FS: Rivetts / Highwayman Motorcycle Leather Trousers (W32 L33 (ish))

[Monitor]

Okay, unfortunately, these aren't meant for me. I tried adding some colour to my wardrobe and failed. I don't know how to wear 'em and what with and the color doesn't work for me.

PRICE
$190 plus shipping. PayPal, friend/family. Shipping from EU.

INFO
Rivetts / Highwayman of UK, creme/beige/mustard super-heavy leather motorcycle trousers in an size that I am approximating to correspond to W32 / L33. Measurements bellow.

The history behind this brand is long & complex and I'll just assume you know what these are. If not... Okay, in short, this maker predates Lewis Leathers by a decade or so - I think the company was established during the 1950's - and they produced some of the finest British motorcycle gear that formed the classic UK rocker/biker look. LL knocked-off many of their designs, these trousers included.

Well, copied may be too harsh of a word as this was Schott kinda deal where Lewis Leathers bought out Rivetts at some point but in any case, if you take a look at the current LL motorcycle trousers, you can see where they got the idea.

The quality of the trousers that I am selling here is matched only by the current LL and they've still got to catch up leather-wise. Hide on this is crazy nice! We're talking that old-school UK cowhide. Natural feel to it, full-grain texture and massively thick. Vanson-grade piece of equipment by any account.

Fully lined in golden rayon silky lining, the pants feature two frontal and two back, ball-and-chain zippered pockets, wide, thick belt cuffs & highest-quality hardware.

STYLE & MEASUREMENTS
The cut is straight with a very, very light taper toward the cuffs; Just enough to fit into your riding boots but not nearly so to make the pants look awkward. They're some of the best fitting trousers I've ever tried on!

Measurements are...
• Waist width: 44 cm / 17.5"
• Front rise: 34 cm / 13.5"
• Hips: 54 cm / 21"
• Full length: 111 cm / 43.5"
• Cuff opening: 19 cm / 7.5"

CONDITION
Structurally literally perfect, the leather shell, however, exhibits surface nicks and marks which are visible only because of the colour; However, there are no actual cuts, scrapes or road rash of any kind, anywhere on 'em. They don't look new, is all but these are & have been used as a true riding pants so actual patina is to be expected.

I've thoroughly cleaned & conditioned them so the pants are as clean as the day they left the store. Leather is fully rejuvenated thus very soft and pliable. Hardware operates perfectly.

All in all, you've zero worries.

The previous owner for some reason removed the cuff stitching so the lining is loose, which is something you can easily have fixed by hand by just going thru the existing holes if you want to. Didn't bother me at all & I didn't notice it affecting anything so I left it as is.

MISC
As stated, these are super rare and are just as much of a collectors item for a fan of UK riding gear as they are a really cool, fun & high quality pair of leather trousers you can wear just about anywhere. It's insane these are in the condition they're in and I assure you, you will easily wear them for another 50 years.

While I am assuming that people who don't like leather pants because "bLaCk LeAtHeR pAnTs ArE sO gAy AnD pEoPlE i DoN't CaRe AbOuT mIgHt BrInG mY sExUaLiTy InTo QuEsTiOn (AnD sO mIgHt I)!!1" hadn't bothered reading up to this point, I can also perfectly understand that wearing black leather trousers isn't an easy thing to pull off so these being neither black nor shiny, while still offering all the benefits of the said garment such as durability, wind-proofness and the unique drape only leather can achieve, you might just grab these for your everyday activities 'cause I assure you, they're 10x more comfortable than the 20+ OZ jeans and far more attractive.

That's that. Some pics. Enjoy. HMU with any questions. Best!

 

[torfjord]

You just know I'm thinking about these ones. Leather trouser supplier supreme.

 

[red devil]

These look amazing! I would soak them in tea or coffee and wear them until they fade. Would the colour stick?

 

[Monitor]

You just know I'm thinking about these ones. Leather trouser supplier supreme.

I'm already regretting just listing these... The color isn't me but on the other hand, they fit me too well. Wore them this Sunday to town, more women were checking me out than in all of my jackets ever. Combined. My friend said it's the sweater that I was wearing and that it has nothing to do with these pants but I'm not 100% convinced she's right.

These look amazing! I would soak them in tea or coffee and wear them until they fade. Would the colour stick?

Thought about dyeing them but I'm not sure if the colour would stick to the surface. They don't seem heavily coated but the Vanek's weren't either and the black dye didn't make a dent in 'em.

 

[red devil]

I'm already regretting just listing these... The color isn't me but on the other hand, they fit me too well. Wore them this Sunday to town, more women were checking me out than in all of my jackets ever. Combined. My friend said it's the sweater that I was wearing and that it has nothing to do with these pants but I'm not 100% convinced she's right.



Thought about dyeing them but I'm not sure if the colour would stick to the surface. They don't seem heavily coated but the Vanek's weren't either and the black dye didn't make a dent in 'em.

Yeah this colour is a tough one to pull out, otherwise I would already have a jaclet in it. How about drawing something on it? You certailny have the skills!
And it looks like a perfect canvas for whatever inspiration comes to you

 

[torfjord]

I'm already regretting just listing these... The color isn't me but on the other hand, they fit me too well. Wore them this Sunday to town, more women were checking me out than in all of my jackets ever. Combined. My friend said it's the sweater that I was wearing and that it has nothing to do with these pants but I'm not 100% convinced she's right.



Thought about dyeing them but I'm not sure if the colour would stick to the surface. They don't seem heavily coated but the Vanek's weren't either and the black dye didn't make a dent in 'em.

Keep em. You’re just not used to wearing the colour. Keep em and figure it out.

 

[Edward]

I'd guess these were early-mid 70s.... it was around then that this sort of brightly coloured leather was being pushed as a "safety" feature for visibility on the roads. (Same era saw the public information "Think Bike" campaign.) I *think* Lewis's first birghtly coloured leathers were launched in 1968, though it seems to have become more a 'thing' in the 70s. Folk memory suggests as much as 'safety' it was also fashion, as well as a way, for some, of avoiding certain associations with motorcycles and black leather.

Interesting to see the presence of both of those labels - Highwayman and Champion were two different brands that Rivetts used at different points. There were a number of items sold under the Champion label alone after they stopped using Highwayman (I wonder were these trews from a transition period?) - see for example the jacket here: https://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/threads/one-for-my-boy.25742/

It's a tortured brand history indeed, but.... whoever did the manufacturing, Highwayman was a house-brand for Rivett's of Leytonstone, a motorcycle retail shop well established in that part of East London which was still in business up until somewhere around 25 years ago. They sold Highwayman leathers up until some point in the 70s, then stopped selling any house brand stuff (I believe they also used other brands post c.1973) by the 80s, stocking all the big names instead until they closed down - it was either a couple of years before I moved to London in 1999 or a couple of years later, I can't rightly recall offhand now. Lewis sought to claim the right to the Highwayman name in 1983, having purported to buy the brand from Rivetts, along with a bunch of other stuff. (I believe this was at the time Rivetts got entirely out of the house-brand game.) That's when the case with Aero came up, and Aero established an entitlement to the name. Rivett's ownership, which Lewis purported to have purchased, was held invalid through non-use.

On the point of who actually made the jackets for Rivett's, I stumbled across this old post (c.2014) from Andrew on another thread:

This is indeed very interesting. The Highwayman name existed long before Aero came into existence. In the 1950s the Elizabeth Radley Leather Company made Lewis Leather jackets. It was re-named Highwayman in the early 1960s and they produced MC jackets under the Highwayman name as well as others for Lewis Leathers. I'm not sure who owns the rights to the name these days.

As to who predates who, Rivett's were established as a motorcycle shop in 1898. Lewis trace their origin to 1892, though they were then a gentlemen's outfitters, the bike gear coming at a later point.

I've found some good history on the company online from pov of their bicycles - https://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/classic_builders/rivetts-of-leytonstone-ltd/ - but alas their important role in the history of motorcycle leathers does not have close to the same level of recording anywhere. I like Lewis, but it's a shame that all too often they have a disproportionate recognition looking back as compared to the number of competitors they had back in the day. Rocker revivalism is fun, but (much like the 70s Teds) not always truly reflective of how things really were. But wasn't it ever thus for nostalgia?

 

[Monitor]

Fantastic info, @Edward. You know your UK riding gear history for sure! 1970's were my guess as well but this didn't seem compatible with the decade in which Lewis Leathers acquired Rivetts and incorporated all of its styles into their main line - But that was a mistake on my end. Couldn't have been 1960's. 1980's as you say is more like it for sure.

All three labels being present here had me super confused too, since I was always under the impression that the maker clearly seemed to have wanted to distinguish Rivetts from the Highwayman brand, despite both clearly belonging to the same maker. And now a single item with all three registered trademarks stuck together - Two on one tag, no less.

 

[glxie63]

It's none of my business but I would keep them yellow! They are rad!

 

[Monitor]

Two members asked me for photographic evidence of measurements so here it is. I understand completely that with trousers, you'd want to be 100% sure as there's zero room for error. Unlike with jackets! Pants gotta be in your size or they simply put won't fit you.

By the way, the color in the photos below is more accurate to how the pants are. I don't understand why they came out so vividly yellow in the photos above as they're not like that. I think they become yellow in bright sunlight but they're definitely more beige/creme/tan than yellow.

It's none of my business but I would keep them yellow! They are rad!

Absolutely! Just that most of my wardrobe is grey/black/brown and none of it fits very with this bright yellow/beige. I'm still not sure whether to just keep them, anyway...

 

[Monitor]

These pants are killing me... They're the best fitting pants that I've ever owned, leather or otherwise, but I have just NO idea what to wear them with. I've switched almost entirely to wearing only black for some reason and I've simply nothing to wear them.

I've just purchased another pair that's supposed to fit similarly (but is of infinitely inferior quality) so here's to hope.

Meanwhile, if anyone's interested in these... DM me.