Show off the sports coats.

[TCMfan25]

My God! What a beautiful coat, I want it now!

 

[TCMfan25]

Archie pulls it off perfectly, as he does everything he wears.

 

[GoldenEraFan]

On a trip I made last week to Milwaukee, Wisconsin I found some nice vintage jackets for prices far better than in New York. Both are displayed on my friends' moms' recently purchased 1900's-1920's clothing bust (is there a proper name?)

The first one is a plum colored sportcoat with a stamped date of October 17th 1933.

The second is a nice deep blue possibly orphaned double breasted jacket from the earlier part of the 1940's. Has the 1939 union tag.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

That plum jacket is lovely. Very rare colour. If it doesn't fit you, and was the right size for me, I'd certainly be interested in purchasing it from, or trading for it with, you!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I think that the plum jacket was once part of a suit.

 

[Johnny J]

Here is one I picked up at Aardvark's on Melrose like 18 yrs ago. I'm glad I can still wear it too!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

British, late 30s. Has 2 rear vents.

 

[herringbonekid]

any labels on that jacket ?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Not that I know of, but i'll have another look. I bought it off a mate of yours (he mentioned that you'd seen my username in his eBay feedback); I guess you've probably seen it before.

Note the lack of an outer breast pocket and slanted hip pockets.

bk

 

[herringbonekid]

I guess you've probably seen it before.

no, but i know who you're talking about. i hope he decides to contribute soon to the discussions here (on British suits and sportcoats) as he probably has more examples than me and you combined !

 

[Two Types]

I got this last week. I am a bit confused about it. The label is for John Kent, who has the 'Royal Warrant' for the Duke of Edinburgh. However, there is no name or date on the maker's label and it has obviously never been worn. The shop had other jackets and suits from the same source, all immaculate. My guess is that they make up samples to show potential clients (possibly on trips overseas?), which are then sold on? Also, it is half-lined (less common on British jackets than American) making me think it might be for the American market.

Any thoughts?

The label:

The lining:

A close up of the cloth. I think it is beautiful. I can't wait for the summer to wear this with white trousers, white shirt and white shoes:

 

[yorkshirechap]

This is more of a blazer than sports coat so hope it is alright here. It is dated 1963 and the brass buttons have the makers name, Pitts & Co stamped on the back.
The Leed's tailors is no longer in existence although there is a Whitelock pub in the same location as the old tailors premises.

 

[Orgetorix]

John Kent is a currently active Savile Row tailor, so that one is almost certainly from the last two or three decades. The cloth may be Solaro, a summer fabric "A solaro is achieved by weaving a classically toned warp with an intensely coloured, acidic weft creating an opulent, coloured fabric, which in some light appears iridescent."

I was under the impression that Solaro was a relatively recent offering in the trade, as I hadn't heard of it before a few years ago, but I just found a reference to a Solaro cloth in a 1907 medical journal. No idea if it's the same stuff.

 

[Two Types]

John Kent is a currently active Savile Row tailor, so that one is almost certainly from the last two or three decades. The cloth may be Solaro, a summer fabric "A solaro is achieved by weaving a classically toned warp with an intensely coloured, acidic weft creating an opulent, coloured fabric, which in some light appears iridescent."

I was under the impression that Solaro was a relatively recent offering in the trade, as I hadn't heard of it before a few years ago, but I just found a reference to a Solaro cloth in a 1907 medical journal. No idea if it's the same stuff.

Thanks for that. I have searched for Solaro cloth on the web and it certainly looks like that's what my jacket is made of.
I rechecked the label and note that the address is different to the current one. Also the phone code on the label is 071, dating it as between 1990 and 1995. It still seems like good fortune that I should find an unworn jacket that is almost 20 years old. Maybe John Kent has been having a clear out. Let's hope I can find some more.

 

[Tommy]

My most recent find is likely the largest and best of my entire thrifting career, and will end my days of sportcoat hunting (at least for a while). It is truly a fortunate stroke of luck, all of them my size, half of them requiring some minor alterations. 12 of the 13 Hart, Schaffner, Marx, and 1 Austin Reed. 6 of them are three button, 7 two button. All in pristine condition/brand new, and $10 each, donated by relatives of someone recently passed away, and I promise to put them to good use. There are three more not shown here but HSM's as well, of the same lot, in for alterations.

All in price for the 13 sport coats including all alterations $530, basically the price of one of the Gold Trumpeteer's. Though they are not vintage, I trust they deserve a posting here, I love the styling and fit of these. HSM have not deviated a whole lot from their origins, classicly cut, and subtlely attractive. Some of the photos show spots, but it must be a dirty lens, I double checked and the coats are pristine.

I have a cheap camera, and it doesn't do these coats justice, color-wise, the first photo showing all them together is the most accurate. I'll try and add a couple of photo's of me in them down the road with VS hat and other gear...

10 of the 13

The Navy 100% CamelHair with pick stitching

some of the labels

 

[Mr Vim]

I particularly like that rust colored windowpane Tommy, very nice.

 

[esteban68]

Got this one a while back, in almost mint condition and in my size, it's labelled as a Burtons(not seen this label before c 1970's?) but the label appears to have another set of holes around/underneath it pointing to it once having a label over? or one removed?
It's a 40-42" R(big 40 tight-ish but fastenable 42") I really like it but there's just a bit too much padding in the shoulders for me, in fact on me it looks almost 'zoot suit'-ish.

 

[Tommy]

Got this one a while back, in almost mint condition and in my size, it's labelled as a Burtons(not seen this label before c 1970's?) but the label appears to have another set of holes around/underneath it pointing to it once having a label over? or one removed?
It's a 40-42" R(big 40 tight-ish but fastenable 42") I really like it but there's just a bit too much padding in the shoulders for me, in fact on me it looks almost 'zoot suit'-ish.

Maybe the label was removed to sew in the owners name(?)

 

[Two Types]

I picked this up a couple of weeks back in a 'vintage' shop in London. They had racks of jackets, some dating back to the forties, many of them orphaned from suits - and nearly all of them in dreadful, moth-eaten condition. It appears they buy them by the bale and just put them on the rail - with no effort to worry about cleaning them, repairing them or pressing them.

However, this jacket was an exception. It has a 1949 union tag and I guess is from some point in the 1950s. I am still getting used to the way it hangs since I am not used to American, half lined jackets.

I think it was good value at £20.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Yes, quite a common fabric on American early-middle 50s stuff. Which shop, btw? A Rockit or Beyond Retro branch?

bk