{"product_id":"vintage-1950s-french-leather-work-jacket-cuiram-paris-eclair","title":"Vintage 1950s French Leather Work Jacket, Cuiram Paris, Éclair Zip","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMade 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFrance 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 \u003cem\u003ebleu de travail\u003c\/em\u003e 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 \u003cem\u003ecuir\u003c\/em\u003e, the French word for leather.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe 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 \u003cem\u003emarque déposée\u003c\/em\u003e, meaning registered trademark.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAfter 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eBy 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition \u0026amp; Restoration\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eExcellent vintage condition for its age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eProfessionally cleaned and conditioned in-house, using our own Heritage Leather Conditioner from the Workshop Blends range, with its character left intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Features\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVintage 1950s French leather work jacket\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Paris under the Cuiram label\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOriginal blue woven label with figure and \u003cem\u003emarque déposée\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSmooth, substantial dark brown leather\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrass Éclair zip, from the French maker founded in 1924\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWide front placket\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShirt-style collar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePointed front and back yokes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFlapped chest pocket\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo angled hand pockets\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThick cream pile body lining\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eQuilted brown satin hem band\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrown and cream striped cotton sleeve linings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLeather-framed inside chest pocket\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGarment Measurements, Laid Flat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChest, armpit to armpit: 23\" \/ 58.5 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShoulders, seam to seam: 20.5\" \/ 52 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 25\" \/ 63.5 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnderarm seam to cuff: 17\" \/ 43 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBack length, base of collar to hem: 30\" \/ 76 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest suited to:\u003c\/strong\u003e 42\" chest \/ Size Medium\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFit:\u003c\/strong\u003e 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Revive \u0026 Restore Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54839074980163,"sku":"EB5137","price":395.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0786\/2232\/7107\/files\/IMG_6631_9d63733f-baa6-46be-9267-de59dc0b6ce0.jpg?v=1790322781","url":"https:\/\/reviverestorevintage.co.uk\/products\/vintage-1950s-french-leather-work-jacket-cuiram-paris-eclair","provider":"Revive \u0026 Restore Vintage","version":"1.0","type":"link"}