the Code: Leather Up48 October 2019_Esquire
.. .The great thing
about leather is that
it gets better with age.
Which means it’s not
impossible to buy a
leather jacket older than
you are that comes with
its patina preloaded.
For eBay hounds like
me, jackets with a re-
searchable provenance
invariably mean military
flight jackets that, if au-
thentic, come—like my
recently purchased G-1
jacket at left—with mili-
tary spec numbers and
U. S. government
contracts on the label.
This allows you to au-
thenticate and date a
jacket before you buy it.
World War II flying
jackets command enor-
mous prices. G-1’s from
the mid-’50s on are usu-
ally more affordable.
Caution: Such is the
appeal of flying jackets
that modern Japanese
replicas are often indis-
tinguishable from their
genuine forebears. It
takes experience to sniff
out pretenders. One
clue: The fakes are more
supple (calfskin) than
the real thing (horse or
goat leather). They’re
usually more expensive,
too. So stick to the
right stuff. —N. S.
- • • When it comes to caring for leather, it’s important to remember that it has a life of its own. It
breathes, it wrinkles, and, most of all, it’s meant to age. ¶ So keeping your leather jacket kicking
shouldn’t feel like plastic surgery. Clean it with a damp cloth when it gets dirty, and if it gets wet,
let it dry naturally. Condition it every three to six months to keep it from drying out (use saddle soap
or a leather conditioner), and give it a polish when it’s looking drab. ¶ Most of all, let your leather
breathe. Waterproofing products can suffocate its natural absorbency, so opt for a water-resistant
protectant instead. And if you’re storing it, don’t body-bag it. Put it in fabric and give it some air when
you can. ¶ Aging gracefully isn’t about masking gray hairs or wrinkles; it’s about embracing them.
Same goes for a few scuffs on your leather jacket. Just ditch the leather pants if you haven’t already. —E. C.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR ARMOR SHINING
photograph ( jacket): Jeffrey WestbrookWHAT ABOUT VINTAGE?
How to dodge the fakes and find THE REAL THING
U. S. Navy G-1 jacket, goatskin, circa 1963, Ralph Edwards Sportswear Inc. Bought on eBay, $100 plus shipping.