Experience with Addict Clothes leathers?

[greenc]

Hi everyone,

The weekend is almost upon us, mercifully.

Does anyone have firsthand experience with Addict Clothes leather jackets? If you have a piece(s) by them, how do you find the quality of the hide(s), and the overall construction? And most importantly how is the pattern on your particular model?

For example, if you own a Double Riders is it patterned similarly to a Double Riders by Lewis Leathers, or a RMC, or a Vanson? Or does Addict kind of go its own way with patterning?

If anyone can share I'd appreciate it - I like the look of their pieces but want to know a bit more before taking the dive. Thanks much, speak soon. Enjoy the weekend.

Chris

 

[Tom71]

Hi everyone,

The weekend is almost upon us, mercifully.

Does anyone have firsthand experience with Addict Clothes leather jackets? If you have a piece(s) by them, how do you find the quality of the hide(s), and the overall construction? And most importantly how is the pattern on your particular model?

For example, if you own a Double Riders is it patterned similarly to a Double Riders by Lewis Leathers, or a RMC, or a Vanson? Or does Addict kind of go its own way with patterning?

If anyone can share I'd appreciate it - I like the look of their pieces but want to know a bit more before taking the dive. Thanks much, speak soon. Enjoy the weekend.

Chris

I have had three Addict jackets over time.

A „Corsair“ clone, a „Lightning“ copy and a collab piece with a German retailer.

As for the LewisLeathers “inspired” jackets, they largely follow the original patterns. Only difference I see are slightly more rounded shoulders and a sizing that is approximately half a size smaller than LL.
If you will, the silhouette is a tad more that of an A-frame while LL are generally pretty boxy.

Quality is good, nothing special, but certainly no complaints either.

All my jackets were horsehide, and this is were Addict has the edge over LL. While the standard horse of LL is that shiny, super tough and pretty vinyl-like leather, Addict sources a really nice, subtle hide that ages quite beautifully.

As prices are pretty much en par since LL raised theirs, it’s a question of visual preference, I guess.
Addict sure looks more luxurious to the objective eye, but lacks the huge iconic appeal of the original.

 

[Tom71]

 

[Tom71]

Addict are of course those without the logo…

All size 44 but for the Lighting which is 42.

 

[greenc]

@Tom71 those jackets are good looking, did you enjoy how they broke-in? I like the fact that Lewis does their own thing and has their own look with the shiny, very tight grained jackets.

That said, I'm usually interested in interesting grain and wear over time, I wonder how the Addicts look after some genuine wear put in?

Did you find that your particular jackets showed grain or did they continue to look Lewis-ish? Again, lovely pieces!

 

[jchance]

I’m a size 38 US, 40 JP, and I tried on an Addict horsehide crosszip size 40 in Butterscotch at Long Beach, CA. I remember it being a tent on me brand new, before breaking in, about 1-3 sizes too big. I didn’t bother sizing down to try another one on. It was a bit heavy.

The salesman told me Addict’s sheepskin version was hard to move that the store had to put it on deep discount. If you’re in the EU, there’s no reasons to consider Addict because it’s just a LL copy/alternative. Their Belstaff-style AD-10 jacket is interesting. Otherwise I wouldn’t consider them for any other styles.

 

[Tom71]

@Tom71 those jackets are good looking, did you enjoy how they broke-in? I like the fact that Lewis does their own thing and has their own look with the shiny, very tight grained jackets.

That said, I'm usually interested in interesting grain and wear over time, I wonder how the Addicts look after some genuine wear put in?

Did you find that your particular jackets showed grain or did they continue to look Lewis-ish? Again, lovely pieces!

Yes, they do age beautifully and develop a nice, subtle grain (think: spiderweb).

I have to say, my Lightning has great leather too. Also pretty grainy by now, but it’s and older batch and no longer available for LL anymore. The new horse is indestructible but also non-aging.

 

[Aloysius]

Yes, they do age beautifully and develop a nice, subtle grain (think: spiderweb).

I have to say, my Lightning has great leather too. Also pretty grainy by now, but it’s and older batch and no longer available for LL anymore. The new horse is indestructible but also non-aging.

I'm curious if the new horse ends up transforming the way Schott horsehide does, since that's also very smooth and top coated when new.

That said with Lewis's price rise and the new tariff regime, I don't think I'll be getting their jackets any time soon.

 

[greenc]

I'm putting it out to the group because I don't know how to tell - does anyone know if this is sheepskin or horsehide on this Addict AD-02?

The grain on the back makes me think horse, but I know they made it in sheep - and still might. Your thoughts are appreciated, thank you.

Chris

 

[cbez]

Id say horse. I'm not aware of them using sheep.

 

[greenc]

Thank you @cbez I appreciate that. Hope you're well and looking at a good weekend. By the way, do you have any experience with Mushmans/The Few? They seem to make really quality collaborations.

 

[Aloysius]

Id say horse. I'm not aware of them using sheep.

They do use sheep. One of my friends in Tokyo was getting one and decided against the sheep because he disliked that it fades to brown.

 

[Tom71]

I'm putting it out to the group because I don't know how to tell - does anyone know if this is sheepskin or horsehide on this Addict AD-02?

The grain on the back makes me think horse, but I know they made it in sheep - and still might. Your thoughts are appreciated, thank you.

Chris

99% sheep. I say this because of the way the sleeves roll near the wrist.

 

[Tom71]

I'm curious if the new horse ends up transforming the way Schott horsehide does, since that's also very smooth and top coated when new.

That said with Lewis's price rise and the new tariff regime, I don't think I'll be getting their jackets any time soon.

The horse on my old Dominator never aged at all.
At this point, I’d only use the standard horse for the coloured options. Not because it’s less plasticky but because it goes BAM visually.

The veg-tan sheep always was and still is the bomb (more so than the famed “Rutland” version, but that’s just me).

I might one day be silly enough to get an LL in the veg-tan cow. Upcharge is crazy, but in the flesh it’s simply adorable in all available colours. Even my wife said I should have picked up a “Sportsman” they had in store in the terracotta colour. I would have but for the unbearable grabby lining that seems to be all the rage with the JP customers.

 

[Edward]

I'm curious if the new horse ends up transforming the way Schott horsehide does, since that's also very smooth and top coated when new.

That said with Lewis's price rise and the new tariff regime, I don't think I'll be getting their jackets any time soon.

The whole market niche has rather stepped up faster than salaries in my sector (which haven't always risen in line with inflation since, really, 2009). I had my eye on a Lightning a few years ago when the base price was still about £900. Now they feel out of reach, certainly new. Ideally I'd be buying a new one; I can live with the logo patch - the paint is easily removed or toned down anyhow - but I significantly prefer the Lightning with the original, cleaner 1958 look, which didn't (until after 1966) have the extra, forearm pocket on the left. Looks too busy right against the sleeve zip, to my eye. For now, a GoldTop feels a much more realistic aim for that English leathers look. Still maintain an interest in Lewises, though. It'll be interesting to see how the new hides age. Being a fan of the classic Lewis look, they look all sorts of wrong to me in the one or two I've seen in a teacore hide. Never seen an original / heyday Lewis age like that, ever - they always stayed black, at least any I ever handled. (This from spending years sifting through 60s and 70s jackets in the early 00s). All a matter of personal preference, of course.

 

[greenc]

99% sheep. I say this because of the way the sleeves roll near the wrist.

Thank you everyone, I appreciate your collective help. How does sheep wear? Is it durable like horsehide and goat?

 

[Tom71]

Thank you everyone, I appreciate your collective help. How does sheep wear? Is it durable like horsehide and goat?

Hmm, no, not „as durable“, at least not generally speaking:

1. It’s not at all abrasion resistant. It’s a very soft leather, so it will get eaten away in a slide etc. pretty easily.

2. It soaks water like a sponge. If you get it really wet, you have to take care not to damage the hide due to not enough or too vicious drying.

That said, it wears very nicely (like a bathrobe, really) with a very natural drape from the get go. LL sheep is plenty thick too, so you never feel like your wearing a „flimsy“ jacket. Ages very nicely as well.

As a riding jacket, sheep would be a hard no, but other than that it’s good for 99% of daily uses, unless you’re in a very wet climate.

 

[greenc]

Thank you @Tom71, I appreciate the thoughts - if I go with the Addict piece I showed photos of I would never wear it on a bike - it's just for running around in.

It doesn't have a bi-swing back so I think it would be tough to ride in even if it were horsehide, no? Glad to know that sheep wears in nicely.

I've seen lots of goatskin A-2s from the 1970s that look terrific, so my guess is that hide is fairly robust. Do you have any experience with goatskin?

 

[Edward]

Thank you @Tom71, I appreciate the thoughts - if I go with the Addict piece I showed photos of I would never wear it on a bike - it's just for running around in.

It doesn't have a bi-swing back so I think it would be tough to ride in even if it were horsehide, no? Glad to know that sheep wears in nicely.

I've seen lots of goatskin A-2s from the 1970s that look terrific, so my guess is that hide is fairly robust. Do you have any experience with goatskin?

Goatskin is very common in motorcycle gloves even now, being thin but highly abrasion resistant. It's one of the most abrasion-resistant leathers as memory serves, alongside roo. Definitely feels surprisingly light if you're used to hefty steer or horse, but it wears well. I've had four over the years: three now gone (an Aero A2, an Aero AN6552, and a Wested Raiders) because they somehow, eh... shrunk in the wardrobe... still have the Aero Everyman I bought as a 50th birthday present last year. None of the 'break in' period required, goat is soft from the outset. The Aero goat I've owned breaks in without looking worn out. It's not a hide if you want that "seventy year old jacket" look you'll get from teacore horse or similar. That's one of the things I like about the Aero goat, of course: my thing is to look like I bought it new in, for the sake of argument, 1947, and it's now 1952... for me it's not about replicating how an eighty year old jacket looks now due to wanting a cool vintage jacket but not being able to afford or find a wearable example in my bigboy size. YMMV, of course. Where goat also excels is if you want a lighter leather for warmer wear. That's why I originally had the Wested Raiders. The design of that jacket allows more air to drift in than one with knits, of course, while a light lining and the light goathide meant I could wear a leather jacket in temperatures that were much higher than a heavier jacket with a warm lining. On the flipside, goat's a nice option for a flexible shell with a thicker lining if you want a warm, Winter jacket that is a bit easier to move in than one with a CXL FQHH shell.

 

[Tom71]

Thank you @Tom71, I appreciate the thoughts - if I go with the Addict piece I showed photos of I would never wear it on a bike - it's just for running around in.

It doesn't have a bi-swing back so I think it would be tough to ride in even if it were horsehide, no? Glad to know that sheep wears in nicely.

I've seen lots of goatskin A-2s from the 1970s that look terrific, so my guess is that hide is fairly robust. Do you have any experience with goatskin?

AFAIK, all A-2 were horsehide. However, the M422a/G1 used by the Navy were goat.

I have an Eastman M422a in goat. @Edward perfectly describes the properties: a comparatively light leather but super tough and abrasion resistant.

If you wanted to find a hair in the soup it could be the fact that goat doesn’t really patina. The hide is so tough that it basically stays like new and acquires a somewhat dull appearance over time.