My new 1937 Woman's Leather Varsity Jacket - Advice Needed

[Vintage Betty]

This was a gift from the family I helped with the house cleaning. I can't even find one online to compare if it's common or rare!?

It fits me! :eusa_clap Anyone know about repairing or restoring the leather and knitted parts? I'm not quite sure what to do.

 

[lady eel]

once leather is that dry and cracked there's nothing you can do to bring it back. restoring it would be very expensive
you could wear it still, ( I would ) but I'm sure the deconstructed look isn't what you're wanting.
I sold some 40's varsity sweaters and football jerseys to an Italian buyer at the flea market. they were tight on him, had wear and holes, but this was a look he was going for. I got great money for them so there is a market for this kind of stuff, if you decide to sell

 

[Edward]

The leather may be far gone, I'm not experienced enough to say whether it's past the saving point, but you could try a leather restorer product designed for leather car seats. These are available to suit a wide range of colours (nd neutral). My dad has been a vintage car buff from long before I was born (there are photos of him back in the sixties driving cars that were vintage then, surrounded by a lot of "modern" cars that now qualify to go on those runs themselves) and has had many successes with this stuff. I've been amazed by some of the results he's had, especially on a set of seats in a 1938 Austin 10 that were dried out and cracked to the point I thought they were unsalvageable.

If you can save the leather, maybe repalcing the knits would be an idea.... wrong colour for A2 knits, but maybe Aero or ELC could point you in the right direction for supply (didn't Aero at one time do College jackets?).