Stunning mid 1970s very glossy leather coat with a plush sheepskin collar.
It's suitable for a UK size 10-12. Marked 14...but you know, vintage sizes were smaller.
Made in the UK we'd date it mid 1970s. The later 70s ones had more straight cut pockets: these have an earlier 70s curved design.
While it has a couple of 'nicks' to the leather, and a little wear close to one of the buttons, these are barely noticeable minor flaws in such an overall exceptional coat. As I say the gloss on the leather is high, and the sheepskin collar is really lovely not matted.
If this was my size (I am UK 6-8) I would NOT be selling it for any money. I can get away with wearing it but have to very tightly belt it. So if you are a smaller size that may work for you. Actually...I'm cool with that so hurry as I may decide to keep!
It came to me from Yorkshire and was Made in the UK label but no makers label; leather very high quality. These coats were around £70-£130 then; equivalent of about £600 in today's money. People could afford because the cost of living was much lower then; despite lower wages the miners steelworkers & garments industries of Yorkshire meant families had decent income & disposable cash. Catalogues helped spread payments and coats like this were sold in such from 1973-1980 , but we are dating it c 1974-75.
In 1974 Leather Queen Suzi Quatro released Devil Gate Drive reached number 1; and I like to imagine the owner of the coat a bit of a glam / rock chick as it's very edgy.
1974 League winners Leeds Utd with team of Eddie Gray. Lorimer, Bremner, Terry Cooper, Norman Hunter, Giles, Yorath etc were household names; and one can imagine this coat keeping the owner warm on the terraces to watch, and quite a few of the 'wags' of the day had them. Barry Briggs joined Hull Vikings in 1976 and a little later Ivan Mauger: the glory days of speedway and they even had German glamour boy Egon Muller for a while. Speedway then with the daredevil riders all leather clad themselves attracted would be grid girls and many had these coats . The huge sheep fur collars flattering to the bust and tightly belted to the waist... they are hella sexy; but also protective against the elements and environment: easy to wipe & clean leather from some little monster's spilled drink on the bus seat.
Fiesta in Sheffield was Europe's largest club and Peter Stringfellow opened his first club The Penthouse there: which eventually became established as a Rock club by 1977. Again, a coat that could be home in either scenario. Glamour & class but also edgy as it comes. Some of the go go dancers there apparently frequented both and again...one can imagine them wearing. It IS for all its edge a very glamorous coat.
They were done in a variety of colours but the black ones sent a message of attitude for sure. They were daily wear trench coats as quite resilient being leather; ideal for cold bus stops and bus to work, or on a day trip to say Whitby seaside where it's usually bracing! I tell a full story on my Instagram imagining life in Yorkshire for the original owner. ... I do these longer videos for many items come and follow me. Of course it could have just ended up in Yorks more recently but they certainly would have been worn by women there as they are quite an iconic aspirational working class glamour coat of the time. So yeah not for middle class prissies this needs to be owned again by someone who can rock the look...a jukebox queen!
When you buy garments like this please respect what they are: they MEANT something style wise; and you are buying in to that legacy especially when garments like this have been treasured. The owner would have stomped her feet dancing to The Sweet Thin Lizzy T Rex and of course Suzi Quatro....and it would have remained a style statement right through to The Bee Gees disco and even metal & punk. Coats like this are now a classic, and while they disappeared for a bit in the 1990s, Gucci, Geri Haliwell etc rocked them back and they've been remade since then, even now. They are NEVER going out of fashion and a black glossy original one like this ...well you ain't getting taken home to meet Mamma any time soon. Born to be bad.
So come alive...come alive...Down to Devil Gate Drive....
48 Crash? This is c 48 yrs old and no sign of that happening for a while yet. No landfill for this beauty. Are you the next custodian? Do you have the style to rock it?
Wear with long leather boots, platforms & flares, a silk scarf to protect the sheep fur collar from your make up & skin oils. Seriously not selling this to someone in a flowery faded ditsy vintage dress 4 sizes too big for them and daps & no make up (just kidding you look very sweet but there's only one Sweet the person this coat needs to be associated with and that's The Sweet of the Ballroom Blitz variety) A classy goth girl or a woman of style generally would rock it to hell though.