Field Leathers

[Will Zach]

I think what we need and the market lacks in Europe at least is somebody able to repair and restore leathers jackets to a higher standard. I’m not sure if that will bring enough bread to the table but there currently is nobody to turn to.

There are ppl in EU that fix motorcycle leathers after spills and rips. I know one of them who also does other leather jackets. Happy to put you in touch.

 

[El Marro]

Maybe i am just jaded by too many jackets and too long on TFL...
I can see how a few years ago i would have been all "This will be my final/ultimate leather jacket, i will never sell it, i will keep it forever and grow old in it, it is definitely worth the money!"
Now i know that it's only a wild dream and the chase never ends. So i want things that i won't get burnt on too much if i change my mind.
Probably part of the reason why i try to buy used much more than i used to, let some other guy take the depreciation hit.

I get this sentiment 100%. I too used to justify big jacket purchases by declaring each upcoming jacket to be the perfect object I had been searching for, “the one”. I woke up a couple years ago and realized that that just isn’t going to happen and it’s really more about the journey than the destination.
I have not sold any of my jackets at this point, I have given a couple away though. I’m thinking it may be time to change that (my guest room has no room for guests) and I’m sure when I do your words about resale value will come back to me.
As for the topic at hand, I like what Greg is doing and I am thinking about putting an order in because I’m sure every order he gets is a big help at this point. I’m also thinking that my collection is definitely lacking when it comes to blue Shinki...

 

[VestCoast]

I think a different scenario to think about is that Field goes the way of Eastman or Goodwear in a few years---steady price increase and/or massive wait times. Personally think the value here is quite good. High end leather offerings with at least Aero-level construction with a smaller needle size on original patterns.

 

[red devil]

Maybe i am just jaded by too many jackets and too long on TFL...
I can see how a few years ago i would have been all "This will be my final/ultimate leather jacket, i will never sell it, i will keep it forever and grow old in it, it is definitely worth the money!"
Now i know that it's only a wild dream and the chase never ends. So i want things that i won't get burnt on too much if i change my mind.
Probably part of the reason why i try to buy used much more than i used to, let some other guy take the depreciation hit.

I don't think you are jaded, only experienced in this hobby now.

Personally, I would rather wait and see how things go before ordering, or make a trip to meet him in person and try on some samples.

He chose the most hyped leathers to start with which is a double edged sword, it is certainly desirable but at the same time available with established makers.

Curious to see what new models he will be offering next

 

[Robbie79]

I wish Greg all the best and I hope that he will be successful as he's very brave and taking a high risk in the leather jacket world where are so many competitors in Europe such as Aero, Eastman, Thedi, SB...hopefully his high quality leather selection and partially different colours will differentiate him from the other high quality makers. The brown Shinki reminds me of my FW Caboose (same colour and look). From quality point of view the jackets look quite good and not worse than the aforementioned....that's what people expect when you used to work at Aero. I also hope that he will bring in his own ideas like Theodoros does. If he's a nice guy offering high quality products, why not giving him a fair chance for developing his business (finally to feed his beloved family even if I don't know if he has wife and kids) even if the reselling price would be much lower than an Aero (this applies to most clothes with some exceptions) but every brand started small and some grew to world-known companies and others disappeared. I the best case one will keep the jacke and won't resell it (no loss). Life's always a risk and too short not taking risks Anyway, I would purchase a jacket from Greg right away if my beloved wife would allow allow me....too many already...but perhaps I will resell another SB or Aero and will then "take the risk"

 

[hondurasdave47]

I wish Greg all the best and I hope that he will be successful as he's very brave and taking a high risk in the leather jacket world where are so many competitors in Europe such as Aero, Eastman, Thedi, SB...hopefully his high quality leather selection and partially different colours will differentiate him from the other high quality makers. The brown Shinki reminds me of my FW Caboose (same colour and look). From quality point of view the jackets look quite good and not worse than the aforementioned....that's what people expect when you used to work at Aero. I also hope that he will bring in his own ideas like Theodoros does. If he's a nice guy offering high quality products, why not giving him a fair chance for developing his business (finally to feed his beloved family even if I don't know if he has wife and kids) even if the reselling price would be much lower than an Aero (this applies to most clothes with some exceptions) but every brand started small and some grew to world-known companies and others disappeared. I the best case one will keep the jacke and won't resell it (no loss). Life's always a risk and too short not taking risks Anyway, I would purchase a jacket from Greg right away if my beloved wife would allow allow me....too many already...but perhaps I will resell another SB or Aero and will then "take the risk"

I'm in the same boat. I told Greg I was targeting The Manhattan this fall ...

 

[Mawashi]

I think that with many goods, especially clothes, the decline in value is immense. Even if there are some brands that hold the value a little better, latest when they are made to measure, the value is lost.
The likelihood of finding a buyer who exactly needs my measurements is very low and if so, it takes a lot of patience.
When I buy something, I mentally write off the investment and expect a bigger loss if I no longer like it.

You guys say that, but have you ever been caught in that specific situation? It sucks.
A tweaked Aero still will get you a big chunk of your money back when sold used, i have also seen custom Langlitz or Himel go for only a few hundred dollars bellow new price.

My first real leather jacket on the other hand was made by "General Leather" (now Cromford in London) i spent £800, tried to resell it on eBay a couple years later, it wouldn't sell with a £100 starting bid, literally 0 interest.
Why? "General leather" is an unknown name in the world.

Same story with my DD, spent $1400 on it, a few years down the line it is basically worthless.
No one knows about Diamond Dave anymore, no one cares about Diamond Clothing, the jackets aren't even branded.
The group of people to whom a DD is worth something is so small it is basically impossible to sell for decent money.

Even if you don't plan on reselling what you are buying, it is nice to know it isn't worthless the second you open the box.
Your taste in jacket might change, you might need some quick cash, who knows?

Looking back at DD it was basically a hype train that went around in circles in the TFL/VLJ microcosm for a few years.
It was fed by A1's J-21 and the link to John Chapman.
As long as he sold new jackets and the hype train kept on going, used prices where good.
The hype died, used prices fall to the bottom of the sea, he closes shop, used jackets become impossible to sell...

I'm not saying the same thing is going to happen, just that i have been on the TFL hype train before, all i have to show for it are two DD jackets that are impossible to resell without a huge loss.
I am going to watch this one from the station see where it goes... Good luck to all those who jump on. (and good luck to Greg)

probably the price has to do with many points of measurement is modifiable? must be harder/ slower to modify a pattern for each order down to sleeve diameter
I think it is wiser to set a price to limit market from the get go especially for start up company like that, rather than receiving many orders because the price seems good, but take forever to deliver, and impatients customers cancel order, or question it as scam etc.
aside from that, price is still linked to quality, exclusivity, and all that extra feeling in the eye of hobbyist

then I probably wouldn't have ordered one. But with fully customized it looks different. Unfortunately, no off-the-shelf jackets fit me and thus the used market is out.

It is a ballsy move to enter what feels like a pretty mature and saturated market but to me his prices look well aligned with the competitors. I’m not too close to all the costs involved but if you want to sell at less than that it appears you need to move production in a 3rd world country and compromise on materials.

These are all valid points and for most of you a standard jacket albeit with minor mods will suffice but like MrProper, a lot of off the shelf jackets won't fit me well.

Other factors such as living in South East Asia, body shape and tastes in fashion all make selling off a jacket here while retaining a measure of decent value is a bit of an ask.

Few if any here wear a leather jacket unless it's for riding and they require a different jacket anyway. The only chance I have of selling it at a decent price would be to sell it in Japan. High shipping costs to and fro, hot, humid weather, slim, lanky body shape and differing local fashion sense all make selling a jacket very difficult.

Leather jackets to me are a speciality item and are a write off from the start anyway.

 

[handymike]

If you’re at home today, Greg is currently making a jacket live on Instagram.
Monday March 16th (7:34 PDT)

 

[Carlos840]

If you’re at home today, Greg is currently making a jacket live on Instagram.
Monday March 16th (7:34 PDT)

How does one find it? Can't see anything live on his instagram...

(interesting that he is gluing the pockets, i thought the Aero motto was "glue is the worst, we are better since we don't use it")

 

[handymike]

It’s up in the “stories”...there is an icon that has “Live” on it.

 

[MrProper]

I think the live stream is only possible in the app and not in the browser.
Cool to see how my jacket is made

 

[Carlos840]

I think the live stream is only possible in the app and not in the browser.
Cool to see how my jacket is made

Probably right, i'm not getting the live option on my computer... Oh well!

 

[jonesy86]

Probably right, i'm not getting the live option on my computer... Oh well!

“Nice, even, smooth, tip stitch”.

 

[KissMyMuscle]

Probably right, i'm not getting the live option on my computer... Oh well!

Just click his profile picture on pc, you get the same function.

 

[KissMyMuscle]

Probably right, i'm not getting the live option on my computer... Oh well!

Recently, people focus more on posting on their "profile picture" small video function instead of posting directly under the profile.

 

[Sloan1874]

Which brands hold their value really well on the second hand market? I mean we have all seen how much a brand new Himel went for. Aeros in my experience lose a good 40/50% with almost non wear. The Aero IR in the classifieds is an example. It’s a though market.

I bought a Highwayman for £350, about 2/3 of full-price and sold it for £350, so they sustain their secondary market value.

 

[Mich486]

Good for you that you didn’t make any loss. What kind of highwayman was it though? A new one without any upgrade is currently £690. If you can resell it at £400/450 (so about 2/3) after just wearing it a few times I think you should consider yourself lucky.

 

[MrProper]

now it only has to be delivered.

 

[handymike]

Looks great!

 

[Seb Lucas]

It does look good. I'm not on Instagram so I will live vicariously though this.