Derby of San Francisco Jackets

[Bolts]

Derby Jackets

Thanks Deacon....you in our neighborhood...I could now easily look back and count 65 plus derbys that were worn by me and my brothers...friends, school friends etc.

Ya you have to have lived in s.f. to understand that the derby identified you as a man, a young man that is...not a sissy. You wore the derbys when you did everything, even on hot days in san francisco, you never left home without wearing a derby. We also used to wear grey or blue Hoodies underneath our derbys..

My parents were limited with income...so the derbys were priced just about what they could afford 35.00 or so.

We first word corduroys pants with our derbys, then ben davis...in high school. I came at the end of the derby era in high school....

I had a sense of pride and still do when I put on my derby. I wonder what it was like to have worked there and actually made the jackets, etc...how proud they must have been to work in s.f.,making a made in usa product.

I refuse to wear the junk from the orient....im a made in san francisco dude..
and always will be. and the derby is part of me and my past..

thanks

 

[Bolts]

Derby Jackets

I was lookin on e bay today, and a whole bunch of fine original derby jackets
are up for auction. Most people like myself always took care of our derbys...even when I worked in towing, my dark blue always held up to the tuffness and look of the derby. I have found out a lot about the original
derby company in san francisco...and they made a whole bunch of different styles....even formal suits. etc

I recently got an e mail that all s.f. firefighters were issued the derby blue derbys for a station jacket.......some had the s.f. fire logo put one them...so some history.

anyway here is a link for someone on photobucket who has a whole bunch of derby pics. /Bolts

thanks

 

[Bolts]

Derby Jackets

Here is the photobucket link to some pics of original derbys.

http://s1008.photobucket.com/albums/af201/derbyjacketdude/

 

[Deacon]

Excellent. I especially like those blue Derbies. I think I'll start quest for one.

 

[Bolts]

Derby Jacket

Hey Deacon, I actually have a very nice size 42, original blue derby, and two of the ups browns. I wear the blue derby everyday...and it has held up well even in my paving job...although i usually wear a orange vest and protective gear..so the jacket is not ruined with hot tar.

I see a lot of them on ebay, but some are the derbys that were made overseas with the cheaper knit, the plastic zipper...no comparison to the original derbys made in san francisco.

Bolts.

 

[Deacon]

Yes, Bolts, I've seen those Derby copies made in Taiwan. They are not even close. I'll definitely go for the San Francisco-made ones, all the way!

 

[Bolts]

Derby Jackets

Ya deacon, derby stopped making the jackets in s.f. in 1985...according to my dad....then they went overseas....cheaper, knit, all sorts of stuff. If you look closely at the derbys on e bay, the ones from taiwan, macau, etc...you see cheaper knit, even the fabric colors are off......none of my homeboys would be caught dead in a non original....even the ones they are selling on mission at the zootsuit store....dont get me wrong, the place sells the ben davis for the best price, but the derbys they are selling, it is a disgrace even to call their jacket a derby...

i wear my dark blue every day....most dudes i work with have and wear them...so, i have seen some stuff on line that they are re making the derbys..well just a rumor...

bolts

 

[Bolts]

Derby Jackets in Movies

Me and my homeboys were talking and in 48 hours, with eddie murphy you will see a dude wearing a black derby jacket when they have the scene in the subway....

then clint eastwood wears a brown derby in a dirty harry movie...a ups brown

in streets of san francisco CD--a whole bunch of derby jacket sitings....

pretty cool, for the best tuff guys jacket ever made...

[

 

[feltfan]

Anyone ever see a Derby of San Francisco overcoat? I found one today and it's pretty cool.
Unfortunately it's a 46, which is not as big as I'd like, but it does fit. The belt is gone and one
button has been (very carefully) replaced, but otherwise in great shape. Someone loved this coat.
Trying to decide if I'll wear it much.

 

[O2BSwank]

Bringing back memories. I started wearing Derbies in the eighth grade. Then I continued through J.C. (junior college) Merritt and Ohlone. Wore them while I worked at GM Fremont. My last was a black one that I sewed a Sportster patch on the left front. Still got it, but it will never fit again.
These were the essential cool guy's jacket worn by Chicanos, like myself and my Asian buddies.
Truly a part of Oakland/ SF area history. We bought ours at Alberts , a small non-chain men's shop in the Diamond district of Oakland,

 

[railroad detect]

J. C. Penney's sells a jacket called the Red Kap Perma-Llined work jacket. It comes in black, blue, grey and green. looks just like the Derby Jacket on the website. Don't know anything about the quality of the jacket.

 

[rgraham]

The jacket is now being made once again by a company based out of San Francisco. They are made in China, but the quality is on par with the originals. They are way more expensive than the originals, but I still bought one. They are a great jacket, and perfect for the likes of Bay Area weather.
They can only be bought at their store on Haight Street for the time being, but will be selling online soon. Here is the website to see what the jacket looks like. http://www.derbysf.com/