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Buying a leather jacket

lthr

New in Town
Messages
47
Location
Europe
Your Japanses jacket isn't linedc in silk, by any chance? Silk will be breathable and can help with keeping cool in the heat. The hottest I've ever managed to wear leather in was 22C, but that invovledc a lot of sheer bloody-mindedness to manage it.... Summer here in London is usually anywhere between 26C and 34C. It's hateful. Money no object I'd spend July and August in a cold climate, and only return to London for the Autumn. In my perfect world, there'd be two weeks of 22C weather in July (because I like to wear linen sometimes), but otherwise it would never rise above 15C.

Yea, I agree. 15C is about the perfect temperature because you can wear jackets without sweating (or even 10C!). And no high humidity! I'm starting to hate humid weather more and more nowadays for some reason. Yesterday I went out and I could smell the humidity in the air, I hated being outside and went back inside as soon as I could only to turn up heating bit more and strip down to a T-shirt. Anything over 20 is starting to become annoying because you're starting to have problems with choosing clothing or sweating, especially if you have to walk somewhere. Unless you're a slow walker.
 

Barman

Familiar Face
Messages
62
Location
Bordeaux, France
It depends where you grew up, I guess. I'm from the south-west of France, 22°C is an ideal temperature for me.
I don't mind wearing light leather jackets (lambskin is great for that) with just a casual cotton shirt in such a climate.
 
Messages
15,563
Location
East Central Indiana
Guess I don't just don't get it. Why would anyone want to wear a leather jacket in warm...or hot weather. I only wear a leather jacket if the weather calls for it. Certainly not over 70 degrees. [huh]
HD
 

lthr

New in Town
Messages
47
Location
Europe
Guess I don't just don't get it. Why would anyone want to wear a leather jacket in warm...or hot weather. I only wear a leather jacket if the weather calls for it. Certainly not over 70 degrees. [huh]
HD

Because it's enjoyable to wear it.
 

Stand By

One Too Many
Messages
1,741
Location
Canada
Guess I don't just don't get it. Why would anyone want to wear a leather jacket in warm...or hot weather. I only wear a leather jacket if the weather calls for it. Certainly not over 70 degrees. [huh]
HD

I agree. It's what an L2 and just a polo/t-shirt is for.
And near/over 70C: just a shirt.
 

Stand By

One Too Many
Messages
1,741
Location
Canada
Plus, If you ride a motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket is strongly recommended for protection, no matter the temperature.

Agreed! That would be the exception! And it'd be a motorcycle jacket from a motorcycle store with built in armour - not ELMC or similar, lovely as they undoubtedly are. Dying in style is one thing - not dying at all is another!
 
Messages
15,563
Location
East Central Indiana
Plus, If you ride a motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket is strongly recommended for protection, no matter the temperature.

I've been riding a MC since 1964..and am one of those riders that has never felt that making myself an armored up rocketeer a necessity or requirement. Not appealing no matter who 'strongly recommends it'...especially in hot riding weather. However I do know that it is quite popular these days...probably more so in certain crotch rocket and across the pond crowds. For me..might as well drive the car with a steel cage wrapped around me. Thanks...but no thanks. I know..I know..that is blaspheme to the 'what everyone should do' crowd...and that 'you will get yours one day' philosophy. Oh well after 50 years of riding(yikes) guess I might survive...[huh]..and I certainly won't be sweating my azz off trying to enjoy two wheels and the open road. Seems I still have that option.
HD
 

Stand By

One Too Many
Messages
1,741
Location
Canada
Oh, I'm not going to argue with you, HD, or anyone in the US who even chooses to ride without a helmet. It's your absolute right, regardless of what is sensible and I respect that 100%. Honest.
Me - I'd want some carbon fibre in the jacket. Life is short - but may feel much longer in a wheelchair and unable to feed myself.

I just see guys up here in summer on motorcycles flying by me with a hot chick on the back and she's wearing her cutest little Daisy Duke shorts and a bikini top - with a massive helmet on her head - and I just wonder if she's even aware that she's a mere whisker away from total and utter catastrophe and wouldn't it be a shame - especially as it's most likely to be another driver's fault who just didn't pay attention to the bike making a perfectly legal left turn in a junction and T-bone them … Reminds me of the song by Blondie: "Die young, stay pretty". Except it wouldn't be.
But it's a free cosmos and folk can do what they want.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,082
Location
London, UK
Guess I don't just don't get it. Why would anyone want to wear a leather jacket in warm...or hot weather. I only wear a leather jacket if the weather calls for it. Certainly not over 70 degrees. [huh]
HD

I can only speak for myself, but it's less that I want to wear a leather jacket in really hot weather, more that I wish I neve3r had to suffer hot weather at all. I hate the sun.

I agree. It's what an L2 and just a polo/t-shirt is for.
And near/over 70C: just a shirt.

L2? You kidding me? Jinkies. Wore mine out last Summer instead of a light leather one day, and it was definitely significantly warmer. YMMV, naturally. When the accursed awful weather (anything over 20C hits), I'm stuck in linen until it goes away. I try not to go outside in daylight in July and August if I can avoid it.

Oh, I'm not going to argue with you, HD, or anyone in the US who even chooses to ride without a helmet. It's your absolute right, regardless of what is sensible and I respect that 100%. Honest.
Me - I'd want some carbon fibre in the jacket. Life is short - but may feel much longer in a wheelchair and unable to feed myself.

I just see guys up here in summer on motorcycles flying by me with a hot chick on the back and she's wearing her cutest little Daisy Duke shorts and a bikini top - with a massive helmet on her head - and I just wonder if she's even aware that she's a mere whisker away from total and utter catastrophe and wouldn't it be a shame - especially as it's most likely to be another driver's fault who just didn't pay attention to the bike making a perfectly legal left turn in a junction and T-bone them … Reminds me of the song by Blondie: "Die young, stay pretty". Except it wouldn't be.
But it's a free cosmos and folk can do what they want.

Mn. There are reasonable assumptions of risk ,and then there's plain idiocy.... Friend of my dad's was / I think still is a motorcycle chaplain up round the NW200 area. He's done more than one funeral where open coffin was just not an option. As you say, though, half the time it's the other idiots on the road that cause it... I certainly wouldn't dream of riding here in London. Not this side of them banning cars from Zone 1 anyhow (I wish!).
 

IXL

One Too Many
Messages
1,284
Location
Oklahoma
Guess I don't just don't get it. Why would anyone want to wear a leather jacket in warm...or hot weather. I only wear a leather jacket if the weather calls for it. Certainly not over 70 degrees. [huh]
HD

Now, where would Indiana Jones be with this kind of an attitude? :D
 

Stand By

One Too Many
Messages
1,741
Location
Canada
He'd be here, asking how to get the stink of B.O. out of his leather jacket! LOL!
 
Last edited:
Messages
15,563
Location
East Central Indiana
Now we are getting far away from just wearing a leather jacket in warm weather. Delving into what's considered safe..and what isn't. Many things in life are risky..and there are many riders who push it to the max or are so unaware when they throw a leg over that that they have no trouble dropping a bike or sliding down the pavement and usually have many times. They sure need any buffer that they can come up with. Some want to be a speed racer or stunt rider. See them every day in the summer around here. Couple years ago a group of crotch rockets noticed that I was stopped on a Harley at the stop light..so when the light changed and they all raced off several brought the front wheel up(in Harley defiance?). All of a sudden one bike started a one wheel wobble..went into the ditch..dislocating a shoulder and broke his ankle under all of his body armor and full face helmet. No..I didn't laugh after I stopped with the others to check on him..but I did shake my head as I finally rode off. I could imagine his posse riding the same way as they raced up to see him in the hospital the next day explaining to him that he needs to work on those stunts(and put on more armor :D ). Then there are those that feel motorcycles should actually be banned. They are just too risky and dangerous no matter how someone is armored up. No need for them on the road whatsoever.
No matter,though. In most of every day life..If I'm hot...I take my leather jacket off. If I find myself getting chilly..I put it on. Don't care how absolutely marvelous I look in it...if it's warm out and most everyone is in short sleeves..there's a good chance that I might just really look ridiculous.
HD
 

lthr

New in Town
Messages
47
Location
Europe
Now we are getting far away from just wearing a leather jacket in warm weather. Delving into what's considered safe..and what isn't. Many things in life are risky..and there are many riders who push it to the max or are so unaware when they throw a leg over that that they have no trouble dropping a bike or sliding down the pavement and usually have many times. They sure need any buffer that they can come up with. Some want to be a speed racer or stunt rider. See them every day in the summer around here. Couple years ago a group of crotch rockets noticed that I was stopped on a Harley at the stop light..so when the light changed and they all raced off several brought the front wheel up(in Harley defiance?). All of a sudden one bike started a one wheel wobble..went into the ditch..dislocating a shoulder and broke his ankle under all of his body armor and full face helmet. No..I didn't laugh after I stopped with the others to check on him..but I did shake my head as I finally rode off. I could imagine his posse riding the same way as they raced up to see him in the hospital the next day explaining to him that he needs to work on those stunts(and put on more armor :D ). Then there are those that feel motorcycles should actually be banned. They are just too risky and dangerous no matter how someone is armored up. No need for them on the road whatsoever.
No matter,though. In most of every day life..If I'm hot...I take my leather jacket off. If I find myself getting chilly..I put it on. Don't care how absolutely marvelous I look in it...if it's warm out and most everyone is in short sleeves..there's a good chance that I might just really look ridiculous.
HD

You make a good point (about both things). Though I can't comment on the first one: I can't imagine myself riding a racing bike. If anything, I could be riding a Harley, but that's still unlikely. Maybe someday; would like to at least try both to know how it is to ride a bike. But anyway, as for the second point, I see it this way: it's about wearing clothing that you like. But when I read it and closed the page, in a couple of minutes it hit me: maybe I'm thinking about it in the sense of not having pretty much any clothing that I wanna wear, and having had the idea of a leather jacket clouded the fact that I may enjoy wearing other kinds of clothing - I just didn't think about it.

Still, regardless of what I said before or now, I still wouldn't wear anything that makes me uncomfortable. Then again, the weather itself is making me uncomfortable when it's 25C outside...
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,870
Location
East Java
It's only normal for people living in different climates to develop different ideal temperatures. 25C is perfect for us, when it drops to 19C I would zip up the jacket and probably cursing myself since none of my jackets have arm warmer pockets, when it reaches 32C I will start complaining a little about the weather.
 

lthr

New in Town
Messages
47
Location
Europe
It's only normal for people living in different climates to develop different ideal temperatures. 25C is perfect for us, when it drops to 19C I would zip up the jacket and probably cursing myself since none of my jackets have arm warmer pockets, when it reaches 32C I will start complaining a little about the weather.

Out of curiosity, do they have no hand warmer pockets because they're bomber jackets?
 

Seb Lucas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,562
Location
Australia
It's only normal for people living in different climates to develop different ideal temperatures. 25C is perfect for us, when it drops to 19C I would zip up the jacket and probably cursing myself since none of my jackets have arm warmer pockets, when it reaches 32C I will start complaining a little about the weather.

I think you're a little unusual. We have a warm and mostly pleasant climate although 35 to 45 is not unusual. I'm in a t-shirt when it's 18 degrees. In fact it's 17 as I write and I'm outside in a shirt, my jacket is in my bag. It's warm.
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,870
Location
East Java
OK then, it's shame you guys can't wear your jacket all year long, while we can, it's a shame our currency is so weak I couldn't justify buying $500+ leathers of popular brands like you guys do, but I can have a full custom tailor made jacket locally roughly half that budget although all I have is cowhide, give and take all in all life is FAIR, and I have nothing to complain.
 
Messages
16,852
Isn't East Java a pretty warm place?

And cowhide is all you need, really. I wish there was a decent leather shop here where I am, like the one that made your jacket. I wouldn't be spending all that cash on those super expensive brands. Alas... There's one that does a pretty good job at repairs but they don't deviate from their standard models, which weren't that rad in the 80's, when they last updated their designs.
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,870
Location
East Java
I'm really sorry if somehow my earlier reply has totally derailed the topic, but since some questions were directed at me personally then...
@lthr
no my jackets are all moto-ish, I chosed to have them without, since hand warmer pockets are rarely used here in my climate, and visually doesn't look 'clean' imo.
@Monitor
each java is quite big, in coastal area it could be humid and stifling true, but I live further inland on the hillside, less humidity, and cooler wind, UV rate is killer though, bad to anything with color, everything fades at much faster rate when exposed outside.
yes I'm lucky to get to know them, other local leather jacket makers I found online are all without enough experience in coat tailoring, their neck and shoulder area are all weak, stubbornly do jeans' double stitching everywhere on the jacket (as in my sheep jacket I bought locally online, hard to look sleek with jeans stitching around every panel), and mostly refuse to work on anything that isn't sheep/ lamb
well ours also stick to their old fashioned model, but open for custom design when provided with enough references, or a sample to replicate, for example prior to mine, they never ever see biswing construction, it was a discovery for them, but I must say they pulled it out better than the sample jacket I showed them to study, so yes it was a lucky found probably for both parties.
 

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