Hollywood Jackets

[Benny Holiday]

Nothing much . . . ? With glamorous-looking ladies that like at VLV, no wonder there's a growing contingent of Aussies heading over there every year.

As for the rolled-up jeans and poodle skirts . . . the Melbourne and Sydney rockabilly/Swing scenes have always been renowned as being populated by sharp dressers, but there's a joke that in Brisbane you've got a choice of wearing black jeans and jacket, or black jeans and jacket, or, instead, a black jeans and jacket . . .

 

[resortes805]

that's funny. . .

It reminds me of the joke about the girl trying to find her greaser boyfriend at viva. . . "Have you seen him, he has rolled up blue jeans, a black t-shirt and greased hair." Ha!

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Yes, the joy's of looking for vintage clothes when you are tall and broad shouldered.

I need to order one of the repro two tone Hollywood jackets that Revamp makes, it's probably the only way I'll ever find one that fits.


At least I have the pilots licence........(Many years ago in my High School daze, in the latter 1970's, we used to sneak in the locked Hughes Hanger at the Hobby Airport in Houston, in the hanger was a Sikorsky S-43 flying boat that Howard Hughes owned, I used to sit inside that airplane many a time.)

Do you mean THIS pilot's license!!! ??? -dixon cannon

 

[Absinthe_1900]

My Pilot's License,... although if it would have helped me scam that S-43 out the hanger, I would have shown them Howie's.

 

[PADDY]

Hollywood Jackets...bring it on

offtopic: Love the HH pilots license...etc, but probably would be worth a thread on it's own, regarding vintage accessories to have in your jacket pocket, so maybe some kind, knowledgeable bod might consider that).

However, let's stick to Hollywood Jackets in this one chaps, as it's a cracking thread and you guys just bring so much info to it.

OH!!...Anymore photos guys? as I'm coming around to the idea of getting one (never thought I'd hear myself saying that!!!).

 

[Absinthe_1900]

A neat Hollywood Jacket line up.:eusa_clap

In the April 2006 issue of Reminisce Magazine, http://www.reminisce.com One of their readers sent in a shot of some family members decked out in 1949.......they were some lucky (& snappy dressed) kids.

 

[PADDY]

Mini Howard Hughes in Hollywood Jacket line-up!

What a cute photo, with all those wee boys in their jackets and hats! That's one snappy family photo to have in the album, and is a great showcase for that jacket style too!

 

[Benny Holiday]

Dean Stockwell as Howard Hughes

From the movie "Tucker: The Man and His Dream." Not the best print, but you can see they've got ol' Howard wearing his classic loafer jacket look and his lucky fedora. Very much like the one Wingnut is sporting on page two of this thread, only this one has a medium-brown body with contratsing back, arms and collar in a grey houndstooth fabric.

 

[Wild Root]

You know, I love that movie! I feel they picked the right guy to play Howard Hughes in that film! They nailed the clothes and many other things right on the head in that movie!!!

Now, not to sound bitter or anything, I know Howard Hughes wore these coats quite a bit and the photo of him wearing one during the historic flight in Long Beach of the famous “Hercules Flying Boat” automatically attached this style to him in the pages of history but, so many males of the ages 5-45 wore these coats in the 40’s. I’ve seen these coats being worn mostly by jitterbugs of the day and by sporty, stylish youth of the same years. I first saw this style when I started to go to swing dances, I also saw them in Sears and Montgomery Wards catalogs of the 40’s. They’re a casual coat known as a Hollywood Leisure coat or, just “Leisure Coat” and are of a very simple construction. They’re a very straight cut and most have no liners or are partially lined. Most of the ones I’ve seen have no shoulder pads either. They were just kind of a throw on and go type of coat. That is one reason why they’re hard to find because so many guys wore these things, they were worn out. But, I do hope to have some reproduced at one point, I have an original patter for them I just need to find someone who can make them right and use the correct fabrics and colors.

What I’d love to see is more photos of people wearing them who aren’t Howard Hughes!

=WR=

 

[Benny Holiday]

I must borrow my sister's digital camera

'cause I hear you there, Root. I've got an original two-tone 40's 'leisure coat' in blue and grey tweed, and I've got three great repros, the best one being a burgundy number made by my tailor from original 40's pictures. All I need is the camera and I'll post some pics for you of these jackets.

Speaking of the popularity of these jackets, I was amazed at the Royal Easter Show this year when I visited the booth of famous silhouette artist John Ross. John's booth featured number of articles about him and photos of him with celebrities who've posed for him over the years, and right in the middle was a photo of him in the 1950's wearing an awesome-looking Hollywood jacket!

 

[Absinthe_1900]

You can pick them out in a number of classic movies, usually in scenes with a lot of extras.

Yesterday, I happened to catch an episode of I Love Lucy, and there was Desi Arnaz, wearing a belted Hollywood Jacket. Desi must have really liked the look, since some call the shorter gabardine jackets "Ricky Jackets," since he wore those on the show quite a bit too.

Historically, I think the Hughes photo caught peoples attention today, due to the mystique that surrounded Howard Hughes, and the event of the big flying boat taking to the air, so that image became somewhat iconic.

I recently picked up a nice two tone Hollywood Jacket similar in cut to Root's H-wood jacket, if I can get a friend to shoot a photo of me wearing it, I'll post the image soon.

They really are neat jackets, when you find a nice one grab it quick.

 

[Snookie]

I posted this over in the Powder Room, and someone suggested that I post it here for you guys to see. Me and my hubby at the Derby last Sunday, showing off some new duds (first stuff I've made for us in over a year!).

Root, I'm glad to read that Hollywood Jackets don't need to be lined-- I was just trying out this pattern, so I didn't bother with any this time.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Snookie,

Have you considered going into business???

That jacket looks great. You would get a ton of orders!

Excellent job!

 

[Wild Root]

I posted this over in the Powder Room, and someone suggested that I post it here for you guys to see. Me and my hubby at the Derby last Sunday, showing off some new duds (first stuff I've made for us in over a year!).

Root, I'm glad to read that Hollywood Jackets don't need to be lined-- I was just trying out this pattern, so I didn't bother with any this time.

Yes! Looking good there!!! Who played at the Derby last Sunday? Was it Dean? I was out of town but, man, I wish I had gone!

Hollywood coats hardly ever had a full liner... they did have a part liner and so did the sleeves I'm sure... at first I thought that was an original coat Chris had on! I'm impressed!!! I'm sure the more you make, the better they'll be!

=WR=

 

[MudInYerEye]

Looked at a Sears catalog circa 1940 the other day. They called these "Loafer" jackets.

 

[Atomic Glee]

I want one - my girlfriend would love to have that pattern, and I'd love to have one of the jackets...

 

[resortes805]

reprovintageclothing.com

 

[Snookie]

Thanks for the compliments, guys -- I'm especially itching to make another jacket now! It's an easy jacket to make: except for the notched collar, it really is just a glorified shirt (so beware if you pay someone to make one for you -- it shouldn't cost quite as much as a suit jacket because it isn't as tailored).

Unfortunately, I've only got the pattern in a size 38, but if someone's desperate for a copy let me know!

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I discovered something very interesting today.

Daisy and I went to a famous local vintage seller's warehouse and he showed me a rack of "Hollywood jackets." There must have been 10 of them. These were from men's stores in and around the Boston area. What is so interesting about them..?

They looked like Hollywood Jackets but they were made of heavy tweed, still two-toned. They were fully lined and sort of unconstructed, but they were not the light weight unlined Hollywood Jackets I am accustomed to seeing on eBay.

I asked Bobby about these. He is a purveyor of vintage items for films such as "The Aviator" and others. (His clothes are usually in the background scenes. -He provided the Faire Isle sweaters for "The Aviator.") Anyway, he told me that this was the Boston version of the Hollywood Jacket; light jackets being problematic in the Boston climate.

How cool is that?!

 

[Feraud]

The Boston version of a Hollywood jacket?

That is awesome and makes perfect sense!
I have to get one of these Hollywood/Loafer style jackets..