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French cycling jacket aka luftwaffe jake

Fastuni

Call Me a Cab
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2,277
Location
Germany
Interesting combination of civilian and quasi-military stuff here.

FFI.jpg
 
Last edited:

Metatron

One Too Many
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1,536
Location
United Kingdom
In 'Despair' the character played by Bogarde is imitating the style of a tramp that he thinks looks identical to him, hence the 'new' leather jacket in the first photo. Do you think that it is an original or a a repro from the 1970s? Not that there weren't any big collars in the 1930s, but I find this particular one suspicious. :)
 

Fastuni

Call Me a Cab
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2,277
Location
Germany
I think it is a 1970's jacket. The collar plus the fact that it shows no significant signs of use, the rather unusual color (at least the existing evidence of French cycling jackets are overwhelmingly darker/reddish brown leather) and the fact that it is a 70's movie. :p
Screenshot2012-10-07at200644-1.png
 

Don Tomaso

A-List Customer
Messages
402
Location
Germany
Agreed - I'd like to see a close-up of those... I'm fascinated by well-made repairs. I think it's the idea that something is worth repairing, and not part of the contemporary disposable society that appeals.
That's what I try to find nowadays, items that are made to be repaired at a time, like Goodyear-welted shoes, Aero-jackets, quaslity shirts, the works.:)
 

Edward

Bartender
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24,736
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London, UK
Some of these designs could have come straight off the Hell-Boy set

Yes! Some of the resistance folks remind me a lot of BPRD bits and pieces!

Also puts me in mind of (although a later time period) some of the kit in use in Ireland during the 1919-1921 War of Independence, and later by the anti-treaty side in 1922-23. Similar situations in that you're looking at individuals and organisations putting together what is available against an enemy who is running the stat,e as opposed to a clash of states. I know armies throughout history have often learned from their enemy and adapted their kit accordingly. It would be fascinating to find out whether and what they learned and adapted in response to what these civilian resistance groups used. I imagine the latter must have been quite creative of necessity in terms of equipment as much as tactics.
 

tropicalbob

My Mail is Forwarded Here
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3,954
Location
miami, fl
Thanks very much for the photos. With all due respect, though, I find the idea of a French Resistance "look" kind of comical. Be kind of a giveaway for the Germans.
 

Stearmen

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,202
Thanks very much for the photos. With all due respect, though, I find the idea of a French Resistance "look" kind of comical. Be kind of a giveaway for the Germans.

[video=youtube;rB-SVvrS4wg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB-SVvrS4wg[/video]
alloallo1_zps31f0efb8.jpg
 

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,456
Location
London, UK
"I find the idea of a French Resistance "look" kind of comical. Be kind of a giveaway for the Germans."

Except that the 'look' is just the casual/workwear of the period combined with guns and ammo. In reality, what is being described as the 'French resistance look' is just the casual fashion for young men in France in the 1940s.

"Not to mention a photograph of a "cell" if captured would mean the end... not very smart trade craft in that line of work."

I assume that most of the photos would have been taken in the latter period, when the resistance were fighting openly, often alongside regular Allied forces (hence the wearing of armbands etc to identify them).
 

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