MotionDesign
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 156
So I wanted to run an experiment with FiveStar leather and see how ordering a custom leather jacket would go. Their 1930's Civilian Cafe Racer seemed like a great candidate. I decided to stick to one pattern and order three jackets in the span of three months, making necessary corrections in between to improve each iteration.
The first jacket was a 2mm brown steer, and it came out pretty good with some minor issues. The second jacket was a black 2mm steer that came out much better but still had some issues. The biggest one being a broken zipper insertion pin. But that's a subject I'd like to review in detail in a few months as I rate the jackets' quality after having a chance to wear them for a while.
This review will focus on the third jacket. A refined 1930's cafe racer that was meant to be the crowning achievement of the money and time investment over the last three months. A reward for patience, subtle experimentation, attention to detail, constant improvement, and working with just one pattern to limit the variables. And It came close, very close. But it didn't quite hit the mark.
Here's the list of good things:
-The premium waxed goat leather feels pretty good. It's stout but not too thick, at least compared to the 2mm steer. -The leather is cut very well, and the dimensions are even and symmetrical.
-On the inside, the olive cotton drill looks great, and the black sateen in the sleeves is nice and slick.
-The brass YKK zippers look and work great.
Here's the list of awesome things:
-The 4mm stitching with 6 ply thread is one of the best I've seen. The lines are straight, and the overlapping matches the pattern of the neighboring cut.
And here's the list of not so good things:
-The uniformity of the premium goat ranges from 1.6mm to 1.1mm on a few panels. I did ask for uniform thickness, but I guess that's the best they could do.
-Some of the measurements from the spec sheet were not acknowledged. With all fairness, I did send the updated spec sheet that had the same file name as the previous one, so this could be on me.
-The measurement QC photos were a bit theatrical. The most obvious example was an arm opening that was spec'd at 10.75". That was confirmed by 5*, as per the picture below. However, the true measurement was closer to 11.5". Again, not a huge deal. With the rest of the measurements, 5* was certainly within 0.5", which is an industry standard.
Picture from 5*
My measurement
And now, here's the item that could potentially spoil the cake:
-The size of the inside drill lining seems like it was meant for a jacket at least two sizes bigger. I understand it's customary to leave a bit of slack on the inside to accommodate for the leather being stretched and formed to the body as the jacket is being worn, but what I received seemed a bit excessive.
There is an additional 5 inches of cotton drill hanging from the seam of the jacket, which makes wearing it feel like a permanently sewn-in crumpled flannel shirt on the inside. It's a pity because, other than that, the jacket is pretty amazing. However, correcting this issue would require the services of a competent tailor, which would cost an additional $100 to $150. This would put the jacket closer to $500, which is still good, but there are other options available at that price range.
I sent an email to 5* last week with a few pictures but I am yet to hear back from them. Despite this issue, I will continue to wear the jacket as I like it quite a bit. Eventually, I will find a professional to correct the inside lining. I was considering another order but I think my experiment with 5* may be coming to a close. It has been a great learning experience and they did produce three unique, custom, and perfectly wearable leather jackets for a good price. I wish the best of luck to anyone who is at the beginning of their journey in search of the perfect jacket.
The first jacket was a 2mm brown steer, and it came out pretty good with some minor issues. The second jacket was a black 2mm steer that came out much better but still had some issues. The biggest one being a broken zipper insertion pin. But that's a subject I'd like to review in detail in a few months as I rate the jackets' quality after having a chance to wear them for a while.
This review will focus on the third jacket. A refined 1930's cafe racer that was meant to be the crowning achievement of the money and time investment over the last three months. A reward for patience, subtle experimentation, attention to detail, constant improvement, and working with just one pattern to limit the variables. And It came close, very close. But it didn't quite hit the mark.
Here's the list of good things:
-The premium waxed goat leather feels pretty good. It's stout but not too thick, at least compared to the 2mm steer. -The leather is cut very well, and the dimensions are even and symmetrical.
-On the inside, the olive cotton drill looks great, and the black sateen in the sleeves is nice and slick.
-The brass YKK zippers look and work great.
Here's the list of awesome things:
-The 4mm stitching with 6 ply thread is one of the best I've seen. The lines are straight, and the overlapping matches the pattern of the neighboring cut.
And here's the list of not so good things:
-The uniformity of the premium goat ranges from 1.6mm to 1.1mm on a few panels. I did ask for uniform thickness, but I guess that's the best they could do.
-Some of the measurements from the spec sheet were not acknowledged. With all fairness, I did send the updated spec sheet that had the same file name as the previous one, so this could be on me.
-The measurement QC photos were a bit theatrical. The most obvious example was an arm opening that was spec'd at 10.75". That was confirmed by 5*, as per the picture below. However, the true measurement was closer to 11.5". Again, not a huge deal. With the rest of the measurements, 5* was certainly within 0.5", which is an industry standard.
Picture from 5*
My measurement
And now, here's the item that could potentially spoil the cake:
-The size of the inside drill lining seems like it was meant for a jacket at least two sizes bigger. I understand it's customary to leave a bit of slack on the inside to accommodate for the leather being stretched and formed to the body as the jacket is being worn, but what I received seemed a bit excessive.
There is an additional 5 inches of cotton drill hanging from the seam of the jacket, which makes wearing it feel like a permanently sewn-in crumpled flannel shirt on the inside. It's a pity because, other than that, the jacket is pretty amazing. However, correcting this issue would require the services of a competent tailor, which would cost an additional $100 to $150. This would put the jacket closer to $500, which is still good, but there are other options available at that price range.
I sent an email to 5* last week with a few pictures but I am yet to hear back from them. Despite this issue, I will continue to wear the jacket as I like it quite a bit. Eventually, I will find a professional to correct the inside lining. I was considering another order but I think my experiment with 5* may be coming to a close. It has been a great learning experience and they did produce three unique, custom, and perfectly wearable leather jackets for a good price. I wish the best of luck to anyone who is at the beginning of their journey in search of the perfect jacket.
