Can someone please help me find this type of leather jacket?

[Guppy]

You spotted it right! Awesome.

Lol we've done more work on this jacket than many others we actually love.

I know, but I just like helping out a new guy. I almost can't help myself. Doesn't matter one bit that the style isn't my cup of tea, I just want to see Zangy get something close to what he's hoping for, and help him avoid mistakes out of inexperience.

 

[Edward]

You know, it occurs to me that at one time and another in the early days of reproducing some of the more obscure or specific jackets - A1s, B2s, some of the very most specific A2s (e.g. the very specific Virgil Hilts A2 Steve Macqueen wore) - there must have been a lot of scouring available data and debates about photos like this, absent the ease of the Googles...

The zig zag is a standard feature of the Lee Storm Rider.
The "decorative cuff" is a take on a traditional cuff, i have seen it described as "an American cuff", Aero uses it a lot, their 50s Half belt for example.

This kind of cuff is usually referred to as false cuff or American style cuff, though I'm sure decorative cuff ought to work just fine and you are mostly correct on the technical aspects of it, except the glued part. It is just an additional strip of leather stitched onto the sleeve panels, usually angled for a decorative effect.

The cuff on the photo would be called a button cuff of course, though technically this name is reserved for an actual 1930's onward button & button hole setup and not the snap-on cuff closure.

I believe I've also seen them referred to as "engineer cuffs", though the one under discussion here is the first I've ever seen to combine that with the addition of the stud-strap.

Nah, that's just YKK.

What's the name of that episode and what season is it from?

I'm not sure I can recall any contemporary fashion jacket from the 90s I've ever handled that had anything other than a YKK. They may win no prizes for beauty, but I've never been let down by a half-decent YKK.

 

[Formeruser012524]

I purposefully re enginered the drop sleeve with curve at the biswing gusset and make the sleeve post more toward the front to reduce the chest excess material around the underarm.

I honestly wish there would be that excess material in this case for screen accuracy reasons. I presume your version still has some, but it's just not that "extreme"?

 

[Formeruser012524]

Could this be the almost exact type of cuff?...

 

[Edward]

Could this be the almost exact type of cuff?...

That's what it looks like to my eye. That said, I don't think the one you're looking to replicate is as functional as this, i.e. while it looks to be fastened at its narrowest point, it doesn't appear to do much in the way of narrowing the cuff. As a functional feature, these pull the sleeve in (either around the wrist or the end of a glove, or narrower so a wide gauntlet-glove type can go over the top of the sleeve easily), the one on the jacket you're looking to replicate seems to be there more as a decorative feature than one which makes any significant difference in use. I remember this being common in the 90s, seeing details on jackets that had outgrown the original function, but remained for style purposes as a sort of echo of what once had been. Bit like how most suit jackets you see these days have buttons on the cuffs that can't be unfastened, as the original purpose of these has gone by the wayside, but the look remains. This, of course, is something that has existed as a phenomenon in menswear probably almost as long as menswear itself.

 

[Monitor]

Okay, here's mine. Upon closer inspection, I think @navetsea is 100% right about the sleeve tabs & re-watching the scene, I've decided to use the same style which I by myself would not normally spot.

I drew the front yesterday then Nave posted his & then I figured it's pointless to finish what I had come up with but quitting sucks ass so finished it, without trying to even take another glimpse at Nave's art 'cause of course, I'd automatically get lead by it so here's my take on the jacket. Click to zoom in.

 

[Formeruser012524]

Okay, here's mine.

WOW. Thank you!

Alright... perhaps this question is best answered by someone like Edward, a moderator or administrator would be best:

Does this forum accept donations via PayPal? Even though I didn't get any jacket yet, there are plenty of people in this thread who significantly contributed, and two who of them who put a lot of work into fantastic drawings that I would never be able to come up with myself. It would have taken me many weeks to come up with something that maybe looks like 50% of their quality.

Both of these individuals refused to accept money from me for their drawings, so I thought maybe I can donate just a little bit to the website?

 

[Monitor]

Ugh... I flipped the cuffs. I'll re-draw it a bit later correctly. Easy fix, just thinking about that sleeve in three dimensions is difficult af.

 

[Formeruser012524]

Ugh... I flipped the cuffs. I'll re-draw it a bit later correctly. Easy fix, just thinking about that sleeve in three dimensions is difficult af.

Maybe this will help. Photos taken earlier of my right arm with an almost identical cuff system...

 

[PeterRocco]

He didn't say it explicitly, no. But that's the obvious intent. A variation of "how dare you insinuate someone was disrespectful".

Well, calling something I would wear as "garbage" is disrespectful to me.

Hi
I keep a eye out for you. If I find one I let you know.

 

[Formeruser012524]

Hi
I keep a eye out for you. If I find one I let you know.

Thank you for your contribution. Nonetheless I would rather just skip / ignore that portion of the discussion / misunderstanding, because this thread went into a very good direction after that, as you can see.

 

[Will Zach]

WOW. Thank you!

Alright... perhaps this question is best answered by someone like Edward, a moderator or administrator would be best:

Does this forum accept donations via PayPal? Even though I didn't get any jacket yet, there are plenty of people in this thread who significantly contributed, and two who of them who put a lot of work into fantastic drawings that I would never be able to come up with myself. It would have taken me many weeks to come up with something that maybe looks like 50% of their quality.

Both of these individuals refused to accept money from me for their drawings, so I thought maybe I can donate just a little bit to the website?

Zangy, what people do around here is try to pay it forward - giving away free jackets and stuff in the Classifieds is fairly common. This is an amazing place. But donating some time to The Fedora Lounge is a good idea as well.

 

[Formeruser012524]

OK, so, after these two drawings, here are several questions which should help finalize the whole thing eventually. The first three questions are from Shawn / Five*Leather, and the remaining ones are from me. Because like everyone said plenty of times that details are everything, I want to verify things before moving forward. Here we go...

1.) He asked what kind of "inner lining" the jacket should have. He asked if I have any photos of the inner lining. Unfortunately there's only a quick moment where he goes to open his car trunk, lasting maybe a second or less. See here:

The inside color I would definitely describe as "light beige"... but I have no idea what kind of inside / lining material is suitable for this. It shouldn't be something very cheap, but also not something that significantly increases the price, as the exterior of the jacket is the key here. I guess it should be somewhat warm, but nothing extraordinary, so that it can be worn not only in Winter but also in Autumn and perhaps even some colder days of Spring.

2.) He said he would use 1.3 mm thickness, either steerhide or goatskin. He did not mention cowhide nor horsehide, although I assume they have those available as well. So what would be your recommendations? And since I really want a thick jacket that doesn't "stretch" and/or lose it's shape easily, would it make sense to go for 1.6 mm thickness or even higher? I really don't mind it being heavy, if that's a concern. Screen accuracy is the goal here. Could one determine, or at least make an educated guess as to what type of leather it is, based on the "grain"? For example in this picture...

It's somewhat odd, too, at least for me who knows very little about leather type differences, that one side of the sleeve appears to have a total different grain than the other one. Or maybe it's just the light? The grain of the remaining jacket can also be seen very well here:

3.) Regarding color, he said he can make it either special / custom distressed like in the photographs, or use one of these already available options:

Based on this, "distressed brown" steerhide would be best suitable. I'm not sure about "crystal midbrown" goatskin option. Then again, he also said he can make it like it looks in the photos. I assume that a good answer to this question would also be closely related to the leather type?

Here is a link to a jacket they've done with a "custom distressed look":

https://www.facebook.com/fivestarleathershop/photos/pcb.837007897174798/837007857174802

4.) Could it be that the "belt" looking thingie we think exists is actually an illusion? How likely is it that what we see in this picture...

...is simply where the cuff attachment starts, and that this starting point created an illusion in the other picture in the dark where he's holding himself up? This would mean there is nothing that goes on top of it to place the cuff "under" it, because the cuff length itself seems a bit too short for that. The orange jacked I showed earlier might perhaps create a similar illusion if it were leather? On the other hand it's totally feasible that it has that "belt" thing the way Monitor depicted it.

5.) I believe - cuff related - that there should be two studs / layers of tightness, just like in the orange jacket. Does this seem reasonable? I need to make sure I can have both very loose sleeves and also be able to "block" them from going too far down.

6.) Most of my jackets have at least one inside pocket. On most of them there is at least one on the upper left side with a zipper. Would it make sense to do the same thing here? I don't think I've seen a single jacket that does not have at least one pocket on the inside.

7.) This question is related to the drawing by "Monitor". Am I right in assuming that the "studs" part of the jacket is entirely missing, on the left side where also the zipper is? See here...

And does one of the (decorative?) seams really "end" on one side (underside?) of the sleeve, or is it something you overlooked? I don't think I have any photo from the episode to show, but I drew a green line for you to see what I mean...

Do we have any pictures showing that there's no seam continuation there, or are we assuming it because the sleeve would fold / tighten easier without the seam continuation?

8.) I think we should eliminate the "maybe?" part of your drawing regarding that one line on the backside of the jacket. I know that in the picture where he shoots the guy there appears to be some kind of faint line seen from a distance, but it really doesn't make a big difference if it's there or not. And it the picture below it doesn't seem to be visible:

9.) I believe for the maker itself, when it comes to an unusual and/or oversized jacket that is not meant to "fit normally", the wearer's body measurements are irrelevant. But would it not be wise for me to get my own measurements so that I can adjust the measurements of the jacket accordingly? I mean we do know that it should not fit "normally", but it should fit like it fits in the photos, which is why I think this would make sense.

10.) Who would be best to contact via PM for the donation question I asked earlier in the thread? Your help has been invaluable and I would like to donate at least a little something to the forum. I PM'd someone about it but I'm not sure if they are an administrator, and I have not received a reply yet.

Thank you once again!

And for what it's worth, Shawn from FiveStar has contacted me more than once today. He is very motivated, and appears very competent, but also very busy. They have a huge number of jackets to finish before Christmas, it's amazing.

 

[Formeruser012524]

Regarding question #9, I had someone take my own measurements, which I think will help me get the right dimensions for the jacket to be "oversized", but oversized in the way that it "fits" like in the photos. Some measurements might even be superfluous but I did them anyway...

Height: 184 cm (6 feet 0 inches)
Weight: 80 kg (176 lbs)
Chest circumference breathing in: 107 cm (42")
Chest circumference relaxed: 103 cm (41")
Waist circumference: 91 cm (36")
Hip circumference: 100 cm (39")
Neck circumference bottom: 40 cm (16")
Neck circumference center: 37 cm (15")
Upper arm circumference relaxed: 32 cm (13")
Wrist circumference: 16 cm (6")
Shoulder to shoulder width relaxed: 48 cm (19")
Shoulder to wrist length: 62 cm (24")
Shoulder to fingertips length: 81 cm (32")

The actor is supposedly 183 cm tall, basically like me, but he appears significantly wider due to larger bones and overall more mass, which I think should be kept in mind.

 

[f2002q]

Here are my views to some of your questions:

1) Choose the lining you want. You're creating your own jacket, pick something nice. I'm partial to tartans myself.

2) I have a 1.5'ish mm Vanson and it's very stiff. A thicker jacket may not drape the way the TV one does.

3) I would go with the distressed brown steerhide. The TV jacket has some pronounced grain, which goatskin is never going to match.

6) Go with the pockets you normally use on a jacket. I personally like 2 inner pockets, one on each side, maybe with a button or snap to close them.

Again, my opinions only, you get to design your jacket like you want it.

 

[Formeruser012524]

1) Choose the lining you want. You're creating your own jacket, pick something nice. I'm partial to tartans myself.

You're talking to someone clueless on these matters though. So isn't tartan a sort of pattern / textile design with squares and / or stripes? Since I've already seen that the inside of the original is just a medium to light beige color, I was more wondering what type of material it should be inside, not the design pattern. Perhaps the creator meant whether it should be cotton etc., or something extra thick for more warmth.

2) I have a 1.5'ish mm Vanson and it's very stiff. A thicker jacket may not drape the way the TV one does.

Is it stiff due to the thickness or due to the leather type though? I assume "Vanson" leather jackets are horsehide? The question is whether 1.6 mm steerhide would have that same stiffness. It is questions like these that are for me hard to get a clear answer. Definitely ain't easy.

3) I would go with the distressed brown steerhide. The TV jacket has some pronounced grain, which goatskin is never going to match.

Good, so at least we got the goatskin version eliminated. The only thing I'm worried about regarding the "distressed brown" depicted on the picture, is how much it would resemble the original. Since the maker said he can make it look "custom distressed" like in the original photos, it leads me to believe that their "standard" distressed brown is significantly different.

This is an example of their standard "distressed brown" steerhide: https://www.fivestarleather.us/products/fivestar-leather-crusader-jacket-steerhide-leather-brown

And the color appears to be much different than the original jacket.

6) Go with the pockets you normally use on a jacket. I personally like 2 inner pockets, one on each side, maybe with a button or snap to close them.

Good, so we cleared this up as well. Makes perfect sense to be honest. I'll just take a look at the inside of some of my jackets and replicate the inside pockets.

Thanks, I appreciate your insight.

 

[JMax]

The drawings are so bad ass. The ongoing process sucked me in, big time. Now I can’t wait for this 90s style and fit jacket to be made and then shown here. Lol. Amazing really. I hope it is everything you want Zangy.

 

[Formeruser012524]

The drawings are so bad ass. The ongoing process sucked me in, big time. Now I can’t wait for this 90s style and fit jacket to be made and then shown here. Lol. Amazing really. I hope it is everything you want Zangy.

Yes, they are, indeed.

Now I need to find the best way to get the measurements for each part of the jacket, so that it's "oversize" but in such a way how it looks on the person in the photos. I'll also need to point out all the priorities to the maker, that which I see as most important vs. less relevant, etc. But in terms of measurement it appears I will have to use some of my own body measurements (see earlier post) in order to come up with something that resembles the original, so that it basically fits like in the photos. I also tried something but didn't get very far, see here...

Basically I used one of the drawings posted and tried to trace it in a software which is actually meant for architecture. It has no automatic trace option, so you have to do it manually. And if I had been able to do that, it would have allowed me to adjust things easily and provide measurements. I stopped after an hour because that's the best I could do in an hour.

On the other hand, tweaking a great drawing and adding measurements with software like Photoshop, Illustrator or GIMP, should provide the same results with much less effort. It's all about the best way to present the finalized drawings (and attention to details) to the maker.

 

[Peacoat]

@Zangy003 said:

"10.) Who would be best to contact via PM for the donation question I asked earlier in the thread? Your help has been invaluable and I would like to donate at least a little something to the forum. I PM'd someone about it but I'm not sure if they are an administrator, and I have not received a reply yet."

I haven't received a PM from you. But to answer your question, no we aren't accepting donations, but thank you for your kind offer. PC

 

[Aloysius]

Wow, this was a ride.