Vintage Stagg of Melbourne Sheepskin Leather Motorcycle Jacket

Made in Australia by Stagg of Melbourne, most likely in the 1980s, this black leather motorcycle jacket is lined throughout in genuine sheepskin for riding in the cold. It comes from a maker whose Melbourne workshop cut leather for the army, the police and the country's motorcyclists for more than half a century, and it has survived in a condition rarely seen in sheepskin of this age.

Stagg dates its business to 1929. In its early years it was a partnership between Thomas William Stagg and Sidney Edward Ramsden. The partnership was dissolved in 1935 and Stagg carried on alone. From the 1930s the company worked from a single-storey brick factory at 33 Spensley Street in Clifton Hill, in Melbourne's inner north, where it made gloves, mitts and leather jackets, some of them lined with rabbit fur. During the Second World War it made leather jackets for military use, and it went on to supply gloves and jackets to both the army and the police. Motorcycle jackets and trousers became the heart of the business.

The factory's foreman and clicker from the 1930s onwards, Cecil Blewett, cut every pattern by hand with curved knives. His son later remembered him wrapping a hide around his body and twisting it to stretch it before he cut. Cecil's wife and daughter worked there as machinists. The Clifton Hill factory was still advertising for machinists in 1973 and lasted into the 1980s. After that, Stagg's production moved overseas. Jackets made in Melbourne, with the black and gold "Made in Australia" label, now exist in a fixed number.

The sheepskin is the heart of this jacket. It lines the whole body, not just the collar and hem, so the warmth runs right round the torso. The wool is thick, springy and cream, and after some forty years it has kept its full depth, which is the first thing sheepskin usually loses. At the hem it rolls out into a deep band, and at the neck it forms a broad collar that stands up to the ears against the wind or lies open in wide lapels.

The cut is a working riding pattern. The zip runs off-centre so it sits clear of the chest when leaning forward over the tank. A buckled leather belt with metal eyelets pulls the hem in against the cold, the cuffs zip closed at the wrist, and the two hand pockets are angled so they can be reached from the saddle. The back is shaped with a yoke and twin vertical seams, and the black leather has a soft, even sheen across the shoulders.

Inside, the sleeves are lined in burgundy quilted nylon so the arms slide on easily. The zips are YKK throughout and all run smoothly. Stagg's earlier jackets used Australian-made Lightning zips or large Talons, so the YKK zips help place this one in the later Melbourne years. The label, with its gold antler motif, sits between the shoulders.

A piece of Melbourne's leather trade, from a workshop that was cutting hides by hand before the war.

Condition & Restoration

Excellent vintage condition.

The leather is supple and even, with no significant marks. The sheepskin is full and soft throughout, with only the lightest natural toning to the wool. The quilted sleeve linings are clean and intact. All zips run smoothly, and the belt and buckle are complete and working.

Professionally cleaned and conditioned in-house, with the sheepskin brought back to its full, clean depth.

Key Features

• Vintage 1980s Australian-made leather motorcycle jacket
• Made by Stagg of Melbourne, established 1929
• Original black and gold "Made in Australia" label with antler motif
• From the Melbourne-made years, before production moved overseas
• Genuine sheepskin lining throughout the body
• Oversized shearling collar, worn up or open as lapels
• Deep shearling trim at the hem
• Offset front zip
• Buckled leather waist belt with metal eyelets
• Two angled zip hand pockets
• Zipped cuffs
• Burgundy quilted nylon sleeve linings
• YKK zips throughout
• Excellent vintage condition

Garment Measurements, Laid Flat

• Chest, armpit to armpit: 22" / 56 cm
• Shoulders, seam to seam: 20.5" / 52 cm
• Sleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 26" / 66 cm
• Underarm seam to cuff: 19" / 48 cm
• Back length, base of collar to hem: 25.5" / 65 cm

Best suited to: 38" chest / Size Small

Fit: A short, close cut that sits at the waist. The sheepskin lining takes up room inside, so it wears smaller than the chest measurement suggests and will suit a smaller frame with a 38" chest.

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.