Five Star Leather Jackets

[ton312]

Haha, fair enough. I actually have a FiveStar goatskin jacket in black. I really like the fit, but yeah, the leather isn’t anything special.


I also have an Aero Vincenza in black, beautiful hide, and it just keeps getting better with age.


So you think FiveStar’s black horsehide will be a letdown?
Do they have anything close to Vincenza, something shiny and waxy that ages well?

Massive let down. Inconsistent thickness, dead eyed color. NFG. If you want to hear from an expert on 5 Star ask kblake who now uses the name “authentic style”.

He can tell you better than anyone else as he seemingly sells the jackets wholesale on eBay with a new one listed just about once a week for about the past 3 years.

 

[Authenticstyle]

Massive let down. Inconsistent thickness, dead eyed color. NFG. If you want to hear from an expert on 5 Star ask kblake who now uses the name “authentic style”.

He can tell you better than anyone else as he seemingly sells the jackets wholesale on eBay with a new one listed just about once a week for about the past 3 years.

Looks like I have a stalker lol.

I still really like some of my 5* jackets. Others not so much. To each their own.

I'd prefer it if you kept my name out of your mouth. Can you just leave me alone?

 

[ton312]

Looks like I have a stalker lol.

I still really like some of my 5* jackets. Others not so much. To each their own.

I'd prefer it if you kept my name out of your mouth. Can you just leave me alone?

No prob tough guy!

 

[Camel24hrs]

I have purchased 6 fire star A2 jackets. 1 goat and 5 HH.

The look of the goat was very MEH. Liked the HH much better. But was really happy with only one of those.

For the price I feel it’s a very good product. Just realize that you are not getting an Eastman. But you are not paying the Eastman price either. You can buy 4 five star A2s for the price of an Eastman and still have some change left over.

Having said this once my wife bought me two Eastman Rough Wears, 27752 and a 1401-P, I immediately got rid of the five star jackets. I realized I would never wear them again. There is absolutely no comparison between the jackets both on accuracy and especially the leather.

The Eastman jackets are just stunning visually to look at. I have had people that don’t know a thing about A2 jackets stop and ask me about my Eastman jackets and that never happened with a five star jacket.

So it all depends on what you want and can afford.

 

[El Marro]

I'd prefer it if you kept my name out of your mouth. Can you just leave me alone?

That’s some Will Smith talk right there! Very Authentic!

 

[Authenticstyle]

That’s some Will Smith talk right there! Very Authentic!

You got me there! Nice burn!

 

[El Marro]

I’m just giving you a hard time man and I appreciate you seeing the humor in it.. something about this five star thread really brings out the smart *** in me.

 

[rogueclimber]

Having said this once my wife bought me two Eastman Rough Wears, 27752 and a 1401-P, I immediately got rid of the five star jackets.

Why I believe in buy once cry once

brings out the smart *** in me

Always better a smart *** than a dumb ***

 

[Camel24hrs]

Why I believe in buy once cry once



Always better a smart *** than a dumb ***

Never could understand the difference in the cost of the jackets till I had both of them in my hands side by side.
And as the jackets age with wear the difference becomes even more pronounced. I look back and realized with all I spent on the five stars I could have had another ELC or a GW jacket.
But I have to realize that those jackets will always be out of reach financially for a lot of people. Five star fills that niche and does so really well in my experience with them. Plus I have always loved dealing with Shawn.

 

[Trouser Bark]

I had a 5 star trucker up until recently. Oddly, from the first day I wore it the jacket rec'd compliments but I thought it fit terribly and assume that some were commenting on the forced aging appearance of the leather. I've got a long torso and that jacket would have fit someone w/ a much longer torso.

I gave that jacket away last month. A friend has the body length and size to fit it well I thought. He tried it on, moved around and liked the jacket. Shoulders didn't fit right from my vantage point. I gave it to him.

I'm a 46 and that jacket should have fit but it was proportionately off. Whomever could wear it well would have a unique frame.

 

[MadCat]

I think everyone should throw their 5stars in a pile and light it on fire. Be done with that company forever!

 

[ton312]

The appeal of 5 Star is that people, usually not familiar with better quality are easily fooled by 5 Star’s “Almost there”. It’s almost there but it’s not quite right so if I change x,y,z the next one will surely be better. But it’s not. And so the bargain quest becomes a flushing of $ down the toilet. if there’s one thing they are good at, it’s that.

I fell for it. With FEW exceptions, the overwhelming majority of jackets they produce are essentially throw away pieces. They do not provide any real sense of quality. It’s kind of fast fashion for the (gulp,puke) “heritage workwear, military repro” crowd. I would liken them to H&M or Forever 21 for the middle aged man.

At this point anybody ordering one does so at their own peril and will ultimately realize the same thing.

 

[MrProper]

The appeal of 5 Star is that people, usually not familiar with better quality are easily fooled by 5 Star’s “Almost there”. It’s almost there but it’s not quite right so if I change x,y,z the next one will surely be better. But it’s not. And so the bargain quest becomes a flushing of $ down the toilet. if there’s one thing they are good at, it’s that.

I fell for it. With FEW exceptions, the overwhelming majority of jackets they produce are essentially throw away pieces. They do not provide any real sense of quality. It’s kind of fast fashion for the (gulp,puke) “heritage workwear, military repro” crowd. I would liken them to H&M or Forever 21 for the middle aged man.

At this point anybody ordering one does so at their own peril and will ultimately realize the same thing.

I agree with that.
Nevertheless, I found it fun that I was able to work as a jacket designer and that the “addiction” was quickly satisfied. Since then, I know my jacket measurements pretty well
And the copy of my daughter's fashion jacket turned out really well and she still wears it.
But that's about it.

 

[ton312]

^Same! And I do think Shawn is a good guy and they do the best they can. Lots of makers (and consumers, myself included) struggle with a learning curve and 5 Star is no exception. I’ve noticed from many brands that are well regarded as TFL favs, the same issues seem to plague patterns, over and over again…. yet the issues persist, despite cries for things to change. Certainly no ill will on my part toward 5 Star. I had my fun during Covid.

But if this site is truly about “heritage” a term I have genuinely grown to DESPISE, then there really is no place for 5 Star as they are anything but “heritage” pieces and they will tell you that themselves.

 

[blood_e]

Hey all, probably an odd question, but its about sizing. Im 170 cm tall, 61.2 kg weight.

Chest: 58 cm
Hem: 50 cm
Shoulder: 54 cm
Sleeve length: 59 cm
Back length: 62 cm

These are the measurements I am using to achieve a slightly oversized and slightly cropped fit like in the photo. Do these make sense? They are loosely based off a denim jacket I like wearing.

Order a Zara bomber in a size you like. Measure everything, then return it. Adjust as needed

 

[baldipino]

Posting some photos. You have to excuse the poor lighting, camera quality and my posture (which I haven't realized is so bad!).

I think the sizing is okay, I guess it could've been a bit more narrow in the shoulders.

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That does look very nice, and I believe the shoulder fit is just about spot on. Any narrower and it would start to mess with the silhouette, IMO.

 

[ton312]

Heritage, rugged, shinki (despite liking the leather), patina and teacore are all words I've grown to despise.

I never say I'm into heritage clothing, I prefer to call it early to mid 1900s workwear.

Saturation point has been reached with IG influencers and wannabe but never will be influencers. Stale and boring to the point of complete conformity, hive minded and thoroughly unoriginal. And it all starts here:

 

[baldipino]

Saturation point has been reached with IG influencers and wannabe but never will be influencers. Stale and boring to the point of complete conformity, hive minded and thoroughly unoriginal. And it all starts here:
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Agreed! "On this episode of 'The clothes wear YOU instead of YOU wearing the clothes'..."

 

[ton312]

Agreed! "On this episode of 'The clothes wear YOU instead of YOU wearing the clothes'..."

This. Exactly this.

 

[herculance]

I like a lot of stuff I see on IG but agree that because of the saturation sometimes it feels like a recipe/formula and like putting on an IG-inspired costume. Like "heritage" "rugged" versions of Alpha Ms.

But back to FIveStar, I'm keeping my only one bc it's my first real leather jacket and I'm sentimental.
I bought it because @ton312 is absolutely right, I didn't really know any better, I tend to be cheap, and I had no idea of quality. Had inconsistencies in the fit, the awful smell out of the box (which has since subsided), and leather is just okay, but it wasn't so bad given how much I paid for it. It ended up as a reference for how I want a jacket to fit and I've grown fond of it actually.

Would I buy another one? No. The experienced loungers here are right, they're in quality purgatory, almost there but not really. Everything is an opportunity cost and getting another FiveStar means less budget for something truly next level. But I guess they’ve got a place in the market, especially for people just getting into it. As for its place in the lounge, I still don't know enough to say.

That might not be everyone’s journey, but it’s mine and honestly, I’m enjoying the process. Everyone’s path in this little hobby is different, and that’s probably the best way to break out of the whole IG-uniform thing.

Unless all roads lead to that starter pack (I hope not) lol