DIY French Cycle aka 'luftwaffe' Jacket - Part 2

Hi all!

So I had a thread going back in Jan 2018 about a previous and my first attempt at leather work and turning a cruddy old jacket into something resembling a 40's French cycle jacket, or perhaps more commonly known now as a 'luftwaffe' jacket.

From this:


To this:


Original thread below although I think most of the images have expired:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/diy-french-cycle-jacket-aka-luftwaffe-jacket.92732/

After I completed this one, to be honest, I didn't wear it all that much. It was an enjoyable little project and I learned a lot but I felt I could have done better and always had one eye on the lookout for another victim jacket to get my scissors stuck into!

Then along came this one:


It was an eBay purchase that seemed to match my measurements and the 'eagle' eyed among you will notice the shoulder boards and if you look closely the outline of stiching of a Luftwaffe eagle! Could it be a period piece?!! No, well not unless Timberland were making jackets back in the 40's, hah.

It'd seen someone also seen potential in it before me and dressed it up as a pilots piece complete with badge/decoration holes!!...




It's a beautiful soft and light leather, a lot lighter and softer than my original attempt that I think will definitely work in my favor. The fit is good if a tad short at the waisted but that's how they sat originally. Whilst they're are some beautiful repo's out there i always felt the body lenght was an issue with manufacturers opting for a slightly longer body.

I have some period repo zips ordered and am on the lookout for a suitable buckle. I think my main area to correct with this project is the waiste line and how I pleat the body into the waiste so it's loser in the body but comes to a tight waiste band as well as the sleeves.

I'll update the thread as I go along so stay tuned! So let's see if I can turn this....



Into something potentially resembling these...

Ok, so done a little bit of work on the jacket today, but first some fit pics...







I need to lose some belly! Otherwise I'm not sure how I feel about the lenght, I want to keep it pretty high waisted as per the originals but I might try adding another half inch when adding the waiste band.

So I got the machine out and adding two breast pockets. The zips are repro Talon's, I know not correct for this style of jacket but period correct perhaps and I liked the look of 'em...




Happy enough with how these turned out, perhaps in hindsight a fraction too long, but I'll live with it.

Next up I've to try source some leather of a similar or close tone/grain to make the lower pocket flats, waist belt, cuffs and other bits and bobs.

Well, with the originals, the trousers were more high waisted than what you are wearing. I know some like their jackets to be above the belt line, but to me it just makes the jacket look too small.

Good job so far.

SpitfireIV said:

Ok, so done a little bit of work on the jacket today, but first some fit pics...

I need to lose some belly! Otherwise I'm not sure how I feel about the lenght, I want to keep it pretty high waisted as per the originals but I might try adding another half inch when adding the waiste band.

So I got the machine out and adding two breast pockets. The zips are repro Talon's, I know not correct for this style of jacket but period correct perhaps and I liked the look of 'em...

Happy enough with how these turned out, perhaps in hindsight a fraction too long, but I'll live with it.

Next up I've to try source some leather of a similar or close tone/grain to make the lower pocket flats, waist belt, cuffs and other bits and bobs.

Click to expand...

Extremely well done with the chest zips. Perfect symmetry. No small feat there. Plenty of makers can’t get that right. Off to a brilliant start!

Peacoat said:

Well, with the originals, the trousers were more high waisted than what you are wearing. I know some like their jackets to be above the belt line, but to me it just makes the jacket look too small.

Good job so far.

Click to expand...

Cheers. Yeah I think I'll squeeze another half to 3/4 inch out of it when it comes to adding the waiste band.

ton312 said:

Extremely well done with the chest zips. Perfect symmetry. No small feat there. Plenty of makers can’t get that right. Off to a brilliant start!

Click to expand...

Thanks. Yeah I'm happy enough with how they turned out.

Speaking of which, they are now functional. I should add I know nothing about tailoring so I'm sure there are proper ways and means of doing this type of work other than what I believe will work so I apologise for offending anyone with tailoring know how or experience.





My usual Brother sewing machine has been acting up and just isn't up to dealing with multiple layers of leather. So today I came across this well used and abused Singer 27K from 1908(!!!) in a local thrift shop, seemed all was in order and present and it was a decent price so it came home with me. This thing is a ton weight and cuts through multiple layers of leather like a hot knife through butter!! Now to get used to one handed sewing.

Quite a find you got there. A good score. The proper tools, no matter the job, make all the difference in getting the job done.

Peacoat said:

Quite a find you got there. A good score. The proper tools, no matter the job, make all the difference in getting the job done.

Click to expand...

Don't I know it When I'm not trying to pass myself off as a tailor I'm playing the roll of a craftsman and making these...

Don't know what they are, but they look cool.

I have 4 work benches with 5 vintage American made vises on them, but I don't make anything. I just fix whatever breaks around the farm. Well, sometimes I fix it and sometimes I break it worse than it was originally.

Vintage car dashboards? What model?