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J.C.Penney (Sportclad) Motorcycle Jacket History 1947-1963

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,462
Location
Illinois
Post WWII was the Motorcycle jacket boom (The Golden Age). Young men coming out the service looking for some fun take to the open road. Riding Gear had been produced since the invent of the Motorcycle. Regional Shops all over the country were producing riding wear for Civilian and Police work long before 1947. The huge amount of interest post war increased the need for more jackets. The Three catalog giants, Sears-JC Penney-Montgomery Ward filled the retail need. The Sears catalog began offering MC jackets c.1948. They were the leader and through the 1950s would outsell the other catalogs. The Catalog stores brought MC jacket into the mainstream.

I want to replicate the Sears MC History Thread that has been so successful in putting together a very accurate chronology and cataloging of the various models.

The Sears thread replicated the Sears catalog pages for those years. I do not have access to either Wards or JC Penney catalog pages as I had with Sears. Even with all the pages I had, two Missing Links were found by members here from sources I had not seen.

I hoping we can duplicate the community effort again.
 

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,462
Location
Illinois
The JC Penney used basically these two labels through from 1947-1960.

This is the label that identifies the earliest Penney we have found. c.1947-1952. As I write this I am thinking these jackets represent a significant number of the jackets they produced.

4E2VfKGbJhDpBqvTL_FQDdzfMPUj5b7sN7b9dMfc04Dbcb47gnTEBLrsws8e3G5uQk8cBegKr-c_h9FtjI_T-3IweqXCgrvucrILxvYyCwOV9YF_FemWfwR9UqtwPVByFJqUq0rWUHYHwLL_7OdTVu2U0MQiE07J5VAuQqFx7JZJ8800fY0bBGDDWBqeMQA_kjvYG3BfxnMXTdqcYPLniFp9eFWxMRDdpdbz3vlV6UfVEGH-s-Rx62H98WMNxXTzCCu7FJD-YuERjqdnwqhSzDByu5JorK5IR5T-ZEAN18pvcMpfangrvAndFsilUlez4m6a76fKPgp1QXqhsPk1DazBsd6D3gvim66RNllHjvdiAiHj41IQGymSK1VHGQ5_wLQJBbkoqDaV2z8Qsj-gTqaN9q9PaLdYPhhBIL6h4brnytYMbNSo2ky2AZFL98plPoF887NXvceOiQu8Ll1cFoxdSlHxsmaxTzMA8XX1IGcoc4KPu0TuqIstmwvEX2_ySzKsa-TARZ_sBrV8BZRG5Guz66klBpJzFbI7sPxNvqmtZLmMWHfUcNZxZte3Js2Dkwa0_Y2lR5rD9-eehjrECoP5fhhRGCsMofCjyUGEzNVDngL4UqXQxIuNJK8R7KVWxIB-YPJF7NF_-DU9wurrmpZJRbwD6YvMTPU8LBW_4EV7kMqcu0D3CXA1kX328BSK6K2mRMSp2LZVGmwmRGXwh8Ja=w770-h658-no


This is the common 1950s follow up label. This label is seen with leather name and also "made in the West". I do not recall a leather JC Penney/Sportclad label. The leather labels do show up on Sears Hercules and Wards Windwards.

M0qxgx6Bci7gNuWIpx4Yegx0wC8vsRlOH83BMqPbTlqhmJTEemSBJExNu-yb0gbSeP38XHvE2Ojmplox8IBSkrH747EoXJOa6NbTbwYqIb_-Rnys4_kGUydwTboZ3DZM4XVtNy1d8iZ4AxA4pZefyHtzuF6aS0SGXL-kqJY2EMnftF9XciWjxBpbzIasdizucZFlSXSNksO0OrWsgfRYUr4rdPhxyFGPwGvxRrdyLipVldku__tNsQNxmjmGjy2QBO5hYxmagRCA0WOMgsHbgt1eEOy4q8ROuH-oOOMOgsxYZ19K5A3XpJ0AWTULPWdijdQ_WquVy7DMBkuHfRYTMI22MD7auozM9DffTeCb70wujfVACZoBTKJa9xpEkF96Q3NVR-wHEpt_-TIJCYz3ktJj0V5D_PTjrbWT4UyxS5T7dCX6ltlak0wF3-qpkUXMcQCqFERh26z_NNsf48X-N-1TzF0bZd4SZgcPch6UKayqVwBzNLVM4MzAmsOYih5wb4dij9oDMpCQLqm_CVU_yvExI16iZDQzmi-F__EuonBnFDKFjh-SekddXTs1wjVOdBaIu3syTYOmOLaQjXTzTH1zYXrK21ekZzpj8BNDt32zJsfW0mpITy6MaEXbEsgpfImULFelz6zLj76pnQDbL54kpoPW_YuYSsuOnIrQEOUKinfUZNcY3J24ZrzMvA8539WAq7Y0RIQfBlcmBKk4vV4f=w989-h657-no



I know we will find much fewer of the Penney jackets. I have only focused on the early wool lined Sportclad.
 

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,462
Location
Illinois
This is the earlist Penney jacket we have discovered. This one is documented to purchase in 1947 by one of those veterans. Why he never wore it, his nephew did not know. It is mint, still has the shine on it.

The first post-war jackets typically had the wool lining. Nylon was not in jacket use until c.1951. It then eclipsed the use of Wool for a lining. Fleece was used by Sears post Wool.

This Sportclad is lined in red Wool. Has a post-war Talon zipper c.1946. All that I have seen with the Wool lining have been identical and labeled as horsehide.

We do know that Star Sportswear in Lynn MA made these wool lined jackets. More on that as we go along. It took us some work to begin to identify the makers of the Sears jackets.

AM-JKLX_0E9Iu_myQiX5Ib6TiNP_UYM3VsyNjCc1aqXMIaYTk6iXxs5ttSoOaGGxyrCcuscnFVNYsUMoFe3KuS5TkOHlP5j9ea0osohAZ9XRcOlMeGIALkpVYBZx6ArAzfVu6KFCDuRt1F_J3FYRPa9I_hsRyA=w989-h657-no


AM-JKLXaGMJGZZFT7H-MDbO-RH-RAPqPWes0oZeu78px7b1iqFoTytFafpho4Kalk1TQ9Wdg5uNQKLrHoSHteLn9TS_ryP7bL0_bXTKw8kguv8b3W3a2_13bz6_S1OD2Ft89cuGQkt078mcGQt6NW7yo7EG93w=w989-h657-no




AM-JKLXM60v1MDiApcAAELNiusWlPBMEeR0Bt6K6tlSh5p8L-ArKzNdO3SqfHea3MxlKSxF8WyQyXVVeSFjWuFRjmaQbYrQi4p3xosATExnSepGK4-ySHNxSOQE1jExPNIpRz9sXf3-QFRKZ6KI-1hTXY2RLhA=w989-h657-no



AM-JKLVf9NjDmN_o77XlC0Xme7bYHdy2lDlIBWtnntiWVEMtSnbhUSQKfNI0rLW1-vWRa9jNe6WxeBMvW_KdO7rfe8WPsmacm2j6lbFj6dyaq66LEO_JGT2xwD5yN3Q76vQbU-5-p-o_EUN8SjWQThF0fIJkAg=w989-h657-no


AM-JKLWFWYvt1-3Z5L_UONdPjUM_Ud-WyGyen-yv9_qJL8U3b3ytxvHG0umqzCX1Gfgf4glBFHpEknl7kprbklbYjyiozEsTnnCfQRbD3gShevqVecONvXyaNR3TIhg5oWsZ7Zdvu1sF9CKHnLQmReccFJQuLA=w989-h657-no
 
Messages
10,196
My Sportclad label— not sure it was sold through JCP. MC jacket with blackened brass hardware. Most SC I see have the nickel hardware. I’ll echo what you have said TM, the hide is top tier, no matter the era. And the stitching on mine is the same, excellent by any standard.

A2A93BDF-77EA-4E48-9FAE-A3B82C18367E.jpeg
 

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,462
Location
Illinois
This is the 2nd edition of the Sportclad? The black Nylon lining models are seldom seen. Nylon came into play with all the catalogs using nylon stitching and lining by c.1952.

This particular jacket was owned by James Dean. I will try to find more images of the nylon lined with Sportclad label. I need to identify the main zipper.

dIfvmrw.png
 

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,462
Location
Illinois
Those nickle plated zips are so nice.

Yes, those zippers are a stand out feature of these early wool lined. This is a late 40s Talon zipper. I don't see these particulare zippers often. So far all the wool lined I've seen have this main zipper.

I have another coming in the mail. It does not have Horsehide on the Sportclad label, but the horsehide tag is separate as seen on some Kurland labeled jackets.

I don't yet know what that means. Perhaps an early one or one of the last?
 
Messages
10,196
Yes, those zippers are a stand out feature of these early wool lined. This is a late 40s Talon zipper. I don't see these particulare zippers often. So far all the wool lined I've seen have this main zipper.

I have another coming in the mail. It does not have Horsehide on the Sportclad label, but the horsehide tag is separate as seen on some Kurland labeled jackets.

I don't yet know what that means. Perhaps an early one or one of the last?

We should start a zipper thread. Closeups of the vintage zips with a note of which jacket it is on. My Fidelity has a similar Serval to the above Talon, with Serval written on the pull and stop. My earliest Cal has a huge Conmar, with Conmar both on the pull and stop. Most of my vintage jackets have the small Talon pull without any text on the stop. I’ll take a bunch of pics and get it started soonest.
 

photo2u

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,008
Location
claremont california
We should start a zipper thread. Closeups of the vintage zips with a note of which jacket it is on. My Fidelity has a similar Serval to the above Talon, with Serval written on the pull and stop. My earliest Cal has a huge Conmar, with Conmar both on the pull and stop. Most of my vintage jackets have the small Talon pull without any text on the stop. I’ll take a bunch of pics and get it started soonest.

Sounds great!
 

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,462
Location
Illinois
Will do. I’ll include some of the NOS on my LW too. Hopefully tomorrow.

I got some zip pics together last night.

It will be ground breaking if we identify the "Big" zippers. I believe they had their start in the 50s, but probably late in the 50s.
 

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,462
Location
Illinois
This appears to be the earliest configuration. Squared ended epaulets with the button throat latch.

I have 4 with the Red wool lining, 3 have this configuration. One has second style sewn on with square cuts

I thinking the one with the sewn on latch was made last, just prior to going to the nylon lining..The last of this style have the Sportclad label with the quilted nylon lining. @Mysteryo has one of these pictured above. This was c.1951 and the last use of that Sportclad label on MC jackets. Subsequent models have the new JC Penney label.


AM-JKLWTjCOM911PubiydLIG-7k6kOL2Xpb7s-dwezqc1Hprbnp7Y7tgaKI39UTa0G_elm3iUHJfrHpA_y_Vlfie6PUspeDcS2FlM2YKcrA3K1Bxh0f7fAKHYp2jizrZPyVr7qtugHJs9f9jQS8csIaqrYyNgw=w1012-h672-no
 

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