Taylor Stitch x Golden Bear Moto Jacket

BladeOfAnduril · Oct 9, 2020

Hello gents. It's been a while. I hope you're all doing well. I've owned only one leather jacket in my life, and it was a poor excuse for one from a department store. I'm looking into purchasing a "real" leather jacket, and this Moto Jacket from Taylor Stitch has caught my eye. I'm really a fan of the racer style but never much liked the usual band collar. Since this version has a pointed collar it's exactly what I've been looking for stylistically.

Seeing that it is an investment, I wanted to ask you fine folks if you had any experience with one, or any other feedback about fit, quality, etc... to help with my decision. Thanks!

Carlos840 · Oct 9, 2020

I Have a Golden Bear jacket, IMO they are nice mall jackets, nothing really special.
The leather is pretty thin and uninspiring, the construction is ok but not great, the hardware is clunky YKK.
I would buy an Aero, a Vanson, or a Schott before i spent that kinda money on a Golden Bear.
If you can find a used one on eBay for a good deal go for it (mine was unworn with tags and i paid $200 for it), but not for $875, you can get much more jacket for that money.
I heard around here that the old ones are pretty good though.

El Marro · Oct 9, 2020

The Moto jacket has not received a lot of attention around here, although I’m positive I’ve seen a couple of them for sale in the classifieds. I know Golden Bear makes this jacket for Taylor Stitch and they have a good reputation that goes back decades.
I have thought about buying one myself from time to time but something else always occurs to me instead. In my opinion this jacket is a very “safe” take on a cafe racer style and for that reason I find it a bit dull. Having said that, if the numbers work for you and jacket fits well then I think you could do a lot worse.

BladeOfAnduril · Oct 9, 2020

Thanks for the responses! @Carlos840 thanks for pointing out some alternative brands. Aero's Highwayman appears to be very similar and horsehide instead of steer. It would run me $900 before shipping. The Taylor Stitch can be had for 20% off which brings it to $700. Without the discount the Aero would be a no-brainer. I have no experience with either so will have to do more work to evaluate the value of each.

Thanks @El Marro! Golden Bear does seem to have a good reputation, though some reviews I've seen suggest quality was dropping, yet some more recent reviews seem to think it may have improved again. Since it would be my first leather jacket, "safe" is probably just fine.

Kubatu · Oct 9, 2020

My 0.02: For $1075, or $875, or whatever the final price comes out to with inevitable discounts and all that, you can probably do a bit better for the quality-price ratio. I am not familiar with this particular jacket partnership, so I can't speak to the quality itself, but my understanding is that Golden Bear is considered to be one of the lower tier "good" jacket makers, if that makes sense. That's not to say they make bad jackets - definitely a step up from the average maker - and I probably think you would be satisfied with one, especially with your only prior context being a poor quality department store jacket!

However, this site's views on leather tend to be from a very specialized perspective, most people are basically leather connoisseurs, so their standards are going to be above the average consumer. $875 is a pretty significant investment, and I think it's likely there's a lot of brand name value built into the cost of this jacket. Of course, there's brand value built into other brands too, but some would argue they've earned it, whereas the sentiment here seems to be that Golden Bear has strayed from their reputable roots somewhat and moved to producing a fair amount of stuff in China, as well as a decline in overall quality. But I could be wrong, and I do know they still make jackets in California today.

So basically, I think you can probably do better. My first recommendation is always vintage stuff, but a jacket is only new once, and I know the break in process is important to many folks. Other brands to consider could be Aero, Vanson, Johnson's Leather, and Simmons Bilt. The price may be similar, or a bit more. But as I mentioned above, the quality-price ratio will likely be better.

All that said though, I don't want to try to talk you out of the jacket if you're a big fan of it. As I said earlier, with your background, you will probably like it very much!

Pandemic · Oct 9, 2020

I placed an order for a custom Simmons-Bilt this week. Under $900 delivered, with the hardware, lining and Horween horse hide of my choice and customized arm and body length. It's not completely made to your size, but pretty close.

The TS-GB looks nice, but I'd suggest spending a little bit more to get exactly what you want.

lina · Oct 9, 2020

Carlos840 said:
I Have a Golden Bear jacket, IMO they are nice mall jackets, nothing really special.
The leather is pretty thin and uninspiring, the construction is ok but not great, the hardware is clunky YKK.

I had one of the moto jackets for a couple of days, and this was my experience. It looked so good in the pics, but didn't quite live up to that in real life. I returned it.

BladeOfAnduril · Oct 9, 2020

lina said:
I had one of the moto jackets for a couple of days, and this was my experience. It looked so good in the pics, but didn't quite live up to that in real life. I returned it.

I guess there is that... they have a good return policy. Maybe I'll give it a shot and if its not what I wanted, send it back.

Carlos840 · Oct 9, 2020

BladeOfAnduril said:
Thanks for the responses! @Carlos840 thanks for pointing out some alternative brands. Aero's Highwayman appears to be very similar and horsehide instead of steer. It would run me $900 before shipping. The Taylor Stitch can be had for 20% off which brings it to $700. Without the discount the Aero would be a no-brainer. I have no experience with either so will have to do more work to evaluate the value of each.

Thanks @El Marro! Golden Bear does seem to have a good reputation, though some reviews I've seen suggest quality was dropping, yet some more recent reviews seem to think it may have improved again. Since it would be my first leather jacket, "safe" is probably just fine.

You cannot compare Aero CXL Horsehide and Golden bear Steer, that's like comparing a Yugo and Corvette...
There is more to it than just being leathers from different animals. For 200$ extra you get Horween leather, which is not much for very nice leather compared to no name leather.
You would get a much better value for money from the Aero Highwayman than the Moto IMO.
Also much better resale value if you decide it isn't what you want.

trainspotter · Oct 10, 2020

Personally, I would not spend $875, or even $700 on a Golden Bean or taylor stitch leather jacket. If you are sure you don't want to extend the budget, go for an off the rack stock Aero from Thurston (prices for stock Aeros Cafe racers from TB can be around $950-975 excluding tax which I believe is only applicable if you want to ship it within Washington state), or go for Simmoms Bilt custom, which will anyways be under $900 shipped. If you want something under $700, keep a watch for Aero CRs on the forum, there are tons of options in classifieds, just need to be a pit patient. No point of spending so much on GB if you can get combination of Horween & Aero at same price

Fifty150 · Oct 10, 2020

Carlos840 said:
I Have a Golden Bear jacket, IMO they are nice mall jackets, nothing really special.

El Marro said:
I know Golden Bear makes this jacket for Taylor Stitch

Kubatu said:
my understanding is that Golden Bear is considered to be one of the lower tier "good" jacket makers

Kubatu said:
Golden Bear has strayed from their reputable roots somewhat and moved to producing a fair amount of stuff in China, as well as a decline in overall quality. But I could be wrong, and I do know they still make jackets in California today.

I live in SF. My agency issued motorcycle jacket is from Golden Bear. I have been to the factory. I have seen a lot of the products at the factory.

Golden Bear is a manufacturer. They will make anything to contract specification. If the contract calls for better fasteners, quality leather, better stitching, etc. That's what they will produce. My motorcycle jacket is perfect, because it specified heavyweight leather, quality zippers, and it was made to measure. They also have less expensive leather, cheaper fasteners, and whatever else to lower prices.

Buying from Golden Bear, you can get top quality. Or, a cheap jacket made in China. Huge difference between their top of the line and their low price deals. You can not buy just the label.

Most high price jacket sellers will not dilute their brand with lesser quality. Golden Bear sells at high and low price. So don't be surprised to get a cheap jacket when you don't spend as much.

Carlos840 · Oct 10, 2020

Fifty150 said:
I live in SF. My agency issued motorcycle jacket is from Golden Bear. I have been to the factory. I have seen a lot of the products at the factory.

Golden Bear is a manufacturer. They will make anything to contract specification. If the contract calls for better fasteners, quality leather, better stitching, etc. That's what they will produce. My motorcycle jacket is perfect, because it specified heavyweight leather, quality zippers, and it was made to measure. They also have less expensive leather, cheaper fasteners, and whatever else to lower prices.

Buying from Golden Bear, you can get top quality. Or, a cheap jacket made in China. Huge difference between their top of the line and their low price deals. You can not buy just the label.

Most high price jacket sellers will not dilute their brand with lesser quality. Golden Bear sells at high and low price. So don't be surprised to get a cheap jacket when you don't spend as much.

My jacket was a Club Monaco x Golden Bear collab, it sold new for $1250 and is made in the USA.
Everything about it is cheap, it is without a doubt a mall jacket, a nice one i admit, but still nothing comparable to an Aero, Simmons Bilt, a Vanson, a Schott or any of the other brands we usually talk about on this forum.
It isn't a bad jacket, it's a great jacket for 200$, it's just a rip off at 1250$.

I'm sure they would be able to outfit a bunch of Police officers and these guys would be happy with their jackets, i just don't think all Police officers are leather nerds like we are...
Maybe they do have a magical range that is "perfect", all i am saying is that the Moto jacket posted in the OP doesn't look like anything special, it looks just like my jacket and i would never pay 875$ for it.

dudewuttheheck · Oct 10, 2020

Even with the discount, an Aero or Thedi would still be a much better choice. If you need to go lower in price, why not Vanson? They would produce a far better jacket than the Taylor Stitch one.

JoeNiblick · Oct 10, 2020

Here's my 2 cents:

As someone recently noted in another thread, no one at TFL comes here to save money... The fact is, we're here because we appreciate the jackets, including the thrill of the hunt and subtly of the details. And any route you take will cost you money, whether that's hunting for the perfect vintage jacket (and then figuring out how to deodorize the lining), buying a second-hand Aero, etc, or buying a custom made one. And none of them is guaranteed to give you the perfect fit.

You didn't say this, but I see it here from time to time: "I only want to buy one jacket ever." The reality is, even if you can find what you think is "perfect" right now, over time, your body will change, what's in style will change, and what you want will, therefore, change.

From a purely financial perspective, when talking about clothes you mean to wear (and not just collect), any item you purchase and don't wear is a waste of money. You've already said the TS jacket is exactly what you've been looking for stylistically. There are several benefits to the TS jacket: It's not bad quality, you can return it easily if you don't like the fit or any other characteristic, it's made in the US, and it's in your price range. Also, while it might not look like a custom fit, TS designs their products to be a reasonable fit for most people--So you're also likely to get something that fits just fine. If it's what you want, and think you'll actually wear, it's a pretty safe bet. I say go for it!

The folks here can opine for hours on value, quality, style, and fit, but it's all academic and theoretical. The bottom line: Buy what you want and can afford. Just be sure to google fit to see what people recommend!

breezer · Oct 11, 2020

being able to try a jacket on prior to purchase is priceless.........

BladeOfAnduril · Oct 11, 2020

Thank you all for your feedback. Is sounds like the bottom line is that the TS is "okay" but I could do better for not much more money. You've certainly given me things to consider. TS has a very painless return policy, which is a point in their favor. The Aero Highwayman would be the other contender based on your recommendations and my style preference but their return process would be more painful and costly since it's international. I'll keep an eye out here and on ebay for lightly used and see if I can find anywhere remotely local to me that has an Aero I could try on. I get the impression that their sizing is rather inconsistent. From looking at their in-stock Highwayman jackets I'd fit a 38" based on the listed measurements even though I'm more like a 42" chest. More research will be needed.

I'm not sure that this purchase would be my one-and-only leather jacket, but it would be for a while at least. I am leaning toward new or like new because I find the idea of breaking the jacket in and having it form itself to the wearer appealing.

El Marro · Oct 12, 2020

BladeOfAnduril said:
The Aero Highwayman would be the other contender based on your recommendations and my style preference

I wouldn’t be so sure about that. The Aero Highwayman has a boxy blousy fit that is quite different than the trim racer style that the Taylor Stitch Moto jacket is modeled on. You might be better off looking at the Aero Sheene as sold by Thurston Brothers.
https://www.thurston-bros.com/products/aero-sheene
Thurston also offers a fit jacket process that helps you get the fit dialed in before you order your custom jacket.

JoeNiblick · Oct 12, 2020

BladeOfAnduril said:
Thank you all for your feedback. Is sounds like the bottom line is that the TS is "okay" but I could do better for not much more money. You've certainly given me things to consider. TS has a very painless return policy, which is a point in their favor. The Aero Highwayman would be the other contender based on your recommendations and my style preference but their return process would be more painful and costly since it's international. I'll keep an eye out here and on ebay for lightly used and see if I can find anywhere remotely local to me that has an Aero I could try on. I get the impression that their sizing is rather inconsistent. From looking at their in-stock Highwayman jackets I'd fit a 38" based on the listed measurements even though I'm more like a 42" chest. More research will be needed.

I'm not sure that this purchase would be my one-and-only leather jacket, but it would be for a while at least. I am leaning toward new or like new because I find the idea of breaking the jacket in and having it form itself to the wearer appealing.

So a few words of caution here: Because so many of the Aeros are custom made, sleeve length, etc., is not consistent. You can't really really rely on the size tag--Instead, you need to go by measurements, which unfortunately, are also notoriously inaccurate. Also, while you can try to resell a secondhand jacket, you usually can't return it. You are signing yourself up for a whole different experience, AND you quite honestly, are not likely to actually save any money in the long run.

Seb Lucas · Oct 12, 2020

If I were in America looking for a jacket long these lines, I'd buy from Johnson leathers in San Fran. You will get what you want and it is local.

BassandB3 · Oct 12, 2020

I have that exact TS Golden Bear moto jacket in espresso, and I think it’s a great jacket. I’ve also had 6 Schott and currently 4 Aero jackets so I have some references for comparison. The Golden Bear steerhide used for the moto jacket is not thin at all, and it’s a very comfortable jacket that is well made. Actually I bought it after I got my Aero Highwayman because I tried it in the store and I thought it fit better—that was before quarantine; I lost some weight since then and now the moto jacket may be a half size too large. Keep in mind it’s got a full 26” back length (mine is a size Large) and the chest waist drop is not overly tapered, so definitely not a short jacket. I think the overall design is really versatile and sensible. You could happily just have this one jacket as your only leather piece if it fits you well. It is also fairly heavy in weight, so I find it warmer than my Aero FQHH or Vicenza. Requires no break in at all. One major thing to note—the website color is not really accurate for any of the moto jackets compared to in person. My espresso jacket is really a medium brown, and the whiskey color is really almost a bright orange. Hope this helps.

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