TWEEDFEST 2018!
15) VINTAGE 1950s J. PRESS 4/3 JACKET
POSSIBLY THE ONLY ONE LEFT IN EXISTENCE!
NB: I have over 450 other pieces of classic menswear available for sale on SF; to see them please check the "Most Active Sellers" list on the left of the first page of the Classified Listings, and click my username, "tweedydon"--the one at the top!
This is an EXTREMELY rare jacket!
15) VINTAGE 1950s J. PRESS 4/3 JACKET
POSSIBLY THE ONLY ONE LEFT IN EXISTENCE!
NB: I have over 450 other pieces of classic menswear available for sale on SF; to see them please check the "Most Active Sellers" list on the left of the first page of the Classified Listings, and click my username, "tweedydon"--the one at the top!
This is an EXTREMELY rare jacket!
c. 40, 42L Measurements:
Chest: 21 1/2
Sleeve: 26 (+1 1/2)
Shoulder: 18 1/4
Length: 32 3/4
Not only is this the first 4/3 jacket that I have ever seen in person, but I've also never even seen pictures of these jackets posted anywhere in the trad. blogosphere or on forums. (The closest anyone has come has been Ivy Style who in 2009 posted a picture of one that was featured in a J.Press ad from 1952.) This leads me to believe that this might be the first original 4/3 jacket to have surfaced in many years.... And while it's unlikely to be the ONLY surviving original 4/3 jacket in existence it's certainly one of the very few that are left.
In any case, this is certainly rarest mainstream model of jacket around. (York Street tried to revive this cut in 2009, but their execution was terrible, and it deserved the swift death it received.) This is not that surprising. J. Press introduced this as the "Four Button Odd Coat" in 1952, and while it is unknown how long this model was sold for it's unlikely to have continued past 1955. This was, after all, the 1950s, and innovation in jacket cut was frowned upon by the clientele of places such as Press and Brooks.
Yet Press wasn't really trying to innovate, so much as attempting to appeal to the memories of the flamboyant Jazz Age with this coat reminiscent of the Victorian-inspired jackets of the 1920s. With the war just over, and prosperity beckoning, wouldn't this be just the time to wear clothing popular on college campuses during the Gilded Age? It seems that the answer to this was no..... Ivy Style was in the ascendant, and while it hadn't yet solidified into the 'curriculum" of clothes that were "right" 3/2 sacks were de riguer..... and the 4/3 didn't last.
This explains the extreme rarity of original jackets today. Produced only by Press, and in a very limited run, few have survived the last 65 years to be wearable today.
That's a pity, for, as this example shows the 4/3 sack when done well combines the timeless quality of the 3/2 sack with additional insouciance. Although Press suggests that this be worn as a 4/3 with the lower button undone it seems better as a 4/2 jacket, with only the third button done up; this not only reflects its 3/2 ancestry but also adds extra interest to the collar roll.
This particular example is cut from tapestry patterned tweed in a nod to the more innovative tweeds of the 1920s; the colourway is peat and bark brown. It has a twin vent--appropriately given its heritage--and two button cuffs with faux buttonholes--again, a nod to the Victorian English riding jacket that lay in its ancestry. It also features two leather elbow-patches--although these are likely to have been after-market additions. This jacket was half-canvassed, and was, of course, Made in the USA. It is also fully lined.
The tweed shell is in very Good condition, needing only a press and some minor attention to a couple of weak threads on the shoulder. The lining, however, has some minor frays in the body, and some tearing and disassembly under the arms. This could either be replaced, or, more economically, patched by a competent dry-cleaner tailor. Given the condition of the lining this jacket is in Good condition overall.
As I mentioned above, it is possible that this is the only original 4/3 sack in existence. However, since I purvey clothing, and not museum pieces, this is still very competitively priced at just $35, OR OFFER, boxed and shipped in the USA!
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