Recent content by armscye

I reshaped my Cooper Desert Storm era A2 (which has the infamous disco collar) by washing it and reshaping the collar with some clothespins. Result is WW2 perfect. So do not fear hot water-- all leather is made in water.

I'm from a family with two real career military pilots and an air scout, sired by a combat photographer who flew CAP later in life. Yet I am not a pilot, other than an hour or so at the controls of a Cessna in mid flight. If I showed up for Thanksgiving wearing a patched jacket, even if it said...

Wow, an interesting request. I'll throw out two possibilities. Below is a Dsquared "civil war western" jacket from their 2010 collection. Or check with the guys at filmjackets.com about reproing this Lancer/Cavalry jacket, worn by Ben Foster as the sexually ambiguous sidekick to Russell...

To save searching, I'll repeat what I've said in earlier posts: I've washed about 40 jackets ranging from Wilson's Mall-Hauls to postwar military A2s to Vanson competition-weight horsehide. Unless I made a vigorous, deliberate, and protracted effort to shrink the jacket, I experienced no...

To lengthen or widen a sleeve, (a) wash jacket in cold water, (b) hang on padded hanger (c) insert a soda beverage bottle of the desired diameter, filled with water if you want to lengthen the sleeve (d) let dry, (e) recondition with your favorite flavor of liquid or goop leather treatment.+

I have found Orange Label Coopers trim in the chest fit, short in the sleeves and body, and low armholed (lift your arms and whole jacket lifts). The linings are just coarse enough to be "sticky"-- they grab your shirtsleeve and shirt when donning the garment. Their disco collar looks...

If you're looking for a coating that is not fake looking, consider Urad TLC. It's one of the few coatings out there that conditions, and definitely leaves behind a finish with more sheen which dries but remains flexible. TLC smells like pine tar, which I believe is the solvent evaporating. It...

My experience with Aero wool linings is that even with cotton-lined sleeves, the jacket usually "sticks" as the wearer's shirt or sweater grabs the lining while putting the jacket on. I put on my wool-lined Bootlegger with a big simultaneous throw of my shoulders, and I still end up tugging...

Machine wash it. Several long threads on the process on this board. I've washed about 40 jackets, and nothing else does of better job of improving grain, enhancing patina, and reducing that synthetic look.

A quick note: I own two waxed fabric Trialmasters, so I have a warm feeling for the whole Trialmaster/Barbour International style of jacket. I ordered my Panther about two years ago, then found the M. Julian vintage (for $50, as opposed to the $1200 of the Panther!). If I had it to do again, I...

Doing a search, there is some small amount of discussion of the Belstaff Panther, the leather version of Belstaff's classic waxed cotton Trialmaster rainy weather motorcycle jacket. The Panther shows up in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", and in one season of "Sons of Anarchy." I've just...

In all fairness to McQueen: He died at 50 of a wasting disease, which certainly limited his opportunities for philanthropy. While not the most versatile actor, he had a rare screen presence that has kept him contemporary despite his death. To quote "My Favorite Year", he wasn't an actor, he...

Steve McQueen is apparently the fashion icon of the century. In addition to being claimed as a Belstaff wearer, and having a Barbour collection, he is now the subject of a Porsche Design Collection, which includes leather jackets for men and women. Interestingly, Porsche does not style their...

Quick Comment on "Plasticky" jackets. Almost all leathers have some form of coating on them. With aniline leathers, it's a dye that sinks in. With pigment-dyed leather, it's a sort of paint that sits on top. The giveaway in distinguishing the two is simply to wet your finger and touch the...

I would not give up on this just yet. Any jacket in 48l would have to have been built for Queen Latifah's much taller bodybuilder sister. I think this jacket may well be a men's, with a few seventies styling cues that can be corrected. It can become more Tyler Duden than first glance suggests...