Everybody’s all ga-ga over their vintage Members Only Jackets, but having grown up in Colorado, I get far hotter over the old school Powder Jackets that everybody had to sport with their Chippewas and 501’s.
For those who don’t know, a powder jacket was a nylon shell-type jacket with a zipper down the front about 1/3 of the way from the neck. At the end of the zipper was a pouch which had insulation inside of it, a velcro-closure top-loading area, and two hand-warmer pockets on either side of it. The sleeves had to be a different color than the body of the jacket.
Chippewas were “desert boots.” These attractive babies were constructed of plain, brown leather up to the ankle. You rubbed mink oil on them to waterproof them and busted them with wool socks and your best 501s.
It’s a far different world out there in Colorado.
4 responses so far ↓
1 pumpinCAD // May 1, 2003 at 7:56 am
a good friend used Mink oil on his leather hiking boots, and then couldn’t keep a neighbor’s dog from attacking them!
2 Scotty The Body // May 1, 2003 at 9:11 am
ya, the shit is VILE! It’s got a real… oh.. animaly-biological smell to it. My old dog Pudden used to lick my Chips for hours sometimes. Fortunately, she didn’t eat or attack them.
3 trav // May 1, 2003 at 9:22 am
You know, the early 80’s were just an ugly time all the way around. I mean, think Spandau Ballet before that guy cut his hair and started wearing dark suits.
4 tone // May 1, 2003 at 10:25 am
I know a guy – our age – that still wears a sweater over bright colored Polo oxfords and always has fake-suede wallaby shoes. Now that, my friend, is Arkansas circa 1987. It’s a southern flavor of the Less than Zero look.
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