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Bought this McGregor anti-freeze jacket

NeoGeoBryz

New in Town
Messages
11
Greetings,
recently I have bought this navy Blue Anti-freeze McGregor jacket (size 40.) Hasn't arrived in the mail yet, but I was wondering if anyone could tell what year it was made based on the tag , as the lister doesn't know. It is very close to the one seen in "Rebel Without A Cause" albeit it's navy. I believe it must be from a later production (past James Dean's life) as the tag doesn't match the one shown in the film. Funny thing is there seems to be an alternate version of the poster depicting James wearing a navy jacket much like this one. Anyways, I'll send more pics once the jacket arrives if anyone is curious. Below are from the seller's listing:
IMG_20230624_164108.jpg
IMG_20230624_004811.jpg
IMG_20230623_234214.jpg
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,074
Location
London, UK
Nice find. A lot of companies have had a go at repopping the red one over the years, but I've yet to see one that really got the texture of the shell quite right.
 

NeoGeoBryz

New in Town
Messages
11
Nice jacket, but it would be so much better if it were red.

Welcome to The Lounge. PC
I have found a red jacket last year that has button cuffs, the elastic hem in the back, and similar pockets, yet the material is some cotton blend of sorts
20220812_000106.jpg
. There are no manufacturer tags or indication where it came from, but it looks the part. If only it was made out of nylon then I'd be more happy with it. I am a very tiny guy so it fits.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,074
Location
London, UK
I have found a red jacket last year that has button cuffs, the elastic hem in the back, and similar pockets, yet the material is some cotton blend of sorts View attachment 528133 . There are no manufacturer tags or indication where it came from, but it looks the part. If only it was made out of nylon then I'd be more happy with it. I am a very tiny guy so it fits.

I honestly just don't understand why noone makes this 'right' . Surely there'd be a market for a fully correct one, that could be produced at a very reasonable price. If they're going to deviate from major details, I might as well jut stick with my 'Dean inspired' red Harrington.
 

NeoGeoBryz

New in Town
Messages
11
So, the jacket arrived. It's in really good condition (looks as if it was rarely worn at all) but if only the elastic hem was a little tighter around my waist. After analyzing footage and promotional photos of James Dean wearing the iconic red jacket, I notice many times the hem of his jacket seems to ride up higher then the belt buckle of his jeans (really noticeable around the rear of the jacket.) Now this can mean a couple things: 1) the jacket is too small, 2) the hem is snug around his waist, or 3) it was altered. I really do believe it must've been #2, as this would lead to a tighter hem, which would mean he could wear the jacket hem higher then if it were unzipped. If anyone is confused, I'll try to repost with photo references taken of James wearing the jacket. At least now I know if I ever find the jacket in red, I should try to aim for a size 38. As for a 1950s era McGregor, I don't know if the sizing is different.
 
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NeoGeoBryz

New in Town
Messages
11
That last post was really a mouth full. Didn't know how to condense all that info, but here are some photos
 

NeoGeoBryz

New in Town
Messages
11
So, I am really detracting from the original thread, but here is the famous red jacket unzipped verses it being zipped.
IMG_20230629_162300.jpg
IMG_20230629_162829.jpg
IMG_20230629_162909.jpg

Note how the bottom of the jacket appears to ride higher then the jeans when zipped. I can't find any images of him wearing the jacket unzipped from any other perspective, but I believe this must mean the jacket is longer when worn loose (unzipped.) My point in this is that when trying to find the "James Dean jacket", not only should you find a jacket that is the correct color (red), material (nylon), and brand (McGregor, which in turn, includes details such as the bunched Hem, the correct collar size, button cuffs, and those weird pockets), but the sizing, and more importantly, HOW you wear the jacket will determine how it looks.
 
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