Fishtail tails

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If you’re a Lambrettista, and something of a traditionalist… the motorcycle jacket I posted about previously won’t cut it for you. For some, the only gear to wear in inclement weather is a Fishtail parka. Well… an original M-51 Parka (The sixties classic, pictured) will set you back a few quid these days. Your looking at an eyewatering £400 or so for a good, used, but restored one. A (slightly) more affordable, and some say better, version is the M-65… warmer, lighter… and still with a vintage feel about it. Expect to pay around the £100 – £150 mark. If you want the look of a ’51 without the price tag, Mod clothing specialists Jump the Gun do a very good repro one for about £100. By the way… if you’re wondering what the codes stand for, it’s quite simple really… it’s the date of original issue by the US Army… M-51 issued in 1951 (so a lot of surplus around by the early 60’s), and the M-65 replaced it in 1965, a bit late for the original mods, but picked up by many revivalists, from ’79 onwards. 

A couple of good sources for Fishtails are fishtailparkas.com and the aforementioned  Jump the Gun.

 

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