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Workwear Vests

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,737
Location
London, UK
As the weather in London is still hellish hot (damn you, Global Warming! <shakes fist and yells at lack of clouds>), I've all but given up hope of ever wearing a proper jacket again... but my thoughts have returned to the workwear vest. Are there any interesting suppliers out there folks are aware of? I like a lot of what RMC do, but for £800 I want leather rather than drill cotton. Really nice leather - and sleeves too! Bronson do some nice stuff, but invariably as their primary customer base is not yet Western, it seems they don't quite yet do "big Irish lad" sizes.... If all I wanted was an MC vest, I'd be grand, but what I'm after is more this sort of thing:

il_300x300.3174320726_7gsh.jpg


Maybe a bit 'sharper', for what I think the kids now call a "smart-casual" look... I do have a sort of sleeveless mc vest I've used for flying in warm climates in the past - very practical, but lacking in finesse if I want to throw it on over a collar and tie at destination.

Anybody got any leads where this sort of thing might be found affordably? I did go looking for Hepville, but it looks like Bela might have retired the brand, at least his Etsy store is on pause, and the holding message says 'back in 2018'... Anywhere else I can find seems either crazy money or the sizes stop at a 'small 44' .
 

Canoe

New in Town
Messages
5
I am happy with the Coronado leather vests that I have bought. They offer a number of different sizes. They have deals running a good portion of the time. I can not say what others experiences may have been. But the price was right and it serves my needs well. If you sign up for their mailer and buy pre-sale the deals seem good. https://coronadoleather.com/collections/vests
 
Messages
11,130
Location
Alabama
@Edward, Polo has put out a lot of vests inspired by vintage work and sporting wear. The RRL line focuses a lot on vintage inspired work and western wear. They usually release something annually that fits into that category of vest and they turn up on the secondary market quite often. Sometimes pricey but often found far below retail, RRL is one of my favorite brands due to fit and quality with minimal or 0 branding. I have three of their vests, all found for less than $150. A quick search of OFAS produced these examples.
143FC317-C306-4C6E-A8D5-53D73538D26B.jpeg
70E858B9-C650-4527-AB99-3F7D2CE221EE.jpeg
3393C6AD-C6C8-419A-BBCE-08FC6205BF51.jpeg
 

Fishbutcher

New in Town
Messages
39
Location
Australia
Sugar cane is another Japanese brand with some vests,
I don’t think prices are in the realm of Real McCoy’s .
Unsure who would stock Sugar Cane in your neck of the woods, you could try an online search.
Sugar Cane also makes clothing for Mister Freedom.
 

bn1966

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,088
Location
UK
I’ve got one of these from Pike Bros, very solid bit of kit in the ‘Elephant Skin’ shrugs off welding sparks apparently.

21818B4F-906A-4101-8555-A5982600D516.jpeg
 

Davy Crockett

A-List Customer
Messages
368
Location
UK
Edward,
You could try the Stuffshanghai eBay shop, although they are small sizing they go up to 7xl, I’m normally an xl which equates to a 4XL in their sizing, they have a good variety of styles but the site takes a bit of trolling through as they have so many products, they are very well priced!

D
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,737
Location
London, UK
Thank-you all very much, a lot of great leads to go on there. I'll check them all out. :)

@Bamaboots - 'OFAS'! That's one from the old days! I remember when the management got so many queries as to what that was about they asked us all to stop using it! A nice TFL memory from my early days here. :)
 

Short Balding Guy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,557
Location
Minnesota, USA
Edward; How about a Filson vest? I wear Filson wool and moleskin vests often. They are durable, fit well over things, classic features and can be found on Ebay (and the like) for less than the expensive retail price they go for. They even have western style vests in the same materials.

The Filson moleskin are lighter and are darn sharp. The wool are just plain classics that are superb in my corner of the worlds climate.

Many pics on this thread:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/filson-coats-anyone.87081/

Another option to consider along with the sage wisdom in the previous posts.

Cheers, Eric -
 

DanielPetmr

New in Town
Messages
41
As the weather in London is still hellish hot (damn you, Global Warming! <shakes fist and yells at lack of clouds>), I've all but given up hope of ever wearing a proper jacket again... but my thoughts have returned to the workwear vest. Are there any interesting suppliers out there folks are aware of? I like a lot of what RMC do, but for £800 I want leather rather than drill cotton. Really nice leather - and sleeves too! Bronson do some nice stuff, but invariably as their primary customer base is not yet Western, it seems they don't quite yet do "big Irish lad" sizes.... If all I wanted was an MC vest, I'd be grand, but what I'm after is more this sort of thing:

il_300x300.3174320726_7gsh.jpg


Maybe a bit 'sharper', for what I think the kids now call a "smart-casual" look... I do have a sort of sleeveless mc vest I've used for flying in warm climates in the past - very practical, but lacking in finesse if I want to throw it on over a collar and tie at destination.

Anybody got any leads where this sort of thing might be found affordably? I did go looking for Hepville, but it looks like Bela might have retired the brand, at least his Etsy store is on pause, and the holding message says 'back in 2018'... Anywhere else I can find seems either crazy money or the sizes stop at a 'small 44' . Morocco desert trips beckon you to explore the enchanting Sahara, ride camels, and immerse yourself in the unique Berber traditions. Experience the awe-inspiring landscapes and cultural richness of Morocco's desert regions on these memorable journeys.
I really have no need, and don't want to wear my tool belt / bags much of the the time. Working right out of my bucket boss works pretty well. If I'm using more than one type of fastener I seem to use the belt. I'm not completely sold on the Blaklader vest. I'll get a big enough size, that's not the problem. Too hot in the Summer, not sure ? I keep trying them on......what's $60 to give it a try. Not a big deal. What are you guys doing to get away from belt / bags ? Have you tried the Blaklader vest ? Your opinion of them or alternatives ?
 

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