Did anyone get a Lewis Leathers x Erostika jacket?

[leather_wearer]

Last month I saw on the LL website a Lightning jacket in collaboration with a Japanese artist called Rockin' Jelly Bean, celebrating RJB's "Erostika" range. They were limited to 5 pieces in London, and some in Japan.

I went to the shop this past weekend and as luck would have it, they had one left — and as even more luck would have it, it was my size! So much my size that my wife said it looked custom made, so I had to buy it.

But it got me wondering who else managed to get one? I'd love to find out who the other owners are.

It's a horse hide, my first and also my first LL. Incredibly comfortable despite being stiff enough to stand up unsupported, and I'm enjoying the process of trying to break it in.

Here's a photo of the lining, held by one of the incredibly helpful members of staff in the shop.

View attachment IMG_8819.jpeg

 

[handymike]

Let’s see a pic of you wearing it!

 

[Tom71]

Last month I saw on the LL website a Lightning jacket in collaboration with a Japanese artist called Rockin' Jelly Bean, celebrating RJB's "Erostika" range. They were limited to 5 pieces in London, and some in Japan.

I went to the shop this past weekend and as luck would have it, they had one left — and as even more luck would have it, it was my size! So much my size that my wife said it looked custom made, so I had to buy it.

But it got me wondering who else managed to get one? I'd love to find out who the other owners are.

It's a horse hide, my first and also my first LL. Incredibly comfortable despite being stiff enough to stand up unsupported, and I'm enjoying the process of trying to break it in.

Here's a photo of the lining, held by one of the incredibly helpful members of staff in the shop.

View attachment 686405

Fit picture or it didn´t happen... .

Congrats! Can´t go wrong with a "Lightning" What did they cherge for it, if I may ask?

 

[leather_wearer]

Let’s see a pic of you wearing it!

I really should take one!

Fit picture or it didn´t happen... .

Ha, I've set myself up for failure with the claim haven't I

Congrats! Can´t go wrong with a "Lightning" What did they cherge for it, if I may ask?

£1275, and the regular Lightning is £1080, so pretty much a £200 upcharge. Possibly a "fool and his money" situation but for my first LL I was thrilled that I was able to get such an original limited edition one.

 

[Cyber Lip]

Nice! I'm a RJB fan and saw these when they went on sale on the Erostika website

 

[Monitor]

I had hoped for a moment the drawing would be on the back. Printed lining is dumb.

 

[leather_wearer]

I had hoped for a moment the drawing would be on the back. Printed lining is dumb.

I do like jackets with designs on them but I’m glad this is on the lining - a design like this would severely limit where I’d wear it. As it is, it’s a regular Lightning with a fun secret. And there are glimpses of it because it comes round to the sides.

 

[Tom71]

I really should take one!


Ha, I've set myself up for failure with the claim haven't I


£1275, and the regular Lightning is £1080, so pretty much a £200 upcharge. Possibly a "fool and his money" situation but for my first LL I was thrilled that I was able to get such an original limited edition one.

I guess that’s a fair upcharge. The Lightning is an absolute icon, and it doesn’t get worse with this great artwork. Just wear it like you stole it, and don’t turn it into a museum piece.

 

[leather_wearer]

I guess that’s a fair upcharge. The Lightning is an absolute icon, and it doesn’t get worse with this great artwork. Just wear it like you stole it, and don’t turn it into a museum piece.

Oh absolutely! I wore it out of the shop and daily since — and the jacket is the sole reason I'm annoyed the sun has made an appearance! They recommended wearing it in the rain and wouldn't you know it, we've not had a drop since.

Speaking of it being an icon, I was very pleased to subsequently learn that Lemmy used to wear a Lightning.

 

[Tom71]

Oh absolutely! I wore it out of the shop and daily since — and the jacket is the sole reason I'm annoyed the sun has made an appearance! They recommended wearing it in the rain and wouldn't you know it, we've not had a drop since.

Speaking of it being an icon, I was very pleased to subsequently learn that Lemmy used to wear a Lightning.

Yes, Lemmy and Fast Eddie as well. Many more since. Slash perhaps the most prominent but also artists like Ewan McCregor or Pharrell Williams who seems to have a ton of heavily customised Lightnings.

Lewis Leathers standard horse is pretty hard wearing. Depending on batch, rain does little to nothing to it. Mine still looks pretty unfazed after six years now.

 

[leather_wearer]

Yes, Lemmy and Fast Eddie as well. Many more since. Slash perhaps the most prominent but also artists like Ewan McCregor or Pharrell Williams who seems to have a ton of heavily customised Lightnings.

They have Slash wearing a Cyclone on their site, does he wear Lightnings too? I’d like to see the various customised things people have done to theirs.

Lewis Leathers standard horse is pretty hard wearing. Depending on batch, rain does little to nothing to it. Mine still looks pretty unfazed after six years now.

Interesting, they said it would start getting the oils out IIRC. I’ve been wondering about what type of horse hide it is, are they likely to tell me if I call up, like if it’s FQHH etc? The only thing I’d like to change, as it breaks in, is how very shiny it is. I’m definitely a little self conscious with how new looking it is.

 

[Tom71]

They have Slash wearing a Cyclone on their site, does he wear Lightnings too? I’d like to see the various customised things people have done to theirs.

Interesting, they said it would start getting the oils out IIRC. I’ve been wondering about what type of horse hide it is, are they likely to tell me if I call up, like if it’s FQHH etc? The only thing I’d like to change, as it breaks in, is how very shiny it is. I’m definitely a little self conscious with how new looking it is.

Oh, definitely. Slash has at least two Lightnings. A bright blue one (the Cyclone is navy, if I remember correctly) and a very beaten black one. You can find pictures with it on the net where the side adjusters of the 391 model are clearly visible when he flashes the bird at the photographer.

Of course you can knock the shine out of the jacket. However, it’s kind of Lewises signature look, so personally I wouldn’t force it.

LL offers two variations of HH, the newer being the veg-tan which is a tea-core leather. Very nice, but with an upcharge.

The other is chemically died with a super tough topcoat. That’s the standard hide they also do in the bright colours. As a leather, it’s not my all time favourite, but it does come with the territory of you want an LL.

 

[leather_wearer]

Oh, definitely. Slash has at least two Lightnings. A bright blue one (the Cyclone is navy, if I remember correctly) and a very beaten black one. You can find pictures with it on the net where the side adjusters of the 391 model are clearly visible when he flashes the bird at the photographer.

You do remember correctly, the Cyclone is navy. I’ll have to have a look for the photos with the Lightning.

Of course you can knock the shine out of the jacket. However, it’s kind of Lewises signature look, so personally I wouldn’t force it.

LL offers two variations of HH, the newer being the veg-tan which is a tea-core leather. Very nice, but with an upcharge.

The other is chemically died with a super tough topcoat. That’s the standard hide they also do in the bright colours. As a leather, it’s not my all time favourite, but it does come with the territory of you want an LL.

Thanks for the info! Mine must be the latter. I assume it’ll get the usual creases in the sleeves etc as it breaks in too?

Speaking of veg tan I saw the jacket of the guy who served me, it’s their veg tan cow and it looked outrageously good. Very work in look to it after a year of heavy use.

 

[Tom71]

Same here. When I was last there, the shop assistant wore a black Plainsman in veg tan cow over a white undershirt with black jeans. Stunning!

I have to say, the aging of the standard black horse depends on batch. My lightning ages just fine, with creases and wrinkles popping all over the place; I had a Dominator that behaved like vinyl and just wouldn`t patina at all, no matter what I threw at it. I suspect the coloured leather are similar; I have a bright blue one that doesn´t change much, but it´s under a year of not very refular wear.

As I said: part of the signature look and OF COURSE it will eventually show signs of wear, just not like other leathers...

 

[leather_wearer]

Same here. When I was last there, the shop assistant wore a black Plainsman in veg tan cow over a white undershirt with black jeans. Stunning!

I have to say, the aging of the standard black horse depends on batch. My lightning ages just fine, with creases and wrinkles popping all over the place; I had a Dominator that behaved like vinyl and just wouldn`t patina at all, no matter what I threw at it. I suspect the coloured leather are similar; I have a bright blue one that doesn´t change much, but it´s under a year of not very refular wear.

As I said: part of the signature look and OF COURSE it will eventually show signs of wear, just not like other leathers...

Do you have any photos of your lightning?
The picture that really drew my attention to it, more than its product listing, is the photo of Rockin' Jelly Bean wearing it here, I really love the way the leather looks in those photos https://www.lewisleathers.com/blog/...w6ZAAvKPUMsSZhCIL9_eHiuBHQ4p_Xb2rikTOJIjj7Oc9

 

[Tom71]

Here you go:
- brandnew
- five years
- two years.

 

[Tom71]

Really interested to see yours worn.

The guys at LL told me that they amended the pattern from the old boxy cut to a subtle A-frame; However, the old pattern would still be available.
I can´t really comment on that. I did try the "new pattern" but it runs so small that it didn´t really fit in the only size they had available.

 

[leather_wearer]

Really interested to see yours worn.

The guys at LL told me that they amended the pattern from the old boxy cut to a subtle A-frame; However, the old pattern would still be available.
I can´t really comment on that. I did try the "new pattern" but it runs so small that it didn´t really fit in the only size they had available.

I can try and get a photo soon. It’s remarkable how new yours looks after 5 years.

I only tried 2 on and they do seem to run small - mine is a 42, which is bigger than my usual size. I tried a 40 for comparison and I could do it up but struggled to breathe, even just wearing a thin top. There would be no chance of having a sweatshirt on underneath.

My normal size is a medium, 42 in other clothes would be far too big for me.

 

[Edward]

I had hoped for a moment the drawing would be on the back. Printed lining is dumb.

Depends o the effect you want, really... and how flexible you want it to be. I like the idea of a pop of something different tucked away like that that isn't so in your face as art on the xterior would be.

I do like jackets with designs on them but I’m glad this is on the lining - a design like this would severely limit where I’d wear it. As it is, it’s a regular Lightning with a fun secret. And there are glimpses of it because it comes round to the sides.

Yes, there is that. I could see there being a lot of places that one wouldn't be an easy wear. I'm even the same with the AVG blood chits. Wanted one for years, but I know I'd have to be careful where I wore it - not an option in China, for one thing, where the RoC flag has a very different set of implications.

Oh absolutely! I wore it out of the shop and daily since — and the jacket is the sole reason I'm annoyed the sun has made an appearance! They recommended wearing it in the rain and wouldn't you know it, we've not had a drop since.

Speaking of it being an icon, I was very pleased to subsequently learn that Lemmy used to wear a Lightning.

Back in the 70s and even into the 80s, Lewis were very much the brand of choice for British and Irish rockers, and punks. A lot of them started off with something cheaper (like Feargal Sharkey's Mascot Black Night), then graduated on to a Lewis when they could afford it. The Clash boys all wore Lewises at one time and another, mostly Lightnings. (I believe Schotts also came around later on, once they toured the US.) Steve Jones wore a Lightning a lot; Joey and Marky Ramone both spotted variants of the Lightning at one point when they needed new jackets on tour. One of the more famous individual Lewises was Sid Vicious' 551 Dominator - an original rocker jacket that he had picked up second hand. (Used clothes and readapting older stuff was a big part of the London punk scene - leather jackets from rockers who'd sold the bikes, bought cars and become family men and women; a lot of the punk girls wore adaptations of old sixties clothes - John Lydon in his Rotten days was well known for rejecting jeans and preferring wider, pleated and high waisted 40s and 50s trousers.) Sid's very much also associated now with the American Perfecto style jacket he acquired on tour in early 78, but during his short lifetime the ubiquitous Vicious jacket was actually that Dominator. Iggy Pop was another who has worn Lewis.

Lewis have a great gallery on the website of a lot of people who have worn their stuff - some great images there.

 

[Edward]

Really interested to see yours worn.

The guys at LL told me that they amended the pattern from the old boxy cut to a subtle A-frame; However, the old pattern would still be available.
I can´t really comment on that. I did try the "new pattern" but it runs so small that it didn´t really fit in the only size they had available.

They definitely have a 'thin fit' version of many of their patterns, apparently stimulated by demand from the Japanese market.