Unicorn mall find

[Davidc5]

So no kidding—there I was, just going about my merry way when I spotted a Ralph Lauren leather jacket hanging on the rack at Macy’s. Naturally, I had to try it on.

First thing I noticed: the weight. Way heavier than I expected from a mall jacket. Substantial, with a nice grain. Color me impressed. The thing was covered in alarms, so it was hard to get a real feel for it, but I grabbed a small (too tight) and then a medium. That’s when things got interesting.

I awkwardly flagged down mall security to help unhook the tags so I could actually see it in a mirror. And no kidding—this was one of the best-fitting jackets I’ve ever tried on. My 1950s Cal still fits like a glove, but it also weighs about 7 pounds and isn’t the most practical daily wear (not to mention, she’s my baby). But this? This felt different.

I’ve lost track of how many expensive jackets I’ve tried or bought only to return or resell because the fit wasn’t right. Yet here, sitting on a Macy’s rack, was a jacket with great leather, a gorgeous look, and—shockingly—an excellent fit. If I had paid $2,000 and waited six months for it, maybe I’d nitpick more. But let’s be real: I’d never get something like this MTO or from a high-end brand in the first place.

Funny enough, I never thought of myself as a café racer type… until this jacket. And while the body length is longer than I’d normally go for, I realized it actually works perfectly with my everyday jeans-and-tee style. The only real gripe? The sleeves are about an inch too long—but the zips keep them from hanging, so it’s not a dealbreaker. Shoulders, chest, and body? Spot on.

Comfort-wise, this thing is incredible. Fitted but not restrictive. The leather is soft, supple, and feels broken-in right off the rack. Construction is impressive too—substantial leather (easily 1.1–1.3 mm) with a beautiful grain. Sleeves are polyester-lined, the body is 100% cotton flannel. And here’s the kicker: it’s sheep leather. Not lamb—sheep. I assumed cow because of the heft, but the softness makes sense once I checked the tag.

All in all, I’m ecstatic. It fits, it’s comfortable, I like how it looks, and I didn’t have to spend thousands or wait half a year. The price tag was $698, which I already thought reasonable for the quality, but with a Macy’s card (30% off first purchase), I walked away with it for just under $500.

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[Doctor Damage]

Pleased you did so well here! Hopefully you didn't cash in all your stored-up karma on this unexpected W, but it might have been worth it given how happy you are.

For what it's worth, some of Ralph's offerings are and have always been of superb quality.

 

[Aloysius]

I’ve lost track of how many expensive jackets I’ve tried or bought only to return or resell because the fit wasn’t right. Yet here, sitting on a Macy’s rack, was a jacket with great leather, a gorgeous look, and—shockingly—an excellent fit. If I had paid $2,000 and waited six months for it, maybe I’d nitpick more. But let’s be real: I’d never get something like this MTO or from a high-end brand in the first place.

The patterning on a RTW Ralph Lauren is going to be miles beyond that of leather shops. Not sure what's shocking about it.

 

[Davidc5]

The patterning on a RTW Ralph Lauren is going to be miles beyond that of leather shops. Not sure what's shocking about it.

The shock was more just about the perfect fit as I tend to have trouble with standard sizes, especially for leather jackets. Also there was another LR jacket there too with leather that looked and felt super thin and cheap. It could be that it was meant to have a different, dressier aesthetic, but regardless, I was just surprised to find something at the mall that fits so well, is actually well built, and was reasonably priced.

 

[jchance]

You can’t beat trying on a leather jacket in person and get a feel for it. If it fits you well, that’s all it matters. Real leather is real leather; no one is going to use a magnifying glass to count the number of stitching per inch.

 

[Monitor]

You bought a Ralph Lauren. No surprise there. RL, even the Polo line, is still miles ahead of most brands talked about on TFL. This jacket is high-end Schott level.

 

[Tom71]

Congrats.

Actually, I once had a RL jacket that for years was my favourite (until I got my first Aero and found this place).

Just different leathers than we muse over here and usually smaller panels too to optimise use of hides (c.f. the panelled back on you new find), but RL sure do know their spiel.

 

[cbez]

Nice fit. Disagree on the Ralph Lauren worship. they are made in China/ Vietnam etc, most likely with a pattern made by that factory with minimal design input by rl. you can see it in the small panels and simpler seams.

I'll take the experienced Japanese/us shops that actually make their own stuff over that any day.

That said at 500 with a pattern that fits you well otr, still hard to beat.

 

[MrProper]

they are made in China/ Vietnam etc,

I don't think that everything is worse just because it comes from Vietnam or China (or Pakistan). They can all sew. It's probably more a question of requirements and quality control. Assuming that I create the perfect pattern, select super leather and give Vietnam/China precise instructions, then I am convinced that this jacket is in no way inferior to the usual suspects.
Of course, I don't mean that RL has done the same. I have no idea about that

 

[Aloysius]

I mean the pattern thing isn’t specific to RL.

Mass market brands are going to have the best pattern makers. There are no shortage of friends of mine who owned tons of expensive Japanese denim, then tried on their first pair of 501s or Wranglers or Uniqlo and were shocked by how much better they fit.

It doesn’t just apply to artisan brands. For instance, a shirt or something from an affordable department store like Target or somewhere like Uniqlo is going to fit better than the fast fashion stuff people order drop shipped, because the big brands have the money to get the best pattern makers. It actually connects to artisan stuff too because if you’re trained as a bespoke tailor, you can get much more money from being a brand’s pattern developer than you can practicing as a tailor; in some respects it’s a more difficult skill.

 

[Jon Crow]

You bought a Ralph Lauren. No surprise there. RL, even the Polo line, is still miles ahead of most brands talked about on TFL. This jacket is high-end Schott level.

Agree, I've had RL jackets and jeans, high end especially Polo, my Boating blazer I wore today, Tommy Hilfiger also nice quality

 

[cbez]

I mean the pattern thing isn’t specific to RL.

Mass market brands are going to have the best pattern makers. There are no shortage of friends of mine who owned tons of expensive Japanese denim, then tried on their first pair of 501s or Wranglers or Uniqlo and were shocked by how much better they fit.

It doesn’t just apply to artisan brands. For instance, a shirt or something from an affordable department store like Target or somewhere like Uniqlo is going to fit better than the fast fashion stuff people order drop shipped, because the big brands have the money to get the best pattern makers. It actually connects to artisan stuff too because if you’re trained as a bespoke tailor, you can get much more money from being a brand’s pattern developer than you can practicing as a tailor; in some respects it’s a more difficult skill.

in many cases it looks more like big brand going 'hey we want ten thousand jackets that kinda look like this, can you make it?' and an asian factory doing the patterning and details.

they don't have a bunch of genius in-house pattern designers poring over every item, especially when they're putting out tons of items each season.

re:jeans, fit is subjective, varies by body type, and the patterns are relatively simple...it's not like the japanese brands are idiots making elementary mistakes. my iron heart are more comfortable and have lasted much longer than any levis I've had, but you will also find people who prefer levis obviously.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

I have a Ralph Lauren Polo corduroy jacket that I love wearing. It's warm and looks fanatastic. The fit on my body is exceptional, with terrific freedom of movement.

But it doesn't feel like quality. It feels like the colors will fade and particularly the knits will give out over time, and I don't trust the stitching on it. The corduroy itself feels thin and maybe prone to ripping.

And that's what keeps me from investing in a piece of RRL leather - I just dont trust the quality for the price. If I find a used one I like for $200 or less, I might go for it - but most of them I see are $4-600.

But some of the RRL leather jackets definitely have cool patterns. Not all of them or even most of them, but some of them I see on eBay look unique and appealing.

Not a great photo but I don't have the energy to do something better right now:

 

[AeroFan_07]

So no kidding—there I was, just going about my merry way when I spotted a Ralph Lauren leather jacket hanging on the rack at Macy’s. Naturally, I had to try it on.

First thing I noticed: the weight. Way heavier than I expected from a mall jacket. Substantial, with a nice grain. Color me impressed. The thing was covered in alarms, so it was hard to get a real feel for it, but I grabbed a small (too tight) and then a medium. That’s when things got interesting.

I awkwardly flagged down mall security to help unhook the tags so I could actually see it in a mirror. And no kidding—this was one of the best-fitting jackets I’ve ever tried on. My 1950s Cal still fits like a glove, but it also weighs about 7 pounds and isn’t the most practical daily wear (not to mention, she’s my baby). But this? This felt different.

I’ve lost track of how many expensive jackets I’ve tried or bought only to return or resell because the fit wasn’t right. Yet here, sitting on a Macy’s rack, was a jacket with great leather, a gorgeous look, and—shockingly—an excellent fit. If I had paid $2,000 and waited six months for it, maybe I’d nitpick more. But let’s be real: I’d never get something like this MTO or from a high-end brand in the first place.

Funny enough, I never thought of myself as a café racer type… until this jacket. And while the body length is longer than I’d normally go for, I realized it actually works perfectly with my everyday jeans-and-tee style. The only real gripe? The sleeves are about an inch too long—but the zips keep them from hanging, so it’s not a dealbreaker. Shoulders, chest, and body? Spot on.

Comfort-wise, this thing is incredible. Fitted but not restrictive. The leather is soft, supple, and feels broken-in right off the rack. Construction is impressive too—substantial leather (easily 1.1–1.3 mm) with a beautiful grain. Sleeves are polyester-lined, the body is 100% cotton flannel. And here’s the kicker: it’s sheep leather. Not lamb—sheep. I assumed cow because of the heft, but the softness makes sense once I checked the tag.

All in all, I’m ecstatic. It fits, it’s comfortable, I like how it looks, and I didn’t have to spend thousands or wait half a year. The price tag was $698, which I already thought reasonable for the quality, but with a Macy’s card (30% off first purchase), I walked away with it for just under $500.
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I say it looks great on you, you're quite happy with it, and you got it for a nice price, and could try it on! Deal!

That's how I bought nearly every jacket pre-FL days. And honestly sometimes I think I was happier doing that too.

Certainly, fits you good here!

 

[whitetail_country]

It is easy in this world to get in over our heads and obsess about one trait (quality), but there are other things that matter too. It's a bit like comparing a toyota rav4 and a camaro.