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A Really Expensive 5 Star Equivalent
- Thread starter ZuZu
- Start date
flyincowboy
Well-Known Member
lets go on the posh side! price are stupid!
Smithy
Well-Known Member
We've had a chinwag about Chapal before on here Jeff. They did a hideous blue and black "B-3" which was the same price as a small house.
Well what do you know?...just had a look and they're still offering it, absolutely horrific...
https://chapal.fr/en/produit/b3-3-4-coat/
In fairness to them they did do a WWI flying coat a few years back based on one of the original French designs from WWI and it was very, very nice, albeit for the equivalent price of a small island.
In truth their target customers are those swanning around St Moritz over winter or the Riviera over summer, so people without a jot of interest in historical authenticity.
You see their classic racing and motoring stuff used by lots of very high end classic car users at shows.
mulceber
Moderator
Also an Amelia Earhart jacket that's really just a suede A-1, and also costs as much as the total cost of some of the early A-2 contracts: https://chapal.fr/fr/produit/blouson-ae-1932/
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Smithy
Well-Known Member
The prices are nuts for us VLJers Jan but like I said these guys are catering to a very different crowd and one which is exceedingly well off and with little interest in historical accuracy. The people who buy Chapal are the same as who snap up a dozen things when visiting an Hermès shop without batting an eyelid.
Mucho moolah and not a care in the world for stuff that we worry about around here ;-)
bseal
Well-Known Member
Agree with the post. Always liked the pattern of this one though:
chapal.fr
Blouson A1 Long Lindbergh - Cuir glacé - CHAPAL
Ce blouson en cuir de mouton, doublure Fox Brothers, est inspiré du blouson A1, créé par l'Army Air Corp en 1922, et porté par l'aviateur Charles Lindbergh.
chapal.fr
ZuZu
Well-Known Member
It's funny though if you think about it- the poor benighted rich fuckers are stuck buying stupid stuff for the label...
ShanghaiJack
Well-Known Member
John Lever
Moderator
FYI Chapal invented the Corseal Process, waterproof coating applied to USAAF shearling jackets.
flyincowboy
Well-Known Member
The family who own the factory is well known around my place . Been told that the grand father was combing and scrounging the countryside picking up rabbit furs shearling and animal skins before ww2. maybe for dealing with the USAAC in order to create the famous B3 flight jacket...... lol
John Lever
Moderator
Michael Schumacher used to wear one of their jackets. I discovered them and Aero at Grand Prix Racewear, a specialist motorsport company in west London.. Prior to the Euro I bought one of their B3's, it cost the Franc equivalent of 350 gbp. ..beautiful sheepskin very well made but sadly way to big so I sold it. Daft now I think about it.
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flyincowboy
Well-Known Member
Once visited the tanneries were they get the sheepskin from. Very selective about the quality. But their jackets are not accurate historically .... You better have to buy a fivestar jacket which look more authentic like a very good repro. and good for the price.
John Lever
Moderator
Chapel probably don't care about their jackets being historically accurate just so long as rich punters buy them. I think the tannery has been purchased by Chanel....
flyincowboy
Well-Known Member
I really dont know about the tannery been purchased by Chanel... All i can say is that most of the sheepskins are from around . were most of them are breed locally.... Sometimes there is a lot of sheepskin hides second choices on the market coming from the tannery. They look quite good for making such sheepskin jacket....
Skyhawk
Well-Known Member
Easy peasy! Their's is not that accurate. I could do better. They have fake horn buttons on there and crap ass poly knits with seamed cuffs. Historical blasphemy.
The original maker was Abercrombie & Fitch back in the 1930's.
