Good Wear Leather Coat Company — Sale Vintage California Sportwear HalfBelt Jacket

This item has been sold.
Vintage California Half-Belt Cowhide Jacket
Price: $400.00 (used condition) — note shipping costs below
Fit: this jacket is very comfortable in the correct size
Leather: russet chrome-tanned pigment finish cowhide
Lining: heavy wool fiber with rayon sleeves
Buttons: original except for the four front buttons, which are vintage replacement
Size: Likely a 44

This jacket is a great original by California Sportwear. The back is a very typical pattern they would use, and the front has a unique button-up cross over design. Some of the most interesting patterns were done by them from the 1930s to the 1950s, with this jacket being a great example.

The jacket is in used condition, but is very well preserved. The leather is solid, flexible, and the finish has held up very well. The thread has held up quite well, with only a few areas of missing stitches on high points that get friction. The lining is great, too, though it has a few little dings that aren't of any particular consequence.

We replaced 4" of the lining sleeve ends, as they had frayed enough to warrant replacing. And, the four buttons of the front were missing, so we used vintage buttons of the same size and color to replace them, but the pattern in the buttons is different than the originals that were lost. That's a small difference, though.

The jacket is comfortable, and it looks great worn. Nothing about the fit is is tight or a point of discomfort. The leather doesn't seem to have any odor, either bad or good, and the lining has no sweat stains.

One interesting detail about every California Sportwear jacket we've seen is that the lower hem of the lining is designed to be open. One can easily see the inside of the jacket, and when it comes to repairs, it's very easy to get in and fix parts.

The jacket would ideally fit someone in the range of 5'10" to 6'1" with a chest of 42-43", and a weight of about 185-205 pounds.