Five Star Leather Jackets

[abone]

Possibly the issue is that 5* may not have the business model to provide an overarching design oversite and knowledge. The skills may well be there but they need privileging and a methodical approach. They can do it, we've seen that, but consistency and predictability of result is central to a successful business like this.

I realise that now. Never understood the subtleties and nuances of a drop design. Now I do. In hindsight of course, I wouldn't have spec'd it. I'm hoping I can salvage it somehow. I'm not hanging 5* with this, its on me.

 

[navetsea]

Yup I understand. The only way I see myself salvaging this is to remove most of the front drop. The leaves me with a button too close to the bottom hem but I can live with that as I’ll never do up the bottom two buttons anyway. Alternatively I ship it back to Shawn, pay him some $$’s to reconstruct part of the jacket. Or just write the project off as lesson learned. Once it arrives I’ll know for sure what I’m dealing with.

just reduce the roundness of the front hem, make it straighter at least less round. I think they (or now you) need to wear the jacket first , curved hem laid on flat on the table going to look very different when being worn. any roundness on the hem is going to look more rounder when worn since it is wrapped around cylindrical object, even very slight or straight diagonal hem, is already appear round a little when worn. even with slight curve it should be more of slight V than a big U shape when the 2 sides meet.

 

[Jin431]

I think these extreme levels of customizations can only work out well if there's someone involved who has an eye for proportions and who knows how altering one thing affects some other thing.

Take @Jin431 's field leathers Frankenstein jacket for example. It's a mashup of a halfbelt with the tapered back panel of a cafe racer. It even features a front drop. I don't know how Greg did it but somehow he managed to make this total mashup pleasing to the eye. And that takes skill. Greg studied fashion at University and it shows.

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I don't think pattern makers at 5* possess this skill. Therefore these custom 5* jackets will be a hit or miss.

I do like five star and had 3 jackets ordered from them although it's all trucker type 3 designs. With the photos shared here and on their Facebook account I do believe they make better custom orders if it's a pattern they are familiar with. Or when the custom order has a very specific details/instructions/measurements that are so well put together that it's easier for the pattern maker to interpret them and transfer onto leather. Sometimes it's a miss but oh well life.

Can't praise Greg any better than that. I knew he would make it work but I can't believe how masterful he blended everything like it was just a regular pattern he makes on a daily is nothing short of spectacular and outstanding.

 

[navetsea]

I wouldn’t lengthen them either. I like the longer straps in my Aero because CXL is “slippery” so I double them back like so:
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I always do that, I think that's the whole point of that little tongue to brake the strap from sliding, so I hate it when the strap has center seam on the back side like a necktie, since suddenly the seam is facing out

 

[Seb Lucas]

I realise that now. Never understood the subtleties and nuances of a drop design. Now I do. In hindsight of course, I wouldn't have spec'd it. I'm hoping I can salvage it somehow. I'm not hanging 5* with this, its on me.

A very mature and wise approach, abone. You may well be able to make adjustments to this. Best of luck.

 

[abone]

A very mature and wise approach, abone. You may well be able to make adjustments to this. Best of luck.

Thanks Seb. I’m retired now but worked for a corporation that spent considerable time and effort training leaders on personal accountability. Once in a while the training kicks in! Ha

 

[Seb Lucas]

Thanks Seb. I’m retired now but worked for a corporation that spent considerable time and effort training leaders on personal accountability. Once in a while the training kicks in! Ha

It shows. I've worked in senior leadership roles for years myself but I am still surprised how badly some of the MBA boys do things.

 

[red devil]

I realise that now. Never understood the subtleties and nuances of a drop design. Now I do. In hindsight of course, I wouldn't have spec'd it. I'm hoping I can salvage it somehow. I'm not hanging 5* with this, its on me.

My jacket was less than ideal, but the epxerience valuable, I learnt a lot from it, put it down as school fees

 

[ton312]

If I’ve learned nothing else in my experience with 5 star...don’t let the pics make you panic. My gut tells me the drop on this jacket will be just fine.

 

[Pandemic]

I am in the same boat in that I don’t feel confident I could provide the detailed specs to instruct them on creating a one-off jacket.

I’m thinking I will probably send detailed pics of a vintage jacket I like along with my measurements and instructions to copy every detail in the pictures, using their leather (still hoping for a thicker rough-out buffalo or goat).

 

[Riu]

I am in the same boat in that I don’t feel confident I could provide the detailed specs to instruct them on creating a one-off jacket.

I’m thinking I will probably send detailed pics of a vintage jacket I like along with my measurements and instructions to copy every detail in the pictures, using their leather (still hoping for a thicker rough-out buffalo or goat).

Probably that's the easiest way to go about this. I'm also thinking to perfect that design I was working on to the finest details before I place the order.

 

[Riu]

I went against my decision to go with the 1.4 goatskin and I chose the 1.4 steerhide for my CR after I was on a video call with Shawn, so I'm curious how it will turn out. Hopefully, I'll get some pictures soon. I hope I made the right decision in changing the leathers

 

[MrProper]

I think after 114 pages in this thread everyone has to be aware of what they are getting into.
I claim that 5* is not a design studio or bespoke tailor, but a producer who usually receives orders with complete patterns and everything that goes with them and implements them in large numbers. There is no question of whether that is 1 cm too much or too little, whether it looks good or not. What you order you get.
And it works the same way with our orders. You get what you order without questioning whether it's good or bad. Basically like programming a computer. It only does what you wrote a piece of code for.
For this, copies are made with absolute precision.

Anyone who needs advice or is not sure about the multitude of details to be specified may not order there.
I've already ordered a lot there and with every new order I still learn what can be overlooked lol

 

[Bahabp100]

Update on suedes available:

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What color is the second one down from the top?

 

[ton312]

I think after 114 pages in this thread everyone has to be aware of what they are getting into.
I claim that 5* is not a design studio or bespoke tailor, but a producer who usually receives orders with complete patterns and everything that goes with them and implements them in large numbers. There is no question of whether that is 1 cm too much or too little, whether it looks good or not. What you order you get.
And it works the same way with our orders. You get what you order without questioning whether it's good or bad. Basically like programming a computer. It only does what you wrote a piece of code for.
For this, copies are made with absolute precision.

Anyone who needs advice or is not sure about the multitude of details to be specified may not order there.
I've already ordered a lot there and with every new order I still learn what can be overlooked lol

This is the absolute best way to describe the process. I also think it helps to not go totally commando and base your design off something you already have. All my Halfbelts were based off existing jackets I owned, the design was tweaked but the numbers and measurements laid the groundwork.

 

[handymike]

I’m waiting to see the jacket. I think it can probably be fixed. The front is just the wrong shape. Better to have excess fabric than not enough.

 

[Imuricecreamman]

Easy fix for somebody with a good eye and the right tools.

 

[Riu]

Got some pictures from Shawn today. Waiting for pictures with the measurements seems a bit bulky around the elbow to me or maybe it's just the way it sits?

 

[ton312]

Got some pictures from Shawn today. Waiting for pictures with the measurements seems a bit bulky around the elbow to me or maybe it's just the way it sits?

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Looks good! How’s the back? Ask for fit pics!

 

[Riu]

Looks good! How’s the back? Ask for fit pics!

I asked for fit pics as well so shortly I should get them