Psychology: The One

Brettafett · May 3, 2018

Well, I do have in my mind two 'perfect' A-2 jackets that I've been looking for all these years.
Come close, but they still elude me... Funny, when you think whats available today...
In the search, I've been open to any and all flight jackets... this is where I have learned so much about them and the period... I've come to appreciate both mid range and top tier jackets.
My search continues, but as has been said, the search and the discovery has become so much fun.
Even if I found 'the one/s', I'd still continue to buy the occasional jacket, but probably be less motivated

Cripes its an expensive hobby though...

El Marro · May 3, 2018

I too have come to the realization that there is no "One" jacket for me. Early on in my quest I truly believed that I was on the cusp of finding the perfect jacket and that would be the end of the hunt for me. First it was a Teamster, then a Bootlegger, then a Langlitz Columbia, finally a Langlitz Cascade with a bunch of mods.
Well, I now own all of these jackets (plus a bunch more I forgot to mention) and I enjoy wearing all of them. None of them is the "One" though. Like many others here I truly enjoy the the searching, planning, and waiting that defines our hobby. I think that I'm actually relieved to accept that there is no perfect jacket for me and that way the quest may never end.

sweetfights · May 3, 2018

handymike said:
I'm very happy with my "keeper", but I do want a black jacket...or maybe darkish greenish/blue.

Midnight Blue perhaps!?

Big J · May 3, 2018

I think that for me, accepting that there is no 'one' helps me appreciate other peoples jackets, and that gives me further inspiration for my next one.
On a tangent, but I've never sold any of my jackets (although I did give one away), I wonder if believers of the 'one' are more likely to flip jackets?

Brettafett · May 3, 2018

Indeed.

Edward · May 3, 2018

Another thought... I could never settle on one jacket now as I've become a bit of a peacock, or anarcho-dandyist in some circles, and like different looks. When I was nineteen, I only wanted to look like a young DeeDee Ramone, so a One Jacket Policy (are there Leather Jacket Maoists?

) worked for that. Maybe it's part of a wider desire some folks have for a signature look?

Doctor Damage · May 3, 2018

I think the big barrier to finding "the one jacket to rule them all" is Person A making the mistake of thinking that a jacket which suits Person B will also suit A, when in fact A should be looking for a completely different jacket which is more suitable to A and which will look as awesome on A as B's jacket looks on B, but is in fact a completely different jacket. I hope that makes sense. I guess I could say don't keep trying to look like Brando in The Wild One when there's a very good chance, in fact almost a certainty, that a jacket just like that, no matter how much it suited Brando, wouldn't suit you at all.

Gamma68 · May 3, 2018

This is a very interesting thread and I'm glad the OP launched the discussion.

I'm sure the "thrill of the hunt" is a big reason why I continually search for another jacket. I'm also certain many of us have a kind of obsessive "collectors" personality. The late author Steven Martin (not the comedian) wrote about this very eloquently in his memoir about collecting opium antiques. He became the world's foremost authority on opium collectibles. And yes, he also became an opium addict.

My parents are antiques dealers. They used to drag me and my kid sister off to flea markets every weekend as we were growing up. Since antique furniture didn't turn me on, they encouraged my interest in collecting comic books and baseball cards. Thankfully, my collections remain intact.

Moving on to adulthood, my interests turned toward collecting records, books, tube radios, art, and now clothing. Weight loss had something to do with that, since I had to rebuild my entire wardrobe. I also became more interested in the appearance I project through the clothes I wear. I want my clothes to reflect who I am, while providing a means to express my creativity and push my own boundaries. I never would have thought of wearing a Perfecto-style jacket just two years ago, for example.

Another factor I enjoy in the ongoing search is contemplating the history of my jackets. I prefer vintage items and often wonder about the jacket's life. Who made it? Who owned it? How many people owned it? Where has it been? What did the owner(s) experience while wearing it? What stories could the jacket tell if it could talk?

I think about these things every time I put on my 1968 Martin Lane G-1. Every jacket has a unique story.

Seb Lucas · May 3, 2018

Doctor Damage said:
I think the big barrier to finding "the one jacket to rule them all" is Person A making the mistake of thinking that a jacket which suits Person B will also suit A, when in fact A should be looking for a completely different jacket which is more suitable to A and which will look as awesome on A as B's jacket looks on B, but is in fact a completely different jacket. I hope that makes sense. I guess I could say don't keep trying to look like Brando in The Wild One when there's a very good chance, in fact almost a certainty, that a jacket just like that, no matter how much it suited Brando, wouldn't suit you at all.

Absolutely true. I've also made this point. And what's more, what suited Brando in 1953 would definitely not have suited him in later years. How we look can have a catastrophic effect on how a jacket looks. I've lost count of the amount of A2's I've seen on tubby, middle aged men that look sloppy and unprepossessing.

Seb Lucas · May 3, 2018

Gamma68 said:
I want my clothes to reflect who I am, while providing a means to express my creativity and push my own boundaries.

I'm always curious when people talk romantically like this. Not a criticism, it's just that we're all different - I have no idea who I am, I have nothing I want to express and 'creativity' and 'boundaries' are just words to me.

Gamma68 · May 3, 2018

Seb Lucas said:
I'm always curious when people talk romantically like this. Not a criticism, it's just that we're all different - I have no idea who I am, I have nothing I want to express and 'creativity' and 'boundaries' are just words to me.

As was expressed by others earlier in this thread, to some people clothes are utilitarian and serve simply as protection from the elements. To others, clothes are something more.

Big J · May 3, 2018

@Gamma68, when any Lounger says something like that, I think 'yeah, sure you do' and have a chuckle to myself. Because if they were telling the truth they wouldn't be here discussing vintage, repro and artisanal products, they'd be at the mall checking out the cheapest fleece or gore-Tex clone.
It smacks of affected disdain.
I don't know why some people who love clothes feel like they have to pretend they don't.
I love clothes! They make me look good!

zebedee · May 4, 2018

It's pretty difficult to separate self-image from any form of clothing that a person wears, but feeling diminished if you can't wear something (as if part of your persona resides in a... jacket) is always a bit of a concern. We used to have a father at the school who was a very large, overweight man, mid-fifties, bad dye job, would come in to parents' evenings in a flying jacket with a mouton collar and sunglasses. He looked like a pork pie attending an historical re-enactment sponsored by the Pillsbury Doughboy. Desperately sad- it was pathetic in the proper sense of the word. However, if he didn't care (and I imagine he didn't), it probably didn't matter for him.

Another guy, similar age, really fit, would come in wearing a very well-fitted black leather car coat which suited him down to the ground and nobody would have thought twice. I wonder if the second guy even thought about his clothes, but I'm certain the first guy really did, and had gotten it wrong...

ton312 · May 4, 2018

Interesting thread morph. Go figure

I love clothes too. Jackets most of all but I'm super particular about how everything fits. T shirts, button downs and all my pants. I have a very narrow set of acceptability with these items and when I find ones that work I buy them in multiple. Certainly doesn't have to be expensive. My most worn items are $7 t- shirts. But the fit is perfect. So I buy one for everyday of the week and plus one for laundry lapse. Jackets are the only place I loosen the grip and will even experiment. Utility is my last concern. A Carhartt chore coat would be all I needed if it weren't. And even that has more panache than a north face barf monger fleece.

Big J · May 4, 2018

@ton, I agree. I bulk buy the same cheap white cotton t-shirt.

ton312 · May 4, 2018

Big J said:
@ton, I agree. I bulk buy the same cheap white cotton t-shirt.

Mine are navy blue. High five!

morrison2951 · May 4, 2018

I've had my "one" for years now- a Vanson Enfield. What other leather jackets strive to be!

Seb Lucas · May 4, 2018

Gamma68 said:
As was expressed by others earlier in this thread, to some people clothes are utilitarian and serve simply as protection from the elements. To others, clothes are something more.

Huh? I wasn't talking about clothes. I was talking about how you were using language to describe yourself.

Gamma68 · May 4, 2018

Seb Lucas said:
Huh? I wasn't talking about clothes. I was talking about how you were using language to describe yourself.

Then I don't understand the point you were trying to make.

I'm a writer by profession. I enjoy creative expression through language. I also think a person can have some fun and express some creativity through their clothing choices.

There was a time when I didn't have the interest or frankly the confidence to wear a motorcycle jacket. That has changed, and it's what I meant when I talked about "expanding my boundaries." I'm no longer skittish about wearing a Perfecto-style jacket or cafe racer in public. This forum has opened up a whole new world for me, and I'm grateful for that. It's a fun journey and I'm still exploring all the available leather jacket styles and variations.

At the risk of sounding overly philosophical, I'll say this: Life is always about learning and growing as a person. If you have no idea who you are and have nothing to express, then you're not living (no offense).

Nothing about any of this is "romantic." It's just fun.

Seb Lucas · May 4, 2018

The romantic can't be fun? Relax man. Just making an observation about the style of language used which had a highly romantic tone to it. Most ideas that draw connections between indentity, creativity and personal expression draw from the romantic tradition. My background is writing and counseling so I'm attuned to this stuff.

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