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Your Retired Jackets

zooley

New in Town
Messages
9
Do you have any jackets you've retired/don't wear but can't bring yourself to get rid of?

I was doing some cleaning and post-winter maintenance (oiling leather, etc) and got thinking about one of the jackets in my closet I don't wear anymore. This was my main winter jacket for little over a decade. It's vintage, approximately a size 40, and weighs about 8 pounds. I'm a 38 so it's a tad big on me but not overly so. The leather is surprisingly soft for its age--soft as or perhaps even a little more so than the washed buffalo Thedi I recently acquired. From what I was told, the original owner had it shortened. It's knee length on me (I'm 6'). I, admittedly, put a fair amount of wear on it, a good portion of which you can see on the edges and collar. The rest of the wear is mostly contained to the two outer pockets. They're really just holes now, rather than pockets.

I believe it had been repaired a few times before landing in my hands and may be missing a removable winter liner (?) as there are attachment buttons. I'm no expert on the details, so if someone has more info on that, I'd love to know. I tightened up the stitching in places a few times over the years and would use Pecard leather dressing.

I stopped using this jacket several years ago out of worry over the amount of wear I had put on it. While I've readily sold off other jackets as I no longer used or needed them, including vintage pieces, I just came seem to part with this one. Someday, I wouldn't mind having a reproduction made, but a little closer to my size and maybe even a different color. I know similar jackets can be found but they all seem to be full length. I really came to love the 3/4 length.

I'm still working on a decent lighting/photo setup. It's laying on top of my kitchen island and all the light is coming from a window, giving it a lit-from-the-bottom look.

(Apologies if a similar thread already exists. I searched and couldn't find anything but may have simply overlooked it.)
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zooley

New in Town
Messages
9
Yes, I think around 1942 but, again, I'm no expert. I'm sometimes reluctant to outright note that due to, well, the associations. I just liked the jacket, nothing more.
 

dudewuttheheck

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,403
That's a really cool jacket. I'd never be able to wear something like that given my shorter height, but it's damn cool.

I have never retired a jacket. So far, I either wear them or sell them.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,074
Location
London, UK
Is this some sort of German military coat?
Everythign about it screams GERMANY to me.

Very definitely German - the buttons and general design vibe are very German, as are, I believe, the Ritsch zippers. I'd be surprised if it was military issue, though - contraery to popular belief, I've alwaysbeen uner the impression that pretty much all leather jackets from the 3rd Reich era were pp.

Yes, I think around 1942 but, again, I'm no expert. I'm sometimes reluctant to outright note that due to, well, the associations. I just liked the jacket, nothing more.

Could also be later - 1950s or so. West and East German military uniforms - if, indeed, it was ever issue rather than a pp or civilian garment made in a pattern similar to a military coat - changed remarkably little post-war, and is often confused for earlier. Does it have any labelling / markings?
 

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