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Good Wear 1939 Werber Sportswear A2 in Cowhide

R

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
Since the publication of Gary Eastman's A2 Flight Jacket Identification Manual it is known that Cowhide was used in the 1939 contract. Therefore John Chapman decided to make a reproduction of this small contract using cowhide. The russet cowhide is soft with many areas of grain and the caramel knits provide a nice contrast. The 39-2951-P contract was the last to have the waistband seam top stitched and the first to be made without the leather jetting down the leading edge of the front left lining panel. The zip is a copy of the M-34 Talon no. 7 and is stamped Waldes on the puller. It is identical in every respect (except the name) to the Hookless zipper used by ELC on their 1933 Werber.

The jacket is tagged a 46, but fits like a Wartime 44 and is extremely comfortable to wear. Here are some pictures taken today.













 
B-Man2

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Andrew

That's a real work of art!
The knits compliment the jacket color very nicely.
This jacket is one of my personal favorites.

John is a Master Craftsman.....

Looks great on you.
Congrats.

B-Man2
 
jonnyboy

jonnyboy

Member
Stunning jacket Andrew, and looks like a great fit.

I did intend to order an A-2 from John last year (as a 40th birthday present to myself) but didn't manage it somehow. When I do order one, I think it will be a 1939 Werber. Lovely details.

Cheers,

Jon
 
zoomer

zoomer

Well-Known Member
Roughwear said:
The jacket is tagged a 46, but fits like a Wartime 44
Click to expand...
JC often downsizes the pre WW2 jackets from tag size - maybe because they're really not appropriate for 46 and up wearers, who tend to be abs challenged.
 
D

damienweaver

New Member
zoomer said:
Roughwear said:
The jacket is tagged a 46, but fits like a Wartime 44
Click to expand...
JC often downsizes the pre WW2 jackets from tag size - maybe because they're really not appropriate for 46 and up wearers, who tend to be abs challenged.
Click to expand...

Yeah, to be honest, I've never quite understood GW sizing. I wear a 40 in suit jackets, a 40 in all other repros, and a 40 in original A-2's. Wartime sizing or not, I'm always a 40.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Great jacket indeed


Yeah, to be honest, I've never quite understood GW sizing. I wear a 40 in suit jackets, a 40 in all other repros, and a 40 in original A-2's. Wartime sizing or not, I'm always a 40.
Click to expand...

Same here. What size GW you wear then?
 
Skip

Skip

Well-Known Member
That is one supurb lookin' jacket, and it looks well fitted and comfortable on you.
 
bseal

bseal

Well-Known Member
Yes it's real nice, but how do we know that J.C. didn't inadvertently use the cheap stuff like that Japanese horsehide instead? Perhaps an inverse Daisygate?!

Did someone here get a bum steer? :p
 
B

buzzthetower

Administrator
Gents,

The issue of sizing has been one of much confusion for some reason. I cannot answer everyone completely, but I can shed just a little light on this jacket, and it shows what I do overall in how I size jackets.

The Werber is accurate to a size 46 in originals, and of size 46 originals overall (with the exception of some that had very large arm or torso patterns, like bigger Cable Raincoat A-2s). In the photo below, you can see a size 44 original Werber 42-1402-P. This jacket is a tagged size 44, and fits like most size 44s I've owned from many makers. Werbers are a bit short in the body, and long in the sleeve, by the nature of their pattern, and aren't quite as bloused over the waistbands as other makers.

My jacket is size up from the original in the photo below, as a 46 would relate to a 44. Though both look close in size, the GW Werber is larger in the shoulders and chest, and longer in the arms and body. I was able to study four Werbers (thanks to George Hsu, who lent me all four jackets) and though these jackets are similar, my pattern actually comes from a size 42 that he sent me, which has a bit more of what I like in overall pattern shape. But, the numbers are correct in scaling from a size 44 to a 46.

Werber_Comparison.jpg


Here is the jacket that I got my pattern from, and a scaled up size 46 to compare it with. Of the four Werbers I was able to review, I liked this one the most.

Original_Werber_Pattern.jpg


If I were to go to a suit shop, my 43" chest would equate to a size 43 suit coat. On the other hand, I've always found that size 46 original A-2s fit me well, but size 44s were too small on a number of points. I cannot make original A-2s bigger than they actually are, and were made, and as a law, it would appear that the AAC designed jackets to be 4" larger than the tagged size. A size 44 jacket would have 48" of chest (24" front, 24" back under arms), and fit someone with a 44" chest (not true- more like a size smaller).

Several reproduction A-2 jacket makers prefer to have modern sizing, so that someone with a 43" chest would fit into a size 44 tagged jacket. I understand the principle of doing this, as it removes confusion when asking for your best size. But, my goal is to copy originals in sizing and details correctly, and I have to follow the model of how originals were sized to accurately tag jackets.

Were jackets sized differently before the bigger production runs of WWII? No, I don't think so, and my sizing models don't reflect that idea at all. A size 46 SAT should fit similarly to a size 46 Poughkeepsie A-2.

Thanks!
John
 
CBI

CBI

Well-Known Member
Great looking jacket

GW sizing should not be an issue since folks are supposed to order jackets from GW that are made to one's specific measurements. Is the "issue" with people who are buying pre-made GW's and if so, that's a different ballgame!
 
Chandler

Chandler

Well-Known Member
damienweaver said:
Yeah, to be honest, I've never quite understood GW sizing. I wear a 40 in suit jackets, a 40 in all other repros, and a 40 in original A-2's. Wartime sizing or not, I'm always a 40.
Click to expand...

You're lucky. I wear a 44 in all new sizing, but I've tried on 44 coats and jackets from the 40s and they're too tight around the shoulders for me.

BTW -- that Good Wear looks great.
 
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