Goodwear Leathers, the waiting starts...

[ausreenactor]

Imagine how Rosie, Beryl and Ethel must have felt each time they put together a jacket back in the day.

 

[Superfluous]

I still do believe that there's point when you simply stop getting your money's worth

I completely agree. Most of the jackets we discuss here are well beyond the point of diminishing returns . . . some more than others.

start paying for an elitist exclusivity of a sort

I completely disagree . . . at least as it applies to the members of this forum. I have never seen any elitist mentality among the members here who patronize certain more expensive brands. Speaking for myself, I buy what I like, regardless of whether it is "exclusive" or not. RMC jackets are readily available and far from "exclusive." I also seek superior quality, even though it often comes at a premium disproportionate to the incremental benefit. Most importantly, I buy jackets that put a smile on my face when I wear them . . . in the end, thats all that really matters. No one outside this forum has any idea what I am wearing, so I do not garner any cachet or admiration by wearing a Himel as opposed to an Vanson. To the contrary, I am the only one who knows the difference . . . fortunately, I am also the only one that matters.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

I completely agree. Most of the jackets we discuss here are well beyond the point of diminishing returns . . . some more than others.



I completely disagree . . . at least as it applies to the members of this forum. I have never seen any elitist mentality among the members here who patronize certain more expensive brands. Speaking for myself, I buy what I like, regardless of whether it is "exclusive" or not. RMC jackets are readily available and far from "exclusive." I also seek superior quality, even though it often comes at a premium disproportionate to the incremental benefit. Most importantly, I buy jackets that put a smile on my face when I wear them . . . in the end, thats all that really matters. No one outside this forum has any idea what I am wearing, so I do not garner any cachet or admiration by wearing a Himel as opposed to an Vanson. To the contrary, I am the only one who knows the difference . . . fortunately, I am also the only one that matters.

Agreed. You should buy what makes you happy and what makes you feel awesome while wearing it. For me personally, if I know and can see/feel that the jacket isn't the best quality, then I can't actually feel comfortable in it, even if nobody else can see that. Does that make sense? Not really, but it's true nonetheless. It's the same with all of my clothes. I can see and feel the difference between different wallets, shirts, jeans, boots, etc. Are my Clinch and Lofgren boots worth the premium over Red Wings? Nope, but they are better and those little improved details are the same as on better jackets: better stitching, better leather (in some cases), and more elegant details, and in most cases, better design/look.

It's also important to me that I won't buy something that is better quality just because it is better if I don't think it looks good. I think that most brands that are of higher quality tend to also have more desirable designs as well. For example, John Lofgren engineers are gorgeously designed. The last is unique and gorgeous and you can tell the difference between it and a pair of other boots easily. However, you can also tell a pair of RMC boots immediately as well, and though I love my RMC jacket and the boots are of undeniable quality, I won't buy them because to me they are disgustingly ugly with those clown sized toes they have.

The whole reason I have not bought a Goodwear jacket is because I don't love the designs personally. I chose an RMC A2 because of the silk lining and the fact that they are cut slimmer than any historically accurate A2. Additionally, I bought my Himel because there is no other Grizzly that looks that amazing. Not only that, but there aren't even that many grizzly jackets around in the first place that are actually hair on hide rather than mouton grizzlies which I think are all ugly. So I think some of what you pay for is more exceptional/unique design as well as actual construction quality.

 

[ProteinNerd]

I still do believe that there's point when you simply stop getting your money's worth and start paying for an elitist exclusivity

I'm not claiming that a GW is a cheap jacket....its a lot of money for most reasonable people but that point where you start paying for exclusive snobbery is well past the GW price point imo.

This Rick Owens will only set you back about US$4000....I have to say this isn't the ugliest one at that price either!



You could always go for this one instead at the same price.



Bargain!

 

[navetsea]

^ wow the last one has so much character

 

[the loco]

I think that Goodwear makes some of the best A-2's out there.

 

[jacketjunkie]

Starting with a certain price point at which production costs are covered, there is no objective reasonable link between price and quality or objective justification for the high price. The prices at this point are made by supply and demand and this counts for all the makers named here. Not a single one of them sells their product on a thin line to the financially worthwhile. They all have a limited production which means short supply on plenty of demand, hence the waiting lists, so they can dictate the prices. Beyond a certain price point, you pay for exclusivity, for a limitedly available product, not for quality. We all do and we do it with all the common makers we all like here.

 

[pak]

The second Rick Owens looks like a garbage bag and has no stitch count, as they used glue.

 

[Monitor]

I'm not claiming that a GW is a cheap jacket....its a lot of money for most reasonable people but that point where you start paying for exclusive snobbery is well past the GW price point imo.

This Rick Owens will only set you back about US$4000....I have to say this isn't the ugliest one at that price either!

View attachment 48400

Why do the models have to stand like that? That first jacket wouldn't be all too bad if the model didn't have to pose like a cretin.

 

[Jägernaut]

Why do the models have to stand like that? That first jacket wouldn't be all too bad if the model didn't have to pose like a cretin.

The models pose is lifeless to go with the lifelessness of the leather. Wouldn't want to know where you would wear something like that.

 

[Monitor]

Well I think I know where I will be wearing something very similar to the second one at some point in my... life. XD

 

[tmitchell59]

That being said, tmitchel59 has a Goodwear Arcadia to die for. I watched his video of it number of times )))

 

[Fanch]

Fantastic looking jacket and great pictures. The buckled straps that won't come undone also a nice touch.

 

[A-1]

Why do you collect jackets, if you have this one?

 

[hondurasdave47]

I love the lining of that Arcadia too.

 

[Monitor]

Most importantly, I buy jackets that put a smile on my face when I wear them . . . in the end, thats all that really matters. No one outside this forum has any idea what I am wearing, so I do not garner any cachet or admiration by wearing a Himel as opposed to an Vanson. To the contrary, I am the only one who knows the difference . . . fortunately, I am also the only one that matters.

Yeah, I hear you... Same with me. Different kind of same. It's not about the quality for me, though, at least not that kind of quality and at least not to such an extent - sure, quality as in durability of the jacket, of course, but I will happily ignore any flaws in the construction as long as the jacket is exactly the style I want to wear. And yeah, nobody but myself knows or cares about any of the jackets I wear, but myself - and knowing that I'm wearing exactly the jacket I want to wear puts a smile on my face.

So I really want a Brooks style jacket. Any brand that does the style will do it for me. Can't say why but I know that having it would make me happier than and I guess that's where my point of view comes from and perhaps collides with the perspective of some other members, as the price and / or the exclusiveness of the materials does not mean much to me, but the passion for a certain type of jacket is still there and it's the same. I mean, just reading DudeWTH's posts makes me happy, how passionate the man is about his jackets. So I admit that I was wrong to hint that anyone here might exhibit elitist mentality and for that I apologize. The things we here may seek from our jackets may slightly differentiate, but essentially, it's all the same (weird) path we're all on.

 

[bretron]

Nah, Dude just really hates BK

 

[ButteMT61]

Nah, Dude just really hates BK

So do lots of people.

 

[Monitor]

So do lots of people.

Rightfully so.

 

[Superfluous]

The things we here may seek from our jackets may slightly differentiate, but essentially, it's all the same (weird) path we're all on.

Amen brutha!