Gustin L2 Jacket

And those sneakers. . .

To be fair, I don't love everything about the jacket (and wouldn't really consider that type of jacket by any maker), but I think some of the criticism is bit over the top. I don't think anyone threw up in their mouth upon seeing the jacket.

I think long asymmetrical Perfcto/lancer style jackets such as pictured look slightly fashion forward and incorrect, even on tall guys like me. The Vanson I just acquired is like that to a degree. These things need to be short to fully "work". If an inch and a half was chopped off the bottom of the model's jacket I think the L2 would look better. Maybe they will call the next model the L-2A...

nick123 said:

I think long asymmetrical Perfcto/lancer style jackets such as pictured look slightly fashion forward and incorrect, even on tall guys like me. The Vanson I just acquired is like that to a degree. These things need to be short to fully "work". If an inch and a half was chopped off the bottom of the model's jacket I think the L2 would look better. Maybe they will call the next model the L-2A...

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It's true to a degree but unlike the Vanson this jacket has a small D pocket which really accentuates the longer length. With a full size D pocket and a defined waist I think the length would be nicely camo'd or at least understandable. But the plain front doesn't play. I like cross zips at right around a 27" length which is long for the style but anything shorter and I'm a waiter or a matador. And I'm not tall @ 5'11. I'm pretty broad though and that eats up/ pulls up the length numbers for sure. It's really dependant on what's occupying that added length and the build of the wearer. In this case the skinny guy in a long, (relatively) plain front creates a blazer like length, which for me is a not ideal.

Tame inoffensive biker style fashion jacket. Will look great on 18-22 year olds.

The length isn't the issue, it's the fact that the pockets etc have been placed without consideration to this added length. I'm not questioning Horween's quality, btw, just that it's not a very nice colour/look. It comes down to a question of taste, but that shade/look doesn't do it for me.

Grayland said:

To be fair, I don't love everything about the jacket (and wouldn't really consider that type of jacket by any maker), but I think some of the criticism is bit over the top. I don't think anyone threw up in their mouth upon seeing the jacket.

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Somewhat agreed but there are several reasons why I really dislike this jacket. The problem isn't entirely in the design for me. It's like, they've just jumped heads first into the D-pocket thing without doing ANY sort of research and came up with something would've been slapped together by any leather jacket tailor working from a verbal description of the style alone. And it's probably gonna be around $800. That's a lot of money for such a messed up thing. There are many D-pockets out there on the market today, and even the cheapest quality makers have this style nailed down, like the Hillside USA. That and the whole taming the style issue... That's why this jacket is almost insulting to me.

Monitor said:

Somewhat agreed but there are several reasons why I really dislike this jacket. The problem isn't entirely in the design for me. It's like, they've just jumped heads first into the D-pocket thing without doing ANY sort of research and came up with something would've been slapped together by any leather jacket tailor working from a verbal description of the style alone. And it's probably gonna be around $800. That's a lot of money for such a messed up thing. There are many D-pockets out there on the market today, and even the cheapest quality makers have this style nailed down, like the Hillside USA. That and the whole taming the style issue... That's why this jacket is almost insulting to me.

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That Schott is so flipping cool.

Monitor's got it in one: it's such a mediocre, halfhearted attempt at the jacket, created by somebody who really doesn't have an eye for this sort of design. And at £600+postage and handling? You've got to be kidding.

Given they tend to be more fashion led, seems an unusual choice for them to go with. (Unless we are going to see a glut of D pocket jackets on the high street this year!)

Kelso is now going to do one @ £800.

D Pockets were wildly popular mall jackets last year -- anyone and everyone had a D Pocket offering in the $150-400 range. Thus, its no surprise that Gustin and others seek to capitalize on the trend. Gustin's offering, like many mall jackets, is a least common denominator product designed to appeal to the broadest range of customers.

...and thereby misses the mark IMHO.

ton312 said:

Mine too. I love CXL. I think what hurts this jacket is that it's dancing around a very established pattern without going balls to the wall to make it interestingly different. They could've done much more with it but played it way too safe.

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They are business catering to young people looking to be relatively cool without totally breaking the bank. Their market is not leather jacket aficionados like those here. They position themselves above mall leathers and people buy their stuff at $500. They could go totally buco with a $1200 price point but lose a ton of potential customers.

opiusmaximus said:

They are business catering to young people looking to be relatively cool without totally breaking the bank. Their market is not leather jacket aficionados like those here. They position themselves above mall leathers and people buy their stuff at $500. They could go totally buco with a $1200 price point but lose a ton of potential customers.

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Their L1 jacket was sold for 649$ which isn't exactly not breaking the bank. The price point isn't that far from other makers that produce way better designs and are well established.

opiusmaximus said:

They are business catering to young people looking to be relatively cool without totally breaking the bank. Their market is not leather jacket aficionados like those here. They position themselves above mall leathers and people buy their stuff at $500. They could go totally buco with a $1200 price point but lose a ton of potential customers.

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Why be relatively cool? Why not be bad mother f'r cool? Perhaps it's something like old man strength. With age you flex your independence... Where the youngsters still want to be part of a clique and not go too far off the reservation?

I'm not sure an $800 price tag jibes well with 'mall-grade cool'. If I'm spending that much money, I'd want something pretty damn good, not somebody's half-assed guess at it.

opiusmaximus said:

They could go totally buco

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Best phrase ever!!

ton312 said:

Why be relatively cool? Why not be bad mother f'r cool? Perhaps it's something like old man strength. With age you flex your independence... Where the youngsters still want to be part of a clique and not go too far off the reservation?

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That's the thing. I keep seeing the name "Vanson" here and I can see why: I tried on a friend's Vanson CR recently and just had to laugh at how "bad" I felt. It was perfect and I'm getting one. The Gustin job just doesn't do that.

To add some spicy. I'm a young people (26yr soon) and still I'm here because I love classic biker jacket with quality leather. Even if I prefer "fashion" slim fit since it suits me way better than classic.
And as a "youngster", I must say Gustin failed here. At least for people like me and probably you, who know what they want and assume it. Because, this is their style and not just someone quick thought like : "Hum biker jacket looks cool, let's buy one at the mall". But never really think about the style, the design etc. And these people often want something but didn't want to go too deep into it because they don't assume the style. And here you get the Gustin like jacket.

This jacket is clearly aimed to pull some people who want a biker jacket but, don't want it too much biker in the end. Not short, but rather same length as a basic jacket. Not too fancy design, so a tiny shy D-pocket without coin pocket. Shy brass zippers cause they don't assume bright silver/brass gold zippers etc.
I know what I'm talking about because I was in this same situation around a year ago. I wanted a biker jacket but, not too short, not too shiny, not too much hardware etc. I wasn't really assuming the style in fact. I didn't recognize it back then. But when 6 months ago I tried the RMC J-24, well I knew at this very moment, this is it ! This kind of jacket, this kind of style that I've always wanted. I instantly fell in love with it. Even if the jacket is deep into the badass kind of biker jacket, you assume it. And now, I can almost say that I found my style : well made biker jacket and all that implies.
I mentionned RMC because I tried one and now own a used one but, it is the same about Himel Bros my perhaps next goal ! Aero and others have nice one too but as I've said, due to my body shape I'm more into mordern "fashion" fit and not too much into pure repros.

To finish, I find it a bit sad to use quality leather, quality hardware but then don't assume a classic badass design. And instead make a jacket without real taste. But, shy people who don't really assume it, or don't want to be seen in the street they surely like it. And I think that's the target here. Maybe a year ago, I find out myself ordering one. But not anymore.
Appart from the design and all I have said, the fit seems very nice, for me at least. But a bit too long and, a tiny D-pocket etc.

Just my honest thought, maybe I'm wrong.