Johnson Leather Jacket

[Pandemic]

Alright, attempt #2 on a horsehide jacket. I'm wanting to do something simpler, lighter, slimmer with gussets or a bi-swing back. A nice candidate for the one and only leather jacket for spring and fall if you had to pick one. What's a good CXL color that's versatile? Stick with brown or a maybe burgundy?

Some say burgundy leather can be worn with black shoes/ boots when brown cannot.

If you were getting a second jacket in your rotation I’d say go for it, but if this is a ‘one and only’ brown jacket then you might do better with a more neutral brown.

For a mid-weight jacket, the Horween Milan is hard to beat. The color is so damn rich and vibrant.

 

[Jin431]

Alright, attempt #2 on a horsehide jacket. I'm wanting to do something simpler, lighter, slimmer with gussets or a bi-swing back. A nice candidate for the one and only leather jacket for spring and fall if you had to pick one. What's a good CXL color that's versatile? Stick with brown or a maybe burgundy?

Good luck with your HH jacket project. If you want to wear something slimmer and lighter, you can always try the midweight HH they offer (Horween Vermont/Horween Milan/Masaye from Germany) aside from the heavyweight Horween CXL (though you can have CXL skived down if you really want a light CXL) they have.

As far as color goes I'd say you can't go wrong with the brown, if they have a dark burgundy (cordovan) that too is going to look great. The black overdye is really nice if you want a black jacket. Good luck

I'd say it depends on your taste, if you tend to like colors then go for burgundy, but if your taste is more traditional go with brown.

Agreed. The brown is super cool, might be the best CXL aside from color #8

Splendid outfit head to toe!

Thanks @Tom71 i see loads of inspired outfits around so i tried to emulate it as best I could

+1

The shirt didn't stay tucked in after some quick snaps, only for the photo lol

 

[Jin431]

Some say burgundy leather can be worn with black shoes/ boots when brown cannot.

If you were getting a second jacket in your rotation I’d say go for it, but if this is a ‘one and only’ brown jacket then you might do better with a more neutral brown.

For a mid-weight jacket, the Horween Milan is hard to beat. The color is so damn rich and vibrant.

Agreed on what @JustinW said. Can't go wrong with brown cxl or Horween Milan.

just to clarify: burgundy cxl is different from cordovan cxl, right?

 

[ton312]

Agreed on what @JustinW said. Can't go wrong with brown cxl or Horween Milan.

just to clarify: burgundy cxl is different from cordovan cxl, right?

I’m my experience no. Both are Horween # 8 on the color scale. I’ve had both and they were indistinguishable.

 

[Mich486]

Cordovan leather is typically burgundy (so called #8 but can be many other colours) and for some reason I think Aero started using cordovan to denote a shade of burgundy/oxblood CXL HH and Steer. People on this forum also use the two terms interchangeably.

For most people outside this forum cordovan is a type of leather used for shoes or other smaller leather goods.

 

[Jin431]

I’m my experience no. Both are Horween # 8 on the color scale. I’ve had both and they were indistinguishable.

Got it, now I know why Damon at JL looked at me funny when I asked about cordovan and they showed me burgundy lol it's probably just how dark the shade of the Horween #8 makers request/prefer to use

Cordovan leather is typically burgundy (so called #8 but can be many other colours) and for some reason I think Aero started using cordovan to denote a shade of burgundy/oxblood CXL HH and Steer. People on this forum also use the two terms interchangeably.

For most people outside this forum cordovan is a type of leather used for shoes or other smaller leather goods.

Got it, I knew I was missing something. Thanks for clarifying that. That makes it easier to understand now. I do like a dark burgundy than a lighter shade one myself so I hope Aero approves my request for my premier HWM

Yes, the real and the real expensive cordovan is definitely good looking.

 

[red devil]

Yes, I'm sure it is but it doesn't feel as much of a chore wearing it and not as heavy compared to my aero so I'm thinking the aero I had before was probably 4oz or so. The 3.5 oz brown cxl I have is wonderful to wear, it's so much easier to break in than I was expecting it to be

That feel of heaviness might not be due solely to weight. In my experience, the JL jaclets distribute weigh well making them very comfortable, one of the reason I have 2 more on order with them

Also discussing a third one that will be very unique if we can pull it off

 

[Pandemic]

Cordovan is both a color and a a specific (rump) part of the horse’s hide (shell cordovan). It gets really confusing in the shoe world!

There is a fair bit of variation in CXL8- from reddish brown to bright cherry.

 

[handymike]

I hate the purple/cherry color, but love the burgundy/brown hue. My GW is that way- in certain light it’s definitely brown, but in others it goes burgundy. At first I didn’t like it, now it’s my favorite color leaving others flat.

 

[Cornelius]

Got it, now I know why Damon at JL looked at me funny when I asked about cordovan and they showed me burgundy lol it's probably just how dark the shade of the Horween #8 makers request/prefer to use...

Yes, the real and the real expensive cordovan is definitely good looking.

I can see why using "Cordovan" to solely indicate a color would confuse someone working in the leather trade. The term originated in the Middle Ages to denote high-quality leather coming from the city of Córdoba in Andalusia, Spain, a major trading power, which for nearly 1,000 years was the largest city west of Constantinople (today’s Istanbul), home of the first University in Europe, and part of the Islamic empire of the Moors. Their leather - the best of which was goatskin with a reddish tone - was particularly prized for shoemaking among the European aristocracy and a coveted luxury item. At the time, labor guild laws in England even drew a sharp distinction between “Cordwainers” - those who created new shoes, ideally with leather from Córdoba - and “cobblers,” who were only allowed to repair shoes using old leather, and forbidden from working with new leather. These formerly quite separate trades only began to merge in earnest with the advent of mass-production in the early 19th Century.

 

[handymike]

Interesting.
So, Cordovan= Leather from Cordova.
“Coeur du vin” was what I understood the color came from. (pardon my French)

 

[Mich486]

A nice read on Cordovan and its original meaning

https://ashlandleather.com/blogs/inside-ashland/what-is-cordovan

 

[Goel]

Good luck with your HH jacket project. If you want to wear something slimmer and lighter, you can always try the midweight HH they offer (Horween Vermont/Horween Milan/Masaye from Germany) aside from the heavyweight Horween CXL (though you can have CXL skived down if you really want a light CXL) they have.

As far as color goes I'd say you can't go wrong with the brown, if they have a dark burgundy (cordovan) that too is going to look great. The black overdye is really nice if you want a black jacket. Good luck

Some say burgundy leather can be worn with black shoes/ boots when brown cannot.

If you were getting a second jacket in your rotation I’d say go for it, but if this is a ‘one and only’ brown jacket then you might do better with a more neutral brown.

For a mid-weight jacket, the Horween Milan is hard to beat. The color is so damn rich and vibrant.

The versatility of burgundy is why I'm considering it. I don't have any intention of matching shoes with jackets so I'm just looking for something that will look ok with anything. I like CXL for it's toughness, you don't need to worry about getting it wet as with more delicate leather tannages, but it is heavier than I prefer so I would have it skived. The Milan leather looks really nice though, I'd like to see more jackets made from it and maybe get a sample. I've never had full vegtan leather so I don't know how it holds up over time.

 

[Jin431]

That feel of heaviness might not be due solely to weight. In my experience, the JL jaclets distribute weigh well making them very comfortable, one of the reason I have 2 more on order with them

Also discussing a third one that will be very unique if we can pull it off

Agreed, the JL jackets are way more comfortable to wear compared to the Aero jackets I've had the chance of wearing. There is so much more mobility in the shoulders and it does not get tiresome to wear for longer periods of time.

Okay that's so cool to know. We've got a regular all the way in the U.K. Are your orders on the down low? Hope you get yours soon! The 3rd jacket project got me intrigued! Cheers

Cordovan is both a color and a a specific (rump) part of the horse’s hide (shell cordovan). It gets really confusing in the shoe world!

There is a fair bit of variation in CXL8- from reddish brown to bright cherry.

I hear you, I'm sure you explained this to me before but it makes more sense to me now. CXL 8 is cool, love the color variation of it. Thank you

I hate the purple/cherry color, but love the burgundy/brown hue. My GW is that way- in certain light it’s definitely brown, but in others it goes burgundy. At first I didn’t like it, now it’s my favorite color leaving others flat.

can you pls share that photo @handymike? That's so cool, I wish the tumbled cordovan PHWM I ordered will have a little bit of that action going on.

I can see why using "Cordovan" to solely indicate a color would confuse someone working in the leather trade. The term originated in the Middle Ages to denote high-quality leather coming from the city of Córdoba in Andalusia, Spain, a major trading power, which for nearly 1,000 years was the largest city west of Constantinople (today’s Istanbul), home of the first University in Europe, and part of the Islamic empire of the Moors. Their leather - the best of which was goatskin with a reddish tone - was particularly prized for shoemaking among the European aristocracy and a coveted luxury item. At the time, labor guild laws in England even drew a sharp distinction between “Cordwainers” - those who created new shoes, ideally with leather from Córdoba - and “cobblers,” who were only allowed to repair shoes using old leather, and forbidden from working with new leather. These formerly quite separate trades only began to merge in earnest with the advent of mass-production in the early 19th Century.

Learned something new today. I wonder if the best cordovan still comes from Córdoba Spain? I don't think I've seen a post here about footwear or leather from that part of the world. Mostly seen/read shoes made from Horween/Shinki/Italian cordovan leather

A nice read on Cordovan and its original meaning

https://ashlandleather.com/blogs/inside-ashland/what-is-cordovan

Thanks for sharing, an interesting and knowledgeable read

The versatility of burgundy is why I'm considering it. I don't have any intention of matching shoes with jackets so I'm just looking for something that will look ok with anything. I like CXL for it's toughness, you don't need to worry about getting it wet as with more delicate leather tannages, but it is heavier than I prefer so I would have it skived. The Milan leather looks really nice though, I'd like to see more jackets made from it and maybe get a sample. I've never had full vegtan leather so I don't know how it holds up over time.

I hear you, I also have a tumbled burgundy jacket on the way so Im also keen on the color depth and its versatility. Ive only had the full veg tan jacket for a few months so I don't know as well but I'm hoping for the best

Horween Milan HH in Black. Maybe ask if the Milan comes in Burgundy?

 

[handymike]

Here you go:




The color is off on the last one, but it looks like that a lot of the time when not in full sunlight.

 

[Jin431]

Here you go:
View attachment 296321
View attachment 296318
View attachment 296320
View attachment 296319
The color is off on the last one, but it looks like that a lot of the time when not in full sunlight.

What a lovely jacket, looks great on you and a perfectly fitting jacket to boot. That's so rich looking, it's really confusing to look at because how there's different shades Bouncing on different panels depending on how the light shines on it. Very cool, thanks for sharing.

 

[red devil]

Okay that's so cool to know. We've got a regular all the way in the U.K. Are your orders on the down low? Hope you get yours soon! The 3rd jacket project got me intrigued! Cheers

The first 2 orders are in process, both full custom, with the next step for me to get the mock ups.

The third one is still in the discussion phase. I suspect we will need another two weeks to finalise the details.

Definitely a regular at JL, i can only say good things about my experiences so far.

 

[Pandemic]

I just dropped my deposit down for a 'Jin Special'. Fit jacket target is Feb 9 with about another ten days to complete the jacket once feedback on the fit jacket is received.

Looks like this might even arrive on my 50th birthday!

 

[sweetfights]

Here you go:
View attachment 296321
View attachment 296318
View attachment 296320
View attachment 296319
The color is off on the last one, but it looks like that a lot of the time when not in full sunlight.

Stunner! What a great jacket. Wow.

 

[Jin431]

The first 2 orders are in process, both full custom, with the next step for me to get the mock ups.

The third one is still in the discussion phase. I suspect we will need another two weeks to finalise the details.

Definitely a regular at JL, i can only say good things about my experiences so far.

Wow, now that's interesting! So eager to see what you come up with and which leather you went with.Thats some very detailed discussions coming along, hope you guys straighten it out soon.

Glad to know someone from abroad put them in high regard.

I just dropped my deposit down for a 'Jin Special'. Fit jacket target is Feb 9 with about another ten days to complete the jacket once feedback on the fit jacket is received.

Looks like this might even arrive on my 50th birthday!

Yes! Alright advanced birthday well wishes to you brother @JustinW! Hope you get to wear your JL southpaw jacket when you celebrate it.