Ricky Jackets

[DoubleXX]

And don't forget the Japanese market...collectors there will pay up to double or more for what he buys something for. So while it might seem crazy for Brian to pay $1000 for that shirt, he'll likely get a lot more for it down the road.

When I lived in Tokyo a few years ago I often visited Banana Boat, a high-end vintage clothing shop in Harajuku. This place is like a Levis museum...stacks and stacks of deadstock Levis from the 30s to the 70s in glass cases. I remember seeing a pair of deadstock XX's (40s/50s) priced at JPY1,000,000, which at that time was over USD$10,000.00, and many, many more for anywhere from $500 to several thousand.

Pic:

 

[repeatclicks]

A good name in business is priceless. Meanwhile, the rest of us scour the web and elsewhere for a killer bargain! lol

 

[Vic]

Yes! I've always associated the "Ricky" of the "Ricky" gab jackets with Ricky Nelson.

I know this is an old post, but i have to comment. The Ricky jacket was the nickname of the two-tone short gabs worn by Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy.

I like Ricky Nelson, but he doesn't get credit for the popularity of the term "Ricky" jacket.

Like anything else, the term has since been somewhat bastardized to include all short gabs.

That's my understanding of the situation, anyway.

 

[Vic]

But , yeah I definitely agree with Forgotten Man that the post-war popularity of the "Ricky" jacket really germinated from the "Ike" Jacket (or M-1944 for you WW2 types).

However, jackets of a similar cut were definitely around in the 30's (like the British P-37 Battle Dress Jacket - again, keeping you WW2 fans happylol )

The term Ricky Jacket gets tossed around a lot on e-bay as a search keyword for any short jacket from the 40's - 60's. That's why the term has become so common. My 93 year-old grandpa (who, from looking at photo albums, was a BIG fan of this style of jacket back in the day) commented that he really liked my "sports jacket" last time I visited him wearing a "Ricky jacket"

Great jacket!

 

[repeatclicks]

I know this is an old post, but i have to comment. The Ricky jacket was the nickname of the two-tone short gabs worn by Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy.

I like Ricky Nelson, but he doesn't get credit for the popularity of the term "Ricky" jacket.

Like anything else, the term has since been somewhat bastardized to include all short gabs.

That's my understanding of the situation, anyway.

Yeah except Ricky Ricardo only wore a 'ricky jacket' once, on only one episode.

Back in the 50's they were just called sports jackets. I even have one called the 'Pilot' by Richman Bros, but that doesn't make it a pilots jacket...

 

[Talbot]

One thing I find very interesting is how certain names for items we use today are given to them after they stopped being worn. Perhaps it is the same for the Ricky jacket? Just curious.

I can think of older examples, the classic 18th century "tri-cornored hat" was not called that at the time, it was called a "hat" or a "cocked hat" we just gave that name to it later on after no one wore it.

Similar to for the term "heater" for the classic knight's diamond shaped shield, my understanding is that was a Victorian term given to the item since it resembled the bottom of a clothes iron.

Don't come any closer copper, I got a heater!

Huh?

 

[flix]

here are mine:

 

[Vic]

I have a few...some gabardine originals, some not.

This one is an 80s repro...it's the only one I happen to have a picture of handy.

 

[flat-top]

Bumping this great thread while watching the movie Bachelor Party. I totally forgot that for some reason Tom Hanks is wearing a diamond gabardine ricky jacket in it!

 

[thunderw21]

Picked this up for cheap.

Some sort of shield patch:

 

[fnoprx]

Got this a while ago - no full lentgh picture I am afraid. Light grey reverses to a darker grey with silver thread/flecks. Crown zipper.

 

[in/y]

Who's making repro Ricky Jackets these days?

I'm looking to buy a repro Ricky Jacket, ideally a zippered front two-tone or fleck gabardine (wishful thinking I'll bet).

Being on the large side, vintage jackets are scarce and costly and I'm looking for one that I can wear often without constantly worrying about damage/wear.

I searched through the Lounge postings but didn't find anything of note (hopefully some one will point out what I missed).

Even a single color jacket or a modern one with a vintage look would be OK too.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dinomartino1]

Saw this on the net, they have a few different patterns.
Japanese ones would be good but the prices are very expensive.
http://www.ozoneclothing.co.uk/guys-separates/1008-tarantula-blue-sparkle-albie-jacket.html

 

[Deleted member 16736]

I'm looking to buy a repro Ricky Jacket, ideally a zippered front two-tone or fleck gabardine (wishful thinking I'll bet).

Being on the large side, vintage jackets are scarce and costly and I'm looking for one that I can wear often without constantly worrying about damage/wear.

I searched through the Lounge postings but didn't find anything of note (hopefully some one will point out what I missed).

Even a single color jacket or a modern one with a vintage look would be OK too.

Thanks in advance.

My Baby Jo's sells them (or did). Also, there's an online outfit from the UK that sells them, but whose name escapes me. Maybe someone else remembers.

 

[herringbonekid]

the best ones i've seen are by the Japanese company 'Dry Bones'. i haven't seen any for sale on ebay in a while though by that brand, although other items pop up.

 

[flat-top]

I've never bought from them, but this place has been around for years:

http://www.reprovintageclothing.com/clothing/clothing_men/clothing_men.html

 

[Edward]

My Baby Jo's sells them (or did). Also, there's an online outfit from the UK that sells them, but whose name escapes me. Maybe someone else remembers.

I think you may be referring to HeyDay...

http://www.heydayonline.co.uk/default/mens-clothing/mens-gab-jackets

Seem quite expensive for a light fabric jacket, but that appears to be the norm for these across the board. I'm sure they're good - I've been happy with the trews I got from them. May end up with one of these eventually...

Aero used to do them too, but not for some time now. Only fabric jacket currently on their site appears to be the all wool Waterfront.

 

[in/y]

Thanks for the leads.

 

[in/y]

the best ones i've seen are by the Japanese company 'Dry Bones'. i haven't seen any for sale on ebay in a while though by that brand, although other items pop up.

I guess that Dry Bones does not have an international web/purchasing presence (I could only find their Japanese language site). Are there retailers that carry their stuff or is ebay the way to go?

This number from them is certainly appealing:

 

[AtomicEraTom]

A friend of mine was looking at an ad on Craigslist last week and called the poster a liar and said that there was no way the jacket had belonged to Dwight D. Eisenhower. I had to explain to him the history behind why it was listed as an "Eisenhower Jacket."

I believe before "Ricky" it was an "IKE" jacket!

Originally came from Dwight D Eisenhower's taste for cut down tunics that became popular during the last half of WWII.