Freewheelers at Son of Stag

[Edward]

It's funny how divided people who care about their clothing are divided about being noticed. Some want to look anonymous and not stand out at all. Others are clearly trying way too hard to look like they have great taste.

I think there's room for all sorts. The ones that annoy me are like the guy who was done for assault on the tube a few years ago. Lost his temper with some kids who took the mickey. He was wearing a waxed tache, loud tweeds, and bright red corduroys, and was enraged that they even noticve he was different. Thing is, if you['re gonig to dress in a way that does really stand out, you have to accept that sometmes, some people will notice it. Also, that they may say things you don't like - often without meaning insult. One of the ladies who lives in our block always compliments me on my "cowboy" hat when I'm in a high-crown fedora. That's just her frame of reference for a wide-brimmed, felt hat. If we're going to dress in a way that sticks out, we have to at least accept that people may notice and comment even if that's not your motive behind it.

TBH, one of the things I loved most about moving to London was that I could just do my thing - paint my nails, wear a brimmed hat, whatever - and it didn't have to be this big statement every time I left the house. I like to do my own thing and I don't much care what other people think, but when half a dozen men in their thirties follow you through a shopping centre thinknig they're clever singing the Inspector Gadget theme at the man in the long coat and the fedora, you have to wonder how empty their lives are.... Belfast has changed a little on that front, though not much.

I'm not really sure which is the right answer. Personally, I don't care. Yes, I believe I dress pretty well and have fantastic taste in clothing and of course I like to showcase that for others of similar taste to me. Any of us who have shown off our new jacket have to admit the same. If you're on this forum and you don't think that, then you severely lack confidence or are fairly new and are here to learn. Of course, I still learn new information about this hobby all the time and am very thankful to this forum for that, but my point is that you should be confident about your clothing to the point where you shouldn't care if someone thinks you are trying too hard or if they mistake you for a normal, tasteless Joe.

Zactly. There are times when it behoves one to dress sensitively to other people's needs: their wedding, your job, all of that. When you're on your own time, please yourself.

No offense intended there Gav and you and I (and probably everyone here) can spot the difference. That's not the point. I've seen guys dressed in $50 worth of thrift store whatever look far more put together than I do in $1.2k jacket, $300 IH jeans and whatever else. Money can't buy style and I don't judge others style based on what I perceive as quality.

That's also true, there certainly is a skill in putting it all together.

None taken. I don’t buy and wear repro, nerd clothes to impress others, I wear this stuff because I like it and because I am fascinated and obsessed with it.

I also enjoy geeking out about repro stuff with other like minded folk.

Bingo.

During the Aero trial, there was a moment where the prosecution were running through the inventory, and they were running through the cost of some archive LVC and Lee jeans when it was decided to break for lunch. The moment the jury, sheriff et al walked out, the clerk of the court turned to me and shouted across to me 'who in their right mind pays £200 for a pair of jeans?'. How we laughed, but, y'know, here we are...

Ho, yes. Amusingly, the more I learn about details, the more I find my own, self-imposed ceiling limits rise. Was a time I lived in combat trousers or jeans for £20, surplus wear. Now I don't bat an eyelid at spending £80 or £90 on a pair of trews because that's what the right cut costs. I remember when the ida of spending £145 on a Wested Indy seemed scandalous. Last Aero I bought cost me £700 and barely a second thought!

 

[Sloan1874]

Took me ages to decide to go for my first Aero. It was an intimidating amount of money to spend, but as Edward says, once you've vaulted that wall, you're off into the wide-open plains of 'I have lost all sense of proportion, now take my money!'

 

[ton312]

Took me ages to decide to go for my first Aero. It was an intimidating amount of money to spend, but as Edward says, once you've vaulted that wall, you're off into the wide-open plains of 'I have lost all sense of proportion, now take my money!'

Agreed. My first Aero was a used CR, very good shape, but $600. I'd never spent that much and it seemed positively insane. Once I recieved it I understood exactly what I paid for. Then I was:

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Took me ages to decide to go for my first Aero. It was an intimidating amount of money to spend, but as Edward says, once you've vaulted that wall, you're off into the wide-open plains of 'I have lost all sense of proportion, now take my money!'

This is so incredibly true. I felt so weird spending less than $500 on my first leather jacket and only a couple years later thought very little of buying my Himel.

As you said, once you clear that first wall, things change completely.

 

[willyto]

My Son of Stag routine: walk in, walk around, look at some things, look at their price, walk out.

I used to do that but now I don't even enter. It feels pointless.

 

[Superfluous]

I think there are two key questions one always has to ask onesself when choosing between two items of a particular type:
1] Is the one that is £X more expensive better?
2] Is it £X better?
One of the reasons I play an Epiphone Les Paul and not a Gibson version is that while I regard the Gibson as twice as good, I don't think it's worth five times the price of the Epi.

On the quality continuum for most products, the point of diminishing returns is not far beyond an average quality product, and the further one moves beyond average quality, the less incremental value one obtains for each additional dollar spent. Thus, if I require a linear delta in value for each additional dollar spent, it becomes difficult to justify top flight products. With certain products, I prioritize value over superlative quality. With other products, I prioritize superlative quality over value and knowingly exceed the point of diminishing returns in order to achieve the desired delta in quality. Leather jackets fall squarely in the second category.

 

[Superfluous]

Took me ages to decide to go for my first Aero. It was an intimidating amount of money to spend, but as Edward says, once you've vaulted that wall, you're off into the wide-open plains of 'I have lost all sense of proportion, now take my money!'

This is so incredibly true. I felt so weird spending less than $500 on my first leather jacket and only a couple years later thought very little of buying my Himel.

As you said, once you clear that first wall, things change completely.

You are describing the traditional course of most addictions. The first time I smoked pot, I swore I would never consume "hard" drugs. Thereafter, I exceeded each artificial barrier designed to keep my drug use in check and, before long, I was a human garbage disposal. Ditto my prior watch addiction . . . when I purchased my first $5,000 watch, I swore I would never spend five or six figures on watches . . . yet, it was not long before I eclipsed both of those artificial barriers.

Frankly, the slow progression through the quality spectrum is quite costly and wasteful. In retrospect, I wish I had gone straight to premier quality from the beginning, rather than buying and selling multiple interim products, at losses, as I marched to the top shelf (or having interim products gathering dust because I moved on to something more desirable).

 

[Sloan1874]

You're absolutely right. Invariably, each step up the ladder is unsatisfying. You can always see what you *really* want, no matter how expensive, which means that what you have in your hand just doesn't cut it.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

You are describing the traditional course of most addictions. The first time I smoked pot, I swore I would never consume "hard" drugs. Thereafter, I exceeded each artificial barrier designed to keep my drug use in check and, before long, I was a human garbage disposal. Ditto my prior watch addiction . . . when I purchased my first $5,000 watch, I swore I would never spend five or six figures on watches . . . yet, it was not long before I eclipsed both of those artificial barriers.

Frankly, the slow progression through the quality spectrum is quite costly and wasteful. In retrospect, I wish I had gone straight to premier quality from the beginning, rather than buying and selling multiple interim products, at losses, as I marched to the top shelf (or having interim products gathering dust because I moved on to something more desirable).

I did this with jackets as well. Taking the stepping stone approach really is more expensive than just saving up for what you really want, even if it is very expensive.

 

[ton312]

My problem is I never knew what I really wanted. And still don't.

 

[red devil]

Frankly, the slow progression through the quality spectrum is quite costly and wasteful. In retrospect, I wish I had gone straight to premier quality from the beginning, rather than buying and selling multiple interim products, at losses, as I marched to the top shelf (or having interim products gathering dust because I moved on to something more desirable).

This is the learning process and it's not free...
When you are entering a new hobby/rabbit-hole/addiction it is difficult to know what you really want. So going for the top shelf stuff from the beginning might actually be a more costly mistake. It might not be what you really want in the long run or it might be completely over-hyped and uninteresting.
The ideal circumstances are when you have someone you can trust who knows said hobby and can guide you until you have developed your own tastes.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

My problem is I never knew what I really wanted. And still don't.

Ah.... see that's a completely different problem haha This thread is starting to feel like an AA meeting.

 

[ton312]

Additionally I feel no attachment to material possessions. Literally zero. No matter how much I love them I eventually get bored and want something else.
Couple that with feelings of guilt when I've collected too many things...probably time for me to move on over to scrap booking. Look for me on The Vellum Lounge.

 

[El Marro]

Frankly, the slow progression through the quality spectrum is quite costly and wasteful. In retrospect, I wish I had gone straight to premier quality from the beginning, rather than buying and selling multiple interim products, at losses, as I marched to the top shelf (or having interim products gathering dust because I moved on to something more desirable).

I echo this sentiment 100%!
Every hobby/obsession I have ever indulged in begins with me cautiously purchasing something of good quality but without any real flair or pizazz. From there I quickly progress to seeking out the very best that I can afford. Collecting leather jackets has been no different and I too wish I had skipped some of the intermediate jackets along the way.
This has morphed into a very cool thread!

 

[Benj]

Of all the mistakes I've made over the years... I'm happy that going for something I saw as a compromise wasn't one of them. My first pair of raw denim, for example, was iron heart. I was never interested in something like naked and famous or APC, I knew it was only worth it to get what I wanted. If I couldn't afford that, Id rather say to tell with it and just have normal denim.

Like ton, the biggest problem was that sometimes I didn't know exactly what I wanted...

 

[Fonzie]

My problem is I never knew what I really wanted. And still don't.

I think a lot of us are in the same predicament. It's like we are trying to grasp the horizon, but every time we take a few steps to reach it, it goes a few steps further.
We are pathetically forever waiting for that one material object that changes everything, only to realise we are still the same person.

Sorry if I've gone a bit obscure there, too much listening to The Cure in my teenage years maybe the reason.

 

[Sir Jacket]

Sirs, apropos of this discussion, can anyone advise on the best way to get an Orgueil car coat in the UK? Is it even possible? There appears to be only one European outlet for Orgueil products but I've approached them and I don't think they're getting any more in.

 

[Blackadder]

Sirs, apropos of this discussion, can anyone advise on the best way to get an Orgueil car coat in the UK? Is it even possible? There appears to be only one European outlet for Orgueil products but I've approached them and I don't think they're getting any more in.

Orgueil products are very slim even by Japanese standard. Slimmer than the main brand Studio d'Artisan. International Dealers at bottom of list.
http://www.orgueil.jp/dealer/dealers/6348/

 

[Sir Jacket]

Thanks, @Blackadder. I looked and none of them has the car coat, sadly.

This is beginning to feel like a mythic quest.

I have a Studio D'Artisan cotton jacket in size 38. I'm just over six foot and it fits me well – trimly but well. I was thinking a 40 in the car coat.