How to resist buying another jacket?

[ton312]

Or just commit to catch and release. It will cost you $ and you'll win and lose but you'll enjoy the hobby with less baggage.
Or just buy a shit ton and wear them whenever. You've got 100 years if you're really lucky. Make it fun.

 

[El Marro]

I'm fighting this addiction too. I remember when I thought Super was exaggerating when he calling it an addiction but it's so damn true it's seriously not even funny. Nor entertaining. At times, it's no different than drugs. But here's what I can tell you...

Buy it - but make absolutely positively 100% sure this is the one! Once I got the cafe racer that I wanted, my obsessive searching thru eBay and local classifieds toned down. A bit but enough to keep myself in check because I know that 99% of the stuff that's gonna pop up on sale is going to be inferior in most ways so why bother? Yeah, I know that's far from true and that it's something I had to convince myself into believing but it works. Mostly. So yeah, it has to be the one that you seriously plan on wearing, one that's exactly what you imagined your perfect jacket will be like. Make sure it's not a whim. And if you still really want that B-3, get it. Just make sure you'll be really happy with it. Also, sell everything else, try to make it feel like a trade or at least that you'd spent as little as possible on it... But in the long run, it just might save you tons of money. And bad feelings.

Really good deal is something I am still not capable of resisting but the jacket absolutely has to check all the boxes for me. I know I would buy tons of jackets had more money but this way I can resist just throwing $$$ away on a jacket that I know I won't like as much as any of the jackets that I have right now.

Reasoning like do I need another jacket never works because for me, it's like saying "do I need another painting?". Yes, I do. Art is nice.

"I'm broke" doesn't work either because I'll just find something else give up on until I get the funds. Like food, for example.

Monitor touched on something here that actually did work for me as well when he spoke about finding the "one".
This summer I bought a new Vanson CHP because I prefer the cleaner look to the other double racers with all the pockets, zips, and buttons. I lucked out, the jacket fits perfectly! It's almost as if I had provided my measurements to Vanson and had a custom jacket made for me.
Now when I see other jackets in this style, many of which cost much more than my Vanson, I am not as tempted because I know that they won't fit as well. Just as Monitor has for the café racer, I have checked the box for this style.

 

[handymike]

I'm totally set unless I find one that just "blows me away" AND fits the numbers. A tall order- for now I just collect screenshots of all the cool and unique ones I find out there... I've got plenty of harddrive space

 

[apba1166]

I can't believe I'm the first to say this. Sell me the B-6 first, then buy the B-3. Think of the savings.

 

[Fanch]

Best way to avoid buying another jacket is to cease and desist from posting or even viewing others' posts here on TFL.

 

[regius]

Thanks for that! Haha.

Two things that help me:

First, looking at the vintage leather jacket photos thread. I see those people in their clothes and they look so good in them. And that’s mainly because their jackets and all their clothes look like they live in them. They have actually molded to their bodies and they look comfy as f**k in them. I can actually imagine them walking and moving around in them. I love that look and it became clear to me that I won’t ever achieve that by having 10 jackets or even more. A lot of people look more like shopwindow figures. Nice-looking clothes, but only to show them and have them, not to actually wear them. I’m totally not into that. And in the „heritage scene“, more and more rich people buy a lot of expensive stuff and they want to look like the old miners and wild west people who worked their damn asses off (wearing their clothes). But most of them just look like rich people in stiff clothes that can’t really move and don’t feel comfy at all. I don’t want my clothes to look like they’re wearing me. So, I’ll have to wear them more.

Second, it also helps to make yourselves clear that you already possess great clothes. And every time you buy something new means that the stuff you already own will get less mileage.

OK, three points: I want to stay alive. My wife would probably turn my hide into a jacket if I bought three leather jackets a year.

OK, OK four: Don’t settle for second best (not most expensive, but quality-wise). If you want a jacket but buy a similar just because it’s a little bit less expensive, you will likely be buying the other one anyway... So, just go for the one you really want. AND THEN WEAR IT!

I love this entry the most! Great advice. I'd like to add that we struggle to keep wearing the same clothes these days is obviously because of the abundance of choice. In the 40s, all they had to choose from were a handful of 40s jackets and 30s, but now, thanks to Aero and all the reproduction makers, we have 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s and current production jackets to choose from!!!! Also because of the "accumulation of experience", we learned that some older pattern don't move as well as others/newer ones, meaning that if we treat them as CLOTHES/necessities, we would NOT choose them over the more ergonomic modern designs. HOWEVER, us folks here are dreamers and choose to live in fantasy and in a conceptual reality, we are drawn to the romantic IDEA of old jackets, so we buy them, admire them, but don't get to stay in them because they are just not comfortable (at first).

 

[regius]

I am at a stage (yes, stage, who knows which stage comes next) where I have fairly low interest in leather jackets. I'm tired of trolling ebay or take trips to NYC stores, I browse the classified here but rarely seen anything exciting. This is because I have "learned it the hard way", I have "lived", to my standard. I have seen enough patterns and designs that I figured they could be lumped under just a few categories/systems when it comes to the main features that'd determine how it fits me, i.e. shoulder angle, sleeve girth, lapel shape etc. A beautiful leather certainly stands out, but if the cut is stupid, then it's worthless to me. So now when I see a jacket I've never handled before, I kinda could see what type it is. Then, what's left for the eyes is just the details and leather condition, which I can be satisfied by looking at it on the screen! (plus, I also have experienced enough to know the range of leather feel to the hand, texture, weight, density etc). In other worlds, I am able to get high virtually! Ideally, I'd wish I could be in a state where I don't desire specimen of different types, that the jacket remains an item of warmth and protection....

 

[regius]

My advice for the original post is this, try to develop other interests, especially interests that you can imagine could become your livelihood. I am taking my mind off jacket by studying acting and sewing, because I can easily convince myself that if I focus on those, they will be saving my life one day, but buying more jacket will not.

 

[Superfluous]

 

[Jaime]

View attachment 62093

This is fun because in Spanish there is absolutely no difference between this words.

 

[Monitor]

I am at a stage (yes, stage, who knows which stage comes next) where I have fairly low interest in leather jackets. I'm tired of trolling ebay or take trips to NYC stores, I browse the classified here but rarely seen anything exciting. This is because I have "learned it the hard way", I have "lived", to my standard. I have seen enough patterns and designs that I figured they could be lumped under just a few categories/systems when it comes to the main features that'd determine how it fits me, i.e. shoulder angle, sleeve girth, lapel shape etc. A beautiful leather certainly stands out, but if the cut is stupid, then it's worthless to me. So now when I see a jacket I've never handled before, I kinda could see what type it is. Then, what's left for the eyes is just the details and leather condition, which I can be satisfied by looking at it on the screen! (plus, I also have experienced enough to know the range of leather feel to the hand, texture, weight, density etc). In other worlds, I am able to get high virtually! Ideally, I'd wish I could be in a state where I don't desire specimen of different types, that the jacket remains an item of warmth and protection....

Same. Exactly the same. And well said.

Some time ago I was looking at the Brooks CR's, you know the standard black ones and I realized I could tell the yellow/gold tag and the black tag ones apart just from the thumbnails. I also realized there's nothing I would actually gain from that jacket, that I already didn't have. I know exactly what it is, I know the type of that leather, how it fits... There's nothing about that jacket that will surprise or impress me (this isn't to say Brooks is inferior in any way, if I had gotten it first, I would've felt the same about any other similar CR). It's just a whim.
But it's also true that you have to get what you want. Otherwise this whole journey makes no sense. If it's 5K of money, that's okay. If it took you this long to reach the conclusion that it's exactly the jacket you want, no amount of lookalikes or repros is gonna do the trick. Get what you want!

I did get hooked on Cal CR, though, I'll tell you this much. That racer is in a category of its own. Seriously, it's eleven grades above anything else I've seen, new or repro. I wear it all the time even though I know it's a 50 - 60 years old jacket that might just start falling apart any second but it's insanely practical. So there's another reason to buy another jacket. Just in case, you know. XD

 

[Stringmaster]

I haven't even received my first Aero order and I'm already plotting my next--visiting the Lounge doesn't help! I'm forcing myself to hold off--I recently lost a lot of weight and as an incentive to keep it off I'm going to stash a hundred dollar bill each month, and in a year if I'm still at my goal weight I will have the needed $$ and will have earned my reward

 

[nick123]

One thing is a trade. If you're sitting on a $1000 jacket you have like an unlimted amount of trades you can do from one jacket.

 

[ButteMT61]

Its funny. With all the nice, expensive jackets I own (still), I've been wearing my semi-vintage Levis jacket and a civi "A-2" which cost me nothing. Of course when I go to a nicer place/event, I pull out the good stuff, but like others, after some years of hunting, failing, etc., I've gone back to "what will keep me warm today" or "which jacket could I get dirty, etc. and not care about"??? Not giving up, just saying like others, I've been in the rodeo long enough and it's time to truly get some aging on these things before I croak.

 

[handymike]

It could just be a matter of time to complete the cycle: I joined here in 2011 and only recently hit jacket zen. 5 years. 35 jackets. 4 left. How deep you go depends on the size of your bank acct, but after awhile, they start blurring together for the most part. That's when the calm comes I enjoy looking but don't "need" to buy. Like Butte, I need to WEAR.

 

[Monitor]

Its funny. With all the nice, expensive jackets I own (still), I've been wearing my semi-vintage Levis jacket and a civi "A-2" which cost me nothing. Of course when I go to a nicer place/event, I pull out the good stuff, but like others, after some years of hunting, failing, etc., I've gone back to "what will keep me warm today" or "which jacket could I get dirty, etc. and not care about"??? Not giving up, just saying like others, I've been in the rodeo long enough and it's time to truly get some aging on these things before I croak.

Ditto! I mean, I try to wear all my jacket but these days, like 80% of the time, I just grab my leather trucker jacket because it's too large so I can comfortably wear it with all the cold weather layering underneath and since the weather's continually been crap, I don't care if it gets soaked. I try to wear the Schott too but it's too trim fit...

...also, here I am speaking about how successfully I am dealing with this addiction and I just bought another jacket today. But this one's totally unlike anything I have so it was a wise investment! Totally...

 

[ChiTownScion]

Wife: "But how many damn leather jackets do you need???"

Me: "As many as will give me peace of mind, contentment, and true bliss. I'll let you know when I'm there,"

 

[plainsman]

I found the solution: deciding that i would only want the Arcadia from Tmitchell and realizing that it is too small ((

 

[Bern1]

Yeah yeah join the club! After going crazy to the tune of a half dozen jackets, I've managed to hit the pause button. I have been resisting the urge to buy an Aero Teamster for over a year. I even saved the money for it and still haven't bought it. I think about it all the time though!

Good luck!

 

[Bern1]

I am at a stage (yes, stage, who knows which stage comes next) where I have fairly low interest in leather jackets. I'm tired of trolling ebay or take trips to NYC stores, I browse the classified here but rarely seen anything exciting. This is because I have "learned it the hard way", I have "lived", to my standard. I have seen enough patterns and designs that I figured they could be lumped under just a few categories/systems when it comes to the main features that'd determine how it fits me, i.e. shoulder angle, sleeve girth, lapel shape etc. A beautiful leather certainly stands out, but if the cut is stupid, then it's worthless to me. So now when I see a jacket I've never handled before, I kinda could see what type it is. Then, what's left for the eyes is just the details and leather condition, which I can be satisfied by looking at it on the screen! (plus, I also have experienced enough to know the range of leather feel to the hand, texture, weight, density etc). In other worlds, I am able to get high virtually! Ideally, I'd wish I could be in a state where I don't desire specimen of different types, that the jacket remains an item of warmth and protection....

Yes, this is jacket zen. I am getting there. It's admittedly a lot easier with some good examples in the closet, nevertheless it is worthwhile applying the technique on a regular basis, it works well!

I have used this in other areas, namely guitars. I have taken a life long obsession with those and pared back to a handful.