Five Star Leather Jackets

[Marc mndt]

It’s totally subjective. I’m saying I’ve owned both and I am happier with my 5* because they feel just as good in terms of quality (I know people here will gasp) and they fit much better because they are custom.

Your nicer 5* jackets aren't bad, they look ok. But they're not good either.

I feel like the pattern isn't doing much for you. A good pattern will accentuate your masculinity. Your 5* jackets are shapeless, body and sleeves. There's 0 finesse. This is where a lot of Japanese makers fail as well imo.

It's difficult to explain but a picture is worth a thousand words.

Original ($299 on eBay)

Japanese repro

I think for example an Aero Speedway will look great on you. Twice as expensive as a 5* but when you factor in resale price and the fact that you don't need to order three or four jackets to get one decent one I'd say the Aero is the better deal.

 

[MrProper]

Here’s the thing. Even the most esteemed members of this group initially gushed about some of their 5* jackets. If that’s the case, how bad could they be? Comparing them with jackets that cost twice or three times as much is not a fair comparison, right?

The people on this forum are the most discerning on the planet when it comes to this topic. 99.99% of people would be thrilled with a 5* and probably couldn’t tell the difference between a 5* and an Aero from 5 feet away. A 5* is far superior to the leather jackets that the average person on the street is wearing, or any other new leather jacket for the same price.

First of all, of course, there is enthusiasm. The jacket arrives quickly and looks good at first glance. 350 - 400 €... that can't be bad.
Then a closer inspection. A measurement is wrong here, the leather is too thin there, a repaired spot in the leather elsewhere, top coat that feels like plastic, etc.
I wear the jacket for the first week, the second week I wear it less, the third week I only use the higher quality ones.
Once again, the saying "cheap does not mean inexpensive" proves to be true.
To be fair, I have to say that my Caferacer has turned out really well... by 5* standards. My two shearling vests also turned out well (apart from the armholes), as did the shearling with the buttons. But only if you don't compare them with others.
And the comparison with higher quality jackets is legitimate in that not only the price but also the added value should be considered. I like to wear my Aeros and Lewis leathers a lot and enjoy them every time. And I assume that this will continue to be the case for a long time to come.
Unfortunately, the half-life of 5* was only a few weeks.
But I'm happy for everyone who is happy with their 5*. They simply did a better job, gave better specifications or were simply luckier than me.

 

[KBlake]

Your nicer 5* jackets aren't bad, they look ok. But they're not good either.

I feel like the pattern isn't doing much for you. A good pattern will accentuate your masculinity. Your 5* jackets are shapeless, body and sleeves. There's 0 finesse. This is where a lot of Japanese makers fail as well imo.

It's difficult to explain but a picture is worth a thousand words.

Original ($299 on eBay)

View attachment 569012

Japanese repro

View attachment 569011

I think for example an Aero Speedway will look great on you. Twice as expensive as a 5* but when you factor in resale price and the fact that you don't need to order three or four jackets to get one decent one I'd say the Aero is the better deal.

That’s fair. I won’t be buying more in the future, but in the meantime I’m quite happy . I’d love to find something that fits me well like that jacket fits you. I haven’t had much luck at all with vintage. The sleeves are always too short or some other issue.

 

[Observe]

Your nicer 5* jackets aren't bad, they look ok. But they're not good either.

I feel like the pattern isn't doing much for you. A good pattern will accentuate your masculinity. Your 5* jackets are shapeless, body and sleeves. There's 0 finesse. This is where a lot of Japanese makers fail as well imo.

It's difficult to explain but a picture is worth a thousand words.

Original ($299 on eBay)

View attachment 569012

Japanese repro

View attachment 569011

I think for example an Aero Speedway will look great on you. Twice as expensive as a 5* but when you factor in resale price and the fact that you don't need to order three or four jackets to get one decent one I'd say the Aero is the better deal.

I have debated looking into a speedway, the neck design looks like it's less "forward" than their other patterns and the neck hole hopefully a bit bigger? If anyone here has experience with the Aero Speedway please let me know about the fit.

I'd also like to say that I think 5*'s best leather is their goat. Any of their 2mm horsehide cardboard stiff stuff TFL has an obsession with is not gonna stack up. They're based in Pakistan so I'd imagine they have access to quality goatskins moreso than any other type of leather.

 

[Marc mndt]

I have debated looking into a speedway, the neck design looks like it's less "forward" than their other patterns and the neck hole hopefully a bit bigger? If anyone here has experience with the Aero Speedway please let me know about the fit.

It's an original vintage Levi's pattern. I owned a couple LVC repros, can't find the fit pics though. @Canuck Panda owned a Speedway.

 

[JDarwin52]

Longtime lurker here, first post! Contextually this might be a little out of place.. but hey, I’m over the moon about my brand new 5 Star B6! I’m just getting started and watching my budget..

First custom sized purchase, it was exciting and scary and ended very well. Thanks to all of you for the breadth of expertise throughout this thread. And thanks to Shawn and the kindly sheep from a faraway exotic land that made it happen. Leather is magic.

 

[Eddiesuave]

Longtime lurker here, first post! Contextually this might be a little out of place.. but hey, I’m over the moon about my brand new 5 Star B6! I’m just getting started and watching my budget..
View attachment 569079 First custom sized purchase, it was exciting and scary and ended very well. Thanks to all of you for the breadth of expertise throughout this thread. And thanks to Shawn and the kindly sheep from a faraway exotic land that made it happen. Leather is magic.
View attachment 569080 View attachment 569081

Jeez those shearlings jackets look fanfuckingtastic. Makes me feel like that might be the better part of Five Star Leather.

 

[Eddiesuave]

Your nicer 5* jackets aren't bad, they look ok. But they're not good either.

I feel like the pattern isn't doing much for you. A good pattern will accentuate your masculinity. Your 5* jackets are shapeless, body and sleeves. There's 0 finesse. This is where a lot of Japanese makers fail as well imo.

It's difficult to explain but a picture is worth a thousand words.

Original ($299 on eBay)

View attachment 569012

Japanese repro

View attachment 569011

I think for example an Aero Speedway will look great on you. Twice as expensive as a 5* but when you factor in resale price and the fact that you don't need to order three or four jackets to get one decent one I'd say the Aero is the better deal.

Agreed JP repro brands opt for a slimmer, and longer appearance with strong front drops despite their claim of creating time period accurate garments. Even Real McCoy’s puts me off at times.

 

[58panheadfan]

It's not all bad about the FiveStar leather jackets:

 

[Observe]

I think ton and others make valid criticisms and speak from a lot of experience. I also don't think those things necessarily detract from others' personal experiences with the brand. People here are prolific buyers/sellers and a bit fickle as well. I got lucky and went 2 for 2 on good jackets with 5*. I sold one of them, but I've also sold most of my jackets, including "top tier" stuff like RMC, so that's not really an indictment of 5* specifically.

 

[KBlake]

Your nicer 5* jackets aren't bad, they look ok. But they're not good either.

I feel like the pattern isn't doing much for you. A good pattern will accentuate your masculinity. Your 5* jackets are shapeless, body and sleeves. There's 0 finesse. This is where a lot of Japanese makers fail as well imo.

It's difficult to explain but a picture is worth a thousand words.

Original ($299 on eBay)

View attachment 569012

Japanese repro

View attachment 569011

I think for example an Aero Speedway will look great on you. Twice as expensive as a 5* but when you factor in resale price and the fact that you don't need to order three or four jackets to get one decent one I'd say the Aero is the better deal.

I've got to be honest and say that I don't see what's lacking in my 5* jackets. Like I don't see how your jacket accentuates masculinity but mine don't. That may be a function of ignorance on my part. Also, could it be that part of what's demonstrated above is the difference between the way a new jacket drapes (or doesn't) as opposed to a vintage jacket?
I've put a deposit down on an Aero Speedway in Badalassi per your recommendation. Thank you for that. My hesitation has always been that if I spent that much on a jacket and it didn't fit properly I'd be much more upset.

 

[Marc mndt]

I've got to be honest and say that I don't see what's lacking in my 5* jackets.

Your jackets are quite trim fitting so I'll compare them to my most trim fitting jacket of a similar style.

Let's start with the back. The 5* pattern is 2D instead of 3D. It doesn't follow the shape of your body but instead it hangs straight down from your shoulders. As a result there's a lot of empty space / abundance of material, which makes you look thinner than you actually are.

The sleeves are shapeless and slim from top to bottom. They would look much better if they had more volume on top with a gradual taper and curve towards the cuffs.

Shoulders on your jacket are quite wide with a very sharp shoulder / sleeve angle. This in combination with the slim and shapeless sleeves make your arms look thinner than they are.

To be clear, I don't think your 5* jackets look bad. I just think that a jacket with a well thought trough pattern would look much better on you.

Also, could it be that part of what's demonstrated above is the difference between the way a new jacket drapes (or doesn't) as opposed to a vintage jacket?

Here's a brand new jacket that was worn fifteen minutes tops when this photo was taken. Lots of shape.

I've put a deposit down on an Aero Speedway in Badalassi per your recommendation. Thank you for that. My hesitation has always been that if I spent that much on a jacket and it didn't fit properly I'd be much more upset.

Nice! It's a reproduction of this '30s Levi's halfbelt. I hope @jeo doesn't mind me using his pic.

 

[Observe]

Your jackets are quite trim fitting so I'll compare them to my most trim fitting jacket of a similar style.

Let's start with the back. The 5* pattern is 2D instead of 3D. It doesn't follow the shape of your body but instead it hangs straight down from your shoulders. As a result there's a lot of empty space / abundance of material, which makes you look thinner than you actually are.

The sleeves are shapeless and slim from top to bottom. They would look much better if they had more volume on top with a gradual taper and curve towards the cuffs.

View attachment 569742

Shoulders on your jacket are quite wide with a very sharp shoulder / sleeve angle. This in combination with the slim and shapeless sleeves make your arms look thinner than they are.

To be clear, I don't think your 5* jackets look bad. I just think that a jacket with a well thought trough pattern would look much better on you.

View attachment 569750



Here's a brand new jacket that was worn fifteen minutes tops when this photo was taken. Lots of shape.

View attachment 569751



Nice! It's a reproduction of this '30s Levi's halfbelt. I hope @jeo doesn't mind me using his pic.

View attachment 569756

Your provided visual cues do help illustrate the differences and ultimately shortcomings of the 5* pattern.

I would love to see more about the Speedway, anyone have info or relevant links?

 

[Marc mndt]

Your provided visual cues do help illustrate the differences and ultimately shortcomings of the 5* pattern.

I would love to see more about the Speedway, anyone have info or relevant links?

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...an-answer-about-outerwear.102916/post-3007712

 

[Observe]

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...an-answer-about-outerwear.102916/post-3007712

Lol I'm there asking the same damn question. I'm going senile it seems.

 

[KBlake]

Your jackets are quite trim fitting so I'll compare them to my most trim fitting jacket of a similar style.

Let's start with the back. The 5* pattern is 2D instead of 3D. It doesn't follow the shape of your body but instead it hangs straight down from your shoulders. As a result there's a lot of empty space / abundance of material, which makes you look thinner than you actually are.

The sleeves are shapeless and slim from top to bottom. They would look much better if they had more volume on top with a gradual taper and curve towards the cuffs.

View attachment 569742

Shoulders on your jacket are quite wide with a very sharp shoulder / sleeve angle. This in combination with the slim and shapeless sleeves make your arms look thinner than they are.

To be clear, I don't think your 5* jackets look bad. I just think that a jacket with a well thought trough pattern would look much better on you.

View attachment 569750



Here's a brand new jacket that was worn fifteen minutes tops when this photo was taken. Lots of shape.

View attachment 569751



Nice! It's a reproduction of this '30s Levi's halfbelt. I hope @jeo doesn't mind me using his pic.

View attachment 569756

Wow, this is a fantastic explanation/demonstration. Thank you!

 

[MrProper]

Your jackets are quite trim fitting so I'll compare them to my most trim fitting jacket of a similar style.

Let's start with the back. The 5* pattern is 2D instead of 3D. It doesn't follow the shape of your body but instead it hangs straight down from your shoulders. As a result there's a lot of empty space / abundance of material, which makes you look thinner than you actually are.

The sleeves are shapeless and slim from top to bottom. They would look much better if they had more volume on top with a gradual taper and curve towards the cuffs.

View attachment 569742

Shoulders on your jacket are quite wide with a very sharp shoulder / sleeve angle. This in combination with the slim and shapeless sleeves make your arms look thinner than they are.

To be clear, I don't think your 5* jackets look bad. I just think that a jacket with a well thought trough pattern would look much better on you.

View attachment 569750



Here's a brand new jacket that was worn fifteen minutes tops when this photo was taken. Lots of shape.

View attachment 569751



Nice! It's a reproduction of this '30s Levi's halfbelt. I hope @jeo doesn't mind me using his pic.

View attachment 569756

To be fair, I have to mention that 5* sometimes gets it right, at least for me as a philistine who has little eye for subtleties.

Round shoulders, little extra material at the back, slightly curvy sleeves.
This is the only one of my 5* that really turned out the way I imagined it. But I also provided a lot of measurements and photos.
But even here they managed to mess something up. Note the oddly placed press studs on the collar.

 

[Eddiesuave]

Your jackets are quite trim fitting so I'll compare them to my most trim fitting jacket of a similar style.

Let's start with the back. The 5* pattern is 2D instead of 3D. It doesn't follow the shape of your body but instead it hangs straight down from your shoulders. As a result there's a lot of empty space / abundance of material, which makes you look thinner than you actually are.

The sleeves are shapeless and slim from top to bottom. They would look much better if they had more volume on top with a gradual taper and curve towards the cuffs.

View attachment 569742

Shoulders on your jacket are quite wide with a very sharp shoulder / sleeve angle. This in combination with the slim and shapeless sleeves make your arms look thinner than they are.

To be clear, I don't think your 5* jackets look bad. I just think that a jacket with a well thought trough pattern would look much better on you.

View attachment 569750



Here's a brand new jacket that was worn fifteen minutes tops when this photo was taken. Lots of shape.

View attachment 569751



Nice! It's a reproduction of this '30s Levi's halfbelt. I hope @jeo doesn't mind me using his pic.

View attachment 569756

I don’t understand why you keep bringing up 3D pattern planning. It’s a relatively newer advancement and it has nothing to do with vintage reproductions or the fit of the vintage leather jackets we seek to recreate. 2D pattern planning has been fine for years and while there are some welcoming aspects of designing clothing using a 3D digital pattern it’s not entirely we should care about when we basing our expectations on a replica on a 2D patterned jacket. Or are we talking about completely different things here. I mean you brought up H&M clothing up as an example, a brand I actually visit really frequently, and in reality I don’t see where the money is going with those pattern advancements. I can appreciate some things as they are trendy, but to say they are well thought out designs that fit good is to lie or have no experience wearing anything from them.

 

[Marc mndt]

To be fair, I have to mention that 5* sometimes gets it right, at least for me as a philistine who has little eye for subtleties.

Round shoulders, little extra material at the back, slightly curvy sleeves.
This is the only one of my 5* that really turned out the way I imagined it. But I also provided a lot of measurements and photos.
But even here they managed to mess something up. Note the oddly placed press studs on the collar.
View attachment 569797 View attachment 569808
View attachment 569809
View attachment 569810

That's a great looking jacket.

I don’t understand why you keep bringing up 3D pattern planning.

Or are we talking about completely different things here.

Where did I say pattern planning?

It's the pattern itself that's two dimensional, flat!

Have a look at the sleeves of this five star. Flat like pant legs.

Now have a look at the sleeves of these jackets. Three dimensional, impossible to lay flat. And that's not because of thick / stiff leather, the brown horsehide is rather thin and it's supple like lambskin.

I don't know what more to explain. I guess if you can't see it you will not see it. Ignorance is bliss.

 

[Marc mndt]

I can appreciate some things as they are trendy, but to say they are well thought out designs that fit good is to lie or have no experience wearing anything from them.

OK dude call me a liar whatever. I'm not sure you actually want to understand. I'm done explaining.

Here's me wearing an H&M jacket