J.C.Penney (Sportclad) Motorcycle Jacket History 1947-1963

[tmitchell59]

Post WWII was the Motorcycle jacket boom (The Golden Age). Young men coming out the service looking for some fun take to the open road. Riding Gear had been produced since the invent of the Motorcycle. Regional Shops all over the country were producing riding wear for Civilian and Police work long before 1947. The huge amount of interest post war increased the need for more jackets. The Three catalog giants, Sears-JC Penney-Montgomery Ward filled the retail need. The Sears catalog began offering MC jackets c.1948. They were the leader and through the 1950s would outsell the other catalogs. The Catalog stores brought MC jacket into the mainstream.

I want to replicate the Sears MC History Thread that has been so successful in putting together a very accurate chronology and cataloging of the various models.

The Sears thread replicated the Sears catalog pages for those years. I do not have access to either Wards or JC Penney catalog pages as I had with Sears. Even with all the pages I had, two Missing Links were found by members here from sources I had not seen.

I hoping we can duplicate the community effort again.

 

[tmitchell59]

The JC Penney used basically these two labels through from 1947-1960.

This is the label that identifies the earliest Penney we have found. c.1947-1952. As I write this I am thinking these jackets represent a significant number of the jackets they produced.

This is the common 1950s follow up label. This label is seen with leather name and also "made in the West". I do not recall a leather JC Penney/Sportclad label. The leather labels do show up on Sears Hercules and Wards Windwards.

I know we will find much fewer of the Penney jackets. I have only focused on the early wool lined Sportclad.

 

[tmitchell59]

This is the earlist Penney jacket we have discovered. This one is documented to purchase in 1947 by one of those veterans. Why he never wore it, his nephew did not know. It is mint, still has the shine on it.

The first post-war jackets typically had the wool lining. Nylon was not in jacket use until c.1951. It then eclipsed the use of Wool for a lining. Fleece was used by Sears post Wool.

This Sportclad is lined in red Wool. Has a post-war Talon zipper c.1946. All that I have seen with the Wool lining have been identical and labeled as horsehide.

We do know that Star Sportswear in Lynn MA made these wool lined jackets. More on that as we go along. It took us some work to begin to identify the makers of the Sears jackets.

 

[JMax]

My Sportclad label— not sure it was sold through JCP. MC jacket with blackened brass hardware. Most SC I see have the nickel hardware. I’ll echo what you have said TM, the hide is top tier, no matter the era. And the stitching on mine is the same, excellent by any standard.

 

[photo2u]

Those nickle plated zips are so nice.

 

[JMax]

Those nickle plated zips are so nice.

I got caught up today. Tomorrow is crazy but I will ping you soon about the zips!! My apologies.

 

[photo2u]

No problem brother. Please take good care!

 

[JMax]

 

[tmitchell59]

This is the 2nd edition of the Sportclad? The black Nylon lining models are seldom seen. Nylon came into play with all the catalogs using nylon stitching and lining by c.1952.

This particular jacket was owned by James Dean. I will try to find more images of the nylon lined with Sportclad label. I need to identify the main zipper.

 

[tmitchell59]

Those nickle plated zips are so nice.

Yes, those zippers are a stand out feature of these early wool lined. This is a late 40s Talon zipper. I don't see these particulare zippers often. So far all the wool lined I've seen have this main zipper.

I have another coming in the mail. It does not have Horsehide on the Sportclad label, but the horsehide tag is separate as seen on some Kurland labeled jackets.

I don't yet know what that means. Perhaps an early one or one of the last?

 

[tmitchell59]

 

[JMax]

Yes, those zippers are a stand out feature of these early wool lined. This is a late 40s Talon zipper. I don't see these particulare zippers often. So far all the wool lined I've seen have this main zipper.

I have another coming in the mail. It does not have Horsehide on the Sportclad label, but the horsehide tag is separate as seen on some Kurland labeled jackets.

I don't yet know what that means. Perhaps an early one or one of the last?

We should start a zipper thread. Closeups of the vintage zips with a note of which jacket it is on. My Fidelity has a similar Serval to the above Talon, with Serval written on the pull and stop. My earliest Cal has a huge Conmar, with Conmar both on the pull and stop. Most of my vintage jackets have the small Talon pull without any text on the stop. I’ll take a bunch of pics and get it started soonest.

 

[photo2u]

We should start a zipper thread. Closeups of the vintage zips with a note of which jacket it is on. My Fidelity has a similar Serval to the above Talon, with Serval written on the pull and stop. My earliest Cal has a huge Conmar, with Conmar both on the pull and stop. Most of my vintage jackets have the small Talon pull without any text on the stop. I’ll take a bunch of pics and get it started soonest.

Sounds great!

 

[JMax]

Sounds great!

I was going to send you a PM. You need to jump in lol.

 

[tmitchell59]

I'm in. I have much to share on zippers up till the 1960s, the big Talons, Scovills , etc need to be broken down.

I am best with the zippers from 30s-60s.

Get it started. Start somewhere and go from there.

 

[JMax]

I'm in. I have much to share on zippers up till the 1960s, the big Talons, Scovills , etc need to be broken down.

I am best with the zippers from 30s-60s.

Get it started. Start somewhere and go from there.

Will do. I’ll include some of the NOS on my LW too. Hopefully tomorrow.

 

[tmitchell59]

Will do. I’ll include some of the NOS on my LW too. Hopefully tomorrow.

I got some zip pics together last night.

It will be ground breaking if we identify the "Big" zippers. I believe they had their start in the 50s, but probably late in the 50s.

 

[tmitchell59]

@Mysteryo jacket from another thread.

Tag is different, but appart of that it’s the same configuration!
One of the most beautiful vintage horsehide I ever saw

 

[tmitchell59]

@JMax Kurland labeled jacket.

 

[tmitchell59]

This appears to be the earliest configuration. Squared ended epaulets with the button throat latch.

I have 4 with the Red wool lining, 3 have this configuration. One has second style sewn on with square cuts

I thinking the one with the sewn on latch was made last, just prior to going to the nylon lining..The last of this style have the Sportclad label with the quilted nylon lining. @Mysteryo has one of these pictured above. This was c.1951 and the last use of that Sportclad label on MC jackets. Subsequent models have the new JC Penney label.