Denim Jackets with zips

[majormajor]

Just sorting through my denim, and I realised nearly all the jackets I've acquired over the last year have zips.

And I've been lucky enough to find originals, so haven't had to shell out for repros. As far as I know, none of these jackets were ever sold new in the UK back in the day.

My current fave is the Wrangler 24MJZ from the early 60's. Has the nice "action back" with elastic bi-swing.

I've managed to find two iterations of the 60's Lee 191 - both lined and unlined:

Only two small zips on this one, but the 60's Roebucks looks different to anything else I have:

Anyone have others we can see?

BTW, for you zip aficionados, all the zips (apart from the Roebucks, that is just stamped "USA"), ALL the zips are Talons

 

[nabottle]

That Wrangler is BAD ASS!

 

[Sloan1874]

The pockets on the Lee 191 really work for me. Something a bit different. Your Roebucks in far better condition than mine by the look of it...

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Nice 24MJZ! Is the elastic in good condition? I often find it's brittle and lost its stretch.

Wrangler is by far my favourite denim of the 60s.

I admit to not being a fan of the denim jacket with zipper front, but the Wrangler looks great.

 

[majormajor]

Nice 24MJZ! Is the elastic in good condition? I often find it's brittle and lost its stretch.

Wrangler is by far my favourite denim of the 60s.

I admit to not being a fan of the denim jacket with zipper front, but the Wrangler looks great.

Yup, the elastic is tip top, and I like this jacket much more than I thought I would!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

A note on dating that this [usually reliable] source has the black label originating around 1970. Before that there was the white label either Wrangler or Wrangler Blue Bell, with a small white Wrangler 'R' label over the left breast pocket. As i understand it the Rodeo Ben elasticated designs were continued though the middle 70s.

http://www.vintagemotorcyclejackets.com/41.htm

I would also note the way the D-pockets are stitched on majormajor's 24MJZ. This is very like my own Wranglers. Older variants featured a stitch further from the top seam of the pocket. On majormajor's jacket the top stitch lines of the D-pocket are congruent with the upper pocket opening, making me think that - unless it's unequivocally dated - this jacket dates to the very late 60s or early 70s. There is likely to have been cross-over in style but it's pretty solid that the D-pocket stitching congruent with the upper opening of the slash pocket is later.

earlier style, bigger D-pocket stitching

later styling, D-pocket top stitch line congruent with upper slash pocket opening.

 

[majormajor]

Could well be. Although my understanding is that the zips were dropped in the early to mid 60's. The wider pocket stitching has certainly been dated as 61. Only the site you mentioned dates them that late. I got my first Wrangler in 66, but, obviously, we never got zipped versions.

Matters not to me. Still a hell of a jacket

 

[Dinerman]

 

[majormajor]

VERY nice!!

 

[bretron]

@dinerman, had that fisher stripe jacket been my size I'da nabbed it up when you auctioned it off. Just killer.

@major, for me the early 91Js (with diamond pull pocket zip) are a practically perfect denim jacket. On my short list for "next jacket"