Vintage 1960s East German Leather Motorcycle Jacket, EWA Zippers

Founded in Elsterwerda in 1958, PGH Elstermode belonged to a particular world of East German leather manufacture in which specialist clothing was still made for practical use. The company’s surviving history records leather clothing among its early production and illustrates motorcycle clothing from around 1960. This jacket appears to come from that early period, and unlike the darker German riding jackets more commonly encountered, there is very little conventional about its appearance.

The leather is a wonderful deep bottle green, now varying considerably in tone as the surface has aged. Bright red-orange piping follows the main front fastening, both chest pockets and the long cuff openings, sharply outlining the substantial metal EWA zippers. The effect is unusually graphic, but the construction around it is thoroughly purposeful. Curved rows of reinforcement stitching cross the shoulders, further shaped reinforcement appears at the elbows, and the sleeves are cut with enough articulation to make sense as riding clothing rather than simply decoration.

Turn the jacket around and the construction becomes even more distinctive. A broad shaped rear yoke sweeps down into a point across the upper back, below which the body is formed from large uninterrupted leather panels. The waist is gathered internally across the rear, drawing the jacket closer to the body and giving it the compact, slightly flared silhouette visible from the front. There is no belt and little unnecessary hardware. Almost everything has been concentrated around movement, reinforcement and closure.

The EWA hardware is an important surviving detail. A large metal zipper runs through the centre front, accompanied by two long zipped chest pockets and substantial cuff zippers that allow the sleeves to open before closing closely around the wrists. Rather than using the hardware alone to assign an earlier date, the Elstermode label provides the more useful context. PGH Elstermode was established in 1958 and later became VEB Elstermode in 1972, placing this style of early labelled production firmly within the post-war East German clothing industry.

Inside, the contrast continues with a brown cloth lining, lightly padded sleeve sections and a leather-trimmed internal breast pocket. The original woven ELSTERMODE label remains stitched above it. Decades of wear have softened the green leather and produced areas of lighter colour across the shoulders, sleeves and body, yet its unusual colour combination remains remarkably vivid. It is a striking survivor from the early years of Elstermode, combining the practical construction of a motorcycle jacket with a design language quite unlike the black and brown German riding leathers of the same period.

Condition & Restoration

Very good vintage condition for an early Elstermode leather motorcycle jacket. The green leather remains strong, supple and structurally sound, with natural creasing, rubbing, surface marks and considerable tonal variation consistent with age and genuine wear. The lighter areas across the shoulders, sleeves and body are part of the jacket's established surface and character.

The brown cloth lining shows general age-related wear, particularly around the sleeve lining and armhole areas, but remains serviceable. The original woven Elstermode label remains present.

The jacket has been specialist leather cleaned and conditioned in-house. As part of the restoration, the leather has also been carefully reshaped to reduce undesirable set-in creasing caused by prolonged wear and storage, restoring a more natural structure and drape without altering the jacket's original construction or removing the character of the hide. Our restoration has been deliberately restrained, preserving the original green leather, contrasting red-orange piping, period hardware and established patina.

Key Features

• Vintage East German Elstermode motorcycle jacket
• Early PGH Elstermode production, dating approximately to the 1960s
• Deep bottle-green leather
• Original woven ELSTERMODE label
• Period EWA zipper hardware
• Heavy-duty centre front zipper
• Twin zipped chest pockets
• Contrasting red-orange zipper piping
• Long zipped cuff openings
• Reinforced multi-row stitched shoulders
• Shaped reinforced elbow panels
• Broad pointed rear shoulder yoke
• Gathered elasticated rear waist
• Shaped riding silhouette
• Brown cloth body lining
• Lined sleeves
• Leather-trimmed internal breast pocket
• Extensive genuine vintage patina

Garment Measurements, Laid Flat

Send me the five measurements for this one:

• Chest, armpit to armpit: 21.5"
• Shoulders, seam to seam: 19"
• Shoulder seam to cuff" 24"
• Underarm seam to cuff: 16.5"
• Back length, base of collar to hem: 28"

Best suited to: Approximately a 38" chest / size small.

For the best indication of sizing, please compare the measurements above with a similar jacket you already own.