Vintage suit with weird inside "strap"?????

[LoveMyHats2]

Hello, I just purchase a vintage sport jacket, double breasted (it may have come from a suit)and in just perfect condition. However as I was inspecting this jacket I noticed a sort of strap that was tucked down the left side sleeve! It is attached right dead center of the inside bottom of the arm pit, was there not as something added to the jacket as an after thought, I can tell it was made the way it is. This strap does not reach the cuff of the sleeve if I left it in the sleeve to see where it goes....and it has a regular sewn button opening on the end of it. When I place the jacket on, this strap will not reach any of the buttons of the jacket closure, and if the jacket is off of me, I can make the strap reach a button on the closure, but have to pull it as it is not really long enough to reach without "mis-shaping" the jacket itself.

I have owned more clothing in my life than I care to admit, and have not found anything like this on any jacket or suit. I first thought maybe it was for some sort of a "rig" for a weapon to be concealed in the sleeve, but geez, I just do not know??? Anyone here know what in the world this is for? It actually bothers me to be there as it is not comfortable to have this 1 1/2 inch wide strap jamming into my arm pit while wearing this jacket. However I do not desire to remove it for a chance to know it serves some purpose worth keeping it! Well, please if you have any information for me as to what this strap is, please share it with me.

Thanks!

 

[Shangas]

This certainly sounds interesting. Can you provide photographs?

 

[Dinerman]

The jacket isn't by any chance of German manufacture, is it?

 

[LoveMyHats2]

No I am positive the jacket is Italian made. I will post a few pictures.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

As you can see, this is attached right at the very bottom of the armpit area, it will not reach any buttons, and under very close inspection, there are no buttons missing that it may have been made to attach to on the inside of the jacket. If I am wearing the jacket, this strap will only go a small amount of travel to the front closure and would fall very short of reaching any of the buttons on the front of the jacket. One other thing I did notice about this jacket, it has several more inside pockets then what would normally come with a jacket or suit, it has five pockets on the left inside and seven pockets on the right inside and some of these pockets are fairly small in size, not large enough to handle much more than a zippo lighter, a few are normal size. The label on the material inside the jacket does not tell me anything other than what it is made of, wool, silk blend on the jacket itself and rayon for the lining. I have had just a few ideas what this may be all about, one, for a weapon to attach to, or perhaps this was custom made for Houdini? Or this is something I would never figure out?!?!

 

[Captain Lex]

I have a shirt with similar inside straps, and the cuffs of the shirt come apart, so that when the sleeves are rolled up the strap can be used to keep them in place - but I'm sure if you could roll the sleeves of that jacket up, that would be even stranger than the strap!

 

[Godfrey]

I wonder if it's for attaching your cap to when you hang it up when out and about. Using the button on top of the cap. it would keep it all together. Possibly a dumb suggestion just trying to think what it might be for.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I wonder if it's for attaching your cap to when you hang it up when out and about. Using the button on top of the cap. it would keep it all together. Possibly a dumb suggestion just trying to think what it might be for.

Actually, what you suggest does not sound too silly. This jacket is very fancy, it is a black on black sort of ribbed stripes silk, then wool. It may have been extremely formal such as a Tuxedo. I am going to guess it is perhaps made late 1940's early 1950's, maybe even older?

 

[RobStC]

Does it only have one on one side, or is there any indication that there was ever a similar strap on the other side too? Just wondering if it was some sort of 'hold your trousers up' thing, bit like built in braces..... Weird, though!

 

[Stanley Doble]

The multiple small pockets ring a bell. Old time watch makers had such coats. After repairing a pocket watch they would carry it around for a few days while they checked that it was working OK, and regulated the speed. So at any time they might be carrying half a dozen watches, maybe more.

What the long strap is for I have no idea. Can you tell if it is meant to hang down inside the sleeve or in the body of the jacket?

 

[LoveMyHats2]

The multiple small pockets ring a bell. Old time watch makers had such coats. After repairing a pocket watch they would carry it around for a few days while they checked that it was working OK, and regulated the speed. So at any time they might be carrying half a dozen watches, maybe more.

What the long strap is for I have no idea. Can you tell if it is meant to hang down inside the sleeve or in the body of the jacket?

Hello, there is only the one strap, and it would make more sense that it was designed to be down the sleeve, however, as it is in such an odd location, (the very bottom of the arm pit) it is sort of crowding that area if I put on the suit. There is no indication at all of any buttons that would have been attached some place that are missing, and no evidence of a similar strap on the other side of the interior of the jacket.
The idea of this being made for a specific reason such as watch maker, may have something going for it, as there has to be a reason for all these pockets? A magic act maybe? Weapons? Watch repairs? Has to be something, but just what I am not sure? I do appreciate any and all input. I have wanted to wear this Jacket, the strap makes it a bit uncomfortable, but I do not desire to remove this strap on such a beautiful older jacket, and may not unless I would know the exact purpose for the strap. If the strap makes the jacket rare in it's original condition, I will leave it alone. This jacket is perfect as far as it's condition, no snags, no missing anything, no smells, or stains, if you did not see the tag of material on the inside and really look close at it, you would think it was brand new. I will attempt to take pictures of it, but black is hard to photograph.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I just attempted to take some pictures, I also noticed the placements of all the inside pockets are the same on both sides. There is the normal large pocket on top then a smaller pocket below that one, then five smaller pockets under those and the last two are side by side that are at the very bottom and could only hold something as small as my zippo lighter. The very top pockets do have a button closure and an actual flap that is tucked down inside the pocket, but you can pull the flap out and button it. Geez, this jacket is fairly complex in it's over all design but so darn nice looking. Has two rows of stripes that one is grey, one is black and those are wool, then it has a row of stripe that is black shiny silk. The buttons are what appears to be different material than plastic, almost feels and looks like bakelite, but I am not sure?

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Here is what this jacket looks like. Some pictures of the pockets on the inside. The buttons on the bottoms of the sleeve are functional also.

 

[Two Types]

Maybe some sort of security strap? It fixes to the wallet, then the wallet is placed inside the jacket pocket. You can't lose your wallet and it foils pickpockets.
Just a thought.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

The security issue may be what it is, but when you see how large the end for a large button type fastener to go on it, what sort of a wallet or a pouch would attach to it? Some really nice suggestions coming here. Some one will hit it right, has to be some answer that will fit it.

I have looked at it so closely, and seeing what it could reach, and so far, it does not reach anything on the jacket, so it had to be for something else to attach to it, that is the only conclusion I can come up with so far.....[huh]

 

[Oldsarge]

I'm not sure how it would work, but perhaps the strap is to hold some pigeons? Like this was custom made for a stage magician? That would definitely explain all the pockets.

 

[Bugsy]

Write directly to Mark Chavelier. If he doesn't know the answer, nobody does.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Write directly to Mark Chavelier. If he doesn't know the answer, nobody does.

Hello I thank you for your response, but short of a palm reader, where do I obtain his information??????????

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I have had some new input from a tailor here local, looked at the jacket and thinks it was made for a professional gambler, cheating card strap holder for rig on that or....had to be magic act....or....weapon rig holder. Back to the beginning....still not known.....[huh]

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I would desire to wear this Jacket but this strap in the armpit makes that a bit uncomfortable, hate to remove it without knowing it's true purpose. But should I have it removed by the tailor here and keep it in case some day I do find out what it is for?