My last A-2 (hopefully) - Good Wear

[daw]

Jan,

Super excited for you! Thanks for sharing. Another masterpiece for sure. You have an embarrassment of riches having the GW repro and an original too. Think I'll wear my GW Monarch today too, been far too long!

 

[mulceber]

Thanks @daw! I'm crazy excited about this one. First A-2 repro I've had that really has the weight and drape of an original.

Think I'll wear my GW Monarch today too, been far too long!

Please post photos, if you do! I'm a big fan of this contract, and seeing another repro of it is always a treat.

 

[CBI]

amazingly cool!!!

 

[Wz1999]

And of course, gotta have the fit pics! Here’s a mirror shot I took yesterday:
View attachment 77836

And here’s a selfie out and about this morning that really captures the color:
View attachment 77837

Beauty! Great fit! Congrats!!

 

[saucerfiend]

Well, after a year of waiting (and one or two other jackets along the way ), on Wednesday John told me he'd finished the Monarch and was shipping it out. I expected I might have it by early next week, but yesterday I got the notification that the package had been delivered. It was Natalie’s lunch break and she very kindly stopped home and put it inside the door — I’m not normally worried about mail thieves, but I make exceptions for 4-figure packages that I waited over a year for. Here it is in good sunlight.
View attachment 77727
And I love it! I had initially planned on Italian Horsehide, but at John’s suggestion I went for Horween, as he said he thinks it’s more accurate to vintage horsehide. I don’t regret the decision — I don’t know if John chose a particularly thin batch of Horween, but the leather on this jacket is thinner and suppler than other repros I’ve owned, very much like the original Monarch I have. Speaking of which, since, I’m in the unusual (but far from unique) position of having both a repro and an original of the same contract, I thought I’d do some head-to-head comparison shots:
View attachment 77728
View attachment 77729
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The repro is certainly a redder russet than the original, but it’s comparable to this jacket from John’s CD:

In ordinary lighting it appears as an ordinary dark russet, but it really comes alive in direct sunlight. The finish is a glossy one, but John told me it would become more dull as I wear it.
View attachment 77732
The pocket flaps are a bit different, but I’ve looked at a lot of originals and Monarch pocket flaps are all over the place - pretty much the only common denominator is “big pocket flaps with gentle scalloping.” The pocket flaps on my original are cool, but John’s actually look more typical of the Monarch contract. They're particularly close to Chuck's Monarch, in the bottom left of the next picture, imo.
View attachment 77733
Original blackened Talon M-39 zipper. This one isn’t a repro, or even New Old Stock — it was recycled from original WW2 gear (Navy flying trousers, I believe) that had given up the ghost. The blackened Talon M-39 is a detail only Good Wear gets right.
View attachment 77734

What a masterpiece! Is that Shinki or Horween? Congrats, my Friend!

 

[B-Man2]

Outstanding jacket, outstanding original and outstanding head ti head review. The Monarch is certainly one of the coolest looking contracts out there, however we don’t see a lot of them in their original form, due to the fact that there was only one contract issued right after the start of WWII in Dec of 1941 for 15,000 jackets. Owning an original today in any kind of wearable condition would be a rare find. Particularly when you consider the low percentage rate that survived the war and the fact that it’s been 80 years since the war ended . If you’d like I could post a few photos of an ELC Monarch for comparison purposes. Good Review Jan!

 

[mulceber]

What a masterpiece! Is that Shinki or Horween? Congrats, my Friend!

Horween. It feels almost like a different animal from the Italian HH I've owned in the past.

If you’d like I could post a few photos of an ELC Monarch for comparison purposes. Good Review Jan!

This might not be the thread for it, but it'd be fun to set up a thread for Monarchs - both original and repro. Comparing them could be a lot of fun.

 

[Chandler]

@mulceber -- how did you go about measuring for fit with John?

Asking for a friend.

 

[mulceber]

I just took the measurements from his form while wearing a t-shirt, and John did the rest. I made a couple comments about fit, based on my experiences (stuff like "need an extra half inch or so in the sleeves"), but it was a pretty simple process.

 

[saucerfiend]

Horween. It feels almost like a different animal from the Italian HH I've owned in the past.



This might not be the thread for it, but it'd be fun to set up a thread for Monarchs - both original and repro. Comparing them could be a lot of fun.

Great looking hide! My '41 Werber is the same.

 

[bseal]

And of course, gotta have the fit pics! Here’s a mirror shot I took yesterday:
View attachment 77836

And here’s a selfie out and about this morning that really captures the color:
View attachment 77837

You made the right choice, and especially going with the Horween. Enjoy.

 

[bseal]

“It was Natalie’s lunch break and she very kindly stopped home and put it inside the door.”

Big kudos to your Missus.

I know where you guys live and have been raiding parcels from your neighborhood.

- Heisenberg

 

[Brettafett]

Nailed it Jan, PERFECT!

 

[Lord Flashheart]

Nice. Really really nice Jan. To have an original and this .... wow

 

[MaydayWei]

Incredible! So happy for you @mulceber!
Amazing to see that the long wait actually isn't too long a wait!
Wear her in the best of health and have an amazing Easter weekend with her, and the missus of course!

 

[MaydayWei]

Well, after a year of waiting (and one or two other jackets along the way ), on Wednesday John told me he'd finished the Monarch and was shipping it out. I expected I might have it by early next week, but yesterday I got the notification that the package had been delivered. It was Natalie’s lunch break and she very kindly stopped home and put it inside the door — I’m not normally worried about mail thieves, but I make exceptions for 4-figure packages that I waited over a year for. Here it is in good sunlight.
View attachment 77727
And I love it! I had initially planned on Italian Horsehide, but at John’s suggestion I went for Horween, as he said he thinks it’s more accurate to vintage horsehide. I don’t regret the decision — I don’t know if John chose a particularly thin batch of Horween, but the leather on this jacket is thinner and suppler than other repros I’ve owned, very much like the original Monarch I have. Speaking of which, since, I’m in the unusual (but far from unique) position of having both a repro and an original of the same contract, I thought I’d do some head-to-head comparison shots:
View attachment 77728
View attachment 77729
View attachment 77730
View attachment 77731
The repro is certainly a redder russet than the original, but it’s comparable to this jacket from John’s CD:

In ordinary lighting it appears as an ordinary dark russet, but it really comes alive in direct sunlight. The finish is a glossy one, but John told me it would become more dull as I wear it.
View attachment 77732
The pocket flaps are a bit different, but I’ve looked at a lot of originals and Monarch pocket flaps are all over the place - pretty much the only common denominator is “big pocket flaps with gentle scalloping.” The pocket flaps on my original are cool, but John’s actually look more typical of the Monarch contract. They're particularly close to Chuck's Monarch, in the bottom left of the next picture, imo.
View attachment 77733
Original blackened Talon M-39 zipper. This one isn’t a repro, or even New Old Stock — it was recycled from original WW2 gear (Navy flying trousers, I believe) that had given up the ghost. The blackened Talon M-39 is a detail only Good Wear gets right.
View attachment 77734

That Russet Horween OD combo is sublime!
The Horween really was the right choice, stunning!

 

[daw]

Here's my GW Monarch. A touch cool out today for it, but was eager to pull it out of storage having seen Jan's new Monarch. I think this is quite a few years old-I bought it second hand probably around 6 years ago. The leather has tons of character. My favorite A2...

 

[B-Man2]

Pulled it out of storage
Why ? That’s a great looking jacket.
I can see why it’s your favorite A2 . I’m right there with ya on that. It’s a size 48 so if you ever think it might be something you’d like to move on ….. please remember we are the same size

 

[mulceber]

Got Natalie to photograph me while we were out late this afternoon. Excuse the expression on my face. The sun had just come out and was in my eyes.

 

[blackrat2]

Now that’s an absolute gem of a jacket Jan
The Horween is a great leather and that piece looks like it’s gonna really get better and better with wear
Has a good drape on you and the colour in
your last pic looks great
Which pic do you think represents the colour best.
Yes another thing John gets right , matching a leather to a jacket , I mean that’s totally cool , and the Talon is the cherry on the cake