Vintage Swedish Army Dispatch Riders Leather Jacket "Ordonnansjacka" Size 48

This iconic leather jacket called "Ordonnansjacka" which translates to a dispatch rider jacket was used by the Swedish army motorcyclists in the 50s. It is one of the most iconic vintage military garments from Sweden and it sure is a unique jacket with a lot of eye catching details!

The front of the jacket is double breasted which will prevent the cold winds from slipping through the button holes. The double breasted front is buttoned on the right shoulder to secure the jacket properly, and the two top buttons are wooden toggles. It is said that the use of toggles made it easier to button and unbutton a garment if one was wearing gloves, a famous example being the wool duffle coats used by the British navy. It is possible that the same idea goes behind this design! The jacket is also fully lined with grey wool fabric for extra insulation and at the end of the cuffs there are knitted wool cuffs to prevent the wind from entering. 

The fit of the jacket is very boxy and it is obvious that it was not intended to be worn as a fashion garment, but as a protective and functional jacket. The arms are wide which makes it easy to wear over other garments when riding a motorcycle. We have measured the jacket, but this is somewhat hard, since it´s very wide from armpit to armpit, this since the arms are very wide. We would say that this fits like a small or medium in the body, with very wide arms and sleeve length like a large.

The condition of the jacket is very beautifully faded and distressed. However still the condition is good. The leather feels soft and like it has lots of life left in it, with some conditioning the jacket will yet again be ready for hard weather. Notable thing is that two buttons are missing. One on the outer closer and one at the inner closure. The cuffs are frayed in the knit tas well. Overall this jacket is astonishing and an amazing.

If you want to learn more about the store of this type of jacket we have a blog post about a similar jacket Here.

- Vintage Swedish Army Dispatch Riders Leather Jacket "Ordonnansjacka"
- Size 48
- Black faded goat leather
- Produced by Öje Skinnbeklädnad in Sweden
- Metal parts of solid brass
- Double breasted front
- Wooden toggles on the sholder
- One large breast pocket
- Fully lined with wool
- Stamped with the Swedish three crowns on the inside
- Leather strings on each side for width adjustment 
- Knitted wool cuffs

All measurements are in centimeters and measured on a flat surface. Width is measured straight across the chest from armpit to armpit, length is measured at the back of the garment from the neck down and the sleeve length is measured on the underarm from the armpit to the end of the cuff.