The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Leather Jacket

BobJ · Dec 8, 2016

The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Leather Jacket -
(by a former leather jacket designer)

It's a long article, with some interesting pictures. He lists his top five most common leather jacket styles - Number one is the Perfecto (check), number two is the Cafe Racer (check), number three is the A2 bomber (check), but the next two that he picks make me think WTF?! I guess he moves in a more modern, high end, and avante garde world than do. And he sure doesn't know much about real A2s - I can see Andrew rolling his eyes and slapping his forehead already.

He goes into all the details of a leather jacket - the leather, lining, zippers, types of grains, styles, patterns, armholes, stitching, fit, casual to formal scale and when each style is appropriate to wear.

The comments following the article are also worth reading, Even Dave Himel shows up there. They actually read like this Forum.

LINK: http://effortlessgent.com/leather-jacket-buying-guide/

kirkaero · Dec 8, 2016

Thanks, there's some okay information in the article. However, he starts out with the fake Schott Perfecto Brando story. I really loved part where he discusses buying jackets that he can't zip up.

navetsea · Dec 9, 2016

I don't know what buttons do him wrong in the past, he clearly hates them on his leathers.

Monitor · Dec 9, 2016

I've read this article before, it's nice but the fencing jacket also had me scratch my head. I don't think I've ever even seen a jacket like that! Though it is nice. I'm not sure what does he mean with top stitching, though and this bit is extreme nonsense too:

"A lower end jacket will often be simpler in design overall, because the less design elements a jacket has, the cheaper and faster it is to make.
Less design details means less pieces to cut, less pieces to line up, less to sew. This means less interesting elements, simpler pockets, and sometimes no inner pockets."

El Marro · Dec 9, 2016

I was surprised to read that he almost never zips up his jackets!

Carlos840 · Dec 9, 2016

Monitor said:
I've read this article before, it's nice but the fencing jacket also had me scratch my head. I don't think I've ever even seen a jacket like that! Though it is nice. I'm not sure what does he mean with top stitching, though and this bit is extreme nonsense too:

"A lower end jacket will often be simpler in design overall, because the less design elements a jacket has, the cheaper and faster it is to make.
Less design details means less pieces to cut, less pieces to line up, less to sew. This means less interesting elements, simpler pockets, and sometimes no inner pockets."

Agreed!

Couldn't help but think that this was written by a fashionista rather than a leather jacket enthusiast...

To say "top stitching" is "highly desirable detail on leather jackets" that "Pricier jackets will have higher arm holes", that the biggest factor in the value of a leather jacket is "the price of the leather" and that "the downside to lambskin is that it is more expensive" just shows little understanding in what makes a quality leather jacket.

This is more a "style Forum" guide than a fedora lounge guide...

belfastboy · Dec 9, 2016

I love this Forum. It is a repository of such vast knowledge. As a lover and modest buyer of leather jackets but someone who knows very little about them it is great for someone like me to have this forum as a resource. It protects me from those who would claim to write "The ULTIMATE GUIDE". I think one could reasonably state that the Fed Lounge is in fact the real ultimate guide!!!!

Carlos840 · Dec 9, 2016

I was just reading through the comments, and the writer of the article describes this jacket :

https://www.firmamentberlin.com/stone_island_shadow/25652/leather_rider_jacket.html

Bought by a reader for $3000 as: "The details and innovations are subtle, but that's always a sign of great design. If anything, you got a really good deal."

I'm confused, all i see is a cheap mall Cafe Racer....

Benproof · Dec 9, 2016

Yes... death by leather mall jacket.

Stone Island's Massimo Osti's legendary fame has a lot to do with his desirability for his cult following, as well as for the MA Strum crowd.

It's a mall jacket for fashion and Pitti Uomo - not a craftmanship artisanal workwear jacket like Aero, Lewis Leathers. I'm starting to think even Belstaff jackets are nicer than Stone Island.

John Warr · Dec 9, 2016

Speaking as a wearer of motorcycle jackets I would say that simplicity is your friend. Seams and stitch lines are weak points. WHEN you come off, not IF you come off, simplicity makes good quality repairs easier (read cheaper) and good construction should limit the amount of damage to the wearer. Yes, I know a reasonable way to make a £3000 jacket. You have a one-off ( and I mean tailor made, each panel hand cut) two piece suit made, probably in kangaroo, and then throw away the trousers - the highest cost element in the manufacture of a leather jacket is the labour cost - unless it is sweated labour or unless you are using unicorn hide. Simples.

red devil · Dec 9, 2016

Never heard of fencing jackets either, from a quick google image search, it seems like a simple design with curvy zip or zips depending on the model. Wonder how it would work in normal use

handymike · Dec 9, 2016

He forgot all about "single rider" jackets, half-belts, and car coats

Monitor · Dec 9, 2016

Carlos840 said:
I was just reading through the comments, and the writer of the article describes this jacket :

https://www.firmamentberlin.com/stone_island_shadow/25652/leather_rider_jacket.html

Bought by a reader for $3000 as: "The details and innovations are subtle, but that's always a sign of great design. If anything, you got a really good deal."

I'm confused, all i see is a cheap mall Cafe Racer....

I really don't want to sound like a pretentious ass but this is literally an all around low quality jacket, from fit to leather. Random snaps and pockets aside; tube, baggy body and sleeves, both just cut straight from top to bottom. Zero attention to body shape given. It looks like horror even on the promo shots. Broken front which is like... The biggest nope ever on a jacket and a telltale sign of a true, authentic sweatshop cheapo. All this topped with leather that looks corrected af if not straight up stamped. Hell, Zara stuff is made better than this. . .

Stitching does look nice, though.

Interesting considering that the article in general is written in a knowledgeable manner. The leather observations are all correct and everything else makes sense. It's cool that people like different things of course but some of that info is way off.

El Marro · Dec 10, 2016

The author was obviously writing for a very different crowd then we have here. I cannot remember the last time I have read about anyone showing off a lambskin jacket on this forum.

navetsea · Dec 10, 2016

For versatility, black and brown are king. If you’re shopping for a main leather jacket, stay away from colored leathers, like bordeaux, army green and grey, for now.

Black and brown leather jackets are more acceptable if you’re looking for a jacket to wear almost every day. If your daily leather jacket is red, it’s hard for people not to think, “Didn’t you just wear that yesterday?”

I change my underwear daily, not my outerwear...

brown and black probably are easier for most folk to match with different clothes they wear with it, while colored leathers are harder to match, I don't agree with grey though... imo it is not a "colored leather" and it matches with everything.

technovox · Dec 10, 2016

Thanks. An entertaining read. Peter makes some good points, but unfortunately also a few glaring historical inaccuracies and questionable conclusions. Fencing jacket? Really? And lamb? At this point I’m assuming his target demographic is someone just looking to replace their leather mall jacket with… a better looking and more expensive leather mall jacket.

BTW here’s another article by Peter about washing your newly purchased “badass” leather investment--

http://helloblackbird.blogspot.com/2009/07/washing-your-leather-jacket-by-peter.html

nick123 · Dec 10, 2016

Problem is this hyper-fixation of buying based on what others think. We are a bit self-conscious here asking for fit critique, etc, but that is long after the fact. That's the root problem of these fashionistas. They buy to fit into some kind of approved socially hip box rather than using their own hearts and minds to select their clothes. It's why we see MA-1 and Perfecto knock offs which will be something different collectively worn en masse next year. People have minds, a beautiful gift, but sadly individuality is in hibernation. I suppose this article isn't a huge offender but had to rant. Tldr.

ProteinNerd · Dec 10, 2016

I read that a while ago, some interesting points of view but thats pretty much expected as he is a designer. I was scratching my head though over the leather MA1 and Fencing jacket getting a place in his list and not a standard half belt or even trucker jacket.

John Warr · Dec 10, 2016

red devil said:
Never heard of fencing jackets either, from a quick google image search, it seems like a simple design with curvy zip or zips depending on the model. Wonder how it would work in normal use

We see the two zip thing on 1 piece race suits. Some riders like them. Those zips are usually straight though. This is because zips do not like being curved. Might just get away with it with nylon coil zips which are a bit more tolerant but we see a lot of failed metal tooth zips where they are asked to run curves. Would probably be fine in the short term but...I bet they are a s*d to replace.

red devil · Dec 10, 2016

navetsea said:
brown and black probably are easier for most folk to match with different clothes they wear with it, while colored leathers are harder to match, I don't agree with grey though... imo it is not a "colored leather" and it matches with everything.

Agreed, grey matches with everything.

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