Vintage 1970s French Le Corbusier Leather Work Jacket

Few places in Europe have lived by leather the way Graulhet has. This small town in the Tarn, in the south-west of France, has worked hides since the Middle Ages, and it became famous for a tanning method using the bark of local oaks. By the seventeenth century, around a third of the town worked in tanning, glove-making, hat-making and the finer dressing of sheep and goat skins. When the railway arrived in 1895 the trade grew further still. The industry was big enough that in 1909 its workers struck for 147 days, backed by the socialist leader Jean Jaurès. Graulhet remains France's largest centre for the dressing of fine skins today. This jacket was made there by GVF, Établissements Roger Vidal et Fils, under the Impercuir name, "le vêtement de qualité", as the green shield label inside proudly states. GVF supplied leather workwear to France's great state companies, most famously Électricité de France. This pointed double-placket pattern has become known among collectors as the "Le Corbusier jacket", after the architect who famously wore one. It dates approximately to the 1970s or early 1980s, and it was made with the care you would expect from a town that had been working leather for centuries. The front is its most distinctive feature. A narrow placket runs down the chest, finished in a sharp point and carrying its own line of buttons, while the jacket closes with a second row beside it. The effect is part workwear, part motoring coat. A neat collar sits close at the neck. A flapped pocket rides high on the left chest, and two slanted welt pockets are set low for the hands. Buttoned tabs close the cuffs against the wind, and small metal eyelets set under the arms let the jacket breathe. This is a jacket with real character. Years of wear have made the leather beautifully soft and supple, and they've left it covered in patina and honest distressing. The deep black has worn through to warm brown along every edge. The collar, placket, pocket welts, cuff tabs and shoulders are all rubbed and softened, while the body keeps a rich, glossy depth marked by creasing and movement. It is the kind of surface that only a working life can create. Inside, the colour arrives. The body is lined in a heavy checked wool of bottle green, ochre and deep red, with smooth grey lining in the sleeves so the jacket slips on easily. A leather-trimmed pocket sits on the inside chest, just above the original Impercuir label. A French working jacket from a town built on leather, and made to show it. Condition & Restoration Very good vintage condition for its age, with plenty of genuine character. The leather is strong, soft and supple, with extensive natural patina, creasing and distressing throughout, particularly around the collar, placket, pockets, cuffs and shoulders. Three buttons on the front have been replaced at some point with near-matching buttons, and all the others are original. The cuff tabs and underarm eyelets are all present. The checked wool lining is complete and sound, with light wear consistent with age, and the Impercuir label is intact. Professionally cleaned and conditioned in-house, with its natural patina left intact. Key Features Vintage French leather work jacket, approximately 1970s–80s Made by GVF, Établissements Roger Vidal et Fils, of Graulhet, Tarn The GVF work jacket pattern known as the "Le Corbusier jacket" Original green Impercuir "le vêtement de qualité" shield label Soft, supple black leather with rich patina and distressing Distinctive pointed double-buttoned front placket Mostly original buttons, with three near-matching replacements to the front Neat close collar Flapped left chest pocket Two slanted welt hand pockets Buttoned cuff tabs Metal ventilation eyelets under the arms Heavy checked wool body lining in green, ochre and red Grey sleeve linings Leather-trimmed inside chest pocket Garment Measurements, Laid Flat Chest, armpit to armpit: 23" / 58.5 cm Shoulders, seam to seam: 19.5" / 49.5 cm Sleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 24.5" / 62 cm Underarm seam to cuff: 16.5" / 42 cm Back length, base of collar to hem: 28" / 71 cm Best suited to: 42" chest / Size Medium 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.