Banana Republic's Leather Quality?

[Kodiak]

So I went into Banana Republic the other day, hoping to find a nice safari shirt or something (hopefully on sale ).

What I did find was a leather jacket half-price. So I bought it. It's not exactly a vintage style, but is rather more along the lines of a band-collared motorcycle jacket. One example of this style (off the top of my head) is the jacket worn by Tom Cruise in "War of the Worlds".

I'll post a couple of pics of the jacket eventually, but I just wondered how good the Banana Republic leather is. Any comments are appreciated.

 

[Doug C]

I'm no expert but I have really been impressed with BRs leather jackets lately. The leather always seems to have plenty of character, which is what I'm looking for anyway.

Doug C

 

[Katie Brookes]

i used to work at BR, i saw a lot of well worn-in leather products come through while i was there... they can handle a lot of abuse: i got my mom a leather purse from there and somehow it is still intact (my mom destroys her purses pretty quickly)... keep an eye on the sale stuff though, i learned early on there if you ever buy anything from them full price you are being ripped off, there are always sales going on and almost everything makes it to the sale rack somehow... they can also locate things in other sizes for you in other stores if the one you manage to find on sale isn't right, etc..

 

[Edward]

No experience of BR, but that style of jacket I know (funnily enough, I'm wearing one myself today which I bought on eBay a few years ago - makes a nice alternative to a Brando style mc which doesn't feel quite right for the office....). Over here they refer to that style of collar as a mandarin collar - it's pretty typical on a modern, non-retro style mc leather. More retro styled ones are typically referred to as "cafe racers" and commonly thought of as being from the 60s, but as you'll be aware not everyone wore one like Brando's in the 50s (if they were even lucky enough to have a leather). From what I've seen of old photos and such from bikers of the l;ate 50s over this side of the Atlantic anyhow, this style of jacket was typically worn by pro bike racers - I suppose it was the forerunner of the modern one-piece race suit.

It's a nice style of jacket when you want something simple and elegant, and the fact that they have been in and out of fashion again over the last several years has meant there's a fair few floating around the used market and makes it easier to find a good one on the cheap. Now all I have to do (assuming I ever have the money) is figure out how to justify to myself owning that and the brando style I already have, as well as the black Aero Highwayman I aspire to one day!!

 

[Kodiak]

Aha! That's what they call it... a Mandarin collar. And yes, I would probably define this jacket as the "cafe racer" style.

Hmm... 50s vintage... I just like the look...

 

[Alan Eardley]

From what I've seen of old photos and such from bikers of the l;ate 50s over this side of the Atlantic anyhow, this style of jacket was typically worn by pro bike racers - I suppose it was the forerunner of the modern one-piece race suit.
QUOTE]

In the sixties the style was called a 'cafe racer' as a slightly derogatory term to denote (rather like 'boy racer') that the wearer was trying to look like a pro road racer, while cruising coffee shops.

The best examples were arguably made by Buco and Bates. They are highly collectable nowadays.

Alan

 

[Fletch]

Interesting how the term lost part of its meaning when it transfered to the eBay/vintage crowd. Caf?© racer sounds a lot classier than drugstore cowboy or all hat, no cattle, but they all mean the same thing: phoney.

 

[Edward]

In the sixties the style was called a 'cafe racer' as a slightly derogatory term to denote (rather like 'boy racer') that the wearer was trying to look like a pro road racer, while cruising coffee shops.

The best examples were arguably made by Buco and Bates. They are highly collectable nowadays.

Alan

Ah! That I didn't know - thanks! I guess it's one of those terms that was used back in the day as an insult, and came to be claimed and used in a different way over time.... like punk, for another!

I've seen a little of the vintage bike scene (Dad got back into bikes after a lifetime of cars from 17, into his 50s, I'm also an occasional, wannabe-regular visitor to the Ace Cafe up in NW London), and from what I can see there 'cafe racer' has also come to denote the sort of light, small-capacity but set up to race little bikes those boys would have had back in the day. In the 50s, the thing to do at the Ace was to set a record on the juke box, then run out to the bike, do a pre-determined loop route and be back at the table for the record ending. Fair few folks died on the road that way!!

 

[Edward]

Interesting how the term lost part of its meaning when it transfered to the eBay/vintage crowd. Caf?© racer sounds a lot classier than drugstore cowboy or all hat, no cattle, but they all mean the same thing: phoney.

Yip, and punk was "worthless, rotten" and in some cases a prison-bitch.... and it later became a label a lot of folks fight jealously over the right to "own"! How times change, eh?

 

[HDRnR]

Lost Worlds makes a few like that, I have the Easy Ryder in horse. Top notch...