Another vintage tweed jacket & waistcoat score

[Tobus]

Here's my latest eBay find, thanks to my good friend Shaun Maxwell. I purchased it before Thanksgiving, and it took a ridiculously long time to get here from Scotland. It just came in a few days ago.

I don't see a label in it, and can't pin down when it was made, but it's got that nice vintage styling to it plus a few interesting details.

It's a lovely green tweed, gently flecked with brown. Typical Argyle style jacket with gauntlet cuffs, epaulets, scalloped flap pockets, and antler buttons all around. I'm very pleased with the fit! For just over $100 plus shipping, it's a great example of how eBay can be a great source for high-quality vintage traditional kilt jackets.



One thing that always fascinates me about these vintage jackets is the uniqueness of the details between them. I think modern jackets and waistcoats have tended to converge on a very generic pattern (much like automobiles), where the vintage examples show a lot of character from the tailors who made them. The waistcoat on this one, especially, has a very nice sporran cutaway as you can see below. I'm wearing it with a plain brown leather day sporran, but it would fit the shape of a MoD brass cantle perfectly. Also, the lower pockets have flaps stitched below the opening, not above it. As you can see, my watch chain goes into the pocket over the flap instead of under it. Strange, but very convenient.



Over the years, I've picked up a nice assortment of vintage tweed jackets from eBay. It's one of the few advantages of being a smaller guy with a 38" chest. Three of the six have matching waistcoats. Have I mentioned I love tweed?