So how much is an XL going to cost me?
>>> michael king <michael.s.king@gmail.com> 3/16/2011 8:00 PM >>>
A couple of years back i managed to acquire an original LAT 18 "rally
jacket". The ones offered by dealers as part of the LAT options. Despite it
being adult Medium size it was to small for me (i gather americans must have
got bigger in the last 45 years?) I could fit into it but it was like a
T-shirt. The jacket also has 2 owner placed patches (1 US navy and another
some dog owners club) which i have kept on it but may now remove.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2020686190054462410gmlIJw
Anyway I started doing some research into the jackets. The jackets were made
in California by a company that did many sporting teams/college/club jackets
and the LAT jacket was a variation on that. They used a poplin fabric (its
like a cotton canvas) and talon zips. they also had 2 stripes down the front
in a quite textured vertical grain ribbon in black and orange.
Not wanting to cut up the original jacket to get a pattern i started
searching out a larger jacket by the same manufacturer. After about 3 months
i picked one up in the internet in japan.. it was a medium as well but at
least i could pull it part to have a pattern made for a larger size.
After mucking around trying to get a close match on the fabric and source
talon brand zips I found materials that were close enough to what i needed.
A tailor was finally convinced to grade the pattern and make a reproduction
of the jacket. They were not happy about the "old style" detilaing and the
fact "nobody makes the jackets like that anymore" and "why not tailor it"..
but i wanted it as close as possible to the correct item..
so here we are almost 2.5 years later.. I still need to make the front LAT
patch but its almost complete!
original jacket:
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2041234570054462410zrODZS
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2642226450054462410iwNTmN
repro jacket:
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2708994850054462410WzPJbB
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2898970540054462410WDJyTa
*http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2566074880054462410MLCRXw*
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2639799510054462410PlBZIL
--
Regards
Michael King
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Tigers@autox.team.net
Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
Forums: http://www.team.net/forums
|