Best leather for a lifelong jacket?

[f2002q]

I wish you continued good fortune! I confess I’m one of the lucky one too. I still fit perfectly in my black tie dinner suit I got for my 21st birthday. I’d like to claim that it’s all down to a careful diet and a rigorous exercise programme, but in my case I think it’s mostly just random genetic good luck (my Dads stayed pretty much the same weight throughout his adult life too). My formerly lustrous hair, on the other hand, was not so lucky… you win some, you lose some…

You guys are blessed with the good genes. In college I had an A2 in size 42. Then I moved up to a G1 in size 44. Some mofo stole it and I took a hiatus from leather. Now I’m in a size 48 and that is with a strict diet and very frequent exercise just to maintain. .

 

[Jejupe]

Definitely not boxy or uncomfortable! These are adjectives i would use to describe my Aeros...
And the LW horse hide is probable the only leather in my collection i would give a lifetime warranty!

I second that! Only thing in my collection that might be as durable as LW HH are some goatskins.

To my experience most of the leathers Aero uses are chosen because they age quickly and start to look well worn in short time. This includes CXL FQHH and steerhide and Vicenza. I have never handled their Badalassi, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was similar.

Please note, that even if these leathers age quickly, it doesn't mean that they won't last a lifetime of normal wear. They probably do. But if you put really hard wear on the jacket (riding bikes, manual labor etc.) I'd recommend LW HH or some good quality goatskin. They can take the beating, rain, dirt and(IMHO) only look better overtime. What looks good, is, of course, subjective.

 

[Blackadder]

IMO the question is not whether certain leather is going to last a life time. It is the "best" leather which I take the "best" as- the leather that can take the most abuse and still most likely survive a life time.
I have a couple of 40s-50s motorcycle jackets that look almost like new only because the previous owners rarely wore them, stored them nicely and probably lived in an area with dry climate and have never moved. The leather on those couple of jackets actually are inferior to the others I have but still they look only a few years old, yet have actually survived a life time while the others look more banged up than them.
Anyway, I cannot offer any opinion as I have little chance to abuse my jackets. I live in a tropical city where I can only wear leather 3, 4 weeks top each year. I don't wear leather when it rains because the local humidity/climate is so perfect for mold growth that I need to clean my jackets every summer even though my jackets have been sitting in my closet and never got wet/soaked.

 

[zebedee]

If it's casual wear the asker's after, provided he's not living outdoors any of the Aero offerings would probably fit the bill. Bearing in mind heat, goat is likely to be lightest.

 

[Jejupe]

If it's casual wear the asker's after, provided he's not living outdoors any of the Aero offerings would probably fit the bill. Bearing in mind heat, goat is likely to be lightest.

Aero's goat is great, one of my all time favorites, but it's not for someone who wants their jacket to show signs of wear any time soon. The goat will have some creases, but that's about it. CXL shows scratches almost when something touches it. Vicenza is bit better in that respect, but in no way super durable. It's all about preference really.

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

So you're saying this looks good? Lol

PS It's for sale if you're interested

View attachment 429867

What kind of leather is this? Goat?

 

[Marc mndt]

What kind of leather is this? Goat?

Yep, goat

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

Yep, goat

Daaaaang. Goat looks NICE.

 

[willyto]

Goatskin gloves ~9 years old. I’d choose goatskin for a lifelong leathwr jacket.

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

Thought I'd give you guys an update on my Thurston Bros. fit jacket. My girlfriend was just randomly snapping pics, and somehow managed to capture me looking like Adam Sandler in "The Waterboy". Well, either that or Ben Stiller as Simple Jack in "Tropic Thunder". You be the judge.

 

[MrProper]

Thought I'd give you guys an update on my Thurston Bros. fit jacket. My girlfriend was just randomly snapping pics, and somehow managed to capture me looking like Adam Sandler in "The Waterboy". Well, either that or Ben Stiller as Simple Jack in "Tropic Thunder". You be the judge.

Maybe you should keep the fit jacket right away?

 

[ton312]

Thought I'd give you guys an update on my Thurston Bros. fit jacket. My girlfriend was just randomly snapping pics, and somehow managed to capture me looking like Adam Sandler in "The Waterboy". Well, either that or Ben Stiller as Simple Jack in "Tropic Thunder". You be the judge.

Hard to send a fit jacket like that back!

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

Maybe you should keep the fit jacket right away?

It was nice to finally handle the Vicenza and see what it felt like, but unfortunately the base of the zipper was about an inch smaller than my body, so I was never able to actually zip it up. Very nice jacket, though.

 

[morrison2951]

Goatskin gloves ~9 years old. I’d choose goatskin for a lifelong leathwr jacket.


View attachment 431766 View attachment 431767 View attachment 431768

Guess there's a reason that my dad's Cooper A-2 was goat.

 

[morrison2951]

It may be 75 years old but I don't think this jacket has been worn extensively for more than 2-3 years.

I know!

Awesome to have essentially a "new old stock" 75 year old jacket that fits like it does.

 

[Fanch]

Very interesting thread. Offhand I would recommend buying TWO jackets instead of one. Buy an Aero black goatskin and an Aero Seal Vicenza. Only other question is which two models to buy.

 

[nattevagten]

The Hooch Hauler and Ridley are both rather trim jackets

Is the Hooch Hauler even trimmer than Bootlegger STF? Is it heavily tapered as well?

 

[El Marro]

Is the Hooch Hauler even trimmer than Bootlegger STF? Is it heavily tapered as well?

I don’t know the answer to either of those questions unfortunately.

 

[nick123]

I haven’t been around here as much as I used to be, but I’m curious as to when the views of CXL’s longevity shifted?

As I understood it, CXL was always subject to fast wear and aging. I can see the idea of the topcoat flaking off being an effect of extreme aging, but I’m reading that it disintegrates now?

When did this shift in view regards to CXL longevity occur, and are there several examples out there?

I only have one CXL jacket now, but kind of alarmed!

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

I haven’t been around here as much as I used to be, but I’m curious as to when the views of CXL’s longevity shifted?

As I understood it, CXL was always subject to fast wear and aging. I can see the idea of the topcoat flaking off being an effect of extreme aging, but I’m reading that it disintegrates now?

When did this shift in view regards to CXL longevity occur, and are there several examples out there?

I only have one CXL jacket now, but kind of alarmed!

I was also surprised at all of the CXL hate that this thread inspired. I always hear that Chromexcel is tough as nails for boots and belts, and I used to read that it was tough for jackets, too. Now it seems like the thinking on that has changed...at least around here.