how many jackets are too many jacket

aswatland · Dec 5, 2010

OneEyeMan said:
I guess it's like collecting anything.
People don't buy them to wear, just collect.
Sure it seems pointless, but to each his own.

There are many collectors out there who buy to admire not wear, but by no means all. I only buy originals that fit and can be worn from time to time although as regards A2s I wear a Goodwear repro as a daily wearer.

Peacoat · Dec 5, 2010

OneEyeMan said:
I guess it's like collecting anything.
People don't buy them to wear, just collect.
Sure it seems pointless, but to each his own.
In principle, though, I agree with you.
I own 1 Aero Highwayman (brown) and 1 Vanson Enfield (black).
So I have the 2 basic colors covered.
I also have 1 vintage peacoat that I got for $50 on eBay, 1 Lewis Creek waxed cotton coat (also cheap from eBay),
a hooded LL Bean jacket, and finally, a really nice Ibex boiled wool jacket in the coolest color (burnt orange).
That's it.
Lenny

Lenny, you need more jackets/coats, especially considering where you live. It gets cold up there. I am much farther South and still need an assortment of outerwear to keep warm in the winter. Your post got me to thinking about my cold weather non collectible jackets and coats, so I did an actual count. I have 18 cold weather jackets/coats, 9 leather jackets and 15 or so peacoats of different eras and years. This doesn't include sport coats, suit coats or mild weather jackets.

I also have a bunch--maybe 10 or more--of vests of different compositions. When I see one I think will be warmer than the warmest vest I own, I buy it. I don't have a lot of natural insulation on my body, so I need to buy it commercially.

Now, there is a method to this madness: I do a lot of outside activities. In addition to my motorcycle riding, my wife and I have Thoroughbreds. They need exercise in the cold of winter as well as when it is mild. We also foxhunt, which is a wintertime activity. Additionally, there is farm work to be done in the winter. I have found the best way to handle this is to buy my wife warmer clothes than I have, and let her do the work. As I type this, in the warmth of my house, I can see her at the barn happily taking care of the horses, comfortable in the warmth of the clothes I have bought for her.

apba1166 · Dec 5, 2010

I think I got carried away at some point, but I do different kinds of work and by this time in my life have all the bases covered via accumulation through the years. Still, I work outdoors a lot and never took real care of the jackets so too many less-than-good-ones bit the dust over time, rips, snags, storms, etc. and i learned what works. I need tough supple stuff with range of motion that won't rip, snag, etc. I have a Fox Creek naked leather jean jacket, and several vintage deerskins, plus one custom LW deerskin (fabulous for work), and some boar suedes, which all fit this bill. I have a nice Aero HH something or other (like a G1 I guess) I can work in too. A highwayman I like to wear, but not good for work. I have several nice Italian long wool overcoats to wear over suits, etc., a couple shorter ones, and a couple longer length leathers I never wear, should sell, and a couple of longer length shearlings I do wear and are really good values for looks, warmth, and durability. I also use alpaca ponchos over some of these jackets, which helps a lot in the cold and keeps the leather more supple too. That's the practical piece: now for the crazier piece: I travel a lot for my work, and over time drifted into local leather places. In Buenos Aires I bought some capybara jackets. In Telluride a custom western jacket, in Nashville....in Rome...in....in....in....you get the picture. Last year I happened to be working in Portland and from this forum had learned about Langlitz. I walked in to have a chat, just have a look, you know; walked out wearing a lightly pre-owned Cascade (also very good for work, great range of motion) and ordered a custom jacket based on various things they do. So the real question is: when does the practical side spill over to the how-can-I-wear-all-this side? and in the end how do you decide (or de-side?)? There's a book called The Paradox of Choice that addresses some of the nuttier parts of all this. Have a nice day....!

OneEyeMan · Dec 5, 2010

Peacoat said:
Lenny, you need more jackets/coats, especially considering where you live.

I have a new nickname for you; Peacoat the Pusher.
I really like to only have a few really good coats to wear. Can't see the use of having more coats than I can wear since I'm not a collector.
Besides, I have a lot of underlayers I use to layer with my coat;
several Merino Wool Ibex shirts, a Filson wool vest, several cotton and wool sweaters, a killer heavy Abercrombie and Fitch hoodie and some other misc stuff.
BTW, the A & F hoodie is one of my favorite pieces. A lot of folks put their stuff down as being overpriced designer stuff. But, it's built like the proverbial brick s*#thouse. I have a heavy plaid shirt/jack from A & F that's gotta be 10 years old. It's a bit frayed at the collar and cuffs, but my wife still wears it out and about on cool days. And it still looks good.
Just my $.02.
Lenny

ideaguy · Dec 5, 2010

Holy smokes!! I started counting, and after the cellar, guesstimating the attic, including all closets, and the garage, I ah, um, hope the
wife doesn't know this (sure...) came up with over 40;
I'm only ONE guy!! and I can tell you why I need every one of 'em; the Filson Macinaw for the rough days, the Vintage Russet Vanson for
warmer cycling days (or just looking cool), the cashmere long coat for Winter Holidays (need snow), the Vintage LL Bean Upland jacket
for forays at the flea market (or some actual pheasant hunting-the pocket holds 2 boids), and on it goes. How many are too many?
I dunno. Ask Atticus.

kojax · Dec 5, 2010

i have two a2 jackets a new real mccoy a2 horsehide and a gibson barnes a2 goatskin a great jacket. looking for a g1 jacket now i live in a cold climate

Silver Dollar · Dec 5, 2010

How many jackets are too many? X=6y(48) +8z(-m/26t) X (9v/12)

Graemsay · Dec 5, 2010

I've got:

Two Aero jackets. (One is a bit small and hasn't been worn for a few years, so doesn't really count.)
A Fjallraven Oban.
A Marlborough Classics padded winter jacket.
A North Face Gore Tex jacket with a zip out jacket that can be worn separately.
An old Sharpeye denim jacket that's a bit too small for me.

I reckon that I've got one or two jackets too many.

Of the above, the North Face one is getting towards the end of its life, and the denim is probably heading to a charity shop before too long. The Aero jackets are likely to be recycled into a new one, and I'm considering adding a Goodwear to the list.

442RCT · Dec 5, 2010

Rudie said:
What do you want with all those jackets? Having hundreds of jackets, and all of them nearly identical, seems so utterly weird to me. Don't want to be rude, I just don't get it.

I don't get it either [huh] But, collectors....uh, hmmm, collect stuff. :eusa_doh:
Lately I've been concentrating on accumulating painted or patched flight jackets...

, dunno why, I just like them.:whistling

Edward · Dec 5, 2010

Guttersnipe said:
What does strike me as odd, however, is people who "collect" new leather jackets. I've definitely noticed on these boards that there are those who seem to own dozens and dozens of Aeros, Eastmans, Lost Worlds, etc. What I always wonder is how can a person really enjoy that many jackets?

I suppose that would come down to the individual. I have five Aeros, all very different (black steer MC, FQHH Cordovan Bootlegger, FQHH Brown 30s Halfbelt, Goat A2 and Goat AN6552), in addition to one Eastman A2, an Eastman Irvin and a Lost Worlds B3. All have had regular wear excepting the Aero A2 and MC, that simply because they were recent eBay buys after the season for those jackets had passed. I don't think I would go out of my way to collect repro jackets as such - I don't feel the need to have one of each A2 contract, for example (just a couple on different colours, maybe eventually a Flying Tigers jacket)... The reason I prefer repros is simply that I wear these jackets out all the time. Collecting originals is great, I love that folks do and that they are thus preserved as items of real historical value and interest, but I simply don't have the funds or the storage space to keep stuff I don't use, and I'd be too wary of ruining an original A2 by wearing it out. I can certainly see how it might seem odd to collect non-original pieces, but for me they're not a collection, they're wardrobe. I've never been much of a one for a specific 'signature look', so the idea of having one or two really broken in jackets doesn't really excite me.

Evian · Dec 5, 2010

I don't mind collecting coats and jacket but I have to admit I do wear mine. I switch from one coat to another depending on the weather. I love the look I see on people's faces when they see these jackets

Phantomfixer · Dec 6, 2010

kojax said:
i have two a2 jackets a new real mccoy a2 horsehide and a gibson barnes a2 goatskin a great jacket. looking for a g1 jacket now i live in a cold climate

have any pics of the G&B goatskin?

Mr Badger · Dec 6, 2010

I had a clear out of jackets last year, just had too many. The ones I let go were a 1950s goatskin civilian fight jacket, an early Cooper A-2, a black 1970s Perfecto, a black 1970s cafe racer and a WW2 Swedish leather coat with the fur collar.

The sale of these enabled me to sort out what I needed, as it only left me with my 1940s Militus 3/4 length, a 1970s USN G-1 and my old faithful black 1960s horse cafe racer, which I've had for 20 years.

With the moolah I got from selling my extras, I bought a goat Aero A2, a black Sam Walker Highwayman, and a black SW Barnstormer.

So that's six leathers as a current total, and they all get an airing, although the Militus is very nearly too flakey to wear now...

Add in my Trialmaster-style wax jacket, a lightweight 1940s wool topcoat, a 'classic' trench and a heavy 1940s Crombie overcoat, and I think I've got it all covered!

But I could still be doing with a nice cordovan half-belt...

gyrobroyeur · Dec 6, 2010

how many jackets are too many jacket?
Answer: the number of jacket you have + 2.
... So you can go ahead to buy the next one!

CBI · Dec 6, 2010

about 10 total is my limit as the cold months here are only about 3-4 months out of the year. I seem to always settle on about 10.

sbhva · Dec 6, 2010

gyrobroyeur said:
how many jackets are too many jacket?
Answer: the number of jacket you have + 2.
... So you can go ahead to buy the next one!

Excellent answer!

ButteMT61 · Dec 6, 2010

How many guys here have wives that shop/buy as much as they do?
How well do you/they tolerate that?
Just curious as my wife and I both have different things that we collect and are pretty much understanding and supportive of each other.

Jonnyboy · Dec 7, 2010

To paraphrase James Thurber's famous quote about martinis, "One jacket is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough."!

Italian Dave · Dec 8, 2010

my friends think I'm crazy ..
I have all this Schott's: leather peacot, perfecto, 641, 184, B-6, B-3, rancher.
a the north face Himalayan Parka
one wool original Navy Peacoat
nice vintage wool overcoat, very heavy
a vintage Belstaff rain jacket
one Armani leather peacoat with fur collar
another Armani african goat car coat
a few more not worthy of mention
I think they are too many, but actually I only wear the 641 in mild weather, then gradually the 184, the B-6 and the B-3 as it gets colder and colder in the long Madrid winter. the Himalayan is just too much, I wear it only in really extreme cold, otherwise I'm sweating!

Traut · Dec 8, 2010

It isn't OCD if we call it a hobby

how many jackets are too many jacket

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