Case in point, while browsing an online vintage shop I ran across a strange sports coat. The seller described the jacket as being from the 1940s and made of navy blue flannel material. It is dated but the date is incomplete: "4-1-?8". I believe that jacket is from the late 1920s or possibly even the 1930s, though the former is most likely. Looking at the photos provided by the seller we see some unique characteristics.
-Fishmouth lapels
-French cuffs
-Pleated patch pockets
-Multi-pleated and bi-swing back but lacks a belt
-Dual vents in the back, something fairly unusual to find on vintage sports coats
click images to enlarge
The buttons were obviously moved at some point in time.
You might expect to see this kind of odd sports coat sold in a fashion forward city like New York City or Los Angeles. But no, it's originally from ol' Indianapolis, smack in the midwest. I've found in my searches that some of the craziest, most unusual and 'Hollywood-esque' vintage actually comes from small town USA.
I purchased this jacket and when it finally arrives I'll post photos up, so keep an eye on this blog.
