll get some done then and i'll post

[Hollowpond]

Well I would post pictures but it's my first piece of Indy gear, and i don't think it'd look cool without the other gear.

Not so! Many of us who have all of the gear, only show off one new piece at a time. Post away, and welcome to gear obsession!


Travis

I'll get some done then and i'll post

Atta boy!!!!

Travis

[davex247]

Well i would've posted pictures but to my dissmay the digital camera's not working, so as soon as i can borrow my mums I'll get posting some pictures then

[RCSignals]

So don't leave us hanging with just saying "it started with Robert Mitchum"

[Castor Dioscuri]

In 1978 I was a maker of leather jackets and was approached to make a special jacket for Robert Mitchum by Bermans & Nathan a costume company. They were so pleased with the result that they tested us again with Santa Claus (Dudley Moore) and then onto Star Wars, Bond films, Indiana Jones and many more. It was not until about the mid 90’s did the world of web pages and internet sales hit us when someone asked for an Indiana Jones Jacket. We made a somewhat primitive web page and started selling Indiana Jones Jackets worldwide and that really took off. We no longer advertise our shop although customers are always welcome but concentrate on our web presence which is an ever growing world wide market and in which we have a niche presence which we hope will continue to grow in the future.

- http://www.ekmsystems.co.uk/newsletter/ ... etter.html

[RCSignals]

Thanks Castor. I recall that, and was hoping there was more said to davex247. Maybe there wasn't.

Apparently Lee Keppler had I-J jackets made in the '80's.

[Michaelson]

Yes, Lee did, who got them from Peter when he was operating under the name 'Leather Consessionaires', and sold them through magazine ads. The first time I came across him and his jackets was back in '84-'85.

I bet the Mitchum film was 'Winds of War'. I think he shot that in England, and was one of the last films he appeared in, as I recall.

Regards! Michaelson

[RCSignals]

Winds of War is what I was thinking. A great movie.
I wonder what jacket was made for him.

[Michaelson]

Probably an A2. Peter told me years ago that he had once had access to many original jackets from the Royal Air Museum, and they were studied for his production work on the film 'Memphis Belle'. If it was Winds of War, I bet he got the Memphis Belle gig due to that Mitchum war film.

Regards! michaelson

[Hatch]

But 'Winds of War ' wasn't made till 83 and this says 78.......Mitchum did 'The Big Sleep' in 78 and 'Firepower' in 79.,maybe one of those............but what I want to hear are some stories of Mitchum and Peter 'Going out for a pint or two'.....

[Michaelson]

Good point! Well, so much for MY timeline!

Regards! Michaelson

[Hatch]

This version of the Big Sleep was set in London and filmed there so that may be the one....any of you good screen grab guys got any pics of leather jackets from the film...........but 'Breakthrough' in 79 was war movie also, also English so who knows......

[davex247]

So don't leave us hanging with just saying "it started with Robert Mitchum"

well he did say Robert (Mitchum) was a huge bloke with big gorilla arms and that's how he got started and that he met Harrison before he did Raiders when he made him a jacket for a previous film (I Think he said Hanover Street but not 100%) which is how he got involved with Raiders. If you like I'll give Peter a calll and ask him for some more gossip. He did say one thing about KOTCS which I won't repeat here but if you want to know (and this may already be common knowlegde) PM me and i'll spill.

[Michaelson]

Yep, Hanover Street. THAT'S the A2 jacket that Planet Hollywood has on display in Las Vegas claiming it's a Raiders jacket. I've seen it myself, complete with B&N tag..

Regard! Michaelson

[davex247]

well it's been nearly 3 years since i posted and i still haven't posted pictures. I wear it all the time and is starting to look worn

[fifthchamber]

I think we'd all still like to see?

Heh..If ya get the time to throw the photos up?

[davex247]

here it is

[Kevin Anderson]

CM would love those pockets.

[davex247]

CM ?

[Holt]

nie jacket. Those pokets are actually pretty close to the motorcycle jacket which had the largest pockets of them all

[davex247]

There actually no bigger than the other wested LC jackets posted here:
http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=58189" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ShanghaiJack]

Nice looking jacket, but you oughta show it off while wearing it.

[Texan Scott]

The interesting aspect is that the LC jacket is its own lightning in a bottle. Thanks for posting it.

[dresden]

Isn't the motorcycle jacket the same one as the Castle jacket?

I really like the collar on your jacket, looks great!

[CM]

CM would love those pockets.

[davex247]

I personaly think the LC/KOTCS jacket is the archetypal jacket. Here's my reasoning for this thought. When Freddy (nightmare on elm St) first hit the screen he wore a grey fedora and only had stripes on his torso not on the arms, but everyone knows Freddy with a brown fed and strips on his sleeves as well. Same with Jason (Friday 13th) everyone knows jason wears a hockey mask but when we first see him in part II he was wearing a pillow case (alright I know it's not really a pillow case). It seems the movie makers come up with an idea but then after one or two movies (in a series of movies), perfect the look of the character (i know i'm going to get hurled abuse by the Raiders die hards ) anyway that's my two penneth, do i believe it probably not but I have to justify to myself that i've bought the right jacket

[Kevin Anderson]

The Last Crusade jacket looks great on screen, but in real-life it's not so good, or practical.
The Raiders jacket, for all it's 'flaws', works better. Smaller armholes and sleeves means better, less restricted movement; the higher yoke helps too.
The LC has an oddly low yoke, huge armholes and big sleeves. It looks and feels terrible zipped up too.
I consider it a real product of the times; the baggy late 80s/early 90s.

[ShanghaiJack]

I think points can be made for both jackets really. For me the Raiders cut is good for when I want a true jacket, not a coat. As Holt said above, it does have a strange fit compared to regular jackets –I'm thinking here of the way it falls back off the shoulders– and I can easily see how that is not everyone's cup of tea, but for me, as a lightweight jacket it's the bees knees.

The LC/CS on the other hand I find to be more of a coat than a true jacket. If the mercury is dipping then that is what I want to be wearing. The added coverage of the jacket plus the extra room which enables me to wear layers under it makes it a far superior garment for wear during the cold of winter.

Now, if you wanna argue about which looks the best on screen, well that's gotta be Raiders!

[Kevin Anderson]

Very good points. The overall larger-fit of the LC jacket certainly would allow layering better than the more fitted Raiders jacket.