The zip runs off centre because a motorcycle jacket was designed to be leaned forward in - a central closure would press straight into the sternum, so it was moved to the side and it has stayed there ever since.
Everything else on this one is original too: notched lapels with snap tabs to hold them flat at speed, epaulettes at the shoulder, a zipped pocket on each side with a flapped one between them, and a belt buckled across the hem. The body is cropped short and the faux leather has a lived-in surface rather than a flat new one.
Nothing about the design has changed in ninety years, which is either a failure of imagination or a sign it was right the first time.
Details You'll Love
- Off-centre asymmetric zip - moved to the side so it does not press into the chest.
- Snap-tab notched lapels - fasten flat rather than flapping open.
- Shoulder epaulettes - original to the design rather than decorative.
- Buckled hem belt - closes across the bottom of a cropped body.
- Lived-in faux leather - a worn surface rather than a flat new finish.
