My Glenn Ford jacket

[Fatdutchman]

I just got my very 50's style jacket. It's by Scully/Rangewear. Brownish Carhartt-type color (they also come in black, but no blue denim). This is the style of jacket you will see on so many stars of Western movies from the '50's. Glenn Ford, Jimmy Stuart, etc.

When I ordered the jacket, I just KNEW that the sleeves would be too short, and I'd have to come up with some way of lengthening the cuffs. By golly, they were just right! The jacket was too big around my stomach. I have a thick chest and (relatively) narrow waist. I took off the bottom band, and took the sides of the jacket up, moving the seam in 1" at the bottom, which ends up being 4" off the total size at the bottom. Then I sewed the bottom band back on, and made a new button hole. I also sewed the band back on higher, making the jacket an inch or more shorter.

Here's where I got the jacket: www.whetstonesmerc.com/id81.html

I'll put up photos of my actual jacket later.

 

[SGB]

Neat jacket and interesting that it is so close to the Glenn Ford and Jimmy Stewart jackets. Glenn wore his in a number of movies, as did Jimmy, but I believe Jimmy's didn't have the cinch back. I have been looking for a good copy of this jacket for some time, thanks for the link.
Recently Jimmy's original jacket came up for auction in Hollywood, I passed after it didn't meet reserve and the auction house offered it to me for $6,000. This repro for $60 should do just fine.

SGB

 

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

It sounds like you did some fairly serious alterations on the jacket; I'm not sure I would trust myself! I'd like to see how yours turned out - the stock jacket looks very nice.

Noel

 

[Fatdutchman]

Not really. For anyone who can sew at all, it was a fairly minor adjustment. Just took up the sides and shortened it just a bit.

Not a huge Johnny Depp fan, but I saw him on TV a few days ago wearing this style of jacket, but in blue denim. If it was new, I have no idea where he got it. Probably an old one.

Saw a Sammy Davis, Jr. western movie from about 1968 a few weeks ago, and he had a jacket just like this, though in a "light stone" sort of color.

The cinch in the back utilizes a fork type "buckle". You put the fabric billet through and force the forks through the fabric to hold it. I have mine fitted down now so that I don't really need the cinch.

Some lousy photos:

Funny, I normally lean very much to the right....

 

[RBH]

I like that jacket Dutchman, it looks great with that fedora.

 

[KY Gentleman]

Dutchman- Check out "River Junction Trade Co." Lots of Old West clothes like the Glenn Ford cowboy movies, etc. You once mentioned a Western hat like Thomas Hayden Church wore in "Broken Trail", its there, too.

 

[Alan Eardley]

The jacket you usually see in 50s Western movies is the Levi's 506XX. Although Lee and other workwear companies did similar versions, Levi's had good 'product placement' (as we would now call it) in movies.

Both Levi's Vintage Clothing and Levi's Europe have done accurate reproductions of models from 1936 to 1944 in 'Cone Mills' type denim (Japanese, of course). They come onto the market quite regularly, but are much more expensive then the one you show.

Alan

I just got my very 50's style jacket. It's by Scully/Rangewear. Brownish Carhartt-type color (they also come in black, but no blue denim). This is the style of jacket you will see on so many stars of Western movies from the '50's. Glenn Ford, Jimmy Stuart, etc.

When I ordered the jacket, I just KNEW that the sleeves would be too short, and I'd have to come up with some way of lengthening the cuffs. By golly, they were just right! The jacket was too big around my stomach. I have a thick chest and (relatively) narrow waist. I took off the bottom band, and took the sides of the jacket up, moving the seam in 1" at the bottom, which ends up being 4" off the total size at the bottom. Then I sewed the bottom band back on, and made a new button hole. I also sewed the band back on higher, making the jacket an inch or more shorter.

Here's where I got the jacket: www.whetstonesmerc.com/id81.html

I'll put up photos of my actual jacket later.