Original 1950s Swiss Leather Motorcycle Jacket, Riri & ZIPP Hardware

Before the motorway made distance easy, crossing Europe by motorcycle was a different kind of journey. The rider travelled exposed to weather, changing roads and long hours in the saddle, and the clothing worn along the way was expected to work just as hard as the machine beneath it. Dating from around 1950, this remarkable Swiss leather motorcycle jacket survives from that world.

Its construction immediately separates it from the simpler leather jackets of the period. The body is cut short and drawn tightly around the waist by three individual leather buckle straps, with elasticated sections gathering the rear beneath a considerably broader upper body. Several curved rows of stitching reinforce the shoulders, while large shaped leather panels continue across the elbows and forearms. Braided leather shoulder straps sit above the sleeves, and unusually long zipper openings allow the cuffs to open well up the arms. It is a complicated piece of riding clothing, built around the position and movement of the rider.

Then there is the leather. More than seventy years have changed it completely. What began as a much firmer riding hide has become exceptionally soft and supple, yet remains strong throughout. Deep folds have settled permanently into the sleeves, the edges have worn smooth and the surface carries scratches, rubbing and smaller marks from years of use. No two areas now look quite the same. The jacket has taken on the shape and movement of something that was genuinely worn rather than simply stored away.

The hardware brings another layer to its history. A period Swiss Riri metal zipper closes the front, while the two high diagonal chest pockets and long cuff openings retain ZIPP zippers with distinctive teardrop pulls. These are exactly the sort of small details that make an early jacket interesting to examine, but one detail is more personal than all the others.

Pinned to the chest is an old TCS badge for the Touring Club Suisse. By the time this jacket was being worn, the organisation had already been part of Swiss road culture for decades, serving motorists and motorcyclists travelling at a time when touring could still represent a considerable undertaking. We do not know who attached the badge, or the journeys on which they wore it. We only know that it was there when the jacket came to us. We have left it exactly where we found it.

Open the jacket and there is a final surprise. The original checked body lining remains in very good condition, with darker material through the sleeves and a leather-trimmed internal breast pocket. Against an exterior carrying so much evidence of use, its survival is particularly impressive.

There are plenty of vintage motorcycle jackets that survive because they were put away. This one is interesting for the opposite reason. Its leather, construction, hardware and the small badge left behind by an earlier rider all suggest a jacket that actually participated in the culture for which it was made. More than seventy years later, that history is still visible every time it is worn.

Condition & Restoration

Very good vintage condition for an original motorcycle jacket dating from approximately c.1950. The leather remains strong and structurally sound, with extensive age and wear throughout. The original checked lining remains in very good vintage condition.

The jacket has been specialist leather cleaned and conditioned in-house. Following cleaning, the leather was carefully reshaped to reduce undesirable set-in creasing caused by prolonged wear and storage, restoring a more natural structure and drape without altering the original construction or removing the established character of the hide.

Key Features

• Original Swiss leather motorcycle jacket, c.1950
• Exceptionally soft and supple aged leather
• Short, shaped period riding silhouette
• Three individual leather waist straps with metal buckles
• Elasticated rear waist
• Curved multi-row shoulder reinforcement
• Large shaped elbow and forearm reinforcement
• Braided leather shoulder straps
• Period Swiss Riri centre-front zipper
• Twin diagonal zipped chest pockets
• Period ZIPP pocket and cuff zippers
• Distinctive ZIPP teardrop pulls
• Long zipped cuff openings
• Previous-owner TCS Touring Club Suisse badge
• Original checked body lining
• Darker sleeve linings
• Leather-trimmed internal breast pocket

Garment Measurements, Laid Flat

• Chest, armpit to armpit: 23"
• Shoulders, seam to seam: 18"
• Sleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 24"
• Underarm seam to cuff: 16.5"
• Back length, base of collar to hem: 24"

Best suited to: Approximately a 38" chest / Size Small, particularly on a smaller frame. The jacket has a deliberately short back, characteristic of its period motorcycle cut.