Has anyone seen these "gussets" on Ford's jacket in Raiders?

Posted by Dirk Pitt from spider-mtc-tc083.proxy.aol.com on September 11, 2000 at 03:11:55:

I have to agree with the post below that a stuntman's jacket is probably not an accurate representation of what Ford's jacket was like in the Raiders film. To me these new armpit "gussets" look just plain silly. And I'm not convinced they're even accurate. Do the jackets from the other two movies have these armpit extenders? I don't thinks so.

I have seen, and indeed briefly wore, Noel Howard's "Temple of Doom" jacket, and it did not have armpit "gussets." I have not seen the "Crusade" jacket on display at the Smithsonian, but if it had had these gussets I'm sure the diehards would have mentioned it before now.

I admit that when I watch the films Indy's costume usually commands the least of my attention (That said, I still own the Herbert Johnson, a Wested, the satchel, the shirt, and a belt. Man, that's pretty scary when I see it written out!). Yet I do not recall ever seeing gussets under Indy's arms in Raiders. Can anyone point to a moment in the film when they are visible?

I'll admit that I'm somewhat biased since I already own a Wested and am pretty well satisfied with it. There is the matter of those pesky d-rings, but other than that I have no complaints.

I can hardly believe that the same people who once sung the praises of Peter and Wested's jacket -- accurate, the finest leather, made-to-order, extremely well-priced -- now disparage the same jackets (which they've been wearing for years) as shoddily constructed and of poor materials! What happened to all those testimonials about the strength and quality of Wested's lambskin? How it survived monkeybites, scratching, swimming, etc.?

I don't doubt that Patterson, et. al. have managed to reproduce the STUNTMAN'S jacket that he saw -- but c'mon "gussets" belong on Storm Troopers, not Indy. And clicking on the Flightsuit photos I find the jacket's milk chocolate color looks more like the interior of a luxury automobile than the dark brown of Ford's jacket in Raiders -- which, by the way, I think Wested has accurately reproduced. Do these Flightsuits fellows even provide custom sizes as Peter does? Or is it just Mall sizes, as with US Wings?

-- Dirk Pitt

Follow Ups:

Re: Has anyone seen these "gussets" on Ford's jacket in Raiders? Dr.Brody 07:07:57 9/11/2000 (1)
- How do you know that separate jackets were not made for the stuntmen? (nm) Satipo 15:31:53 9/11/2000 (0)

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: I have to agree with the post below that a stuntman's jacket is probably not an accurate representation of what Ford's jacket was like in the Raiders film.  To me these new armpit "gussets" look just plain silly.  And I'm not convinced they're even accurate.  Do the jackets from the other two movies have these armpit extenders?  I don't thinks so.

: 
: I have seen, and indeed briefly wore, Noel Howard's "Temple of Doom" jacket, and it did not have armpit "gussets."  I have not seen the "Crusade" jacket on display at the Smithsonian, but if it had had these gussets I'm sure the diehards would have mentioned it before now.

: 
: I admit that when I watch the films Indy's costume usually commands the least of my attention (That said, I still own the Herbert Johnson, a Wested, the satchel, the shirt, and a belt.  Man, that's pretty scary when I see it written out!).  Yet I do not recall ever seeing gussets under Indy's arms in Raiders.  Can anyone point to a moment in the film when they are visible?

: 
: I'll admit that I'm somewhat biased since I already own a Wested and am pretty well satisfied with it.  There is the matter of those pesky d-rings, but other than that I have no complaints.

: 
: I can hardly believe that the same people who once sung the praises of Peter and Wested's jacket -- accurate, the finest leather, made-to-order, extremely well-priced -- now disparage the same jackets (which they've been wearing for years) as shoddily constructed and of poor materials!  What happened to all those testimonials about the strength and quality of Wested's lambskin?  How it survived monkeybites, scratching, swimming, etc.?

: 
: I don't doubt that Patterson, et. al. have managed to reproduce the STUNTMAN'S jacket that he saw -- but c'mon "gussets" belong on Storm Troopers, not Indy.  And clicking on the Flightsuit photos I find the jacket's milk chocolate color looks more like the interior of a luxury automobile than the dark brown of Ford's jacket in Raiders -- which, by the way, I think Wested has accurately reproduced.  Do these Flightsuits fellows even provide custom sizes as Peter does?  Or is it just Mall sizes, as with US Wings?

: 
: -- Dirk Pitt

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