3 A-2 jackets (Avirex, LL Bean, vintage Banana Republic) PLUS 2 suede collegiate/Harrington jackets

[tweedydon]

I have several lovely leather jackets to pass on today, including three classic A-2 jackets from Avirex, LL Bean (with mouton collar!), and a vintage Banana Republic; I also have a suede Harrington jacket from Britches of Georgetown, and a lovely rich suede 1960s collegiate jacket from Edwards Sportswear.

As always, I offer FREE SHIPPING ON EVERYTHING IN THE USA; International inquiries are welcome, with shipping at reduced cost!

Also as always, ALL OFFERS ARE VERY WELCOME!

Please PM with interest and offers!


1) Avirex A2 "Old Leather Flight Jacket" with evocative "Italian Theater" lining.

Weighing almost 5 1/2 lbs this is a very serious A2 indeed! This is made from Avirex's "Old Leather", which has a pebbled finish to mimic the patina that a good, solid leather jacket will acquire after years of hard use... Such as would be dealt out to a jacket that was worn in combat over Italy in WWII, the theater of operations that this jacket is intended to evoke with its wonderful lining, which features replica nose-cone artwork. The Stars and Stripes are printed, as is the poem "To Mother" and the aircraft pictures, but the main motto is embroidered into the lining. The lining also features a pin-up girl on the left hand side, and a lira chit on the right. The interior of this jacket also features two deep interior pockets that are edged with leather to maintain durability.

This is an A2 jacket,as indicated on the replica contractor label, but is cut as a civilian model, with side-entry handwarmer pockets combined with the standard deep snap-flapped patch pockets on the front. It features knit cuffs and hem, epaulettes, and the collar can be snapped into place. The zipper moves fluidly and retains its original oversized pulltag. It features underarm grommets for ventilation.

This jacket is in Very Good/Excellent condition. It has some (genuine!) patina from use, and a small fray in the lining at he back of the collar, as shown. The lining also has two very small brown blemishes on the left hand side, and there is some small repairs to the lining of both of the handwarmer pockets. None of these issues affect the use of this jacket, of course.

Again, this is a VERY serious jacket indeed, weighing in at almost 5 1/2 lbs, and so this will last for decades!
As such, this is a bargain at just $95 > 85, or offer, boxed and shipped in the USA.

Tagged Medium, this would fit a (large) 40 to 42 well, depending on how you like to layer.

Measurements:

Chest: 23
Sleeve: 26 (or 38, measured like a shirt)
Shoulder: 22 1/4 (slopes into sleeve)
Length: 25 1/5

 

[tweedydon]

2) CLASSIC L.L.Bean "Flying Tigers" Leather Jacket--with mouton collar!

L.L.Bean's version of the iconic A2--the "Flying Tigers" leather jacket--has now become an iconic piece of clothing in its own right, and this lovely example of the rare mouton-collared, non-shearling lined version shows why.

Cut from incredibly durable and yet exceptionally soft garment-grade goatskin with a wonderful grain this jacket features two deep flapped pockets on the front with side-entry handwarmer pockets built in. The knit hem and cuffs perfectly complement the rich dark brown of the leather, and the mouton collar is beautifully soft and several hues darker than the jacket's shell, complementing it perfectly. The back of this jacket is one whole piece of leather--the more recent jackets consist of several panels. This jacket has a full quilted lining for warmth, and an interior security pocket that secures with a snap.

This jacket is also properly numerically sized (this is a 40L), and was MADE IN THE USA.... the current jackets are "imported".

This does have some minor holes in the hem and cuffs; these have been professionally repaired, as shown. Otherwise, this beautiful jacket is in absolutely excellent condition, and a bargain at
just $75 > 69, or offer, boxed and shipped in the USA.

Tagged 40L. Measurements:

Chest: 22
Sleeve: 27 1/2 (to end of knit cuff)
Shoulder: 18 1/2
Length: 27 1/4











3) Vintage A2 Leather Jacket from the "old school" Banana Republic!

Like Abercrombie and Fitch, before it became a mall brand Banana Republic was a store that was worth buying from; in its original incarnation it was wonderfully innovative and stylish company that sold clothes that were really worth having.

Founded in Mill Valley, northern CA in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler (who had, between them, precisely NO business experience whatsoever) the stores started off with a focus on selling vintage military clothing that was re-marketed as safari wear. Why military clothing? With the Vietnam conflict starting to recede there was a lot of it around... and it was classically cut, made to last, and surprisingly well designed, all features that would appeal to young Californians moving out of the decade that style forgot while facing shrinking disposable incomes.

But it wasn't just practicality that drove the early success of Banana Republic. The stores were expressly designed as theatre--mosquito nets, safari theme, and even actual Army Surplus jeeps bursting out of them into the streets. Instead of "muzak" 1940s music was piped through the store, with the occasional tom-tom beat and jungle sounds to add ambiance. The catalogs were just as good-beautifully illustrated with line drawings and watercolors, with many items lovingly described with a backstory, years before J. Peterman made this approach its own. They also had the advantage of blurs written by celebrities to whom the Zieglers had sent items of BR clothing.... and which were published whether they were positive or negative in tone--a form of retail honesty that won BR customers in droves.

Of course, BR didn't just stick with military surplus, but was soon sourcing its own line of safari and military inspired clothing and accessories. One early icon was the Ventilated Shirt, first made for use by the British Army in tropical outposts and manufactured in England, and least at the start. Another was the Israeli Paratrooper messenger bag... nice examples of which now run upwards of $150 on eBay. All of the early clothing was extremely well-made, classically cut, and (given the prices) extremely good value for money.

BR was initially a huge success--so much so that the Zieglers sold it to the Gap group in 1983. The stores continued to pursue the Ziegler's dream for a few years, but started to phase out the safari theme in the late 1980s. The Zieglers resigned in 1988. By the mid-1990s BR was spending millions of dollars in advertising to shed its safari image and compete directly with a new upstart, a preppy little catalogue-focused company out of New York called J. Crew.

The current mall bland mall brand version of BR has little to do with the original version, which sold classic, upscale clothing in an innovative environment.

But, luckily, examples of original Banana Republic clothing from its heyday in the 1980s can still be found--a testament to the longevity and quality of Banana Republic's wares.

This A-2 flight jacket is a wonderful example of what BR did best--take iconic clothing items, build them to last, and offer them widely. This jacket is cut as a classic civilian A-2, with side-entry handwarmer pockets built into the classic front flapped patch pockets whose flaps snap shut. This jacket features knit cuffs and hem--all of which are in perfect condition--and snap-down collar flaps. The back is cut from a single piece of leather--a feature that is becoming increasingly rare outside of the rarefied heights of Eastman and Aero.

This jacket also features underarm grommets for ventilation, and carries the classic vintage Banana Republic of Mill Valley, Calif. tag. It is, of course, fully lined, and features an interior pocket.

While the leather of this jacket is very slightly stiff--which will be readily rectified simply by wearing it!--this jacket is in excellent condition.

Tagged 42, but this is a *small* 42; likely best suited for a 40 or even a 38, depending on how you layer.

Asking just $60 > 55, or offer.

Measurements:

Chest: 22
Sleeve: 37 (measured like a shirt)
Shoulders: 19 3/4
Length: 25 1/2

 

[tweedydon]

4) Britches of Georgetown Suede Harrington Jacket.

Founded in Georgetown in 1967, Britches quickly established itself as a store that offered extremely well-made traditional clothing... but often with a slight twist, to appeal to a younger crown who, while steeped in the Ivy clothing tradition, wanted something slightly different. Britches expanded quickly and, unlike Banana Republic, never lost its way to become just another mall brand. Unfortunately, this might have been its undoing, and in 1998 it sold off its stores, to be declared bankrupt in 2002.

This suede Harrington jacket is a lovely example of Britches' wares. The Harrington jacket is a iconic clothing piece that is typically offered in cotton or a poly-cotton blend (like trenchcoats, the poly-cotton blends are considered perfectly acceptable in Harringtons). Britches took the classic Harrington and offered it in suede--a neat and classic twist on a well-loved standard. This jacket has all of the features of a traditional Harrington. It has knit cuffs and hem, a a lovely contrasting tartan lining--one of the hallmarks of a Harrington jacket--raglan sleeves, and two deep slash handwarmer pockets with button down flaps on the front. The collar can be folded up and secured against the wind, as shown. It also features a scalloped back yoke. Although the age of this jacket is uncertain judging by the label it is likely from the 1980s. It is in excellent condition; the suede is still lovely and supple, the YKK front zipper moves beautifully smoothly, and the two buttons for the flaps are still firmly attached. It does have two minor flaws; there are two tiny white spots on it (one of the back, one of the front), and the interior pocket is missing its button--an easy fix if you so desire.

This is a lovely, classic jacket, and a bargain at $39, or offer.

Tagged 40. Measures:

Chest: 19 3/4
Sleeve: c. 35 (measured like a shirt)
Shoulder: NA--raglan sleeves.
Length: 24 1/4.

 

[tweedydon]

5) Vintage 1960s suede collegiate jacket by Ralph Edwards Sportswear

Ralph Edwards Sportswear held a contract for producing military G-1 for the United States Navy jackets from 1961 - 1964. One of these jackets was recently sold by Good Wear Leathers, who described Ralph Edwards as being a "well-known contractor" for leather jackets, a testimony which speaks well to the quality of their products.

This suede jacket also speaks well to the quality of Ralph Edwards products! Likely dating from the mid-1960s judging by the cut, label, and collar size, this is a lovely and utterly wearable piece of Americana. An elegant and minimalist suede jacket the vertical seams on the front produce the openings to the two deep handwarmer pockets that are lined in warm cotton drill. The jacket is zippered at the front with a Talon zipper; this moves beautifully fluidly. The jacket can be tightened at the waist by the use of the buttoned waist adjusters; unlike many jackets this has both of its original buttons intact. This jacket also features a protective leather strip on the inside of the collar, the area where most suede jackets start to face or fray first. This has ensured that the collar of this jacket exhibits no wear to the suede at all!

The suede of this jacket is still beautifully supple, and, although it is slightly rumpled from storage, there are no major scuffs or marks to the suede at all, apart from the small blemish by the left-hand waist adjuster at the back, as shown. This jacket is thus in Very Good condition.

Although it is not labeled as such, it was also Made in the USA!

This is just $35, or offer, boxed and shipped in the USA.

Measurements:

Chest: 22 1/4
Sleeve: 24 1/4
Shoulder: 20
Length: 24 7/8

 

[tweedydon]

BUMP! ALL OFFERS VERY WELCOME!

 

[tweedydon]

Price drops on A2 jackets; offers welcome

 

[FedOregon]

Very nice. What a bargain on some great jackets. Alas, too small for me.

 

[tweedydon]

2 and 5 are still available!