ALL REPRO R.A.F. Irvin type jackets

[Achsoo]

Hi Phil
Your loss was my gain. I sold the jacket to Cliff, he had it for a few years then he sold it back to me. A stunning jacket very well worn.

Cheers John,
Glad it's still going strong and serving you well, I hope?
Whilst we're on the subject- I am considering buying another, I am unsure though about which to go for. I have read a lot of posts about the latest ELC Irvin's some good and some not so, which leaves me a little bit confused. what are your thoughts? considering they are well over the £800 mark.
I like the look of the BoB model. However, when I saw one in the 'flesh', so to speak, at Flying Legends I wasn't over enamoured.
Any advice, or your opinion, is greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Phil.

 

[John Lever]

Phil,
Your old jacket is very special so I doubt you will find another like it. if you need a large size I can point you towards a size 48 made from WW2 RAF trousers.
Message me if you are interested.

 

[Otter]

I saw the photos of that jacket that John is talking about when it was new. Absolutely stunning, never seen its equal.

 

[John Lever]

Size 48 ELC Merino Irvin. 25 years old ?

 

[Achsoo]

That is definitely my old ELC, the cracking and crazing established quite quickly after purchase in 93. This bothered me at first but I soon got to accept (and like) that this is how it was breaking in. It was also a very flexible and comfortable jacket, far superior to my B3 in terms of practicality.
It is nice to see it after 25 years service and pleased that John has it as a 'keeper'. That speaks volumes-i think.

My main critique of this jacket was that it was always too short in the body for me. Which is why I would probably opt for a longer length, possibly 2-3". Nonetheless, looked rather swanky with an aircrew rollneck underneath.
The thought of a quasi-original Irvin that John has mentioned is tempting-very tempting, but I feel that a rather long torso size would be pre-requisite for any future purchase.
P.s, a small footnote on John's/my old Irvine, in 1995 I was flying in a microlight wearing that jacket. I had the misfortune to have to perform an emergency crash landing. The a/c was consequently struck off charge. But, I walked away with just a few scratches, the Irvin had some nice mud and hydraulic fluid spattered on it. Character!
Kind regards.,
Phil.

 

[John Lever]

Thanks Phil,
The jacket is very soft and comfortable to wear and yes it is short even for a size 48. MET a forum member here has a very large BoB size 46 for sale, it is considerably bigger than your old 48 and is older I think. It's one of the chestnut brown ones with the the russet seam tapes. I have tried it on, it's massive so may well fit you.

 

[John Lever]

Fits me.

 

[Sloan1874]

Bags of character.

 

[CBI]

looks super John - really great.

I just can't do the short jackets anymore. Totally impractical for me no matter how cool the look. A few extra inches seem to make all of the difference!

 

[Achsoo]

looks super John - really great.

I just can't do the short jackets anymore. Totally impractical for me no matter how cool the look. A few extra inches seem to make all of the difference!

I agree with you Sloan,
I ordered a 48" ELC in long, it fits beautifully. However, it is a bulky beast. But, covers my lower back when driving etc. Two exceptions though are my Roughwear B15 size 46" regular although a reasonably short jacket it still fits a bit longer and is trim in the shoulders etc. The other is my ELC Monarch A2. A perfect fit also.
I am 6' 2"" and do have a long back and arms which makes ordering a bit of an ordeal.

 

[Cooper A-2]

Fits me.

Perfect fit! Nice craftmanship!

 

[aswatland]

Here are some pictures of an early ELC later War Irvin in a size 42. It needed at little TLC when it arrived. I have replaced part of the worn hem and bottom of the cuffs with WW2 fleece. The skin is quite remarkable having loads of character and has been mistaken for an original. The fleece is also spot on for an original. Eastman have used thicker horsehide for the belt, collar back, collar strap and zip pullers than is used on their current RAF jackets, which also adds to the vintage feel of the jacket. It is extremely well made and better constructed than most later War originals. These early multi-panel jackets are really rare and this one is a great daily wearer.

 

[John Lever]

Well done Andrew, you did very well there it looks so different from the ebay auction.

 

[Deacon211]

Great looking jacket! I really like the dark brown color of the leather. My 2014 ELC 38 pattern is much lighter.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Dav]

 

[Achsoo]

I would like to ask what are people's opinion on the current Eastman BoB and Aero's BoB.
Both have appeal, and the quality of workmanship is not in doubt. But which one is historically nearer to the real thing?
Is it worth paying an extra £150 for an Eastman?
Really interested to hear what fellow loungers think on this subject. I personally like the look of the Aero better, I would also like to see how it wears in over time.
Over to you.

 

[Cooper A-2]

I would like to ask what are people's opinion on the current Eastman BoB and Aero's BoB.
Both have appeal, and the quality of workmanship is not in doubt. But which one is historically nearer to the real thing?
Is it worth paying an extra £150 for an Eastman?
Really interested to hear what fellow loungers think on this subject. I personally like the look of the Aero better, I would also like to see how it wears in over time.
Over to you.

Had both recent ELC pre-war and BOB.
The leather/fleece nowadays is not as " correct " as it used to be.
Next winter I buy an AERO BOB , 2 sizes bigger than I need and give it the water treatment to shrink and " vintage " it...
So far the best alternative IMHO.

 

[Achsoo]

Thanks Cooper A-2,
Interesting that, I too prefer to 'size' up with
Sheepskin's. The Aero appears to be an equal to Eastman, although, not much is mentioned about Aero Irvins on the forum-tres bizarre?

 

[Doctor Damage]

historian Michael Wood in an Irvin (many many years ago)
source here

 

[aswatland]

This is a nice photo. The collar strap is on the wrong side as it was on some older repro jackets.