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Retractable half-belt

H.Johnson

One Too Many
Messages
1,562
Location
Midlands, UK
Its strange how things happen. Coincidence, synchronicity, seremdipity, whatever you all it.

I am in the process of designing a pattern for a horsehide half-belt I am planing to make, (blatantly copied from an Aero). It's the conventional style, with a false (sewn down) halfbelt and buckled side cinches.

I was looking at the patterns and thought, 'why not do two versions, one 'as is' and another with a longer skirt?' Add two A-2 style pockets and I would have a long half-belt jacket without the trouble of making another pattern set. Like a Hercules (copying again)... Except I like a belt (like an Aero Byrd jacket)

Then (stay with this) I was clearing out some military gear, one of which is a postwar RAF greatcoat that has a retractable half-belt. Two slots at the waist underarm seam, through which the belt can be passed. Half-belt out and buckled at front it's a belted coat, with teh belt tucked back through the slots, it can't be seen. Then I recalled having seen a similar half-belt feature on an old tweed Norfolk jacket. So why not a leather long half-belt with the same feature?

I was fiddling with the pattern (and thinking that it was perhaps beyond my construction skills) when I can across - a late 1940s/early 1950s US horsehide long jacket with a retractable belt. It's much more cleverly thought out than my idea. The belt rides inside the false back belt 'tunnel' and is elasticated at the back. It emerges just forward of the underarm seams and fastens at the front with a button. You just pull out the two ends and fasten them, then when you unfasten the belt, it automatically retracts.

Wonderful! I've never seen this feature before. Has anyone else? Unfortunately the jacket has had the lining removed and the label has gone with it so I ddon't know who made it. Another restoration job I have to do!
 

Creeping Past

One Too Many
Messages
1,567
Location
England
When not in use, is it fastened with buttons at the sides? That would prevent its retracting, tortoise-like, and having to be retrieved.
 

H.Johnson

One Too Many
Messages
1,562
Location
Midlands, UK
No, the belt is slightly wider at the ends, which just lodges in the 'tunnel' into which it retracts, preventing it from disappearing altogether. At the moment the elastic is a bit weak on one side so it doesn't retract as fully as it should on that side (well, it's sixty-ish years old) but I will attend to that when I do the lining. The left side in the photos isn't retracting as much as it should. It's very dry, but is already responding well well to Pecard ALD.

Here's a couple of photos.
retractable1.jpg


retractable2.jpg


I have a 50s Rich-Sher with removeable quarter belts (they often go missing), but having used this one, I'm surprised this sort of arrangement isn't more common - it's like having the best of both worlds - a belted and beltless jacket in one.
 

H.Johnson

One Too Many
Messages
1,562
Location
Midlands, UK
More of the old brain cells stirring - wasn't there a US Mountain Division jacket in WW2 that had a similar tunnel arrangement, so that an ordinary trouser belt could be worn? Not quite the same, (no elastic retraction) but a similar idea, I think.
 
J

john z

Guest
There's a rather nice example of a Grais with the retractable belt up on eBay at present. In my size too.
 

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