Chinese leather jackets

[PilotJens]

I can post the Instagram of the man behind Taylor Brando .
He isn't always available because he has to use a VPN.

 

[PilotJens]

Taylor Brando was the name I actually agreed on after countless weird combinations of either Skyrim / Marlon or Brando .
Skyrim leather
Brando Skyrim
Malon Brando

Chinese people try to name things after famous people because they want to be associated with it .
He insisted it had to be related to either Marlon or Brando

 

[PilotJens]

And they know about 5* leather and try to compete with them.

I told them to stay away from the Indian and Chinese hides for their European market . I can't verify if some sellers are tricking you into thinking that it is horween.

They mainly import horween ,"general" Italian leather , Leather from Tuscany .

 

[Canuck Panda]

I have had tons of jackets from Taobao/Aliexpress/and all the other Chinese resellers and also Five star. I got into Fivestar first because of the forum here. Then I got into Taobao on my own because I was bored during the Covid years. Back then, the average Chinese jacket was well under RMB ¥1,000 which was under USD 200. At that same time 5* was $350. However the main difference was that 5* was customizable and the Chinese jackets were not.

Another thing is that the Chinese jacket sellers take much better (edited) photos than 5*. And their jacket stock length is usually on the shorter side, about 0.75" (2cm) difference across the board.

At this point my best advise is to find an used name brand jacket with name brand leather. The biggest difference between a budget jacket and a name brand one is the leather. The name brand one isn't worth 5 times the budget jacket, maybe 30% more, but they want 5 times more, that is life. But thanks to the second hand market, you can find a name brand jacket for much less, just be patient.

Jacket on the left is a name brand one with name brand leather. Jacket on the right is a Chinese jacket with their own leather (btw this is probably the best one I had from there). Both are pull up type oil wax hides (油蜡皮). You can judge for yourself which you like better.

For me the budget leather hasn't figure out how to achieve the deep shine and consistency on the brand name leather. If they offer the same thing, they'd probably want the same price

 

[Technonut]

I had some crappy mirror pics previously posted... I managed to grab some better ones of the RL copy I purchased from AE. For around $200.00 USD, I'm quite happy with it :

EDIT: Here's the original RL directly patterned from shown in the AE listing:

EDIT: Adding another pic of an original RL:

 

[Technonut]

Can't complain about AE's shipping time to the States... The package arrived exactly 7 days after it left China..

I'm quite impressed with this FW La Brea knock-off for the $$ (around $225.00 USD shipped). The cowhide is supple, with just a bit of stiffness that some wear will take care of. I can already tell that it will show some nice grain over time. The construction and stitching is very good, and most details of the original FW La Brea are present (as far as I can tell from pics never owning one), including french seams and the lining stitching... The jacket is exactly as shown in the AE listing pics previously posted.. No surprises..

The fit is very good IMO.. AE's sizing charts are accurate, with the back length coming in at just under 24.25", which just covers my belt in the front, and about .25" over the back. Perfect for my preferred cut of most jeans..

The time-of-day / sun wasn't cooperating as much as I would've liked, but here's some pics (EDIT: For anyone curious, the shades are vintage USA-made Ray Ban Skyline Predators with B&L lenses. The newsboy cap was made for me many years ago by the Hat People in Oregon... https://www.hatpeople.com/tourshop/catalogue/cat.html ) :

 

[Technonut]

Nice and sunny in my part of the world this morning... Just the right time of year to get some wear on this jacket... :

In bright sunlight, the color is similar to this original FW La Brea I spotted (EDIT: This jacket shows a sold price of $3200.00 USD... https://www.grailed.com/listings/59139267-freewheelers-freewheelers-la-brea ) :

EDIT: These best represent the jacket's true color to my eye:

 

[Gerald Parel]

Thought that I'd grab a few pics while it's sunny showing closer details of the jacket. I've worn it for a couple of days now, and it's beginning to break in well...

I personally like the cowhide (again, the bright sun is washing out the deeper brown color it actually appears in these pics) used for the jacket. The thickness is consistent throughout (I'd guess 1.2-1.3mm), and I can see that it should develop decent-looking grain over time.

IMO, this made-in-China jacket is a great value for the $$, and I have no regrets. At this stage of my life and circumstances, I really don't need expensive leather jackets crafted and christened by the sweat of talented artisans... New, well-constructed and fitting leather jackets made from decently tanned leather in the vintage styles which I enjoy, at prices that I can afford, are just fine with me...

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This is looking really nice! I am waiting to receive a jacket branded Jiashi, but I was also really interested in jackets from Veluokldly, so I appreciate your impressions on these. Thanks!

 

[Monte.C]

IMO, this made-in-China jacket is a great value for the $$, and I have no regrets. At this stage of my life and circumstances, I really don't need expensive leather jackets crafted and christened by the sweat of talented artisans... New, well-constructed and fitting leather jackets made from decently tanned leather in the vintage styles which I enjoy, at prices that I can afford, are just fine with me...

I like what you sad there. It's so easy to go a little overboard.
I just bought my first pair of harness boots. They've been in the back of my head since I was a little boy when I had a classmate who wore harness boots. I didn't realize it then, but it looks like his dad was all about biker culture. Anyway, these boots are a budget brand, but they're real, and for me they feel like a million bucks.

 

[Bluechel]

I like what you sad there. It's so easy to go a little overboard.
I just bought my first pair of harness boots. They've been in the back of my head since I was a little boy when I had a classmate who wore harness boots. I didn't realize it then, but it looks like his dad was all about biker culture. Anyway, these boots are a budget brand, but they're real, and for me they feel like a million bucks.

I would heartily agree if these jackets stayed below a "used" brand name maker's price, but they just don't.

 

[Technonut]

I would heartily agree if these jackets stayed below a "used" brand name maker's price, but they just don't.

Please PM me if you run across a used-in-great-condition Leathertogs / FW La Brea / Kelso LT Aviator repro (or any in that exact style from a known maker) in size 44 for $225.00 USD shipped...... I haven't seen any around....

 

[ton312]

Probably best not to compare these jackets against the premium brands or vintage originals and simply view them in their own light.

 

[Bluechel]

Probably best not to compare these jackets against the premium brands or vintage originals and simply view them in their own light.

Absolutely! And PRICE must (must!) reflect that.

 

[Technonut]

Yes, it's best to view these jackets in their own light due to the inexpensive prices. I've owned many high-end / known-maker leather jackets over the years, and still have ones from Good Wear, Aero, vintage, etc. hanging in my closet.

After actually purchasing and wearing the Chinese leather jackets I posted about, one thing I've learned is not to be so dismissive of them. It's not like they're frankenjackets made from recycled leather patches and jig-sewn together...

Three of the Chinese leather jackets I currently own have material origin export tags showing that the cowhide was sourced from Italy (two of which were not even advertised as such in the AE listings), including the FW La Brea copy posted above, and the cowhide is indeed decent garment quality IMO.... Not bonded, cardboardy, or cheap-feeling to the hand in the least.. Well-tanned IMO.

I'm not skilled in photography, and have attempted to take some pics showing the leather how it appears in real-life, but I need to brush-up on lighting, shadows, etc.. I did manage this one, which shows the leather color / grain fairly well, and the lining (100% cotton) stitching (note that the epaulet is backed with the lining material... nice detail IMO ).... :

EDIT: The color is washed out some in this one, but shows the grain pretty well. I've been wearing the jacket daily, and it's really starting to pop:

As for patterns used, the Chinese manufacturers often obtain originals to pattern from, as shown in AE's listing pic of the RL jacket copy posted about earlier. It certainly appears to me that the Chinese FW La Brea was directly patterned from an original as well..

At the end of the day, I have a totally wearable, well patterned and fitting FW La Brea copy in 1.2-1.3mm Italian cowhide with a 100% cotton lining and all details of an original, for the princely sum of $225.00 USD shipped.. After handling / wearing the jacket, I have no reason to believe that it will not hold-up well, and more than likely will last till I croak...

I deleted a post above because I didn't like how sun-washed the pics came-out, but I will add this back in since it was quoted in a reply:

IMO, this made-in-China jacket is a great value for the $$, and I have no regrets. At this stage of my life and circumstances, I really don't need expensive leather jackets crafted and christened by the sweat of talented artisans... New, well-constructed and fitting leather jackets made from decently tanned leather in the vintage styles which I enjoy, at prices that I can afford, are just fine with me...

 

[Marc mndt]

Three of the Chinese leather jackets I currently own have material origin export tags showing that the cowhide was sourced from Italy

I would not be surprised if those origin tags or stamps are fake, similar to the fake Horween products coming from China. Producing quality leather while respecting the environment costs money.

 

[Technonut]

I would not be surprised if those origin tags or stamps are fake, similar to the fake Horween products coming from China. Producing quality leather while respecting the environment costs money.

If I were a Chinese seller at AE, I would certainly advertise the leather as sourced from Italy in my listing, if not only for perceived prestige and a higher price, but to be deceitful if desired... As posted, 2 of the 3 jackets with the tag were not advertised as such.

I gather the jackets are purchased wholesale from the factory, and unless specifically stated as being made from Italian-sourced (or whichever country) leather by the factory, are warehoused with no attention paid to the material origin / import tags by the AE sellers. Jackets are purchased, packaged directly from the warehouse, and shipped. There was a previous post by a member seemingly knowledgeable in these jackets stating that the Chinese are importing Italian leather (Tuscany was mentioned) for their jackets...

EDIT:

Exploring the Top Import Markets for Leather Worldwide

As a result, the global leather market is a lucrative industry, with billions of dollars worth of leather products being imported...

www.globaltrademag.com

1. China
China is the world’s top import market for leather, with an import value of $1.6 billion in 2023. The country’s booming manufacturing industry and growing consumer market have made it a key player in the global leather market. China imports leather from a variety of countries, including Italy, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

China Imports from Italy of Raw hides and skins (other than furskins) and leather - 2024 Data 2025 Forecast 1992-2023 Historical

China Imports from Italy of Raw hides and skins (other than furskins) and leather was US$265.37 Million during 2023, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China Imports from Italy of Raw hides and skins (other than furskins) and leather - data, historical...

tradingeconomics.com

 

[ton312]

I would not be surprised if those origin tags or stamps are fake, similar to the fake Horween products coming from China. Producing quality leather while respecting the environment costs money.

Not to mention not using sweat shop, forced labor.

 

[Technonut]

Obviously not for everyone.... But given that a vast percentage of Chinese-made goods are exported world-wide, and represent the majority of clothing, electronics, and other consumer goods residing in most common folks homes (including mine), I cannot allow myself to be overly concerned about China's environmental issues or sweat-shops, along with many others in my socioeconomic class..

To those with enough disposable income to not allow Chinese-made goods into their homes, and make purchases based upon the environmental practices of other nations, my hat is tipped to you....