Five Star Leather Jackets

[Marc mndt]

Received my fit pics from Shawn overnight. Jackets on its way, but I might have an issue with the front drop. I spec'd 2" drop, he confirmed via photo that it was exactly 2" but something is off. Either 2" is too much, or the shape of the drop is wrong, or a combo of both.
I am taller and a bit bigger than Shawn I think, and I'll never do up the bottom button, so it might not be as prominent as is looks. Will know when it arrives but a visit to a leather tailor might be in order.

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A front drop should start from the side panels.

On your 5* jacket the side panels are straight and only the front panels are curved downwards.

 

[abone]

A front drop should start from the side panels.
View attachment 309192
On your 5* jacket the side panels are straight and only the front panels are curved downwards.

A former boss of mine used to say “experience is something you get right after you need it”

this isn’t something easily fixed other than taking out most of the front drop. Me thinks I’m fooked!

 

[Marc mndt]

this isn’t something easily fixed other than taking out most of the front drop. Me thinks I’m fooked!

I indeed think thats the best way to address it.

 

[abone]

I indeed think thats the best way to address it.

this was a fun project, until it’s not.

serves me right for not buying a Maxwell in the first place

 

[Marc mndt]

this was a fun project, until it’s not.

serves me right for not buying a Maxwell in the first place

It does suck but I guess that's part of the 5* game. There are a lot of details you need to get right if you go full custom 5*.

Anyway, that bottom button is placed relatively high up so there's more than enough wiggle room to cut off that front drop

Thedi makes a great 'escape from New York' jacket too.

 

[Carlos840]

Received my fit pics from Shawn overnight. Jackets on its way, but I might have an issue with the front drop. I spec'd 2" drop, he confirmed via photo that it was exactly 2" but something is off. Either 2" is too much, or the shape of the drop is wrong, or a combo of both.
I am taller and a bit bigger than Shawn I think, and I'll never do up the bottom button, so it might not be as prominent as is looks. Will know when it arrives but a visit to a leather tailor might be in order.

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I agree that the bottom button is far too low and the front drop is weird.
It almost looks like an untucked dress shirt!

 

[abone]

It does suck but I guess that's part of the 5* game. There are a lot of details you need to get right if you go full custom 5*.

Anyway, that bottom button is placed relatively high up so there's more than enough wiggle room to cut off that front drop

Thedi makes a great 'escape from New York' jacket too.
View attachment 309208

I like that design. Bill Kelso make one too.

 

[Seb Lucas]

A former boss of mine used to say “experience is something you get right after you need it”

this isn’t something easily fixed other than taking out most of the front drop. Me thinks I’m fooked!

It's a shame. The reality is Five Stars is stumbling through this with random requests from people like us and, most probably, no training in heritage jacket pattern making. Wested Leather used to work like this in custom jackets and finally after disagreeing with one too many customers about how to interpret instructions, they stopped. At least for a while.

My own view on Five Stars is that they need to get 4 or 5 heritage patterns totally, or mostly right, with feedback from us. Then they can offer these patterns with some custom sizing and small adjustments. Total custom from the ground up will be risky until they have enough experience in heritage pattern making to know the little secrets, like how a drop front works.

 

[red devil]

I agree that the bottom button is far too low and the front drop is weird.
It almost looks like an untucked dress shirt!

It made me think of a dress shirt as well

 

[handymike]

This jacket has a 2” drop

Here is the side view

 

[abone]

This jacket has a 2” drop
View attachment 309220
Here is the side view
View attachment 309219

So it appears the drop begins at the centre of the rear panel and continues gradually until the centre of the front panel?

 

[Carlos840]

This jacket has a 2” drop
View attachment 309220
Here is the side view
View attachment 309219

But the Imperial also has a curved back bottom hem which makes the drop appear longer than it actually is.
I would love to see what 5 star came up with if you asked for a front drop and a curved hem...

 

[Carlos840]

So it appears the drop begins at the centre of the rear panel and continues gradually until the centre of the front panel?

I don't know what i am talking about, but the way i see it in this case is a curved back bottom hem, two sloped side panels and then sloped front panels.
If you trace a line from the center back to the front you don't get a straight line, it's more complicated than a gradual slope.

edit: when i say curved back bottom hem, i mean there is a radius to it when viewed from the back, it's not a straight line.

 

[abone]

I don't know what i am talking about, but the way i see it in this case is a curved back bottom hem, two sloped side panels and then sloped front panels.
If you trace a line from the center back to the front you don't get a straight line, it's more complicated than a gradual slope.

edit: when i say curved back bottom hem, i mean there is a radius to it when viewed from the back, it's not a straight line.

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.

 

[Carlos840]

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.

If you do a gradual slope you end up with that monstrosity:

 

[handymike]

This one has a 3” drop

 

[Marc mndt]

It's a shame. The reality is Five Stars is stumbling through this with random requests from people like us and, most probably, no training in heritage jacket pattern making. Wested Leather used to work like this in custom jackets and finally after disagreeing with one too many customers about how to interpret instructions, they stopped. At least for a while.

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.

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

 

[Marc mndt]

edit: when i say curved back bottom hem, i mean there is a radius to it when viewed from the back, it's not a straight line.

Something like this

 

[Monitor]

Received my fit pics from Shawn overnight. Jackets on its way, but I might have an issue with the front drop. I spec'd 2" drop, he confirmed via photo that it was exactly 2" but something is off. Either 2" is too much, or the shape of the drop is wrong, or a combo of both.
I am taller and a bit bigger than Shawn I think, and I'll never do up the bottom button, so it might not be as prominent as is looks. Will know when it arrives but a visit to a leather tailor might be in order.

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That's a shirt.

 

[Seb Lucas]

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.

View attachment 309224 View attachment 309225

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

I agree. Greg also worked under Aero and I am sure that practical craft knowledge grounding also helped.

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.

Our stuff is probably a small percentage of their total work. If we start to become too difficult to accommodate, things may change. I have to say my stuff, apart from one jacket (with some smaller issues), has been pretty impressively realized. I also gave a couple away because I lost interest, but they were fine.