anyone ever try these guys?

[Pdxgeo]

http://independencebrothers.com/about/

Their double rider in goat, custom fitted for under $300 sounds interesting...and they sound open to customization.

Just curious.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

 

[ButteMT61]

Not wanting to sound bah-humbug, but those look (to me) pretty awful...use that money on a great flipped jacket instead. or keep saving...

 

[Pdxgeo]

Yeah looked on a computer screen...even on my phone i was fairly sure a sub 300 was gonna be rubbish but custom sized in decent leather like goatskin sounded interesting for a starter jacket, esp a double rider as a fashion piece. But yes I would probably sooner look for a second hand winner at a similar cost. In fact even though Im NOT in the market Im very tempted by a couple of recent classified offerings!

 

[Sloan1874]

Doesn't do anything for me. There's better out there for not much more - either used or new. Save, save, save!

 

[Monitor]

Not wanting to sound bah-humbug, but those look (to me) pretty awful...use that money on a great flipped jacket instead. or keep saving...

Yeah, didn't want to be the first one to say something but... Yeah.

I mean, doesn't look badly made at all and I really do appreciate the effort but the selection is so incredibly uninspired I would really like to know what possessed them to think these four styles would get anyone's attention. Well, there's a mention of TOJ in the About blurb so no wonder. I mean, a fashion Perfecto, man... There's really plenty of those around.

 

[ton312]

What @ButteMT61 said. That $ could go so much further on a flipper or used jacket of immensely better quality.

 

[tropicalbob]

Given the lack of information on the website and the fact that the two owners look to be still in high school, I think Id listen to the sound advice given above about saving one's money.

 

[jacketjunkie]

I'd agree with the posters above. For 300-400 dollar, I'd rather get a used vanson or saving some more for a new one or a Johnson for just 600.

 

[ProteinNerd]

The moto looks ok imo but its nothing better or worse than typical mall jacket.

"His friend told him about a shop in the garment district of Mumbai, and 3 months later Independence Brothers was born."

The info section describes exactly what it is...a jacket made by a garment shop in India...and thats exactly what you will get, not better not worse. I agree that with a little searching you could get a much better jacket someone is flipping for around that price.

 

[El Marro]

I would rather have a Gustin leather jacket than anything I saw on that website.

 

[nick123]

I give them credit for their endeavor. Kind of ballsy (in a good way) to set off and anchor production in India. Those ToJ jackets literally scare me though.

 

[navetsea]

the DR & moto both have totally straight sleeves and decoration zip cuff your fist could go in and out that cuff fully zipped, and the sleeves end on the wrist, obvious fashion jackets.
the "bomber"s... I failed to find any decent words in my vocabulary to describe them... .. let's just say if you try to burn that lamb bombers as offerring to god, its smoke won't reach heaven

 

[El Marro]

the DR & moto both have totally straight sleeves and decoration zip cuff your fist could go in and out that cuff fully zipped, and the sleeves end on the wrist, obvious fashion jackets.
the "bomber"s... I failed to find any decent words in my vocabulary to describe them...

I would not have recognized that as as an MA-1 attempt unless I read it in their description... On the other hand, I feel a bit like Scrooge writing mean things about these guys on Christmas Day. I agree with Nick123 that it is a bold endeavor to start any kind of business and I wish them luck.

 

[bn1966]

Good luck but I won't be investing

 

[Sloan1874]

Big problem with using an overseas company for this sort of endeavour is that the lack of oversight makes quality control difficult. Throw in an offer of modifications and you've got a recipe for a short-lived disaster: what happens when the jackets arrive, only with the wrong specs because of a breakdown in communication, or poor construction? Does the maker send them back, incurring extra costs, or send them on to the customer, in the hope that they'll be grateful to have received something for their money?
Also, you've got to wonder, if they've made Indian production a selling point, how much research these guys have done...

 

[ton312]

how much research these guys have done...

Bingo! Doesn't look like much...no pics of the back of the jackets either, not that it would matter much for me with regard to these but even the $129 eBay guys give you a shot of the back!

 

[Robbie_IB]

Hey guys,

My name is Robbie and I am the co-founder of the leather jacket company that is being discussed in this thread. I saw a lot of traffic coming from this site so I decided to take a look. This is my first time hearing about the forum "The Fedora Lounge" but it looks like there are a lot of knowledgeable people here.

Firstly, I want to thank everyone for their feedback and comments because I started this company recently. This information from you guys is great for helping me improve my business and I truly thank you for that.

I will go through the posts and do my best to answer your questions and comments.

http://independencebrothers.com/

Their double rider in goat, custom fitted for under $300 sounds interesting...and they sound open to customization.

Just curious.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Well, I'm a bit late for the gift-giving holidays but Happy New Year to you and everyone else!

The Double Rider is definitely a favorite among our customers although we don't get many requests for goat. Usually, lamb is the preferred leather. However, I will say that we shipped out a goat leather Double Rider to a customer a few weeks ago and he e-mailed us saying he absolutely loved it.

Personally, I like lamb leather a bit better than goat but I can understand those people who want something a little different.

Yes, we are open to customization. For example, if you want no belt on the Double Rider, we can take that off, for example. Other customization may be easier or harder for us to do but we will work with you to get you a jacket that you'll be happy with. After all, that is our mission and that is why we are here. We want to see you wearing a leather jacket that you want to wear out and impress your friends with.

Not wanting to sound bah-humbug, but those look (to me) pretty awful...use that money on a great flipped jacket instead. or keep saving...

Our goal is to provide entry-level bespoke leather jackets. If you don't like the designs, that's fine. It's not for everyone. Also, if you want to drop more money on a jacket, by all means, use a different company. We want to provide our customers with their first leather jacket that they have ever owned and custom-fit it so that the sizing is perfect for the best look at an affordable price.

Yeah looked on a computer screen...even on my phone i was fairly sure a sub 300 was gonna be rubbish but custom sized in decent leather like goatskin sounded interesting for a starter jacket, esp a double rider as a fashion piece. But yes I would probably sooner look for a second hand winner at a similar cost. In fact even though Im NOT in the market Im very tempted by a couple of recent classified offerings!

That's great. Leather jackets are always a good addition to a wardrobe, in my opinion. I own a few leather jackets myself (and, no, they are not all from my company).

Like I said above, we are providing brand new bespoke leather jackets. If you want a used jacket, then by all means, look somewhere else. Grailed is a great place to look.

Doesn't do anything for me. There's better out there for not much more - either used or new. Save, save, save!

If you don't like the designs or want a more expensive jacket, there are plenty of great leather jackets companies out there. Our company isn't for everyone.

However, I will say that I have not come across a company that offers our level of customer service from working with customization to ensuring your measurements are correct for the right fit in addition to the quality of our jackets for as low as $220 in the case of our Moto design. We don't do paid advertising and we take very little profit for ourselves. That is how we keep costs down. Our goal is to get as many guys quality bespoke leather jackets as possible because I know that feeling of stepping outside wearing a great jacket and having strangers compliment you on it. I want to share that with you.

Yeah, didn't want to be the first one to say something but... Yeah.

I mean, doesn't look badly made at all and I really do appreciate the effort but the selection is so incredibly uninspired I would really like to know what possessed them to think these four styles would get anyone's attention. Well, there's a mention of TOJ in the About blurb so no wonder. I mean, a fashion Perfecto, man... There's really plenty of those around.

When we selected/made our designs, we wanted to choose the simplest, most standardized styles. We are not a fashion boutique looking to sell exotic jackets. Sure, there are plenty of fashion Perfectos around. However, not everybody is willing to work with you like we do to make sure you get an excellent bespoke jacket for an affordable price.

Again, if you want something more expensive, try Schott out. I like them a lot.

What @ButteMT61 said. That $ could go so much further on a flipper or used jacket of immensely better quality.

Sure, if you want something used, go try out Grailed. We only make new jackets.

Given the lack of information on the website and the fact that the two owners look to be still in high school, I think Id listen to the sound advice given above about saving one's money.

I'll be 31 next month so thank you for the compliment

But seriously, you can save your money and drop $800 on a Falcon Garments jacket if that's what floats your boat. We want to provide affordable jackets and so we've done everything we could to keep prices down while also maintaining a high quality leather jacket that will last you many years.

I'd agree with the posters above. For 300-400 dollar, I'd rather get a used vanson or saving some more for a new one or a Johnson for just 600.

Our prices are under $300. Our Moto and Minimialist Bomber styles are $220. If you want to spend $600, by all means, go to Johnson.

The moto looks ok imo but its nothing better or worse than typical mall jacket.

"His friend told him about a shop in the garment district of Mumbai, and 3 months later Independence Brothers was born."

The info section describes exactly what it is...a jacket made by a garment shop in India...and thats exactly what you will get, not better not worse. I agree that with a little searching you could get a much better jacket someone is flipping for around that price.

Thanks for the compliment on our Moto style. Yes, our jackets are made in India but we went there to make sure we found the very best garment shop we could find for leather jackets. We believe the work our guys do over in India is top-notch because we searched long and hard for the very best.

Sure, Schott makes their jackets in the US, but most brands that you buy from also get their jackets made in India, in China, or in a third-world country.

I would rather have a Gustin leather jacket than anything I saw on that website.

That's cool. I like Gustin. Crowdsourcing clothing is another way to keep costs down. I checked their site and I see they are crowdsourcing one leather jacket at 66% funded with 11 days left. They are selling it for 400 bucks. We sell our jackets more like 220 bucks and we make them bespoke which Gustin won't do for you.

But if you like their design (I definitely do), by all means, go back it.

I give them credit for their endeavor. Kind of ballsy (in a good way) to set off and anchor production in India. Those ToJ jackets literally scare me though.

Thank you for the compliment.

Yeah, my brother had a "place" in line for a ToJ jacket for over a year and a half or something before he sold his "place" to someone else (they weren't giving out refunds but you could sell your "place"). I think a lot of people got swindled and nobody knows where the owner is now or what he is doing. He's not doing leather jackets, that's for sure. I understand the anger though... you pay upwards of $1k for a jacket, wait 2-3 years and then the owner disappears. Fantastic, right?

the DR & moto both have totally straight sleeves and decoration zip cuff your fist could go in and out that cuff fully zipped, and the sleeves end on the wrist, obvious fashion jackets.
the "bomber"s... I failed to find any decent words in my vocabulary to describe them... .. let's just say if you try to burn that lamb bombers as offerring to god, its smoke won't reach heaven

Yes, we are making fashion jackets.

Not sure what you mean about the Bombers. If you're going to buy from us, I would hope you would wear the jacket and not burn it! ;p

I would not have recognized that as as an MA-1 attempt unless I read it in their description... On the other hand, I feel a bit like Scrooge writing mean things about these guys on Christmas Day. I agree with Nick123 that it is a bold endeavor to start any kind of business and I wish them luck.

Thank you for the compliment. The luck is good but I want to succeed through hard work, perseverance, and serving others first.

Good luck but I won't be investing

Thanks for the luck. We don't need your money.

 

[Robbie_IB]

Sorry, I hit the 10,000 character limit on a single post so I split my response into two posts. Here is the remainder:

Big problem with using an overseas company for this sort of endeavour is that the lack of oversight makes quality control difficult. Throw in an offer of modifications and you've got a recipe for a short-lived disaster: what happens when the jackets arrive, only with the wrong specs because of a breakdown in communication, or poor construction? Does the maker send them back, incurring extra costs, or send them on to the customer, in the hope that they'll be grateful to have received something for their money?
Also, you've got to wonder, if they've made Indian production a selling point, how much research these guys have done...

Good questions!

We have a return policy but the gist of it is that if you get a jacket that is off in any measurement by more than 1/2 an inch, we will make you a new jacket free of charge.

All jackets get sent to us first for quality control so if we spot a problem, we will get you a new jacket. We certainly will not just ship out a jacket with problems and hope the customer is "grateful to have received something for their money." We want our customers to be ecstatic with their new jacket and most of our customers are more than pleased with the perfect fit they get in the design they picked. I am truly happy when I hear back from a customer saying they absolutely love their new jacket. That's what I'm aiming for.

Bingo! Doesn't look like much...no pics of the back of the jackets either, not that it would matter much for me with regard to these but even the $129 eBay guys give you a shot of the back!

So, you want pics of the back of the jackets. Noted. We will have to take some photos soon and add them to the site.

Be careful with the $129 eBay guys... the pictures they post are usually ripped from somewhere else and your jacket may or may not look like what you see.

-------------------

Whew, that took a lot of time and energy to respond to all you guys.

However, I truly appreciate your comments. I have already taken into consideration some of the things you have said and will incorporate the new ideas moving forward.

If you have any other ideas, suggestions, critiques, comments or anything else, I'd love to hear it.

At the moment, we are working with a web developer to make a new website so that we look a little more "professional". Not sure when the new site will be up but hopefully not too long.

Anyway, thanks again guys!

 

[ton312]

Sorry, I hit the 10,000 character limit on a single post so I split my response into two posts. Here is the remainder:



Good questions!

We have a return policy but the gist of it is that if you get a jacket that is off in any measurement by more than 1/2 an inch, we will make you a new jacket free of charge.

All jackets get sent to us first for quality control so if we spot a problem, we will get you a new jacket. We certainly will not just ship out a jacket with problems and hope the customer is "grateful to have received something for their money." We want our customers to be ecstatic with their new jacket and most of our customers are more than pleased with the perfect fit they get in the design they picked. I am truly happy when I hear back from a customer saying they absolutely love their new jacket. That's what I'm aiming for.



So, you want pics of the back of the jackets. Noted. We will have to take some photos soon and add them to the site.

Be careful with the $129 eBay guys... the pictures they post are usually ripped from somewhere else and your jacket may or may not look like what you see.

-------------------

Whew, that took a lot of time and energy to respond to all you guys.

However, I truly appreciate your comments. I have already taken into consideration some of the things you have said and will incorporate the new ideas moving forward.

If you have any other ideas, suggestions, critiques, comments or anything else, I'd love to hear it.

At the moment, we are working with a web developer to make a new website so that we look a little more "professional". Not sure when the new site will be up but hopefully not too long.

Anyway, thanks again guys!

Best of luck to you Robbie. It takes a degree of balls to speak your mind in a thread not exactly warm to your wares. It's not that there is anything wrong with what you've got but you should understand that folks here tend to purchase from established makers, building off a vintage aesthetic, from very established tanneries. Even more than that, the individuals who create these garments are held in very high regard as artisans, who have painstakingly perfected their craft. I don't suspect your target audience resides here, though I'm sure I don't speak for everyone. Again best of luck and Happy New Year!

 

[Pdxgeo]

Wow thanks Robbie for the detailed response. As a young entrepeneur you would be wise to seek and heed advice from the crowd here. Your target audience being first time (likely very young) leather jacket owners is pretty smart . maybe invest in a vintage jacket or 2 and dismantle them to figure out the best styling/construction methods. Anyhow, best wishes and Happy New Year, may 2017 bring you growth and success!