regrettable leather jacket choices...

Pdxgeo · Jan 6, 2017

I had a 2 tone grey/charcoal "Thriller" jacket in the earliest of 80's.

Anyone else have a leather jacket they wish they never did?

I am asking friends and family if anyone has a photo.

In the meantime here is my first cross zip. A couple of fickle years after the Thriller era.

rocketeer · Jan 6, 2017

I once had an SS outriders full black leather coat. I didn't know it was ex SS until a friend pointed out the holes around the wrist area where a cuff title would have been located and the manufacturers labels were very high end German leather garment suppliers from the pre WWII ear(Sorry, cannot remember which label, it was around 35 years ago). This coat was full length with straps around the leg area as it was also supplied to mounted men and weighed a ton. Looked very much like a leather Drizabone.
I did wear it on the bike but became a bit self conscious with old style black bike boots as I looked like I had just walked off the set of 'Allo Allo' which had just started it's first series on British TV.
No one took any pics I'm afraid

Cocker · Jan 6, 2017

No regrets so far. I have one leather beather that's somewhat too baggy, with sleeves a tad too short, broken zipper puller that I've replaced with a keychain ring, missing storm flaps press buttons at the end of the flap, but I got it for free, leather is pretty good and it keeps me plenty warm in the winter. Plus, it's one jacket I'll never be afraid of scratching! So yeah, all in all, a good cold weather beater!

TPD166 · Jan 6, 2017

Why would I regret my "Member's Only" styled leather jacket and leather sport coat from the Chess King in the mall? It was the early '80s. In the mid-80s, my girlfriend wanted a "Top Gun" jacket so I cut a deal with a surplus store in Tampa that had a bunch of G-1s and bought one for me and one for her. In spite of a gallons of Lexol and dozens of other attempts to soften those jackets up, they could still stand up on their own. I regret those two jackets way more than my Chess King purchases.

ButteMT61 · Jan 6, 2017

I have an all-black, letterman's jacket in wool/pigskin that was my 10th anniversary gift from Universal Music Group. Big embroidered logo on the back - really nice jacket - but it's so 80's to me (which might be cool again now).
Been thinking of selling it as it's a 3xl and it won't even fit me now...

Benzadmiral · Jan 6, 2017

TPD166 said:
Why would I regret my "Member's Only" styled leather jacket and leather sport coat from the Chess King in the mall? It was the early '80s. . . .

I never did a leather MO -- had one in that cotton-polyester (?) blend, though. In late '80 I bought a dark-chocolate G-1 style jacket with a black "mouton" collar at Chess King *, and wore it for quite a few years, until I picked up an A-2 style (which I still have) at Dillard's in '89. Don't know what happened to the Chess King one.

* Their promo line was "Get the Bombers!!!"

Fanch · Jan 6, 2017

I have several leather jackets I have rid myself of that for the most part were sized too big, although I have written them off as part of my rather flat learning curve.

nick123 · Jan 6, 2017

Pdxgeo said:
I had a 2 tone grey/charcoal "Thriller" jacket in the earliest of 80's.

Anyone else have a leather jacket they wish they never did?

I am asking friends and family if anyone has a photo.

In the meantime here is my first cross zip. A couple of fickle years after the Thriller era.

You looked cool!

handymike · Jan 6, 2017

I've had a generous "learning curve" as well.

AeroFan_07 · Jan 6, 2017

Nice thread/topic. I've had a couple I regretted, notably very heavily over-padded M/C joe Rocket/Alpinestar jackets that I tried to wear off the bike as well as on...big no-no there.

Then my first jacket ever - a 1990 JC Penny bomber black oversized monstrosity that had no form or real function. But it started this odd little fettish that i've never been able to shake.

Sloan1874 · Jan 6, 2017

I had a two-button black leather blazer back in the 90s which never really fitted me properly or looked anything (I've always thought you can have a jacket that's not your size but still looks the biz). Cost a lot of money, I wore it a handful of times and then gave it to my brother, who had always coveted it.

Edward · Jan 6, 2017

I still have a leather blazer my mother bought new for my Dad in c.'75..... she saved up for a very long time to buy it for him for Christmas.... I gather it cost £49 then, which is Aero money now. Hung in the wardrobe for years (he'd admired one a friend had, but never quite wanted to wear it himself) before it fell into my hands in the grunge / Britpop years when a lot of folks were wearing old 70s jackets, that by then could be had for a tenner in any local vintage clothing shop (this at the time when "vintage" clothing shops that weren't run by charities first started to appear in Belfast). It's a lovely thing in its own right, big wide lapels an aw..... I used to wear it when I was 21 and a bunch of us were really into Carlito's Way.... it wasn't far off looking like the one that Pacino wore in the film. Once almost wore it in place of a DJ to a university black tie event, but fortunately changed my mind.... I still have it, though chances are it won't get worn much again. Still, it's a kinda cool thing to keep around....

I don't think I have or have had any jackets I regret. There was the one my parents, bless 'em, tried to buy me for my 21st... at least it was plain black, but it was an otherwise hideously modern bike jacket thing.... looked like the top half of the Judge Dredd uniform in the last film, made me twice the size I was at the time. Lovely quality piece, would have been a veyr practical riding jacket, but at the time all I ever wanted was a Perfecto style, so it went back to the shop unworn... Ironically enough, I was thinknig about that jacket earlier today while idly perusing some bike jacketas in the Lewis Monza style. Those have laways been a bit too modern for me as well, but if I was out on a bike, I might be tempted. Something different, an aw....

nick123 · Jan 6, 2017

Edward said:
I still have a leather blazer my mother bought new for my Dad in c.'75..... she saved up for a very long time to buy it for him for Christmas.... I gather it cost £49 then, which is Aero money now. Hung in the wardrobe for years (he'd admired one a friend had, but never quite wanted to wear it himself) before it fell into my hands in the grunge / Britpop years when a lot of folks were wearing old 70s jackets, that by then could be had for a tenner in any local vintage clothing shop (this at the time when "vintage" clothing shops that weren't run by charities first started to appear in Belfast). It's a lovely thing in its own right, big wide lapels an aw..... I used to wear it when I was 21 and a bunch of us were really into Carlito's Way.... it wasn't far off looking like the one that Pacino wore in the film. Once almost wore it in place of a DJ to a university black tie event, but fortunately changed my mind.... I still have it, though chances are it won't get worn much again. Still, it's a kinda cool thing to keep around....

I don't think I have or have had any jackets I regret. There was the one my parents, bless 'em, tried to buy me for my 21st... at least it was plain black, but it was an otherwise hideously modern bike jacket thing.... looked like the top half of the Judge Dredd uniform in the last film, made me twice the size I was at the time. Lovely quality piece, would have been a veyr practical riding jacket, but at the time all I ever wanted was a Perfecto style, so it went back to the shop unworn... Ironically enough, I was thinknig about that jacket earlier today while idly perusing some bike jacketas in the Lewis Monza style. Those have laways been a bit too modern for me as well, but if I was out on a bike, I might be tempted. Something different, an aw....

That is a great film!

Lean'n'mean · Jan 6, 2017

Not really a regret but in '84 I had a long leather duster that I bought from a thrift store. I really liked it & thought it looked very cool but unfortunately there are a couple of photos around of me in it & I now ask myself, how the hell did I dare wear that thing in public.

.....I suppose in 30 years time I'll be saying the same thing about the rags I wear today.

RapidReaper · Jan 6, 2017

Will go ahead and own up to having bought an Avirex "Top Gun" G-1 back in the day. The one, in black, with the CBI patch on the shoulder and the flag chit on the back with the message in Russian. I keep it hung up way back in the closet just for the nostalgia.

CBI · Jan 6, 2017

according to my loving and supportive wife.................virtually every leather jacket I have ever purchased............actually true except for one purchased years ago from Territory Ahead which I no longer own. She sort of likes my Eastman B-3

She's a super lady but just hates the WW2 A-2 look and colors. Short waisted fight jackets (leather/cloth/nylon) I simply don't wear them if we go out together!

mr_lits · Jan 6, 2017

No regrets, but certainly some disappointments.

ton312 · Jan 6, 2017

Can't say I have too many regrets about buying...selling perhaps. Nobody had more regret than the folks who purchased these:

Two Seinfeld related images in one day. High five.

Worf · Jan 6, 2017

Sigh... I bought a used Schott jacket, no lining, smelling of mold and cigarettes. Spent good money getting it repaired... what a waste. I've NEVER worn it out. Going to "GoodWill" very soon. I also bought a used Wested HH Indy jacket that I absolutely hate. Still in the back of the closet.

Worf

ButteMT61 · Jan 6, 2017

I did buy one that I ended up hating since it was my first leather jacket, and one I got after literally months on COW and other places looking for jacket advice. It was a US Wings Indy. That jacket was OK I guess, but looking back, I wish I had the 'nads to accept the failure sooner. I did learn from it though and things got much better once I landed in this joint. Style wise, not bank account wise...

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