-
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My last A-2 (hopefully) - Good Wear
- Thread starter Smithy
- Start date
Brettafett
Well-Known Member
Im still set on a Doniger in goat.
However, now there's a tussle for the 'possible' second jacket., between a seal Bronco and John's new RW 1671 in HH...
The game continues.
However, now there's a tussle for the 'possible' second jacket., between a seal Bronco and John's new RW 1671 in HH...
The game continues.
Lord Flashheart
Well-Known Member
I think just now Brett I'd settle for an hour of weather where I could happily wear the Star I picked up from John. It's waiting patiently for some good solid wear ... if only ...
Brettafett
Well-Known Member
Tell me about it. Its been ages since I wore anything other than skin, with the occasional t-shirt.
Nickb123
Well-Known Member
ButteMT61
Well-Known Member
Who makes this????
mulceber
Moderator
Last edited:
Do it. You'll never regret it. I own this one; John told me this one was the second he made in this hide, in Sept. 2012.
Phil
Last edited:
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
But would it be the same? Ten years on?
mulceber
Moderator
So, another package arrived in the mail this past week from the state of Washington. This one's a two-fer - or at least will be, and I've had this order in since just a month or so after I ordered the Monarch A-2.
As many of you probably know, in the anglophone world, different anniversaries have different gifts associated with them. 1st is paper, 20th is porcelain, 75 years is diamond. Well, the third anniversary is the best gift of all, as far as I'm concerned: leather.
A couple years ago, I floated the idea to @Nnatalie that we should get matching leather jackets for our third anniversary. She liked the idea, and I started casting around for styles. From the first I was drawn to a cross-zip design, both because I think it would look flattering on both men and women, and because neither of us have one. Saw a bunch of ones that looked nice (gorgeous even) but nothing that seemed like a slam dunk. Then almost a year and a half ago now, I was watching youtube videos and I stumbled upon one of Terry Mitchell's (from the hat place) videos about a Good Wear reproduction of Pancho Barnes' flight jacket. TBH, at that point I'd never heard of Pancho, although I had seen "The Right Stuff," but I did some searching, started reading about her life and very quickly knew I'd found what I was looking for. A badass aviatrix who competed with Amelia Earhart and partied with Chuck Yeager. I pitched it to Natalie and she agreed: The Pancho Barnes jacket was what we were looking for.
I wasn't sure John would want to make one, let alone two of them. In the video, Terry mentioned it was a very complicated one-off design, and John hadn't made one in years. When I asked him, though, he told me he'd actually been planning to have another go at that design and revamp the pattern, as he didn't think the first one he made was all that accurate to the design of Pancho's jacket. Long story short, he was happy to make a pair of them for Natalie and me.
Out of interest, I decided to research the jacket to help get the details right. So I started digging through all the old photos of Pancho Barnes from her flying days that I could find. Whereas the first version of this jacket over a decade ago had snaps on the pockets, by zooming in I was able to verify that the original had buttons, with bound buttonholes like you see on the first Werber contract. I also identified the zipper as a hookless talon, and noticed that the jacket had a tiny storm flap that just barely covered the zipper. Very late in production, I also stumbled upon the only known photo of the jacket from behind, which gave us the back design.
Talking with John about these details helped unearth more about the jacket's history. When I pointed out the bound buttonholes, he told me that by the late '20s/early '30s, all the big companies had switched to the Reece Buttonhole machine. The bound buttonhole was a German design feature, so Pancho almost certainly bought the original from a small manufacturing company that was owned by recent immigrants. John, meanwhile, observed that this extreme cross-zip design is like none that he's ever seen, so it was most likely a custom job, designed to Pancho's specifications.
Natalie's jacket is still in production, but here's one of the two Pancho Barnes jackets! The leather is a nice cowhide John has that looked like the right color. For the lining we opted for an off-white rayon, since the original seems to have been a similar color (we found a picture of her holding the jacket), while the label design is taken from a vintage Ralphs-Pugh label in John's collection.
As many of you probably know, in the anglophone world, different anniversaries have different gifts associated with them. 1st is paper, 20th is porcelain, 75 years is diamond. Well, the third anniversary is the best gift of all, as far as I'm concerned: leather.
A couple years ago, I floated the idea to @Nnatalie that we should get matching leather jackets for our third anniversary. She liked the idea, and I started casting around for styles. From the first I was drawn to a cross-zip design, both because I think it would look flattering on both men and women, and because neither of us have one. Saw a bunch of ones that looked nice (gorgeous even) but nothing that seemed like a slam dunk. Then almost a year and a half ago now, I was watching youtube videos and I stumbled upon one of Terry Mitchell's (from the hat place) videos about a Good Wear reproduction of Pancho Barnes' flight jacket. TBH, at that point I'd never heard of Pancho, although I had seen "The Right Stuff," but I did some searching, started reading about her life and very quickly knew I'd found what I was looking for. A badass aviatrix who competed with Amelia Earhart and partied with Chuck Yeager. I pitched it to Natalie and she agreed: The Pancho Barnes jacket was what we were looking for.
I wasn't sure John would want to make one, let alone two of them. In the video, Terry mentioned it was a very complicated one-off design, and John hadn't made one in years. When I asked him, though, he told me he'd actually been planning to have another go at that design and revamp the pattern, as he didn't think the first one he made was all that accurate to the design of Pancho's jacket. Long story short, he was happy to make a pair of them for Natalie and me.
Out of interest, I decided to research the jacket to help get the details right. So I started digging through all the old photos of Pancho Barnes from her flying days that I could find. Whereas the first version of this jacket over a decade ago had snaps on the pockets, by zooming in I was able to verify that the original had buttons, with bound buttonholes like you see on the first Werber contract. I also identified the zipper as a hookless talon, and noticed that the jacket had a tiny storm flap that just barely covered the zipper. Very late in production, I also stumbled upon the only known photo of the jacket from behind, which gave us the back design.
Talking with John about these details helped unearth more about the jacket's history. When I pointed out the bound buttonholes, he told me that by the late '20s/early '30s, all the big companies had switched to the Reece Buttonhole machine. The bound buttonhole was a German design feature, so Pancho almost certainly bought the original from a small manufacturing company that was owned by recent immigrants. John, meanwhile, observed that this extreme cross-zip design is like none that he's ever seen, so it was most likely a custom job, designed to Pancho's specifications.
Natalie's jacket is still in production, but here's one of the two Pancho Barnes jackets! The leather is a nice cowhide John has that looked like the right color. For the lining we opted for an off-white rayon, since the original seems to have been a similar color (we found a picture of her holding the jacket), while the label design is taken from a vintage Ralphs-Pugh label in John's collection.
B-Man2
Well-Known Member
Jan
Great write up and photos !
A rare and unique jacket for sure.
Most of the photos I’ve seen of Pancho in her flight gear, has her wearing this jacket.
Congrats on your new acquisition, can’t wait to see you and Nat wearing these together. And whenever it arrives … Happy Anniversary to both of you.
Great write up and photos !
A rare and unique jacket for sure.
Most of the photos I’ve seen of Pancho in her flight gear, has her wearing this jacket.
Congrats on your new acquisition, can’t wait to see you and Nat wearing these together. And whenever it arrives … Happy Anniversary to both of you.
Lord Flashheart
Well-Known Member
That is a great looking and characterful jacket Jan. From the little I've read Pancho was clearly someone who knew exactly what she wanted and grabbed life with both hands at a time when that can't have been easy. Congratulations to you and Natalie - it'll be great to see such a uniquely appropriate celebration of your anniversary
entertainment
Well-Known Member
I am the owner of the Pancho Barnes test jacket that JC made. John told me that Jan and Natalie had given him the commission, so I have waited until now to post a photo to avoid stealing their thunder. There are a few different details, especially the back. This one is made of Horween HH. I am surprised how un-stiff it is. Feels like it has been completely broken in.
Lord Flashheart
Well-Known Member
Thanks Jan. I shall look out for that
