Vintage Outerwear: Threads of the Past

[Leigh H]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1255453451/vintage-1950s-leather-jacket-rare-supple


Jerry's Leather Goods jacket

 

[Marc mndt]

Aldencrest. Same jacket as @tmitchell59 Spiegel.

Spiegel

 

[jeo]

Jewel studded Aldencrest

 

[tmitchell59]

Interesting development! I've never seen an Alden Crest labeled MC jacket as posted except in the ad. I have owned an Alden as pictured as number 3 in the ad above. It is a take off on the classic Windward. Just recently discovered the Windward jackets were made by California Sportswear. While similar the Alden was not made by CSC.

CSC Windward:

Alden Windward:

Isn't this HH tag similar or the same as tags on Kurland, Star Sportswear? I just noticed this and have not checked my Kurland jackets. I just looked and don't have an easy to find pics.

It sure looks the same.

I've pursued the maker of the Spiegels because the leather and fit are so nice and remind me of my Durable. I thought of the East Coast as makers of the Spiegel, but I don't know how the Spiegels compare with other East Coast makers. Most companies, when they make jackets under a different label, use their existing jackets and just change labels.

Do the Spiegel/Alden jackets look like any of the East Coast makers, like Wolfe, etc?

Do you own the jackets pictured above? I don't recall them.

 

[tmitchell59]

The Jeweled Alden is so interesting. Who else actually sold a jeweled MC jacket? The Jeweled Alden looks like a different jacket. The 4 spots on the zippers look like Blatt of Chicago and other Harley jackets they likely made.

 

[tmitchell59]

I found a Kurland Sportclad with the tag. They don't all have this tag.

looks like a match on the HH tag with my Alden. So maybe Star Sportswear made the Alden Windward, but look nothing like the Alden MC jackets.

 

[handymike]

I prefer the Alden without shoulder gussets to the CSC Windward version.

 

[Leigh H]

Early Star Glove (Cal Leather) horsehide Car Coat / Barnstormer style jacket.

 

[AHP91]

These are 1950s Harley Davidson pants that came from an old dealer owners house. They look pretty much untouched since they were created. Scoville snaps, unique pulls. Tag size 40 (must’ve been paired with a jacket), tag size 32 fits true to size. High waisted

 

[tmitchell59]

Early Star Glove (Cal Leather) horsehide Car Coat / Barnstormer style jacket.


View attachment 588598

What a Beast!! You could not sit in a car or airplane wearing that hide! I had no idea Star/Cal made jackets in this style. I do have a heavy sheep lined barnstormer and they are built like for the elements. These jacket were hugely popular in the 20s and 30s.

1930 Sears Roebuck catalog

 

[cbez]

fidelity.

it's amazing to me how some jackets will look almost new and some are totally destroyed. Original quality? Storage conditions? UV exposure?

 

[tmitchell59]

amazing to me how some jackets will look almost new and some are totally destroyed. Original quality? Storage conditions? UV exposure?

I asked myself the same question. Each jacket tells a different story. The style of jacket the era of the jacket. A of variables.

Wear

Original Quality

Storage

I'm at the point where I expect certain jackets to wear a certain way. When a jacket responds, out of the ordinary, then I suspect wear. Storage issues are the most obvious infractions, hanger burn.

Peak production of civilian jackets was in the 1950s. Quality leather became more scarce through out the 50s as horsehide virtually vanished from use. With so much production there became a variety of qualities to satisfy the buying public.

Tanning processes always play a significant role in leather. That industry was always changing to meet demand as well.

Then you just have to take care of the jacket and leather jackets have never been inexpensive.

It all depends

 

[tmitchell59]

fidelity.

it's amazing to me how some jackets will look almost new and some are totally destroyed. Original quality? Storage conditions? UV exposure?

View attachment 588677 View attachment 588678

You really have to go jacket by jacket. This jacket is so nice because it has not been worn much. No mystery really?

Many Harley jackets are worn out because of plain wearing them as intended., same with Buco. You either worn them out or you didn't wear them. You see both in these popular brands. I do believe that quality leather was an issue for both. So some time you got both and your get a real worn out jacket.

I don't want to get personal.

 

[cbez]

Well obviously wear causes wear. But at the same time it's clear that good leather hardly ages at all outside of abuse. It makes me wonder if UV or maybe humidity is really the biggest factor.

 

[tmitchell59]

Many variables affect the long term condition of a jacket; wear/care, too hot/too cold, too dry, sun burn.

The difference is in the quality of the leather, when I say quality I'm talking about the tanning process as a whole.

This degree of quality is the difference when all the variable are the same.

But all the variables are never equal.

 

[jeo]

Interesting development! I've never seen an Alden Crest labeled MC jacket as posted except in the ad. I have owned an Alden as pictured as number 3 in the ad above. It is a take off on the classic Windward. Just recently discovered the Windward jackets were made by California Sportswear. While similar the Alden was not made by CSC.

CSC Windward:

View attachment 587926

Alden Windward:

View attachment 587927

Isn't this HH tag similar or the same as tags on Kurland, Star Sportswear? I just noticed this and have not checked my Kurland jackets. I just looked and don't have an easy to find pics.

It sure looks the same.

View attachment 587928


I've pursued the maker of the Spiegels because the leather and fit are so nice and remind me of my Durable. I thought of the East Coast as makers of the Spiegel, but I don't know how the Spiegels compare with other East Coast makers. Most companies, when they make jackets under a different label, use their existing jackets and just change labels.

Do the Spiegel/Alden jackets look like any of the East Coast makers, like Wolfe, etc?

Do you own the jackets pictured above? I don't recall them.

I found a Kurland Sportclad with the tag. They don't all have this tag.

looks like a match on the HH tag with my Alden. So maybe Star Sportswear made the Alden Windward, but look nothing like the Alden MC jackets.


View attachment 587954 View attachment 587955 View attachment 587956

 

[jeo]

 

[jeo]

A "two way" pocket that is not a Rough Wear. I know I've seen this shape before.

 

[jeo]

Air-O-Coat by Pritzker Co.

 

[jeo]

@tmitchell59 any of your jackets have this or ever seen this HH tag? It looks familiar.