Leather jackets on TV shows - Goat or Lamb?

[navetsea]

his facial expression tells it all... is this even leather? anyway obviously a new low of leather jacket in tv series

 

[Justhandguns]

I guess you will have to be someone like him to wear a Vanson, zipped, on TV.

 

[Edward]

I wonder if it has something more to do with product placement.

Can happen. It's very common in the movie business. It's only been legal on television in the UK since March 2011, so it's not so common over here. I'm sure there's more of it in American shows, though - do the FCC have specific regs on that?

I remember this character in Gotham always wear somekind of leather jacket or coat too, but from this screenshot I'm not sure if it is even leather, or if it is leather then he just bought it less than a day, zero set in creases

Breaking it in easily makes sense. Unlike us, these wardrobe folks aren't looking for a jacket that will last a lifetime, just something that will hold together for the duration of a series-shoot.

the Catwoman/girl character also always wear leather jacket, predistressed and wired fashion jacket, look at her collar, obviously not from thrifting as her character suggests
View attachment 26304

I'd always assumed she was supposed to have stolen it - as her character also suggests.

Perhaps that applies to a lower budget shoot. Spending a few thousand on a dozen jackets isn't going to be an issue where they are spending millions overall. And if it's a branded jacket, the jackets are often supplied free. I think overall the average person prefers a lighter leather jacket. That's certainly been my experience. And when they've seen or held my Aero FQHH they ususally think it's too heavy.

Product placement definitely helps with budgets. Even on a big budget picture, though, they'll still have to justify everything to the accountant at the end of the day, so savings will always be made where they can easily. It doesn't have to be good - it just has to look good on screen.

A lot of folks I'm sure do like something lighter, though here we're back to shooting conditions, as well as look trumping 'feel' or comfort.

and perhaps, wearing a brand new thick leather jacket would look tackier for the character, compared to thin jacket that can immediately look broken in with little effort.

Breaking stuff down can be am important part of costume. If they need a jacket to look twenty years old and start with a new piece, they don't have time to get somebody to wear it in naturally, so this makes a lot of sense.

 

[Monitor]

I guess you will have to be someone like him to wear a Vanson, zipped, on TV.

View attachment 32514

That jacket is waaaay too large for him. Should size down at least 11 sizes.

 

[leafandarrow]

lately I've been watching old episodes of "highway patrol" from the 50s, just to spot the civy leather "average joe" jackets, like the one in this episode- http://youtu.be/hgaTTeYDRgA

 

[willyto]

One of the main characters of True Detective Season 2 wears a leather jacket:

BIG SIZE IMAGE

The link goes to the same picture in very big size so the experts can take a look at the details.

Also I'm not used to see good quality leather jackets around but I'm pretty sure that my Aero A-1 I got from a member here is way thicker than the average leather jacket (This one Here )

 

[thor]

If only the main character needs to be wearing a leather jacket (no need for stuntmen or doubles to be similarly outfitted), then producers and wardrobe people can opt for one-off vintage leather jackets/clothes for the main character. Henry Winkler wore a vintage jacket through most of "Happy Days".

 

[Seb Lucas]

Henry Winkler wore several jackets on the series. I'm not sure if any were vintage they all looked "vintage style" to me but I'm happy to learn otherwise. The one on display at the Smithsonian was, I understand, made by Western Costume who made the first pre-Wested iteration of the Indy Jones jacket, a garment Spielberg decided was unusable.

 

[thor]

I think later on in the series (as the Fonz jacket was getting more popular) they started to make "new vintage" jackets for the show (this photo is not the same jacket previously posted; obviously much newer). From what I read (can't remember where), the early seasons had Winkler wearing a true vintage jacket. But like the legend of the James Dean red "Rebel" jacket, much gets lost to history.

 

[Edward]

In season one, he wore a light blue windcheater, leather being too 'bad boy' for the network's liking. Thereafter he was allowed to wear leather, but it had to be brown, not black, and he could only wear it in shot with a motorcycle. Of course they pocked the dsrkest brown they could so it often looked black.... and they also had him ride the bike into the diner and such so they could keep him in the leather as often as possible.

The one in the Smithsonian looked *very* Seventies to me, but it's only one of several....

 

[Monitor]

Brooks on Twin Peaks.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Half the characters on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. wear cafe racer TYPE jackets, but they look: (1) tailored to each actor specifically vs. being off the rack; and (2) to be made of thin leathers like lambskin, because again, the huge amount of light poured onto film sets makes them a very hot working environment. This use of the cafe racer TYPE jacket (and moto TYPE jackets) seems to be the case for an awful lot of current cop/spy procedurals... because they immediately establish a cool character and look great. I only mentioned AoS because it's one of the few shows of the genre that I watch regularly. (I watch Gotham too, but its costumes are more obviously designed with retro touches to match its flamboyant, semi-Tim Burton Batman, contemporary/near-past look [e.g., with flip phones and clunky old cars].)

 

[Lemon328i]

Brooklyn Nine-nine has a few characters that wear leather jackets. Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) wears a classic D-pocket motorcycle jacket and Jake (Andy Samberg) wears a couple different styles from a bomber style to what looks like a leather M-65.

 

[morrison2951]

Arrow is another show where cafe racers are all over the set.

 

[Edward]

Insofar as leathers are worn under their cuts, Sons of Anarchy features more cafe racer types than anything else. (Interesting especially given that their costume designed did a lot of direct research with one percenters to see how they really dress.) No idea what they are.... Opie's always looked very much like a Vanson to my eye, but I wouldn't like to put money on it. Lots of neat little detailsin the costuming on that show - things like the change in helmets they wore when they went to Belfast (UK helmet laws having much stricter requirements, clearly, than California).

 

[Monitor]

I've seen an episode or two of Sons of Anarchy, but they were only wearing kutten.

 

[Edward]

I've seen an episode or two of Sons of Anarchy, but they were only wearing kutten.

Yes, most of them don't wear jackets under the cuts much of the time. I assume it's generally too hot for that much leather in California.... That and they all ride Harleys, so they'll never get up to the speed where they need the warmth...

 

[HoosierDaddy]

What is 'kutten'..??
Leather vests..??

 

[Edward]

What is 'kutten'..??
Leather vests..??

Yeah, cuts - the vrsts they wear their colours on.