Five Star Leather Jackets

[Fifty150]

Had inconsistencies in the fit, the awful smell out of the box (which has since subsided), and leather is just okay, but it wasn't so bad given how much I paid for it.

About 5 years ago, this brand popped up on Amazon. It was priced at about $100 back then. In the back of my mind, I already knew that there was no way that they could sell a good jacket at that price. I ordered it anyway. I sent it back the same day. Overall, it was just bad. The leather was like something that you find on Sunset Boulevard with a "Made In Pakistan" label. The hardware was very cheap. It was nothing like the photos. The photos were of a very nice looking jacket. What they sent me was so far off in every detail, that it wasn't even close to looking like an A-2.​

 

[bn1966]

For me the leather is a huge part of the jacket experience and from my experience their leather in general isn’t what I want. Having been spoilt by ELC 5* doesn’t work for me.

 

[TartuWolf]

The goatskin I had on my button up half belt was pretty decent and thick, seemed like it would hold up real well.

 

[Camel24hrs]

In the repo A2, which is what I was into for a long time, accuracy is everything. There are some manufacturers who cover that well and then there is five star.
Once you got that accuracy it’s the leather. Nothing pops like high end leather in a jacket. Five star doesn’t do either of the above well.

Having said that lots of people can’t afford the price for a jacket that does it all in details and leather quality.

​

I have an Eastman 27752 and a 1401-P. People who don’t know a damn thing about A2 jackets stop me and ask me about them. Never had that with a five star jacket. There is just that much difference in the leather.

These pics are comparison of a five star 27752 and an Eastman 27752 details. The Eastman is 100% correct in the details. And five more of my comparisons pics are too large to post here.They really miss on the pocket size and the shape of the pocket flaps. But you get the general idea. As you can see five star doesn’t even come close. But again the Eastman delivered is 2100 and the five star is 410.

 

[Corsair42]

I'll probably get around to posting pics soon but I was sceptical of fivestar based on some of the reviews and the low price. However I liked the look of the pull up leather and bought a second hand A2 in pull up from Ebay. It was actually really good, I think possibly because they've actually hit pretty close the bullseye on a couple of contract jacket patterns at least and I had one of them - the Star Sportswear. The ebay jacket didn't fit so sold it on and had it remade in my size in Pull Up. Jacket arrived and was spot on. I'm a 42 usually and their 44" with two inches extra back length was a perfect fit. I left it on top of another A2 in Russett Vicenza and I'll be damned if they didn't look pretty similar. Total cost was £320 for the fivestar, leather was really lovely, fit was perfect first time but admittedly I knew I only had to go up a size and add two inches in the back so not a complicated order. The stitching all round is good, only very slight negative was the cotton liner doesn't quite feel like my Aeros or Eastman A2s, if feels a little thinner.

My tips for getting an A2 from fivestar:

Go up one size from your shirt size.
Keep customisation simple, I asked for standard size plus 2" in rear length and they nailed it.
Go for the pull-up, closest leather I can compare it to is like a slightly softer Russett Vicenza.

 

[baldipino]

I'll probably get around to posting pics soon but I was sceptical of fivestar based on some of the reviews and the low price. However I liked the look of the pull up leather and bought a second hand A2 in pull up from Ebay. It was actually really good, I think possibly because they've actually hit pretty close the bullseye on a couple of contract jacket patterns at least and I had one of them - the Star Sportswear. The ebay jacket didn't fit so sold it on and had it remade in my size in Pull Up. Jacket arrived and was spot on. I'm a 42 usually and their 44" with two inches extra back length was a perfect fit. I left it on top of another A2 in Russett Vicenza and I'll be damned if they didn't look pretty similar. Total cost was £320 for the fivestar, leather was really lovely, fit was perfect first time but admittedly I knew I only had to go up a size and add two inches in the back so not a complicated order. The stitching all round is good, only very slight negative was the cotton liner doesn't quite feel like my Aeros or Eastman A2s, if feels a little thinner.

My tips for getting an A2 from fivestar:

Go up one size from your shirt size.
Keep customisation simple, I asked for standard size plus 2" in rear length and they nailed it.
Go for the pull-up, closest leather I can compare it to is like a slightly softer Russett Vicenza.

Great information, sir! So from what I've parsed after looking through an exhaustive (exhausted? )400+ pages on this thread, it seems the simplest orders, i.e., slight hem/sleeve/lining changes, offer the best chance at getting what you ordered and being satisfied with your purchase?

 

[baldipino]

The goatskin I had on my button up half belt was pretty decent and thick, seemed like it would hold up real well.
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Do you still own the jacket? Merely curious if you decided to sell yours as well...

 

[floater]

Do you still own the jacket? Merely curious if you decided to sell yours as well...

Edit: oops I thought it was a straight zip.

 

[herculance]

I'll probably get around to posting pics soon but I was sceptical of fivestar based on some of the reviews and the low price. However I liked the look of the pull up leather and bought a second hand A2 in pull up from Ebay. It was actually really good, I think possibly because they've actually hit pretty close the bullseye on a couple of contract jacket patterns at least and I had one of them - the Star Sportswear. The ebay jacket didn't fit so sold it on and had it remade in my size in Pull Up. Jacket arrived and was spot on. I'm a 42 usually and their 44" with two inches extra back length was a perfect fit. I left it on top of another A2 in Russett Vicenza and I'll be damned if they didn't look pretty similar. Total cost was £320 for the fivestar, leather was really lovely, fit was perfect first time but admittedly I knew I only had to go up a size and add two inches in the back so not a complicated order. The stitching all round is good, only very slight negative was the cotton liner doesn't quite feel like my Aeros or Eastman A2s, if feels a little thinner.

My tips for getting an A2 from fivestar:

Go up one size from your shirt size.
Keep customisation simple, I asked for standard size plus 2" in rear length and they nailed it.
Go for the pull-up, closest leather I can compare it to is like a slightly softer Russett Vicenza.

Is that the brown HH pullup? That's the best one I've seen imo in pics from them.

 

[TartuWolf]

@floater
Well I do currently have a Vanson oxford, but that's going up for sale. And an Aero CR that is currently getting a new lining - that one I'm very likely keeping. So I might end up with one straight zip in my collection after all!

@baldipino
I've sold the jacket based on the meh pattern / mobility. It was not copied from some existing jacket, but rather designed based on some photos and their poor pattern making skills.
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...-belt-in-black-waxed-premium-goatskin.110262/

 

[baldipino]

@floater
Well I do currently have a Vanson oxford, but that's going up for sale. And an Aero CR that is currently getting a new lining - that one I'm very likely keeping. So I might end up with one straight zip in my collection after all!

@baldipino
I've sold the jacket based on the meh pattern / mobility. It was not copied from some existing jacket, but rather designed based on some photos and their poor pattern making skills.
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...-belt-in-black-waxed-premium-goatskin.110262/

Good to know. Thank you, sir!

 

[Corsair42]

Is that the brown HH pullup? That's the best one I've seen imo in pics from them.

Yes, I can't really fault it at all. I've got the same jacket in dark seal from fivestar and although the Seal isn't bad, it's not going to pass for anything other than a decent copy. I like it because I bought it as a day to jacket I can wear but the Pull-Up is really nice stuff, it definitely doesn't look like a "budget" A2 leather.

 

[Corsair42]

Great information, sir! So from what I've parsed after looking through an exhaustive (exhausted? )400+ pages on this thread, it seems the simplest orders, i.e., slight hem/sleeve/lining changes, offer the best chance at getting what you ordered and being satisfied with your purchase?

Pretty much, check your regular chest size, go one up from it for a casual fit. I'm normally 42 so went with a 44 A2. I know that back length on any jacket I wear needs to be just under 27" to not ride above my trousers and that's the only thing I asked them to do. The key thing is they managed to add the length without distorting the pattern. The A2 has a slightly longer front and they got that all in with extra rear length without messing up the A2 profile. Only other thing is I would request the olive drill cotton if you want a more durable liner. The lining on my pull up jacket is fine but it feels thin so no idea how long it will endure. I ordered another A2 in Seal and got the olive drill and it's really robust stuff. The two patterns I've seen that look the best are the Roughwear 27752 and the Star Sportswear, some of their other A2s look a little off on the details. The Star Sportswear and the 27752 patterns were apparently reverse engineered from original USAAF jackets so maybe why they come out so nailed down.

 

[baldipino]

Pretty much, check your regular chest size, go one up from it for a casual fit. I'm normally 42 so went with a 44 A2. I know that back length on any jacket I wear needs to be just under 27" to not ride above my trousers and that's the only thing I asked them to do. The key thing is they managed to add the length without distorting the pattern. The A2 has a slightly longer front and they got that all in with extra rear length without messing up the A2 profile. Only other thing is I would request the olive drill cotton if you want a more durable liner. The lining on my pull up jacket is fine but it feels thin so no idea how long it will endure. I ordered another A2 in Seal and got the olive drill and it's really robust stuff. The two patterns I've seen that look the best are the Roughwear 27752 and the Star Sportswear, some of their other A2s look a little off on the details. The Star Sportswear and the 27752 patterns were apparently reverse engineered from original USAAF jackets so maybe why they come out so nailed down.

Hey, thanks for such an informative response-- I appreciate it!

 

[AlbertOfTheHill]

I received my first 5* jacket some time ago and wanted to share my (positive) experience for anyone considering 5* in 2025.

I was looking for a minimalist cross zip that would pair well with casual tailoring. I didn’t have much luck with the second-hand market in Germany, with cross-zips tending to be both busier and stiffer than I wanted. Since this is my first foray into leather and I wasn’t sure how well it would fit into my wardrobe, I wanted to keep the costs as reasonable as possible.

I worked through most of this thread over a few weeks, so I had a fairly good idea of the risks involved.
I kept the order conservative, going with a 1930s cross zip sport jacket, based off an original 1930s pattern. The only changes I asked for were: shorter sleeves (2 cm), simplified pocket layout (keeping only the hand-warmer pockets), and materials (crystal goat with a cotton lining).

The Good:
I’m very pleased with the jacket. The measurements are exactly as promised, and the workmanship is, to my eyes, perfect.
I don’t have much experience with leather, but I really like the colour and texture.
The sizing is spot on — the jacket is very comfortable and barely restricts my arm movement. There’s also no pressure on the neck or in the armholes.

The Less Good:
The leather could be a bit softer, though I expect it will break in with use.
While the order itself went smoothly, communication with Shawn was quite challenging. Some of my emails went unanswered, and most of my questions were ignored even in the replies I did receive.
Fortunately, the Facebook group was very helpful in answering my questions about materials and Fargham was happy to send additional photos in the QC stage.

 

[Bart666]

I had good contact with them, but after reading the comment and advice from one person, I gave up.

However, this is Pakistan. We don't even know what can be absorbed through our skin when wearing their products.

 

[jeepTj98]

I think there’s a big market for companies like five star.. as far as I know, they don’t claim to be as the same quality as aero or schott. They are a discount manufacturer and serve a purpose. You aren’t going to get a Vicenza quality out of any of those jackets coming out of Pakistan. That may offend some but it is just a fact. Those are ok starter jackets. My kids don’t care about quality as much and will purchase $10 tops from China and they are perfectly fine with it. They will only wear them for a couple of years and then throw them away. They are disposable items.. I am different. I like quality things and can afford them so I don’t buy five star. Actually I did purchase a couple of their jackets out of curiosity but I quickly sent them back. Five star customer service is outstanding!

 

[Bart666]

I think there’s a big market for companies like five star.. as far as I know, they don’t claim to be as the same quality as aero or schott. They are a discount manufacturer and serve a purpose. You aren’t going to get a Vicenza quality out of any of those jackets coming out of Pakistan. That may offend some but it is just a fact. Those are ok starter jackets. My kids don’t care about quality as much and will purchase $10 tops from China and they are perfectly fine with it. They will only wear them for a couple of years and then throw them away. They are disposable items.. I am different. I like quality things and can afford them so I don’t buy five star. Actually I did purchase a couple of their jackets out of curiosity but I quickly sent them back. Five star customer service is outstanding!

Thats not good. For me is about mark or quality. It is also about ethics. Badly, marks like Schott do not want to make jackets exactly for you. So, I ve looked at 5 Star. Because my shoulders are huge, Im tall - I have big problem with clothing.
Throwing things away after few wears...not good.

 

[baldipino]

Hello All,

The following was not AI-generated in the slightest, just to be absolutely, positively, crystal clear.

I parsed through most of the 440+ pages on this thread. A thread of this length would invariably involve personal anecdotes both positive and negative. What I saw on their site intrigued me, and I discovered FTL. For me, it was a matter of teasing out what worked and why, as well as from what didn't work and why. My takeaway:

1) Overall quality. Most posters here agree that the materials used are noticeably better than the average mall store offerings, but fall well short of top tier hides and other components.

2) Their customer service is by and large very responsive and positive, with a few noticeable exceptions being delayed/ignored emails, and (at least in one instance) being denied a custom-order request after receiving an entire digital folder of requested details. This brings me to...

3) Overall satisfaction of final product. For many of the frustrated/disappointed/angry posts, I believe this was partly due to unfulfilled expectations. Some of these posts appear to be based on their experience and expertise with truly high-end brands and the fact that a $150-$450 FiveStar purchase, while similar in pictures to other A-list brand offerings, simply cannot compete with their $1000+ (new) other jackets.

3a) It appears that the most dissatisfaction arose from requesting very specific and detailed customizations, some of which I didn't even know were considered in the making of a jacket. Another point of dissatisfaction I've read was when customers sent in an image or 3 of a jacket not currently offered by FiveStar, then requested that jacket to be replicated with very specific measurements but without baseline dimensions. These instances seemed to have caused the most negative posts. Another was the quality and/or consistency of the leather used, particularly skins in russet. These were comments of 'plasticky-ness' and tepid reactions to grain (or lack thereof).

4) Conversely, the most satisfied customer posts on this thread appear to come from those who only changed little things (hem/sleeve length, lining) or choice of hide. These mostly seem to come from those who purchased military repros and the simpler civilian jackets. I don't recall any posts regarding the athletic/fashion jackets (anyone who has, please feel free to pipe in), so I cannot comment on those options. Hide choice also seemed to play a factor, with specific leathers having the best impression being pull-up horsehide, seal brown (the premium version) goatskin, and seal brown buffalo.

Personal anecdotes:

1) Customer service was as commented upon by previous posters. Shawn and Farhad were very communicative and responsive. The level of attention I received was truly commendable.

2) For my jacket, I upgraded from the capeskin as offered OTR ($120) to buffalo in seal brown color. I requested a shorter hem length, longer sleeves, a more tapered chest-to-waist ratio, different lining, side entry pockets, different patch pocket shape, deletion of storm flap snaps, and addition of an interior chest pocket. Final cost after the above customizations was $240.

3) Total time from initial order to doorstep was 28 days. After just over 2 weeks I inquired as to the progress of my jacket. Shawn replied the same day saying the jacket was completed and sent me QC pictures the next day. However, the color shown was their distressed hide with rather subdued grain. I replied that I specifically wanted their super-grainy, seal brown buffalo hide. Within 4 days, updated pictures were sent with those issues corrected, but they missed the interior pocket. This was remedied in 2 days, and approved by me for shipment. It was shipped out a day later. Actual shipping from Pakistan to the Seattle area was $60, arriving in 6 days.

4) Initial impressions were mixed. The jacket was folded nicely in their labeled bag, but the fold marks were substantial. There was a strong, initial chemical odor (though it was gone within a day and a half). The jacket was as thick and grainy as specified, and measurements were spot on, but the initial stiffness made it hard to put on and move around in. Having no previous experience with buffalo hide, I was a bit worried.

5) Impressions after one and a half weeks? The initial stiffness is gone, but this jacket is SO much heavier than my current lambskin jacket that I've needed to recalibrate my expectations for it.
This hide is actually soft to the fingers, but fricking tough. It will never have the drape of lambskin, nor should it. I bought a horsehide Perfecto clone in high school, and my new jackets acts more like that than my current lambskin.
It has already taken a 'set' around the lower sleeves, and the jacket overall is much more relaxed. It seems it'll take quite a while to fully break in, however.

Personal Takeaways:

1) I'm very pleased with my jacket. It fits as I'd hoped it would, and the leather is slowly relaxing not to mention now smelling nice. And it looks killer.

2) FiveStar has excellent customer service, at least in my experience. Their mistakes were quickly addressed.

3) FiveStar occupies a unique gray area in the jacket biz. They have very interesting designs, and their products have generous amounts of customization available. Their prices undercut similarly-styled jackets by more than half.
BUT.
Their products are made to a certain price point, and it shows in some of the materials and little details. These will never be mistaken for same-vibe jackets 3 times the price, from what I've read. I have no personal experience with such a high-end jacket, but I have felt ****py jackets. This isn't that.

4) As of now, I definitely would buy from them again. There are areas in which I am a detail Germany's WWII-era leadership (to my wife's dismay), but for my personal attire I'm more about my expression of style than label or stitch count.
I don't mind spending good money for things that are a priority, but right now my finances are predominantly occupied by our son's education, our retirement, and just yesterday a new stove. I enjoy expressing myself sartotially, but don't wish to go into debt to do so. Once my son's college tuition is spoken for, I should have the $ to buy an Aero Aeromarine.
Until then, I'm happy to keep thrifting the finds that speak to me, buying new, good shoes (never skimp on good shoes and beds, my grandpa always said) and wearing my new leather. I'm hopefully optimistic about the long term durability of my new jacket, and if a particular design speaks to me and I wish to buy it new (and they make a version I like), there's a good chance it'll be a FiveStar jacket. I will of course be posting follow-up impressions later.

My long-winded $.02

 

[TartuWolf]

Nice write up @baldipino! Glad you are satisfied with the result.
Looking forward to some pictures as well, including fit pics.

After just over 2 weeks I inquired as to the progress of my jacket. Shawn replied the same day saying the jacket was completed and sent me QC pictures the next day. However, the color shown was their distressed hide with rather subdued grain. I replied that I specifically wanted their super-grainy, seal brown buffalo hide. Within 4 days, updated pictures were sent with those issues corrected, but they missed the interior pocket. This was remedied in 2 days, and approved by me for shipment. It was shipped out a day later.

This is a good example of what to expect from 5 start - they "notice" that the jacket is done or actually start working on it when you poke them. If you had not noticed or called out the wrong hide they would have sent you something else than what you requested. Same with the pocket - not rocket science to look at the order sheet and do a minimal 2min QC themselves to notice that the interior pocket is missing. Just completely sloppy QC work and outsourcing that to the customer. Sure they correct it once pointed out, but slacking off in terms of QC themselves completely.