Club Obi Wan

For your perusal. Here are a couple of pages scanned from the little book "Everyday Fashions of the Thirties as pictured in Sears Catalogs". (I'd like to have one or two whole catalogs from the '30's-'40's)

The first page is from 1939. All the leather jackets are in horsehide. The top one is a very typical short jacket. The one on the bottom right (Roomy Blouse Style) is essentially a leather "baseball" jacket. Note the sizes available. Up to 48 and the short jacket is even available in talls!!!

Most of the other jackets/shirts shown only go up to 44 or 46. Many weren't even available over 40 or 42!



The second picture is from 1936. Unfortuantely, there are no descriptions shown for these jackets. The two (actually three) on the bottom right are suede leather. The rest are wool but for the one on the top left which is "rubberized" (presumably cotton). These and the leather jackets all follow the same types of patterns. I personally greatly prefer the ones that do not have the "belted back" or have the cinch straps in the middle of the back like the Indy jacket. These feel really wierd to me and feel like they are always too short. I like the ones that cinch tight at the very bottom.


The more pictures of old jackets I see, the more I realize that the Indy jacket is not an "anomaly", as some of its detractors cry. The Indy jacket seems to fall right in with them and doesn't seem the least bit out of place to me!

Thanks for posting these pics. One thing, though, is this shows Indy didn't buy his jacket from this catalog!

Randy

The military type patch pockets seem to have really taken off during and after the war, and you will see lots of late '40's jackets that are definitely "Indy like".

Plus the construction of the jacket and the quality of the leather was held to higher standards.

I hate most of the tripe that stores try to pass off as jackets nowadays. I found a jacket at the thrift shop where the "thick" leather jacket advertised in the label was a thin leather with some type of foam material under the leather to make it feel thicker. The jacket had a gouge taken out of it and it was clearly visible.

The multiple piece back and arm panels, and built in elastic waistband (as opposed to the sewn in wool cuffs and waistbands) don't help either. It is sad that you almost always have to order from a jacket manufacturer nowadays to get a high quality jacket. It costs more and you gamble on the fit.

.....as long as we're sort of on the subject of leather jackets in "General"....can someone tell me, does the typical "Motorcycle Jacket" tend to run smaller than most other styles? I recently took a chance on a size 40 jacket, the "classic" asymetrical zipper look with the belt on the bottom.....you know the type....but it sure seems to be a small 40! It fits smaller than an old vintage 38 "A2" style that I got a while back. Part of the "problem" may be that the leather on this cycle jacket is VERY stiff, but I still think it tends to run small. Just wondering. :

I've got a motorcycle jacket that I wear often with my indy gear and it seems to fit me just right for its size, however I'm a smaller guy so it may just be me

EDIT: Just read Rick's comment.. true about the low quality of many jackets made nowadays especially carried in stores, however, I dont really find that they're that much cheaper (esp. considering the diminished quality) than those you can order from specialists on the internet... there are some sad jackets in those department stores that I've seen run more than a wested... well more... 300-500 bucks... rediculous if you know about the values elsewhere...

Don't forget that as styles change over the years so do the sizes. A good example is the fact that we tend to wear less layers today than 50 years ago. While I wear a size 38 jacket by todays standards I really need a 40 to wear over the shirt, undershirt and vest or sweater I might wear to meet the fashion of yesteryear.
My Wested is a size 40 and it's perfect when I wear it over the cardigan during the winter.
CR

Rusty Jones wrote:EDIT: Just read Rick's comment.. true about the low quality of many jackets made nowadays especially carried in stores, however, I dont really find that they're that much cheaper (esp. considering the diminished quality) than those you can order from specialists on the internet... there are some sad jackets in those department stores that I've seen run more than a wested... well more... 300-500 bucks... rediculous if you know about the values elsewhere...

Cost and value are relative to expectations. I have seen many people walk out of Wilson's leather completely happy with their purchases. I am drawn to that store each time I go to the mall and I have yet to buy anything from them, since I think it is junk. My opinion only of course. The jackets smell good though. A few weeks ago, I saw a guy buy an aviator style jacket that Wilson's claimed was regularly $540. It was better than 50% off, but that was still too much for it. It has a seam in the middle of the back. If that is part of the design of the jacket, that is fine, but good aviator style jackets do not have this. Clearly a cost-cutting method since they can use smaller pieces of leather and produce the same style jacket.

But when you by a jacket from Aero Leather, Vansons, Lost Worlds, etc. expect to pay $700-$800 but the quality and construction is top notch compared to the $540 jacket. And they feel like a million bucks.

Yeah Wilson's is pretty pricey.

I got a nice lambskin jacket for 75% off the marked price of 450 or something like that.

It was a good deal, and the jacket has been great. Though i wouldn't pay over 400 for any jacket. If you can catch them having a big sale, and look hard enough, you can get some decent stuff.

I'm going to have Johnson Leather make me a classic short jacket (their M200)...if I ever get the brown leather samples to choose from! He's tried sending them to me twice already, none have arrived, and he sent a third package of samples to me yesterday. Maybe I'll eventually get one of them... This jacket is rather like the wool/suede jackets lettered "C", "D", and "F" in the "Everybody wears 'em everywhere" page, though without the band around the bottom or the side adjustment buckles. I might see if I can have them added, but if the jacket is well fitted, they aren't necessary...

The jacket from Johnson will cost me $400-some-odd dollars. I'm going to give them insanely explicit sizing instructions! Johnson was recommended to me by someone on the Fedora lounge board, and their work is supposed to be quite good.

Vanson makes some REALLY good looking jackets...don't know if they'd make me one in brown, though. I asked them once and they never replied. (I hate black leather. I don't even like that my watchband is black...) I like their "Enfield" and "Dakota". I think they're something like $550. OOh, I just saw they are available in horsehide in 3 colors...cool. And check out their "Model J"... www.vansonleathers.com


Aero makes some really cool stuff, but at $700+...that's just too dang much, period. I'm way too poor. Besides, I ain't tryin' to buy anything from England anymore...

I would say that "motorcycle" jackets in general would be fitted more closely, simply due to the fact that you wouldn't want a lot of extra material flapping around in the wind.

rick5150 wrote:
But when you by a jacket from Aero Leather, Vansons, Lost Worlds, etc. expect to pay $700-$800 but the quality and construction is top notch compared to the $540 jacket. And they feel like a million bucks.

I'd rather pay that price for something I know will fit, outlast the store bought jackets, and keep me warm for years and years after I buy it.