Cross zip nation

[photo2u]

You know, I actually contacted the designer. He told me the particular jacket in question was a very, very,very special made jacket. Not like the "others" from the company. I am thinking this probably was one of their early productions not being made in K land.
I can believe it you and Ton let this one go...

 

[photo2u]

I have seen this similar style from vintage German and French Jackets.

 

[Bluechel]

Schott CHP style #125 View attachment 371298

Wait, now this is the right stuff!

 

[Bahabp100]

Wait, now this is the right stuff!

I sold a 52 right before I met you and I had my 50 NFS . Without lining is great spring fall jacket . With lining and collar is good winter but I prefer my 187sml 4 way it’s walmer 50 L

 

[Bluechel]

Keep me up on any new 52s! Man, I love these jackets.

 

[marker2037]

I use the handwarmers, and some initial creases.
View attachment 368370 View attachment 368371

This is by far the coolest jacket you have designed. Absolutely perfect and I think it's safe to say that many members of the lounge here would line up for something like this.

Do you have any more pics showing the details and the leather a bitter closer up, with better lighting to see the true color?

 

[Canuck Panda]

I got a little excited and bored and curious last night so here are some photos:

In reverse alphabetical orders:

Regius test jacket

 

[Canuck Panda]

Lost Worlds Leathers

 

[Canuck Panda]

Lewis Leathers

 

[Canuck Panda]

Johnson Leather (San Francisco)

 

[Canuck Panda]

Aero Leathers (UK)

 

[Canuck Panda]

What I found out last night. You may already know this but this is new to me, so bear with me:

The more "overlap" there is in the front, the more "pouch" there is once the jacket is closed up. More overlap also meant more comfort at the neck for me. However, the big overlap cross zip also meant bigger lapels and less room on the side for chest pocket. Making the pattern a little harder to wear casually. I still do it and enjoy it, but I think it's an acquired taste. The two jackets that are cut like this is the Lewis and the Regius test jacket.

@tmitchell59 Is this 1930s design? The bigger overlaps. Thanks for the help.

The middle of the road "overlap" still maintains comfort at the neck when fully closed, but is easier to wear casually than the bigger lapels. LW and JL are good examples of these.

Are these medium lapel sizes 1940s design?

The least amount of overlap, which is almost straight zip just pushed a bit to the side, is the easiest to wear open casually, duh, it's almost a straight zip. However, the tighter lapels is the least comfortable when fully closed to the top, for me. Which is why I never wear it fully closed. But I do wear it just as often as the others because its easiest to wear casually. How does that work. I don't even know myself. The best example is the Aero Daytona.

Is this the 1950s design?

Does lapel go from big to small from the 1930s to 1950s? This is my gateway to vintage jacket now. Gotta get my hands on one from each era to see it for myself.

Lastly is what I realized about shoulder size and sleeve length. Again this is what I found, ymmv.
The shoulders range from 19s to 20s on all these jackets, sleeves in the 25s. The bigger the shoulder the more comfortable it wears. But all the jackets have the similar "nape" measurements of 35" to 35.5".

My final question for the cross zip nation:

Does shoulder gets tighter/neater as the time goes on?
1930s widest shoulder shortest sleeve length
1940s middle of the road
1950s tightest shoulder longest sleeve length

Or is it the other way around?

Or is there no rule at all? It was changing times during those years so. Or is it a regional thing? Like the East Coast had one design rule and the West just the complete opposite and then across the Pond its a mixture?

 

[Mrfrown]

Interesting comparison and thoughts. I have no comment on the time-period stuff.

When you say wear casually, you mean unzipped?

Aside from lapels, another big consideration for wearing crosszip unzipped is how "bell shaped" the jacket is. I find longer crosszip needs more bell shape and leads to a sloppier look, though maybe its just something inherent in different designs.

Extremes for demonstration- my dearly departed Bates vs JL :

 

[Canuck Panda]

Interesting comparison and thoughts. I have no comment on the time-period stuff.

When you say wear casually, you mean unzipped?

Aside from lapels, another big consideration for wearing crosszip unzipped is how "bell shaped" the jacket is. I find longer crosszip needs more bell shape and leads to a sloppier look, though maybe its just something inherent in different designs.

Extremes for demonstration- my dearly departed Bates vs JL :

View attachment 394662 View attachment 394663 View attachment 394664 View attachment 394665

@Mrfrown Yup, I meant unzipped. I find that if the lapels are smaller, the jacket becomes more convenient if that's the description. More like a straight zip.

Both your Bates and JL looks good. I get the same with longer cross zips, they tend to hang heavier if that's the description.

 

[JMax]

I don’t think there was a set standard, rule for angle of zips and lapel size across the decades I think of as true vintage (30s-60s). I’ve had jackets from the 40s-60s that were either/or and all in-between.

 

[JMax]

Interesting comparison and thoughts. I have no comment on the time-period stuff.

When you say wear casually, you mean unzipped?

Aside from lapels, another big consideration for wearing crosszip unzipped is how "bell shaped" the jacket is. I find longer crosszip needs more bell shape and leads to a sloppier look, though maybe its just something inherent in different designs.

Extremes for demonstration- my dearly departed Bates vs JL :

View attachment 394662 View attachment 394663 View attachment 394664 View attachment 394665

You better still have that Bates.

 

[Mrfrown]

You better still have that Bates.

It’s with a slightly smaller-stature close friend now. I could never have sold it on eBay…he really liked it and I was getting too big for it so it seemed like the best thing to do.

 

[regius]

Interesting comparison and thoughts. I have no comment on the time-period stuff.

When you say wear casually, you mean unzipped?

Aside from lapels, another big consideration for wearing crosszip unzipped is how "bell shaped" the jacket is. I find longer crosszip needs more bell shape and leads to a sloppier look, though maybe its just something inherent in different designs.

Extremes for demonstration- my dearly departed Bates vs JL :

View attachment 394662 View attachment 394663 View attachment 394664 View attachment 394665

Bates is still by far the most handsome cross zip motorcycle jacket for me...

 

[Will Zach]

Interesting comparison and thoughts. I have no comment on the time-period stuff.

When you say wear casually, you mean unzipped?

Aside from lapels, another big consideration for wearing crosszip unzipped is how "bell shaped" the jacket is. I find longer crosszip needs more bell shape and leads to a sloppier look, though maybe its just something inherent in different designs.

Extremes for demonstration- my dearly departed Bates vs JL :

View attachment 394662 View attachment 394663 View attachment 394664 View attachment 394665

Bates is the brown one?

 

[Mrfrown]

Bates is the brown one?

Bates is the black one. It’s in their heavier / stiffer cowhide. You see a lot of Bates for sale in the lighter or mid weight cowhide. Apparently this leather is no longer available due to tannery changes or something.

JL is brown, in very soft drapey Horween Vermont. For what it’s worth I think the JL would present a neater appearance unzipped if the leather was stiffer. The softness encourages floppy look. It is however very comfortable…everything is a trade off