Is this a genuine B-3 or a costume sheepskin jacket? (The War Lover content)

[JanSolo]

Titel says it. Is this a real B-3 with one collar strap missing or could this be a costume department repro? I'm not an expert on sheepskin...expert views very welcome

Btw: The young Robert Wagner looks dead smart whereas the "King of Cool" looks like he just left elementary school...

 

[aswatland]

I can't tell as your picture has not displayed. However, having watched The War Lover, all the B-3s appear to be original wartime ones.

 

[Aerojoe]

My avatar is from that movie Robert Wagner's B-3 is more or less like this one;

http://www.eastmanleather.com/produ...d=176&osCsid=97b0a7ba93e0c4a394e6780eb3c5c1d7

...but one strap is missing

On the shoulder it has something like if it was a broken epaulet. At first I thought it was a B-6.

 

[aswatland]

Here are two originals used in the film.

 

[aswatland]

I suspect the second strap is not missing, but just secured beneath the collar.

 

[fishmeok]

Interesting how the look has been modernized with the skinny trousers and 60's hair- to my eyes it looks like two guys from 1963 wearing B-3's, not 1944....

Or is that a rehearsal with the guys wearing normal clothes under the b-3's?
Cheers
Mark

 

[GoodTimesGone]

It's either a rehearsal or photo-shoot. In the movie they wear accurate air corps uniforms.
________________________________________________
Tom

 

[JanSolo]

Look at those crepe soled Sanders "Playboys" McQueen is wearing. Great stylish shoes. I love them.

This is what they look like these days:

Andrew, thanks for clarification. I knew that someone of the true experts would chime in! Strange that my picture doesn't show...for me it does.

 

[ButteMT61]

Not a broken epaulete. A "rank tab". Piece of leather to attach a rank pin, or paint/sew one on. And it was made from horse, not the same sheep as the jacket.* edit. Sorry, I now see the strap you're discussing. Stupid me. See Andrew, I've already proven you wrong

 

[rocketeer]

Look at those crepe soled Sanders "Playboys" McQueen is wearing. Great stylish shoes. I love them.

This is what they look like these days:

Andrew, thanks for clarification. I knew that someone of the true experts would chime in! Strange that my picture doesn't show...for me it does.

These look like what we wore in the 1970a as Teddy Boys. Eatons we called them but ours were always black.
If you leave them touching at the soles for any time they tend to vulcanise together.
The ones Robert Wagner is wearing look like they have zips up the front. In the UK Little old ladies tended to favour this type back then.
As for the jackets I doubt there was much call for repro's in the 60s Originals would probably be still plentiful. I know you could by old Irvins for £25, or was it £12, in some of those army surplus ads in old motorbike magazines and Exchange and Mart.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

What is a 'Teddy Boy'....?

 

[DJH]

It was a 50's rock n roll fashion thing.

I had always thought the teds started in the US, but this Wiki piece suggests otherwise.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

A 50s youth subculture that started in the UK. Their clothes were influenced by edwardian fashion hence the name "teddy" as short for edward. They also had funny poampadour hairstyles.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I grew up in the '50s & '60s. Remember Ducktails..'Ducks'...skinny ties...and 'draped' or 'pegged' pants,etc...but had no idea that those styles originated in Britian with the 'Teddy Boys'. Interesting.
HD

 

[Peacoat]

I thought the Teddy Boys back then were the English equivalent of our hoodlums? Maybe they were of a better class than our fellows.

 

[Aerojoe]

I grew up in the '50s & '60s. Remember Ducktails..'Ducks'...skinny ties...and 'draped' or 'pegged' pants,etc...but had no idea that those styles originated in Britian with the 'Teddy Boys'. Interesting.
HD

Here in Europe we had several waves of rockabilly revival during the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. In my country there were "teddy boys" and "rockers". Here, rockers wore leather jackets, jeans and engineer boots ala Brando in the "Wild one" and teddy boys wore rockabilly suits and suede or panther skin shoes. There were Psychobillies too, a mixture of rockers with punks. It doesn't sound good if you didn't know them, I know but some psychobilly bands made a very good music.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I thought the Teddy Boys back then were the English equivalent of our hoodlums? Maybe they were of a better class than our fellows.

Gawd..I hope so! We rode around drinking longneck PBRs ...smoking Camels (unfiltered!!)and listening to 'Heartbreak Hotel' on the AM. Yep sometimes I was a hood..although from the right side of the tracks.....
HD

 

[Peacoat]

Gawd..I hope so! We rode around drinking longneck PBRs ...smoking Camels (unfiltered!!)and listening to 'Heartbreak Hotel' on the AM. Yep sometimes I was a hood..although from the right side of the tracks.....
HD

Yep, I still try to keep a few PBRs in the refrigerator. Got some there right now. May have to have one in a few hours, now that you got me thinking about it. And the Camels; glad I don't still have any of those! When Heartbreak Hotel was on the radio, I was waay to young to be driving around doing anything without my parents. You are telling your age.

 

[ButteMT61]

Our motto was : "after three, they all taste like Pabst". In response to the uppities no thought Michelob was awesome. But we also enjoyed Rolling Rock and Genesee.

 

[Aerojoe]

I thought the PBR thing was hipster stuff Here rockers and teddys used to consume Budweiser and Jack Daniels. I usually indulge myself with European brews but I have to admit I really like Miller's.