Sukajan reversible de dragón Tailor Toyo M18280 USS Lexington CVA-16 Far East Cruise, década de 1990, talla L

One face remembers a voyage across the Pacific; the other remembers a name. Navy satin carries the aircraft carrier USS Lexington CVA-16 through its 1959 Far East cruise, while the burgundy reverse raises a green dragon beneath the inscription “Fresno Pooh Bah’s Red James.” An early M-number Tailor Toyo model, likely of the 1990s.

The Piece

A rare vintage Tailor Toyo M18280 reversible sukajan preserving two very different chapters of Japanese souvenir-jacket culture: naval travel on one side, personal mythology on the other. Produced during Tailor Toyo’s earlier M-number era, it is a Japanese revival garment rather than an original 1959 service jacket, and its construction, embroidery and unusual personalized reverse speak to collectors of early Tailor Toyo, naval souvenir clothing, Japanese Americana and archive sukajan.

The first face pairs a deep navy satin body with luminous antique-gold raglan sleeves. Large golden lettering across the back reads U.S.S. Lexington CVA16 Far East Cruise, and below it multicolored lettering records the itinerary: Japan, Yokosuka, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Philippines, Formosa, the historical Western name once commonly used for Taiwan. An aircraft carrier in silver, ivory, grey and black thread advances through embroidered waves, its island structure, flight deck and antenna details giving a surprisingly architectural image, so that the whole back reads like an embroidered cruise poster. On the chest, a rectangular cruise patch in red, white, blue and gold carries international flags (the United States, Japan, the Republic of China or Taiwan, and an international organization-style emblem) with the wording Far East Cruise 1959 USS Lexington CVA16; the opposite chest shows a bright red torii gate rising from stylized water with a small anchor. Angled pockets finished in gold arrowhead trim and burgundy, cream and gold ribbing complete the face.

The subject is the carrier’s 1959 Western Pacific deployment. USS Lexington CVA-16 was an Essex-class aircraft carrier modernized for postwar jet operations, which is why the embroidery shows a broad flight deck and island superstructure rather than the gun turrets of a battleship. Lexington departed San Francisco on April 26, 1959, for another tour with the U.S. Seventh Fleet, operated in the Far East, remained on standby during the Laotian crisis and later departed Yokosuka before returning to San Diego in December; a surviving 1959 Far Eastern cruise book confirms the deployment. The jacket is a later Tailor Toyo recreation of a 1959 naval souvenir design, not a jacket made aboard the ship or during the cruise.

The reverse turns from naval history to folklore. A deep wine-burgundy body, shifting from plum to reddish brown in the light, is framed by warm champagne-gold sleeves and narrow burgundy shoulder stripes. A large green dragon head commands the back, surrounded by layered clouds in pale pink, mint, ivory and muted lavender, with gold horns, long whiskers, red eyes and accents and a flame-like mane; its exaggerated, expressive proportions keep the slightly eccentric charm of mid-century souvenir artwork rather than the polish of contemporary luxury embroidery. Above it, gold and cream lettering reads “Fresno Pooh Bah’s Red James.” The front carries two mirrored dragon heads in cloud scrolls, facing inward toward the zipper in gold, cream, pink, green and red, with gold arrow-trimmed pockets echoing the navy side; because both faces share warm gold sleeves, the jacket stays visually coherent when reversed.

The jacket is made from glossy polyester satin, the material documented for other surviving M18280 examples, light and unpadded or minimally structured, with raglan sleeves, piped shoulder and sleeve paneling, striped rib-knit collar, cuffs and waistband, a reversible metal zipper and textile reinforcement behind the dense embroidery. The stitch work changes with the subject: long horizontal and diagonal stitches build the ship’s hull and flight deck, the destination lettering is raised satin stitching, the ocean is layered wave lines, and the dragon uses denser overlapping stitches for scales, whiskers and mane against broad curved cloud sections. Natural rippling around dense embroidery adds to the dimensional quality of the artwork.

Details

• Maker: Tailor Toyo (テーラー東洋), Toyo Enterprise (東洋エンタープライズ)
• Model: M18280
• Line: Early M-number production, predating the TT numbering system
• Era: Likely 1990s; no official production-year chart is publicly confirmed
• Origin: Japan
• Material: Polyester satin, consistent with documented M18280 examples; multicolored machine embroidery; striped rib-knit trim; satin piping
• Color: Face A: navy blue body with antique-gold sleeves. Face B: wine-burgundy body with champagne-gold sleeves
• Size: L (tagged); the measurement record gives the manufacturer’s size as M-L
• Measurements: Back length 64 cm / 25.2 in · Chest width, pit to pit, 53 cm / 20.9 in · Sleeve length, collar to cuff, 74 cm / 29.1 in · Sleeve length, underarm to cuff, 58 cm / 22.8 in (approximate, laid flat; may vary slightly with how the satin is positioned)
• Construction: Fully reversible raglan-sleeve jacket; finished pockets on both sides; reversible metal zipper; lightweight, unpadded or minimally structured body
• Gender: Unisex

Condition

• Good pre-owned vintage condition, with age and wear consistent with an early Tailor Toyo satin sukajan; the major embroidered imagery remains bright, complete and highly legible.
• Natural creasing across both satin faces, light surface rubbing and tonal variation, and minor handling wear around the zipper and pocket openings.
• Gentle softening and fuzziness to the rib-knit trim; small raised or loose embroidery fibers, occasional fine surface threads and natural puckering around dense stitched areas.
• Light vintage marks or faint discoloration that may show more under direct light, with general evidence of previous wear and storage.
• The USS Lexington lettering, cruise destinations, aircraft carrier, torii gate, dragon heads, clouds and personalized reverse inscription retain strong visual presence; no major structural tear, large missing embroidered section or severe damage is apparent in the photographs.

Inscription Notes

The personal history behind “Fresno Pooh Bah’s Red James” is not documented. The wording appears to reproduce an individual nickname, club association, location or crew-related dedication from the original souvenir jacket that inspired the Tailor Toyo reproduction: “Red James” may name a person known by that nickname, and “Fresno Pooh Bah’s” may identify a Fresno-based group, circle or association. It is retained exactly as embroidered, giving the jacket an almost biographical quality that a newly designed graphic cannot replicate.

In East Asian visual tradition the dragon is associated with power, transformation, authority and control over water, rain and atmospheric forces, and its horns, claws, clouds and flames translated naturally into directional machine stitching. Here the enlarged head becomes a heraldic emblem that seems to emerge directly from the satin, the golden horns and red eyes pulling it forward from the burgundy ground.

M-Number Dating

M-number jackets predate Tailor Toyo’s now-familiar TT numbering and are generally treated as earlier production within the brand’s collector market, commonly associated with the 1990s or the years leading to around 2000. The appropriate attribution is a likely 1990s-era Tailor Toyo M18280 reproduction of a 1959 USS Lexington Far East Cruise souvenir jacket. Many surviving M18280 examples are in the smaller size M, which makes the size L desirable.

Fit Guidance

Although tagged Japanese size L, the 53 cm chest width gives a more compact fit than many contemporary Western size L bombers. It may suit a Western unisex Small for a relaxed fit, a Western Medium for a closer vintage fit, or a smaller-framed wearer seeking a traditional cropped sukajan silhouette; shoulder build, layering and preferred silhouette all matter, so compare the measurements with a similar jacket that fits comfortably.

The navy cruise face works with faded indigo denim, white tees, military chinos, black trousers, engineer boots, canvas sneakers and classic amekaji workwear; the burgundy dragon face pairs with black denim, cream knitwear, wide-leg or dark tailored trousers, brown leather and silver jewelry. Displayed on the navy side it resembles an embroidered naval cruise poster; on the burgundy side, an oversized dragon crest framed by personalized lettering, which rewards rotating display.

Authenticity & Care

Identified as Tailor Toyo model M18280, a documented reversible dragon and USS Lexington souvenir jacket with surviving examples in sizes M and L. It is a likely 1990s Tailor Toyo reproduction of a 1959 USS Lexington Far East Cruise design and should not be represented as an original 1950s military-issued garment. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our published policy.

Collectors also search: tailor toyo m18280 · uss lexington sukajan · cva-16 far east cruise jacket · tailor toyo m number sukajan · 1959 far east cruise souvenir jacket · reversible dragon sukajan size l · aircraft carrier sukajan · 90s tailor toyo