1950s French Confecuir Cowhide Motorcycle Jacket Ritz Zipper

A French cowhide motorcycle jacket by Confecuir, a manufacturer whose label guarantees the leather as vachette, chrome tanned and waterproofed. Chrome tanning was the method chosen for serious working leather in post-war France for its durability, resistance to water and abrasion, and the way the hide develops over time. This jacket was built to be used on a motorcycle, and its construction reflects that entirely.

The label reads Vêtement Garanti en Vachette, Pur Chrome Imperméabilisé. It is sewn into the interior at the collar seam and remains present and legible. The front zip is a RITZ branded closure, a French manufacturer whose large square-bodied silver slider and coarse metal teeth are consistent with French hardware of the late 1940s to mid 1950s. The chest pockets are fitted with brass ball-chain pulls, a detail characteristic of French motorcycle jackets of this era. A number of the zip pulls show evidence of repair during the jacket's working life — some replaced, others reversed and refitted back to front to restore function. It is the kind of considered ingenuity that speaks to how much this jacket was used and valued by whoever owned it.

The surface carries a deep, complex patina with broad tonal variation across the chest and back, creasing through the panels and natural surface marking consistent with long-term use. The hide has not been over-treated. What is visible is what the leather has become through time.

The jacket is fitted with two vertical zip pockets to the chest, two angled zip pockets at the lower front, a single buckle adjuster at the front waist, buckle adjusters to both cuffs, and dual rear waist adjusters allowing the jacket to be drawn in at the body. The collar is a flat lay-down style, cut to sit close at the neck.

The interior is fully lined in a quilted chevron-pattern fabric in dark grey-green, with a striped cotton sleeve lining to allow ease of movement when worn over layers. A green cotton band runs along the interior hem. This is an insulated working lining, not a decorative one. A leather-bound internal chest pocket is present and intact. There is a small wear hole to the lining below the label, consistent with age and photographed clearly. It does not affect the structure or wearability of the jacket.

The jacket has been cleaned in house and given a light dressing to preserve the hide without altering its surface character. All zips have been refurbished and lubricated by us and now operate correctly. The structure is sound, the leather remains supple, and the original surface character has been retained throughout. The history is in the leather itself.

Key Details

• 1950s French motorcycle jacket by Confecuir
• Chrome tanned cowhide, guaranteed vachette, waterproofed
• Original Confecuir label present and legible
• RITZ branded front zip, period correct French hardware
• Brass ball-chain pulls to chest zip pockets
• Two vertical chest zip pockets
• Two angled lower front zip pockets
• Single front waist buckle adjuster
• Buckle cuff adjusters to both sleeves
• Dual rear waist buckle adjusters, original and functional
• Flat lay-down collar
• Zip pulls show period field repair, some replaced, some reversed and refitted, all functional
• Fully quilted chevron interior lining, dark grey-green
• Striped cotton sleeve lining
• Green cotton interior hem band
• Leather-bound internal chest pocket
• Small wear hole to lining below label, photographed
• Deep patina and surface wear consistent with decades of use
• Cleaned and lightly conditioned in house
• All zips refurbished and lubricated by us, operating correctly
• All hardware functional

Garment Measurements (Laid Flat)

• Chest (armpit to armpit): 24"
• Shoulders (seam to seam): 20.5"
• Sleeve length (underarm seam to cuff): 17"
• Sleeve length (shoulder seam to cuff): 24.5"
• Back length (collar seam to hem): 26"

Best suited to a 44" chest. Cut close through the body with a slim, tailored profile. Please compare with a similar garment to ensure an accurate fit.