ALL REPRO R.A.F. Irvin type jackets

[Jonnyboy]

Hi guys,

I'm now ready to take jacket orders!

I've seen the samples of the sheepskin that the tannery have produced for me, and they're great. I'm really happy with them. So, I'll be ordering the first batch of skins, which I should receive in a few weeks.

Before I can go into production though, I need to take orders in order to pay for the materials. I will be able to go into production as soon as I take delivery of the skins and will need 5 or 6 initial orders to pay for the materials and get the ball rolling. Each jacket takes roughly eight days to make, so when I begin making the orders, I'll keep all customers updated as to where their jacket is in the queue.

When making the test jackets, I anticipated pricing the production jackets at around £795. I've had to increase the price of the jacket slightly, to £825, to cover a significant increase in the material costs since I first started making jackets. The new skins are roughly twice the cost of the ones I had from Fenland, which I think reflects a general trend in the industry. I'm sure I could get the skins for less from China to keep the jacket price down, but for me it's all about the quality and authenticity of the materials, and it's something on which I won't compromise.

The jackets will be available in standard sizes: 38 - 52.

If anyone would like to place an order, please let me know and we can discuss the details of what pattern you'd like (pre-war/1941/multipanel). Because you've shown such interest in my jackets, I'm happy to accept a deposit of 40% (PayPal preferred), with the balance paid when the jacket is ready to ship.

Cheers,

Jon

 

[aswatland]

A.M. Clothing Irvin Jackets

I pleased to announce the launch of a project to manufacture the most accurate reproduction Irvin jackets since the War. The project is backed by several people who share a passion for Irvins. I have been the historical consultant on the venture for over a year. The aim is to reproduce 1938 two-panel Irvin Air Chute jackets in sizes up to a 52 chest.

Several original jackets have been taken apart (not by me!) for accurate patterns. The sheepskin will be as close to that used on originals as is possible today and will have the correct chestnut shade on the skin side. The zips will be copies of Dot zips, which were used on all pre-War Irvins. For copyright reasons the jackets will not be fitted with an Irvin Air Chute label, although this will be supplied with each jacket for the owner to attach if he wishes. They will have a hand sewn A.M. Clothing linen label. The A.M Clothing name has been registered at Companies House.

I have seen the first test jacket, which is a correct pattern for the 1938 Irvin. All the jackets will be made by a leading maker of reproduction garments and there will be exacting quality control. There are sufficient skins to produce around 50 jackets and each jacket will come with an Irvin information booklet and a signed endorsement from a Battle of Britain fighter pilot. We anticipate launching the A.M. Clothing jacket in the summer and the cost is likely to be in the £800-£1000 price bracket.

These jackets should appeal to enthusiasts who want a really accurate reproduction Irvin rather than risk damaging an original jacket! More information about ordering will be available shortly.

 

[John Lever]

 

[aswatland]

The jackets will be based on 1938 pattern Irvin Air Chute jackets, like the two below.

We will not be releasing any photos until the pre-production jackets are 100% to our satisfaction.

 

[Spitfire]

Sweet!

 

[aswatland]

There will soon be a website. Here are a couple of pics of specially made repro Dot zips. The stopper bucket will not be blackened on the production jackets.

Each jacket will have an A.M. Clothing label sewn in below the hanging chain.

 

[irvinsuit]

I wish you all the very best with this worthy endeavour. I cannot wait to see the pictures of the first examples, and I hope that success quickly follows and you can consider other patterns of Irvins. Which I suppose is a cheap way of saying mine's is a four panel hooded irvin with matching trousers :eusa_clap

Seriously, this is great news... GO FOR IT !!!!

 

[B-24J]

Achtung! Irvin!:eusa_clap

 

[Speedster]

This looks promising. Looking forward to seeing the finished product. Hope i will be able to save up for one of them.

 

[Jonnyboy]

Andrew, I must say I was surprised by your announcement, and specifically its timing.

As you will know from reading my posts, I've been working on my repro Irvin jackets for three years. In that time I have sourced the correct industrial sewing machines and become skilled in their use. Using the most closely matched sheepskins I have produced highly accurate reproductions from a deconstructed 1941 original. My jackets have been universally welcomed on the forums, and have received terrific praise from purchasers, as you will have seen. One of my proudest moments has been receiving a resounding endorsement from Wing Commander K.H.H. Cook DFC - a member of the Dambusters Squadron.

After an extensive testing phase, I posted that I was ready to accept orders for production jackets (numbers 6-12), so you can understand that the timing of your announcement is disappointing. I have invested everything - blood, sweat and tears - to reach the point where I’m ready to take orders for jackets. I've been very open about what I've been doing, and have shared all of the progress on the forum. It's been a long, hard slog to get to this point, but it has been a labour of love. For me, making reproduction Irvin jackets is all I want to do.

The fact that you made your announcement the day after I posted to say I was now ready to take orders, feels like you are trying to pull the rug from under my feet. Your post reads like a condensed version of what I’ve said my aims and aspirations have been throughout the various posts about my project.

I know that making accurate reproduction Irvin jackets isn't a copyrighted idea, but I just wish that you'd let me know your intentions. Nobody should be frightened of competition, so I look forward to seeing photographs of the jacket you’ve had made.

Jon

 

[aswatland]

Competition is healthy and ultimately the consumer will decide who they want to buy from. The intention of the people behind the A.M. Clothing project is to produce the most accurate early Irvins on the market. We are aiming at high end collectors and enthusiasts who want a stitch for stitch copy of a 1938 IAC jacket with the correct zips. Already there is considerable interest in the project with people asking me if they can place orders. The project has been ten years in planning and has been stepped up during the last 14 months or so. A decision was taken at an early stage not to announce the project publicly until we had sorted the zips, labels and fleece. There was no intention to upset you Jon and I wish you well with your venture.

 

[Baron Enski]

Great Timeing

If you get it as good as the original I "ll be interested . God do I really want another Irvin repro !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really after a late war good repro with the shaggy sheepskin to go with my 2 Eastmans .

Wonder if your looking at all this Gary ( and laughing )

Great Timeing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Baron Enski]

A leading repro manufacturer hmm .................

Is it Goodwear ? Its not Eastman no cant be , Aero, Its not Aero is It?

 

[Baron Enski]

English Scotish American Japaneese

 

[aswatland]

You can guess as much as you like as to the manufacturer but my lips are sealed for the present.

 

[B-24J]

You can guess as much as you like as to the manufacturer but my lips are sealed for the present.

We can guess as much as we like? Alright then. If perchance it is a UK manufacturer of reproduction garments, then I guess/hope that someone named Stephen is running the operation. I'm assuming the Lewis project is still on hold.

In regards to the blackened "dot" stopper bucket, my 1941 trousers have the buckets and pulls blackened. They appear to a grayish steel underneath. One of my late war jackets, probably made from earlier trousers, has a brass "dot" front zip.

John

 

[aswatland]

The blackened stopper box has not been burnished yet. I too have a pre-war jacket with blackened zips. Many were not blackened just left as plain brass.

 

[PADDY]

This is GREAT NEWS Gents for any of us who appreciate this jacket style. Applaud it that this is in the pipeline & respect their wishes that *details* will be released "as & when" they feel it's appropriate
Hope this venture goes well..!

 

[Baron Enski]

Just when I thought things were getting boring , do you think You"ll do a late war Andrew?

 

[aswatland]

Just when I thought things were getting boring , do you think You"ll do a late war Andrew?

At present only a 1938 IAC jacket. Other types could be considered at some stage in the future.