"There are jackets out there that simply don't love me as much as I love them - and, as great as they are, they just don't suit me - so I'm better with something else - and something surprisingly so".
I love that phrase
I learned that one as I had once set my heart on an ELC Star Sportswear A2. I had the 352nd A2 already, but I wanted something else that was also neater and could be better dressed up with a pair of good chinos, as well as down with jeans. I'd read up all I could about the Star Sportswear model and had a sample of leather and felt convinced, 100%, that it was just what I wanted - with the sharper collar and inset sleeves and the trim cut and really dark brown (blues and browns tend to be "my" colour). Oh yes, that was the one for me! And I held off on my purchase and off I went to England and then the airshow at RAF Duxford (not convenient for me - it's a big detour, but always worth it) and all the jackets - what a grand day out!
And, after all the reading and expectation, I finally tried on the Star Sportswear A2 …
And it looked rubbish on me. My friend agreed. It was great, don't get me wrong - but, well, it just didn't suit me! I was amazed. I hadn't expected that at all.
So, darn. 3600 miles for that. I felt rather deflated.
So I mused around the racks wondering "What now?"
And I came across ELC's black Luftwaffe jacket. I'd never even considered one as my mate had had one back around 1990, but I'd never been a big fan of his as I hadn't liked the hide - which was steerhide then. But hey, this one - it was black HH! And I tried it on - and bingo! I'd never had a black leather jacket before - I'd never expected to ever have one, as I never thought they were me, right? And this one was one of the remaining few before they were moving over to the "Time Worn" finish - and I like them without that, preferring to age them myself by wearing them.
Well, this one was it. Wow. I was amazed again. And my friend agreed.
And I got it. I immediately just knew it was a winner right there and then. And I still love it. And it remains my only black leather jacket.
And that's what I mean about not knowing. You can walk away with something entirely different - and unexpected - and altogether better.
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