Something a Bit Different..... Show Us Your Vintage Civilian Jackets.

[B-Man2]

burt, the aero was originally a seal brown, and I gave it a thinned wash of black dye. I also set the rivets at the bottom front, and installed an original m-41 talon zipper puller.

You did a great job !
Looks great .

 

[Micawber]

Not much vintage civilian leather here, but I have a few bits of cloth on the rails. No Victorian this time though, how about some bespoke for a Col. F S Wildman from 1959...

 

[Nnatalie]

I just recently got this late-40s or maybe early-50s women’s outdoors/ski jacket, and I’m loving it! It was made by the Arctic Feather and Down Co., a subsidiary of Eddie Bauer. Their main business seems to have been men’s hunting jackets, but they made other men’s and women’s outdoors jackets too. Also, I didn’t get a good picture of the cuffs, but it has storm cuffs (beneath shirtsleeve-style buttoned cuffs)!

Here’s a closeup of the label:

Classic Talon zipper. The pockets have Talon zippers too.

And lastly what I thought was a clever design feature, given that jacket linings tear easily at the armpits: The armpits are reinforced with the same heavy cotton as the outside!

And lastly, here’s an example ad from the company. Note that they reference down/feather-filled jackets as having been used by the military for high altitude flying:

Article clipped from The Pittsburgh Press

Clipping found in The Pittsburgh Press published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 11/5/1945.

www.newspapers.com

 

[Nnatalie]

And secondly, here’s my late-30s, probably capeskin, no-name cossack jacket, my first acquisition, and one of my favorites. I love the zigzag seaming on the front and the way the pockets are integrated into it.

 

[Nnatalie]

And last jacket of mine for the thread, another recent acquisition, for when I’m feeling dressy and dapper. I inherited it from my mom, and it’s probably from the 80s. It’s a classic style, but it’s the detailing on the back that makes it one of my favorites.

 

[Spitfireace]

Here's my own personal favourite, I've had this since the 1980s
Disqualified from entering the contest

I see your Thunder Bay Ken, and raise you my own! No prize needed unless it's a trip to Scotland. Question, who came up with the term Thunder Bay for this style of

jacket? I thought it was determined it was originally made by Franco Canadian?

 

[Spitfireace]

For me, before there was leather there was waxed. I absolutely agree with Cabbie ... though I don't have a Barbour Bedale (yet). And I still have and wear my first waxed jacket bought for £25 in about 1985. It's branded "Leisure Wear" and the zip has always been ready to unzip from the bottom to let in a cooling draft whilst sitting in a hide or marching about in the countryside. It's worn in places, has been sewn roughly when I've gone through a hedge backwards / sideways etc when out beating or shooting but it is still going strong. It earned a retirement a few years ago when I treated myself to a Barbour Northumbria. Two sizeable pockets for cartridges, partridges and anything else and a decent poachers pocket inside. Though I've never been poaching, you understand, that pocket seems fit for purpose. Leather jackets may be a fad for me. Waxed jackets won't. View attachment 53127View attachment 53128View attachment 53129

Never mind Kens competition I agree 110% with Cabbie. This'll do wherever you are.

You can't beat a waxed, or in other places might be called an oilskin jacket. Waterproof, warm, and cheap to

abuse, I have one myself that I treated with paraffin and linseed oil. Stunk for a week but then was dry and has been waterproof to this day.

 

[AlexLutov]

Perhaps I will add more..

Schott hh

Aero hercules original

Aero cheyenne

 

[Spitfireace]

cute

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

I see your Thunder Bay Ken, and raise you my own! No prize needed unless it's a trip to Scotland. Question, who came up with the term Thunder Bay for this style of View attachment 53197View attachment 53198jacket? I thought it was determined it was originally made by Franco Canadian?

Stiull look iamazingly good, had Aero not done the restoration and had I not got a real bias towards this style, this would have at least made the photo finish.
However, like some of the lovely old Aeros posted, in fairness I have to say it's "not qualified", maybe we should run a "Best Aero" competition?
The Thunder Bay label was designed around 1990 with no plan what to do with it. For 20 years it got used here and there in one offs etc. When we decided to replicate my old Canadian jacket the name and label design seemed perfect.

I've decided not to make a final descion until 6.00pm Scottish Time to see if we can get an overall winner.
Right now two entries are neck and neck....................I want to avoid a dead heat and TWO prizes!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

I see your Thunder Bay Ken, and raise you my own! No prize needed unless it's a trip to Scotland. Question, who came up with the term Thunder Bay for this style of View attachment 53197View attachment 53198jacket? I thought it was determined it was originally made by Franco Canadian?

Yours well and truly trumps mine
I do need to do some (urgent) work on mine, especially two new pocket bags!!

 

[Nnatalie]

I see your Thunder Bay Ken, and raise you my own! No prize needed unless it's a trip to Scotland. Question, who came up with the term Thunder Bay for this style of jacket? I thought it was determined it was originally made by Franco Canadian?

The interesting thing is that back in the40s/50s, there seems to have been a jacket maker called Thunder Bay jackets, who made jackets in different styles. No idea if there’s any connection between them and this style or them and Franco Canadian though. May well have just been a “let’s name our jackets Thunder Bay, because our jackets stand up to cold weather and Canada has lots of cold weather” type coincidence.

 

[philip.ed]

Here is my modest entry.

I have had this jacket in my collection for over a year now. I purchased this directly from Gary Eastman, and it still had some of his vintage business cards in one of the pockets from when he was trading at Airshows in the 80s! It fits me very nicely, and I'm a fairly slender 36-38 chest.

Gary said it is most likely an American Civilian jacket, potentially made from Mustang Hide. This thing feels bulletproof.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

OK we have a winner...................well two winners
I didn’t want to sit on the fence on this but it’s a dead heat

Joint Winners Silver Surfer’s Buco J-21 and Happy Hooligan’s Hercules (Montgomery) Ward Square pocket

I can’t split them

Guys………… send me a PM with your address

It’s been hard leaving Spitfireace’s Canadian (Thunder Bay) out the prizemoney but, after all, this is a beauty contest and I’m aware it’s had more “plastic surgery” than Jane Fonda to make it look this good

Oddly enough, Aero have done very few exact repros of original jackets over our 40 years, maybe 10 styles in all, military excluded? Considering how many there were to choose from, seeing three of those we did choose show up here is quite amazing

Thanks to all who posted pics and to B-Man2 for starting a thread true to the spirit of the name, VLJ

Some lovely jackets, I’m a big fan of early Letterman’s Jackets, some lovely Aeros and the Lady’s Tweeds were stunning……………….if only Mrs Ken was judging the results would have differed I’m sure….that long coat!!!!!!

 

[mulceber]

Congrats to the winners! What’ve they won, Ken?

 

[B-Man2]

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread .
I for one learned a bit about vintage original jackets . That’s a good thing . Vic had some beauties didn’t he ?
I appreciated all of your participation!
Cheers

PS . Just because the winners have been declared doesn’t mean we can’t keep this thread alive, so if you have a vintage jacket that we haven’t seen or that you’d like to post .... do it !

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Congrats to the winners! What’ve they won, Ken?

They'll no doubt tell you when the parcels arrive

 

[JimO]

Joint Winners Silver Surfer’s Buco J-21 and Happy Hooligan’s Hercules (Montgomery) Ward Square pocket

Congratulations to the winners and a HUGE thanks to Burt for starting this thread and to Ken for generously sponsoring it and giving everyone incentive to post their jackets & enter the contest. Thanks as well to all who entered, you have some fine jackets.

Well done everyone!

 

[Paul Glover]

Worthy winners !, well done . Thanks Ken for humouring us and imparting your experience with us all.

 

[Paul Glover]

And last jacket of mine for the thread, another recent acquisition, for when I’m feeling dressy and dapper. I inherited it from my mom, and it’s probably from the 80s. It’s a classic style, but it’s the detailing on the back that makes it one of my favorites.
View attachment 53190
View attachment 53191

Great jackets Natalie!, you two have a great sense of style, im not sure where you live but in your photos when you are out in town it always reminds me of a scene from the films back to the future., very cool.