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/produc...e6780eb3c5c1d7

...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.