Does this jacket detail bother anyone else?

[VansonRider]

The belt is attached so it's pulling on the laces? Why???
Why not just make the belt a couple inches longer and stitch it to the back side of the laced panel so it's pulling the laces closed?
Is there a practical reason for this that I'm not seeing?
These are two shots of the Fox River Classic and one of a Natel. So companies that make functional biker jackets. These are thick protective tool jackets.
Is it just me?

 

[Canuck Panda]

I think the belt is purely decorative at this point. The cut in belts usually starts from the kidney panel. This one can still get a tight seal but it will be using the side laces to do so. I am not seeing the logic behind it either. Is this a one off or are they designed this way? With the lacing cinch it's better off just throw some belt loops on and let the customer decide if they want to use a through belt or not.

 

[VansonRider]

All the fox creek “Classic 1” models are like this. I don’t know about the Natel but I don’t think they made customs. Vanson and Langlitz don’t make models with both lacing and an attached belt. They make laced jackets with either belt loops or no belt loops.
I haven’t seen this on Schott Jackets either.
I’ve been looking at the Sears Motorcycle jacket thread and I haven’t gotten to the end, but I haven’t seen any so far.
It looks like a misunderstanding of design to me.
But it would be so easy to just stitch the belt to the kidney panel… It would be the same amount of labor and, like, 4 more inches of belt leather.
I’m baffled that no one in the factory has looked at that and said “that doesn’t look right….”
I’m super curious which company started the trend.

 

[navetsea]

My guess is the buckle of the belt is designed to be on the center of the jacket, no matter how more or less the jacket is cinched on the side panel, if the belt is connected to the back panel it will vary wildly for each wearer it can be far too long for a thin waisted person, and the buckle would be off center for most wearers.

View attachment 554816 View attachment 554817 View attachment 554818

The belt is attached so it's pulling on the laces? Why???
Why not just make the belt a couple inches longer and stitch it to the back side of the laced panel so it's pulling the laces closed?
Is there a practical reason for this that I'm not seeing?
These are two shots of the Fox River Classic and one of a Natel. So companies that make functional biker jackets. These are thick protective tool jackets.
Is it just me?

 

[navetsea]

A non adjustable side panel is different as it limits the buyers based on the hem size of the jacket so people wont buy a jacket that is far to wide on the hemline anyway, while this laced jacket can fit for wider market segment from bodybuilder dude with thin waistline or beer barrel biker dude, i think the visual problem was the eyelets is too short if the lacing goes all the way at least as low as where the belt is it would look a lot better and the lacing would brace the belt better

 

[VansonRider]

My issue is that the belt is pulling the laces open when you cinch it down. The jacket is fighting itself.
The belt should go over the laces and connect to the kidney panel, so that tightening the belt is reinforcing the tightening of the laces.

Here is a profesional artists rendering…

 

[Guppy]

It should attach to the back panel or else be a full (detachable) belt. Engineering fail.

 

[Monitor]

Yeah, it's an abomination.

I'm pretty sure this nonsense started with the influx of a mass produced Pakistani-made motorcycle jackets back in the late 80's and I never once saw it on an old(er) leather jacket because obivously, as others have stated, it doesn't make any sense at all.

Even without the laces, the half-belt should be attached to the kidney/back panel, like on the Schott Perfecto, as the side/mid panel, done from a softer leather on a proper jacket, is supposed to bunch up, which clearly doesn't happen if you attach the belt to the front panel (which will result in a jacket folding over itself at a random point). Pretty damn stupid.

This isn't the only such design flaw you'll see on these biker jackets. My personal favorite is the one with the laces, half-belt like this and belt loops on a kidney panel.
If you think I'm making this up, here's an example, also from a reputable maker...

 

[JMax]

I do prefer the belt attached to the back panel but a few true vintage makers did not build jackets this way. Fidelity is one that immediately comes to mind. There are others.

Edit: Quick check of my archives: Some Hercs, Some Kurland (not the SCs), later GM Wolf; Bogen and Sons; Brent labeled jackets. Maybe an East Cost thing?

It’s the only detail I dislike on my otherwise perfect Fidelity.