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Does anybody here add personal touches for their leather jackets?

TLW '90

Practically Family
Messages
610
I like adding personal touches to all my jackets, especially adding a pin or two to my wool and denim.
Leather I'll add a zipper pull of some kind, but pins are a different story.

Normally I wouldn't, but from the day I got the jacket I've been thinking this pin would be perfect for it. I was hesitant, but finally bit the bullet and I'm glad I did.
20230117_161206.jpg

My dad gave this pin to me as a kid and I just kept it in a drawer for a long time.
I eventually put it on my boonie hat where it's been the past couple years, but it's a weighty pin and always sagged so I was just leaving it there till I had a more appropriate place for it.
 
Messages
10,197
I like adding personal touches to all my jackets, especially adding a pin or two to my wool and denim.
Leather I'll add a zipper pull of some kind, but pins are a different story.

Normally I wouldn't, but from the day I got the jacket I've been thinking this pin would be perfect for it. I was hesitant, but finally bit the bullet and I'm glad I did.
View attachment 481629
My dad gave this pin to me as a kid and I just kept it in a drawer for a long time.
I eventually put it on my boonie hat where it's been the past couple years, but it's a weighty pin and always sagged so I was just leaving it there till I had a more appropriate place for it.

That’s very cool. I do add different pulls that mean something to me if the originals are missing.
 

TLW '90

Practically Family
Messages
610
That’s very cool. I do add different pulls that mean something to me if the originals are missing.
I like just adding one to the existing pull, but it would certainly be a more necessary thing if the original pull was missing.

I wouldn't add embroidery or patches or paint or anything too flashy, but I like adding small things to a jacket.
 

TLW '90

Practically Family
Messages
610
I do to denim jackets sometimes, but never to a leather jacket. I've sized out of leather jackets and sold so many that I know better than to ever assume I will have one forever.
That's a good point.

Personally all I care about is enjoying the jacket, and personalization is part of it for me.
I'm not planning on value or profit...ect, once my journey with the jacket has ended it will go to a new home.
Whether passing it down or selling if that's what it comes to as long as somebody can/ will wear it, if all I did was add a pin or two there should be somebody out there who'll want it.
 

hughesovka

One of the Regulars
Messages
177
Location
NYC
When I was in highschool, I had an enormous heavy duty black leather biker jacket with a bunch of punk band/generally antisocial pins in the lapels, made all the more hilarious by the fact that I was a solid 120 lbs of Southern steel at the time
 

Carlos840

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,920
Location
London
I would never put a pin on leather, it annoys me so much to see old jackets with holes in the collar i couldn't do that to one myself...
To me a personal touch is choosing a specific leather/lining/zipper/puller, not painting my jackets or punching holes through it.
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,711
Location
East Java
I like just adding one to the existing pull, but it would certainly be a more necessary thing if the original pull was missing.

I wouldn't add embroidery or patches or paint or anything too flashy, but I like adding small things to a jacket.
I have leather jacket I'm was not really into when it was new, and it was sheepskin, the color was wrong from what advertised on their website, but sewing on patches on it made it mine forever.

I sew patches and put on pins on my denim jackets that I feel turning boring. it gives the jacket a lot more youthful and fun, looks more hip to wear with sneakers. but I don't have a heart to prick my better jackets with pins or put on patches. if i need to look fun in my leather jacket I put on graphic tshirt or wear some accessories instead
 

TLW '90

Practically Family
Messages
610
I get that most people wouldn't put pins in a leather jacket, aside from this one exception I wouldn't either.
For some reason it just felt appropriate this time, but I don't imagine myself ever wanting to do so with any other leather jacket or adding any other pins to this one.
Most likely the next leather jacket I get will have a zipper, so I'd just be adding an easily removed zipper pull to it if anything.
 

TLW '90

Practically Family
Messages
610
How am I suppose to sell it then?

As long as it's not your name or something really unique to you that would make it undesirable to anybody else, then it should still be able to sell even if it has to be for less money.

I get what you're saying though, and I do understand that some people care about maintaining as much of a jacket's value as possible.
 
Last edited:

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,736
Location
London, UK
I would never put a pin on leather, it annoys me so much to see old jackets with holes in the collar i couldn't do that to one myself...
To me a personal touch is choosing a specific leather/lining/zipper/puller, not painting my jackets or punching holes through it.

It's the permanent holes left behind that bug me as well. I have a lot of great pins, but I keep them for berets an textile jackets.

Funny thing, though, while I don't like pins on leather, I'm good with patches or paint - if it's a specific jacket bought with that intention in mind. I would not be so keen to go all-out on an only jacket, or one where the style / look I was after would not be compatible.
 

dudewuttheheck

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,260
That's a good point.

Personally all I care about is enjoying the jacket, and personalization is part of it for me.
I'm not planning on value or profit...ect, once my journey with the jacket has ended it will go to a new home.
Whether passing it down or selling if that's what it comes to as long as somebody can/ will wear it, if all I did was add a pin or two there should be somebody out there who'll want it.
That's totally fair. Earlier on I would have said the same thing. It's just that I'm so jaded by my own experience having to sell jackets that I wish I could keep... at this point I know I have to be practical.
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,711
Location
East Java
I don't have suede or rough out jacket, but if I do perhaps it would be easier decision to pin it rather than smooth leather since the hole is rather hidden, If I plan to pin the lapel of my jacket or somewhere on the chest, I would install eyelets to it so it would look cool even with the pin off.
 

TLW '90

Practically Family
Messages
610
I don't have suede or rough out jacket, but if I do perhaps it would be easier decision to pin it rather than smooth leather since the hole is rather hidden, If I plan to pin the lapel of my jacket or somewhere on the chest, I would install eyelets to it so it would look cool even with the pin off.
That's a decent idea of your using a single prong pin, otherwise you'll need two and not every pin would line up.


Btw I use these " locking " pin keepers, they're basically just a metal plug with a pin hole and a set screw in the side.
I order them from a seller on Ebay called Cactus mountain design, but I'm sure they're available from other sources.
20230117_163318.jpg

I like them because I don't have to worry about loosing a keeper and getting poked.
I also like them for keeping single prong pins oriented how I want, even with the little tooth on the back they usually don't because that tooth is never really pulled tightly into the material.
With these I can push the keeper on really tight to draw the tooth in, I just have to clip the tip off the prong so it's not sticking out and poking me.
 

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