Vintage 1950s French Leather Work Jacket, Cuiram Paris, Éclair Zip

Made in Paris in the 1950s under the Cuiram label, this is a French leather work jacket from the years when France was rebuilding. Jackets like this were worn by drivers, mechanics and tradesmen through the long northern winters.

France has one of the richest workwear traditions in the world. It began in the late nineteenth century, as industry grew and factories started making clothing built specifically for work: strong, practical and cut with pockets where they were needed. For generations, blue cotton was the colour of the French worker, so much so that bleu de travail is still the name for work clothes today. Leather was the premium end of that tradition. It was more expensive and far more protective against wind and rain, and it was bought by men who needed a jacket to last, then repaired rather than replaced for years afterwards. Paris itself was one of Europe's great centres of leatherwork, and the name Cuiram echoes cuir, the French word for leather.

The design is pure working logic. The cut is straight and generous, with room across the shoulders for movement and length enough to cover the lower back. A wide placket runs down the front over a brass Éclair zip. Éclair was founded in France in 1924, when the patented modern zip was first taken up there, and its zips became a hallmark of good French clothing. The flapped chest pocket kept small things secure, the two angled hand pockets sit low where cold hands naturally fall, and pointed yokes across the chest and back add strength where the jacket takes most strain. Nothing is there for decoration.

The inside tells you how seriously it was built for the cold. The body is lined in a thick cream pile, finished at the hem with a band of quilted brown satin to stop the pile catching as the jacket is taken on and off. The sleeves are lined in brown and cream striped cotton, so the arms slide easily over a heavy jumper. A leather-framed welt pocket sits on the inside chest, with the original blue woven Cuiram label stitched beneath it. It carries the label's small figure in a striped jersey and the words marque déposée, meaning registered trademark.

After seventy years, the leather is still smooth and substantial, in a rich dark brown that has held its depth evenly across the body. The wear sits exactly where the jacket has worked hardest: soft creasing through the sleeves and back, a gentle sheen across the front, and lighter tones along the seams and edges.

By the late 1960s, French workers were turning away from traditional workwear in favour of their own clothes, and well-made leather jackets like this one gradually disappeared from everyday use. Surviving examples in this condition, with their original lining and label intact, are now genuinely hard to find.

Condition & Restoration

Excellent vintage condition for its age.

The leather is strong and supple, with natural creasing through the sleeves and back and gentle variation to the finish. Some light surface wear shows along the edge of the back yoke seam and a few other seam edges, as photographed. The Éclair zip runs smoothly. The pile lining, quilted hem band and striped sleeve linings are clean, complete and sound, and the original Cuiram label is intact.

Professionally cleaned and conditioned in-house, using our own Heritage Leather Conditioner from the Workshop Blends range, with its character left intact.

Key Features

• Vintage 1950s French leather work jacket
• Made in Paris under the Cuiram label
• Original blue woven label with figure and marque déposée
• Smooth, substantial dark brown leather
• Brass Éclair zip, from the French maker founded in 1924
• Wide front placket
• Shirt-style collar
• Pointed front and back yokes
• Flapped chest pocket
• Two angled hand pockets
• Thick cream pile body lining
• Quilted brown satin hem band
• Brown and cream striped cotton sleeve linings
• Leather-framed inside chest pocket

Garment Measurements, Laid Flat

• Chest, armpit to armpit: 23" / 58.5 cm
• Shoulders, seam to seam: 20.5" / 52 cm
• Sleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 25" / 63.5 cm
• Underarm seam to cuff: 17" / 43 cm
• Back length, base of collar to hem: 30" / 76 cm

Best suited to: 42" chest / Size Medium

Fit: A straight, comfortable cut with room through the body for a jumper beneath, as these jackets were made to be worn. Best suited to a 42" chest and a medium frame. 

For the best indication of sizing, please compare the measurements above with a similar jacket you already own. For any sizing questions, please get in touch.