The Indiana Jones jacket. Much hype, little substance?

[PADDY]

LOVE it, or HATE it...the Indiana Jones jacket for many is the only real choice when trying to be an archetypal 1930's styled adventurer. British leather jacket manufacturer, WESTED, have cornered much of this specialist market by producing what they feel, and many avid Indiana fans believe to be, the definitive Indiana Jones jacket (see pics below).
But for us folk at THE LOUNGE, what do we feel about a jacket that was created for a fictional "movie" character, set in the 30's/40's, that attempts to recreate an impressionistic garment that is felt to be typical adventure wear for that period and embodies the spirit of 'golden age' spirit of adventure. Is this the sort of jacket that the likes of Lindberg, Emelia Erhart, Howard Hughes, Howard Carter or others of 'that ilk' would be typically seen in. And if so, how does the Wested interpretation match up to the look, style and hide quality of a similar jacket from the period?
Many of you who might be Indiana followers/aficianados will swear by them! many of you wannabees might have tried this jacket and disowned it as a pure lightweight in favour of something else.
Be good to hear how well (or not) some of you Indiana Jones styled aficianados rate this Wested jacket, and whether you feel there are better interpretations on today's market that you would point to.
If you LOVE IT, well shout about it and tell us WHY? If not, then where does it let itself down and what might be an alternative?
So, whip crack away, whip crack away...!!!

 

[BellyTank]

Tread carefully Mr. Paddlesworth- many have much invested in this jacket.


It is a bone of contention for me...

I have mentioned this before in another thread- re: substance and period correctness.
Although the 'Wested' IS the definitive Jones jacket, it, as a 'jacket' and a facsimilie of a period jacket, leaves much to be desired. It is a lightweight as far as materials are concerned and this is somewhat reflected in the price, which seems reasonable..(?). To my (vintage) eye, the styling isn't good for the era and the definitive and deciding details are lacking. I only the costume designers had invested a little more time in research and so forth, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
I have read some interviews and articles with and about the costume designer(s) and a some of what is said is dubious- an example- she says that all the (German) military uniforms were military 'surplus', from the '30s/'40s, which is blatantly untrue.

If only that jacket was more period correct, I might own one.

But- it is being sold as a 'movie prop' from a famoud film- so much of this is moot- as the jacket seems fairly true to the film-

B
T

 

[MK]

.

Most yahoos think someone in a leather jacket regardless of cut or color wearing a brimmed hat looks like Indiana Jones. You could wear a leather thrench coat with a sombrero(sp?) and some knucklehead will stay say, "Hey Indy!"

That is a testament to how powerful an impact Raiders of the Lost Arc was on our culture.

Most people think Ford just wore a bomber jacket. Not true. Peter Botwright combined a James Dean Jacket with A2 cargo pockets and added an action pleat. The pleat goes all the way down becoming flaps to not restrict Indy's whip or flap covered gun holster.

It is a movie jacket designed for one character, one body type, to do what was written in the script. It was made of lambskin to drape better and because that is what Peter had on hand. And ultimately the jacket only needed to work for a few months.

Is this a jacket I would take on a real adventure? No. Lamb is not that tough. That is why many people choose to have it made in goat hide. Is it a very warm? No. Much of the script was set in the desert and the jungle. The Indy jacket has an open bottom and sleeves. This was also better for the stunt doubles for greater range of movement. The jacket wasn't designed for a wide range of body types like an A2. It was custom made for one bloke. The cut is very unforgiving. The chances of getting one off the rack to look right are rather slim. You need to be measured...and even then it often times takes a couple of tries.

Nevertheless, IF you live in moderate climate and are willing to go through the hassle to get it right, it is a cool looking jacket. I have also worn on desert adventures many times...where an A2 or other elastic sleeved jacket would be left at home...except in winter.

I don't wear mine much these days because if worn with a fedora.....well...you know. I only wear it with my tweed caps. I like the jacket but I like my fedoras more.

 

[BellyTank]

Very well put.:cheers1:

B
T

 

[The Mad Hatter]

It's a perfectly good jacke,t which I wear when hiking in the woods in fall and spring. (I typically also wear my Akubra Flinders on these walks. )

So far, it's appearance has not disturbed my beagle, Ralph, who goes on these walks with me.

So far, despite this fairly heavy use, my goat Expedition shows little sign of wear - almost brand new, actually.

I typically don't wear it while drivng my roadster with the top down - something I reserve for my various flight jackets.

If I were newly in the market today, I might get an Aero half-belt instead - but that's largely because I somewhat prefer my Aero jackets to my Flightsuits jackets. If Aero made an Indy, I'd probably think highly of it.

 

[BellyTank]

Aero WERE actually thinking of making an 'Indy jacket' a while back but they realised that the punters it would attract would not understand why it was more expensive, or how it could be better than other offerings...

B
T

 

[ITG]

For me, I don't wear the Indy jacket to gain a period look. I wear it because I like it. It's functional enough for me. The elastic waists on bomber/vintage style jackets just isn't functional for many of the clothes I wear. These bomber jackets many times are meant to be worn at the waist. The Indy jacket can be worn a bit below the waist which works perfectly for me if I have a top that isn't meant to be tucked in but hangs a bit below the waist.

And yes, I guess I could be classified as an Indy wannabee, since I go to sci-fi conventions and Indygear gatherings dressed in the Indy costume, but the jacket by itself has proven time and time again to be perfect for me as a stand alone jacket (ie, no gun belt, whip, fedora, etc.)

What I like about Wested is not only their history with the Indy jacket but the different offerings of leather they have: goat, horse, lamb, cow, etc. My next Indy jacket will probably be the horsehide.

 

[MK]

.

Two things I forgot to add.

1) My wife is not an Indy fan, yet she has been wearing a FS Indy lambskin jacket for years....not because it is a period look or because of Indy. It was bit small for me and she liked it, so I let her keep it.

2) If keeping warm yet active, a G1 would beat an Indy jacket any day.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

This is a very provocative thread and on that basis alone, I am intrigued.
Essentially, the Indy Jacket is an A-2 type jacket without the elastic cuffs and waist, with the addition of the action pleast and pulls. I imagine it to be the sort of leather jacket purchased by an adventurer of the era, who perhaps had it made by his tailor with specific alterations.

For instance, the elastic around the waist would have to go, if one were to be able to easily access their gun, whip, and bag. If the elastic around the waist goes, then the elastic at the cuffs would have to go as well. The slit would be necessary to reach the whip easily and the pulls are essential to tie it together. I suppose the zipper was chosen over the buttons of say an A-1, so they wouldn't be broken off. Voila! There is your Indy jacket.

As a hero's jacket, it certainly has more practicality than "The Rocketeer" jacket, for instance. And it translates to modern street usage much easier.

Let's take the Belstaff jacket from "The Aviator." Perhaps you didn't buy Leo as Howard, but I hope you would admit that he looked smashing in that jacket. With period clothes that jacket was had that romantic rakish lapel and carefully tailored fit. -Consequently, I cannot find a single photo of Howard wearing anything like it, though I have seen other jackets similar on other test pilots, aviators, and barnstormers. The flightjacket "Barnstormer" is of the same type, if you will. My point is, on Leo this jacket looked wonderful and period accurrate. If you go to Belstaff's website and look at the photos of how they are selling it with modern clothes, and it looks marketed to an entirely different demographic. I'll let you decide.

So, in comparison, the Indy jacket translates to everyday wear better than most hero leather jackets from movies that take place during the same time period.

As a practical coat, if one wear to aspire to wear it in the actual field; I would suggest they have it made in a different material than lamb. Lamb is great for casual wear, but for bushwacking it is not the best material. Gore-Tex is better material for real-life adventures, but where is the romance in that? I have a Horsehide on its way, and when it arrives, I will have a clearer picture of the toughness of the jacket.

--A note about Wested: wonderful people, custom design, and quality construction. Where else are you going to get a custom fit jacket for $250? -And from such lovely people.--

For me, it is a wonderful jacket that possesses enough styling cues from the period to project that Golden Era Adventurer aura. I wear it sometimes with a shirt, tie, dress shoes, and aviator scarf for that Howard Hughes look. With a leather helmet and goggles, you could pull off the barnstormer look (though most barnstormers wore 3/4 length coats!). Much of its appeal lies in its versatility.

Sometime, we should discuss the concurrent development of the aviator jacket and the motorcycle jacket; how the designs are similar and different; and which produced features that were used in the other, but I digress...

 

[Doh!]

I have the Wested lamb, and it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s my favorite jacket. I bought it precisely due to its light weight; my previous favorite was an unlined Army jacket but it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s not dressy enough so I replaced it with the Wested. When the temps get colder, I bring out my much heavier A-2.

I didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t buy mine for costuming purposes (I prefer scary Halloweens) so haven?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t distressed it ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú and won?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t, other than normal wear and tear. Also, I don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t go hiking with mine (I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m pretty much a city slicker) so I imagine it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll last quite a while. For everyday wear you can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t beat it.

Interesting observation: I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve had it since August and not one person has called me Indy. Put on a gray fedora, Panama, or anything other than a baseball cap, though, and suddenly everyone?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s ?¢‚Ǩ?ìclever.?¢‚Ǩ?

 

[Kt Templar]

The Wested lamb is a great jacket in the style of the Adventurer. It's perfect for spring and autumn and even our cooler summers! I like it very much.

But it is not good for cold weather, it's around 0?Ǭ?C here in London recently and I need a warmer jacket. But I have a couple of problems with the G1:

i) The elastic around the bottom of the jacket and the wrists
ii) George Bush! (Politics aside, I wouldn't like to wear anything that Tony Blair would wear either.)

I find myself drawn to a B6 or an ANJ4 (the wrist elastic is hidden at least) or would that be considered too modern?

 

[Mojave Jack]

Whether or not you'd actually wear a jacket like Indiana Jones' on an adventure is one thing, but the jacket does bear a lot of similarity to period jackets:

1940s Rick-Sher jacket (front)
back

1940s Sportclad
back

Satintan by Albert Richards Sportwear, 1940s
Back

1940s Daniel Boone

Although these jackets all date from the 40s, the elements certainly didn't pop up overnight. The fit would vary, of course, but there are no elements on the IJ jacket that are not on any of these jackets.

 

[george kaplan]

Patterson?

 

[scotrace]

And this

 

[JerseyJones]

Aero WERE actually thinking of making an 'Indy jacket' a while back but they realised that the punters it would attract would not understand why it was more expensive, or how it could be better than other offerings...

B
T

Well,as I would qualify as a "punter" I suppose, I am of the mind that both Indy obsessiveness and Period Correct obsessiveness can become equally bothersome, breeding different stripes of punters.

I love the IJ Jacket, but agree that goat is a more adventure worthy hide. That said, despite any insinuations to the contrary, the Wested product is a tough, well made jacket that can and has taken punishment from "punters" like me. It is the real deal. I am about fed up with those who have (though not in this thread so much to be fair) extolled Aero and other purportedly "real" jacket makers and written off Wested as a costume toy. It's not. My IJ Goat is not a toy and my 3/4 custom that they built for me is tough as nails in Aero worthy horsehide and fits me ideally. And bang for the buck, I defy someone to find any keel up designed custom leather jacket for under $500.00.

I admire Aero's products and think they are excellent jackets, but I would put my Wested, especially the custom, up against any Aero in terms of materials, build quality and fit.

Ken

 

[shamus]

Okay.. one thing up front.

A2's do not have elastic cuffs. They have a wool jersey knit. It has some spring to the knit but it has no elastic in it.

I haven't seen a wested jacket up close so I can't compair. But you can not expect a jacket made of lamb to be stand up to the elements, unless you drive a honda element and then maybe it would. Goat would be the way to go.

 

[Doctor Strange]

My closet has room for all kinds of jackets!

First of all, I have no agenda - I am neither an Indygear fanatic, nor an obsessive flight jacket type. And I don't dress dedicatedly vintage anything - I just like traditional military styled jackets and old-school hats. (Aside from my flight jackets and hats, I don't own anything at all worth mentioning in vintage style, nor any actual vintage clothing. And as a gesture of respect, I'd never dream of putting any insignia on my flight jackets - I'm no veteran, and I haven't earned the right to wear it.)

Anyway, I love my lambskin Wested jacket. It's a very comfortable, functional garment, just right for warmer conditions when an A-2 is too much... I basically wear it in September/October and April/May. I have no qualms at all with the quality of the materials or construction - it's a sweet jacket.

Sure, you can get it in goatskin or cowhide for cooler weather and tougher use, but I wanted mine to be the closest that I could get to the movie jackets. And that's the point - we're talking *movie wardrobe* here, not any kind of real 1930s jacket. The Wested doesn't aspire to be a reproduction of anything other than the 1980 costume - designed to be light and cool for comfort under brutally hot movie-set lighting and filming in the Tunisian desert. And the Wested's custom sizing for its extremely low price is not something to ignore lightly - my Wested fits me *much* better than any of my more expensive flight jackets do!

Of course, my A-2s are tougher, warmer, and more "historically accurate". Okay, so what's the big deal about that? Isn't it enough to enjoy a jacket that fits you really well and feels great, even if it happens to be - gasp! - not an accurate 1930s garment?

Like the old George Harrison song goes, "It's all up to what you value - down to where you are".

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Of course, my A-2s are tougher, warmer, and more "historically accurate". Okay, so what's the big deal about that? Isn't it enough to enjoy a jacket that fits you really well and feels great, even if it happens to be - gasp! - not an accurate 1930s garment?

Right on!

I don't own one of the Indy jackets, but love the way they look (on Mr. Ford). And unless someone comes up to me and says "I look exactly like an adventurer would in the 1920s/30s" while wearing such a jacket, i don't have a problem.

Now, having said that, if the company is marketing these jackets as "true to era" or "just like 1920s/30s", as i think is implied by some earlier posts in this thread, then that would be problematic because it clearly is not - for all the reasons eloquently outlined above.

bk

 

[Ken]

I like it, so I wear it. Whether or not it is truly vitnage style or would truly hold up to the elements doesnt bother me so much (though I have found the goatskin to hold up to everything I have put it through).

Not all of the Indy gear is practical - the Aldens are great boots and very ciomfortable, but try taking them on a real mountaineering trip and youi wont get very far (flat soles = no grip, cant take heavy duty crampons, etc). Same with a leather jacket - not practical if it gets wet, not a great deal of warmth, etc.

But if you just want somethign to wear in everyday life the Indiana Jones jacket is perfect. comfortable, a good look (in my opinion) and great fun. Not to mention if it wasnt for the jacket and Indygear, there might not even be a Fedora Lounge.

Ken

 

[JerseyJones]

I like it, so I wear it. Whether or not it is truly vitnage style or would truly hold up to the elements doesnt bother me so much (though I have found the goatskin to hold up to everything I have put it through).

Not all of the Indy gear is practical - the Aldens are great boots and very ciomfortable, but try taking them on a real mountaineering trip and youi wont get very far (flat soles = no grip, cant take heavy duty crampons, etc). Same with a leather jacket - not practical if it gets wet, not a great deal of warmth, etc.

But if you just want somethign to wear in everyday life the Indiana Jones jacket is perfect. comfortable, a good look (in my opinion) and great fun. Not to mention if it wasnt for the jacket and Indygear, there might not even be a Fedora Lounge.

Ken

Nicely said.

JJ