JanSolo
Practically Family
- Messages
- 879
- Location
- Ever so sunny Westphalia, Germany
Hello everybody,
A couple of days ago I received a vintage mint condition M-51 from Vintage Trends. The jacket is exactly as it was described and it looks and feels like it has not been worn for more than a couple of days or weeks throughout its entire life.
Here it is:
The jacket was made by Alden Industries in 1952 so it's really an old piece of garment. Nevertheless it clearly shows how much attention to detail went into these old military jackets. All in all I would say that the manufacturing quality is very high on this specific jacket.
The seams are all straight and true and there are many spots that have been reinforced with bar tacking. The cotton sateen is beautifully soft with a slightly brushed finish. The lining is also quite smooth which makes the jacket very comfortable to wear. All buttons are still firm and there are no loose threads or unfinished seams.
Compared to modern day military apparel it really is a sophisticated jacket in both style and manufacturing quality.
This particular M-51 is a size S regular. I don't know why these military jackets tend to be oversized. Maybe it’s because of the cold weather liner or to give enough room for layering and gear.
I am 6ft even, weigh 160 lbs and have a 39 inch chest. I am very much surprised that the jacket is such a good fit. There is still a bit of room for a sweater.
Upon arrival I gave the jacket a thorough handwash and I've also used a bit of fabric conditioner. Now all wrinkles are gone, the jacket smells clean and fresh, the finish of the outer cloth looks revived and it's ready to go.
As you can see I've made some leather stoppers for the drawstring.
I've had a bit of vegetable tanned bridle leather left and I've decided to make those. They are more comfortable than knots and they don't look too bad...
Thanks again to Gary Wallace of www.vintagetrends.com for a super fast delivery and a carefully packed and wrapped item.
Thanks a million to Gancho (Olli) for ordering the jacket along with his WWII peacoat. ("I’m not paying any custom duties for those! These two beaten up jackets were sent over by a friend as a gift..." Yeah, yeah...
)
Some more pictures:
Note the excellent condition of the zipper: Shiny alloy teeth, strong but faded tape, and an olive painted zinc die-cast slider.
The two lower pockets are lined with a thick and warm cloth that’s heavier and softer than the outer shell. (Sorry for the raindrops.)
The manufacturer’s stencil hasn’t faded much over the decades and it’s clearly visible.
Not that tree again…!
I hope it was of some interest. Thanks for looking!
A couple of days ago I received a vintage mint condition M-51 from Vintage Trends. The jacket is exactly as it was described and it looks and feels like it has not been worn for more than a couple of days or weeks throughout its entire life.
Here it is:
The jacket was made by Alden Industries in 1952 so it's really an old piece of garment. Nevertheless it clearly shows how much attention to detail went into these old military jackets. All in all I would say that the manufacturing quality is very high on this specific jacket.
The seams are all straight and true and there are many spots that have been reinforced with bar tacking. The cotton sateen is beautifully soft with a slightly brushed finish. The lining is also quite smooth which makes the jacket very comfortable to wear. All buttons are still firm and there are no loose threads or unfinished seams.
Compared to modern day military apparel it really is a sophisticated jacket in both style and manufacturing quality.
This particular M-51 is a size S regular. I don't know why these military jackets tend to be oversized. Maybe it’s because of the cold weather liner or to give enough room for layering and gear.
I am 6ft even, weigh 160 lbs and have a 39 inch chest. I am very much surprised that the jacket is such a good fit. There is still a bit of room for a sweater.
Upon arrival I gave the jacket a thorough handwash and I've also used a bit of fabric conditioner. Now all wrinkles are gone, the jacket smells clean and fresh, the finish of the outer cloth looks revived and it's ready to go.
As you can see I've made some leather stoppers for the drawstring.
I've had a bit of vegetable tanned bridle leather left and I've decided to make those. They are more comfortable than knots and they don't look too bad...
Thanks again to Gary Wallace of www.vintagetrends.com for a super fast delivery and a carefully packed and wrapped item.
Thanks a million to Gancho (Olli) for ordering the jacket along with his WWII peacoat. ("I’m not paying any custom duties for those! These two beaten up jackets were sent over by a friend as a gift..." Yeah, yeah...
)Some more pictures:
Note the excellent condition of the zipper: Shiny alloy teeth, strong but faded tape, and an olive painted zinc die-cast slider.
The two lower pockets are lined with a thick and warm cloth that’s heavier and softer than the outer shell. (Sorry for the raindrops.)
The manufacturer’s stencil hasn’t faded much over the decades and it’s clearly visible.
Not that tree again…!
I hope it was of some interest. Thanks for looking!
