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What Is The Method to Your Leather Jacket Madness?

Coriu

One Too Many
Messages
1,154
Location
Virginia
How do you go about collecting leather jackets? What category of collector do you fall into? Here are some possible approaches:

a) I buy whatever catches my eye on a particular day. I am very spontaneous. So, I may have multiple jackets in my closet right now which look virtually identical to a lay person.
b) I go through phases. For instance, 5 years ago, my closet contained a lot of jackets of a similar style, ie cafe racers. I've since sold most of them and now I focus on _______.
c) I use a strategic approach. I try to collect the "best of" certain categories. For instance, below are a number of different ways we could categorize leather jackets. Am sure there are more. So, one might have in his closet at any moment in time what he/she thinks is the best...pick a word from each category, ie heavy, black, European-made, CXL horsehide double-rider from the modern era. If I find something that surpasses that jacket tomorrow, I'll replace it with the "improvement" and sell off what it replaced. If ones looks in my closet today, he/she won't see many jackets that look exactly alike. If you use this approach, what strategy do you employ? For example, which categories below do you consciously use to build your collection. For those engineering types out there, there area LOT of possibilities if you do the math using the options below.:)

Leather type-Horsehide, Steerhide, Goatskin, Deerskin, Cowhide, Lambskin, etc

Tanning process/Surface texture-CXL, Vicenza, Naked, Suede, Nubuck, Oil Pull, etc

Weight-Light, medium, heavy(ie competition weight)

Colors-Dark Brown, Light brown, Black, White, Colored, etc

Style-Classic motorcycle/double rider, Café Racer, Halfbelt, Trucker/jean, Car coat, Aviation/bomber, Blazer, barn/chore/utility/field coat(am grouping these together), etc

Origin-Japan, Europe, US

Period-40's-50's, 60's-80's, 90's-present
 

TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,286
I think I was an A but somehow got lucky in that the collection as it grew is more of a C. I do have some redundancy, mostly with the Cals, but even those have some variables (gussets vs no gussets, teacore vs dyed through, etc.) or with the cross zips, but again, some variables (brass vs silver, belt vs no belt, epaulette vs no, shorter vs longer, etc.). But I'm definitely more of a C now that I know what I like, what I want to have, etc.

Starting to lean more towards midweight jackets, especially living in Los Angeles, that's going to be best bang for buck.

I'm up to 22 jackets and probably have reached my max. But I'm on the hunt for a blackened brown Ridley or other similar D pocket as my last. A few of the jackets I'm hanging on to for my two sons and a couple more I know I should sell.

I think I've said it elsewhere, but if I had to do it all over again I'd want 10ish jackets. Basically 1 for every day of the week and a few "fun" ones like a B3/D1, colorful/unique pattern/vintage, etc. I'd probably have 3-4 Thedi, 1-2 Field, 1-2 Schott, 1 Cal, 2-3 Aero, 1 Vanson and be more than happy.
 

Jin431

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,912
Location
Bay Area CA
I just stock up on jackets I like at this time and 10-20-30 years down the line (hopefully) while I can still afford them. I tend to stick to patterns that have stood the test of time and also try to experience wearing different makers jackets while trying out different kinds of leather whether it be tannage/weight/finish.
 

hondurasdave47

Practically Family
Messages
627
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
I just stock up on jackets I like at this time and 10-20-30 years down the line (hopefully) while I can still afford them. I tend to stick to patterns that have stood the test of time and also try to experience wearing different makers jackets while trying out different kinds of leather whether it be tannage/weight/finish.
d. The Jin method. Buy all of the jackets.
 

Grayland

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,072
Location
Upstate NY
I always tried to keep it one jacket per "category" - for instance, I never wanted 2 brown half belts or even 2 cafe racers.

I was moving some stored jackets/coats in anticipation of having my furnace replaced. I saw jackets I didn't remember I had. I ended up getting rid of quite a number of them - none leather. If I rarely wear a jacket, why keep it? I expect I'll be selling off a few high-end leather jackets in the next month. Like S&S says, own fewer, better things.
 
Messages
15,563
Location
East Central Indiana
Madness..er no. Over the years I have tried several different maker's leather jackets. After I found my preferred fit and finish with certain brands and sold off the previous 'try ons', I ended up with six leather jackets that I alternate wearing and am completely satisfied with.

The end jackets....
20180416_182436.jpg 20180417_130740.jpg 20180420_133616.jpg 20180504_153544.jpg 20190208_181209.jpg 20191125_145526.jpg

The previous journey jackets....
 

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Mich486

One Too Many
Messages
1,690
Constant evolution in terms of what I like and no set rules. Sometimes I do move in circles and come back to stuff I liked and then got tired of. I think I like to change it up... I’m envious of people that are very set on a given style. Makes your life so much easier! Maybe one day.

The only limit I give to myself is on the number of leather jackets. I feel like “it makes sense” when I own two (one black and one brown), start to get nervous at four and never owned more than 5 at a given point in time. Feel like it’s wasteful (says the man with the exploding wardrobe). The thing is with leather I find that it’s rarely the right weather for them... too cold in winter and then it warms up and I reach for my cotton jackets.
 

torfjord

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,730
Location
Sweden
I don't really know. A mix of approaches I suppose. I also go through phases I think. Phases of expansion and contraction. In my last phase of expansion I had a more strategic approach. I was deep into Aero jackets and I wanted a small and versatile collection. Like leathers for different occassions and different colors. Black, brown, light tan. Jackets for colder weather and jackets for warmer weather. About a year ago my collection looked like this:

upload_2021-4-19_21-30-32.jpeg


That all went out the window when I bought my old Brooks racer on a whim. Made me realize I was more happy with that one than I was with most of my Aeros. Something special about a vintage find for me. Since then I sold off all my Aeros except my Hooch Hauler (still waiting for someone to bite on the 59'er Highwayman in the classifieds). I wanted to downsize and get down to 4 or 5 leather jackets. Few enough that they all would get worn properly. I couldn't do it. I used the money from selling jackets to buy new jackets. I've had less of a plan now. Less diversity in terms of leather colors too.

There is one line that I haven't crossed and am hoping not to cross, and that is having several of the same style in the same color. Like having several black cafe racers, or several black cross zips. If I see a super nice black cafe racer, it would have to be cool enough to make me want to sell my Brooks etc. I've never felt the need for several of the same.

There's also more of a forum logic and impulsivity in my leather jacket acquisition behavior in this phase. I see @Monitor with a cool leather trucker, I want a leather trucker, I see @JMax @Carlos840 with D-pockets, I want a D-pocket, I see @Robbie79 with a cool Harro, I want to try a Harro, I see @Marc mndt @HoosierDaddy with their Thedi jackets, I want to experience a Thedi jacket.

Edit: how could I forget to mention @ton312 and @MrProper and their awesome Fivestar jackets? You guys should get commission from my purchase with Shawn, cause it never would’ve happened without your posts.

At the moment I have these (including a Harro and a Thedi on the way):

upload_2021-4-19_21-31-46.jpeg


I currently don’t feel the need for anything more which means that this expansion phase has come to an end. But I’ll probably repeat this in about a year again.
 

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navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,755
Location
East Java
Honestly i'm on a very safe pace, 1 jacket a year kind of pace, i drew bunch of doodles and then i make printout of the one i like the most and order it, trying different models, starting with collarless centerzip very symmetrical design, slowly moving away with small band collar and less symmetricality, and into crosszip teritory with full collar, in the span of 8 years, so the way I see it its been a very healthy therapeutical journey in widening my vision. Saving a lot of jacket pictures obviously helped a lot in changing my narrow mindedness in style and fit, thank you to all members who posted many different jackets new and vintage, its been a fountain of knowledge to me.
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,755
Location
East Java
Do you hang the pictures in the closet for effect?:)
I make desktop wallpaper, I sit further back, stare at them slightly cross my eyes, to let them sink into subconsciousness.

btw just for clarification I save pictures of leather jackets, not men in leather jackets, I won't say it's wrong, but just not me.
 

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