New Eastman Leather Clothing "Escape" A-2

[willyto]

I just saw this on Instagram:

It seems ELC is releasing a replica of the A2 that Steve McQueen wore on the movie "The Great Escape".

I wonder what is the reason behind this release. Maybe there are a lot of people who have been asking for replicas of this jacket for years and they've decided to release it before some other makers do it. Although I remember seeing an Eastman A2 before on Ebay which had been modified to look like this one with the name tag and all.

 

[ButteMT61]

Watching McQueen in Wanted: Dead or Alive now. Think I'll save the money though...

 

[tropicalbob]

I think it's a pretty good marketing move. It would probably rouse the interest of people who've never given leather jackets much thought.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

I offer the V. HILTS name tag and have sold a bunch of them. Don't think Gary was in any hurry to beat anyone to it, he's just offering a lot of tribute type jackets as a regular product. He's got his piece of the pie already without the need to compete aggressively like that. These things are planned out well in advance at ELC and no detail is overlooked. As you can see the artists there have paid careful attention to all details including the re-issue overdye and wearing to certain points on the jacket. Nobody else seems to be doing this so he's got this market covered. I think most guys are just slapping my ( and several other sellers ) tags on any old thing.

 

[Vinny A]

that one does look super enticing and I'm no A2 fan.. though I imagine the price tag will fix that

 

[heron163]

Steve McQueen was one of the coolest guys ever - just based on his off screen life - and I loved that movie.

not interested in that particular item though...

 

[kojax]

i bought the toys real mccoy hilts a2 few years ago i really like the jacket the price was crazy lol

 

[HPA Rep]

ELC has been keen to do this for over a decade, and MASH from Japan has had ELC make an "Escape A-2" dating back to the 1990's. We're surely looking forward to stocking this item.

ELC has correctly concluded this to be Rough Wear's first contract, which is evident when you study the film jacket's details, most notably the pockets, and I'm curious to see what zipper they employ. I'm a bit surprised to see it has capt. rank, though, which is absent on the film jacket. I don't think this will involve any licensing of McQueen's name and image as RMC Japan did, but I do think this will have a name, at the least, stenciled in the lining.

I'll also speculate that, after a year or more down the line, ELC will offer the 16159 as a plain A-2.

There's always interest in a "Hilts A-2," and this having a film background and the McQueen connection from one of his best-known and best roles in an absolutely excellent film, plus being executed as well as this one will be, will push some consumers over the edge. It could even push me over the edge ...

 

[ButteMT61]

Are "Consumers" going to drop what I'm sure is a ridiculous amount of money on a cool dude jacket that most kids don't even know about? Seriously, go ask a 20 year old kid who Steve McQueen is - most won't know who the hell is is. And certainly most would not drop whatever ELC is going to charge for that.

 

[HPA Rep]

Are "Consumers" going to drop what I'm sure is a ridiculous amount of money on a cool dude jacket that most kids don't even know about? Seriously, go ask a 20 year old kid who Steve McQueen is - most won't know who the hell is is. And certainly most would not drop whatever ELC is going to charge for that.

ELC's customer base is very diverse, as is HPA's. I don't pretend to be intimately knowledgable of the ELC customer base, but following the reasoning you laid out, we shouldn't be selling A-2's at all, since you are implying the twenty something market is either the only market or the primary one, and this market lacks knowledge of famous individuals of the past and/or history.

HPA has customers in their twenties, though few likely buy A-2's. Our main market for this product will be men in the 35-65 range of ages, a good number of whom don't reside in the USA. Please remember, we're not talking mass marketing or Avirex-like sales from the 1980's; this is a niche product for a niche market, as is the case for everything ELC and HPA offer. We're happy to sell 100 of this jacket style in a year, which I'll guess will be sold for a bit above a Rough Wear 1401-P with TimeWear. Some will stare at this for years before buying, while others will jump on the impulse and buy what they could only dream about before.

And while I don't think twenty somethings emulate Boomers in their knowledge and awareness of McQueen, this film, or WWII, I also know enough of them who possess keen knowledge and interest on all the aforementioned topics. And I consider at least two such men my friends whom I had dinner with just last Sun. night: dinner, drinks, and conversation of history and WWII that was interrupted after eight hours (it felt like two hours) by the bar manager at 2:10 AM to let us know they were closing.

I should also add that teens and twenty somethings now make up a recognizable share of the WWII reenacting market, which is why size 28 trousers can be found among vendor offerings today when, 15 years ago, they could not. Please don't sell short all twenty somethings (or any other group) on the things we who are over 40 find fascinating.

 

[kojax]

when will you have the hilts a2 jacket to sell thank you

 

[HPA Rep]

when will you have the hilts a2 jacket to sell thank you

I won't know until ELC confirms this is a production item and provides a delivery date; our order was placed when we first learned of the style, sight unseen. We'll certainly post availability and prices here ASAP, but if you'd like a personal notification when you can reserve one or if you just want to be contacted when they are in stock, please contact us at the office and we'll get you in the first batch. Thank you!

 

[Seb Lucas]

I like the look of that A2 and I have no interest in McQueen. Just a nice looking jacket, perhaps it's the re-dye. Only problem: The name tag. I wonder if you can get it without. I guess it's part of the package. Does anyone else do A2's with that finish?

 

[Ralph_Phillips]

Are "Consumers" going to drop what I'm sure is a ridiculous amount of money on a cool dude jacket that most kids don't even know about? Seriously, go ask a 20 year old kid who Steve McQueen is - most won't know who the hell is is. And certainly most would not drop whatever ELC is going to charge for that.

That is true but 20 year old kids aren't their market, we are. 20 year old kids generally cannot afford to blow a grand on a jacket unless they have seriously misplaced priorities.

I do like the worn look of this particular A2 much better than the normal aged or distressed models sold but probably wouldn't care to walk around with someone else's name tag on my chest.

 

[ButteMT61]

When someone here shows me a pic of the one they bought, I'll buy your story. I looking at the replies here and reading 1000's of posts here over the years, I'd wager it's not going to sell. But hey, could be wrong. Though I'd bet I'm not.

 

[Ralph_Phillips]

When someone here shows me a pic of the one they bought, I'll buy your story. I looking at the replies here and reading 1000's of posts here over the years, I'd wager it's not going to sell. But hey, could be wrong. Though I'd bet I'm not.

That is probably correct. I like it but wouldn't buy it myself with any patches on it because I wouldn't wear anyone else's patches, real or otherwise.

 

[rocketeer]

Ok so you go to a well attended airshow wearing your nice new jacket.......and meet a few more guys wearing the same design jacket I feel womans party syndrome coming on where another has an identical dress to dazzle the crowd. I suppose you could all go off on a wander to try to flush out the guys in the Hell's Angels jackets who are trying to out pose the 4 general Pattons in their B3s!
Wouldn't be seen dead in it

 

[ButteMT61]

It just doesn't seem like the kind of thing any serious jacket buyer would buy, let alone wear. And for the price? Dunno, I guess grown men dress up as Star Wars characters and Indiana Jones too...

 

[nick123]

Eh I'm 26 and fully aware of McQueen. Though I'll admit to not being up to date on all of his films.

 

[AdeeC]

This reminds me of just like in the old days when car manufacturers used to make over the top unobtainable concept cars for motor shows. Keeps them in the public eye, people talk about them and then some go buy the current off the shelf practical model. Tribute jackets are not as far out and have their own little market niche to fill but get people talking. Personally I would never wear one of these tribute jackets but it might make me take a closer look at their other offerings.