Christoball
New in Town
- Messages
- 17
So I just acquired a Taylor's Leatherware NYPD jacket. Taylor's people were super helpful and responsive, really top notch customer service. And I like the jacket, a lot.
It is very heavy, slightly pebbled black cowhide, fairly stiff. Rib knit cuffs set inside the sleeves, generous bi-swing bellows, fits well (size chart on website was accurate) and feels like a suit of armor, in a good way.
Lapels button down, but can be unbuttoned so as to button the coat up all the way to the collar.
My only quibble is with the buttons. They do seem very sturdily fastened onto the jacket, which is a big relief - on most button up leather jackets I've had, the buttons were very weakly fastened to the leather. Not these. They stick out from the surface of the coat a bit on long stems, I guess to better accommodate the thickness of the leather. But they are a little flimsy, they have sharp edges on the back that have cut threads in two buttonholes, and so far I've had a tough time buttoning and unbuttoning them because the leather is so thick and stiff. Also they jingle like Christmas bells, which was fun until December 26 and then became slightly annoying.
I've sprayed the coat down with the water/stain repellent Taylor's sells on their website. I rubbed the area around each of the buttonholes with a damp rag dipped in petroleum based softener/conditioner and then put a dowel rod through each of the holes to try and open them up a bit (this was after the lapel buttons cut threads on their holes as I tried to unbutton them) but so far not much luck. What's a better way to break in the button holes?
I wonder if I should get the buttons replaced with something more substantial/less jingly. How wold the coat look with black leather football buttons, for instance? Or similar silver buttons, but more substantial? Any suggestions where to find quality replacement buttons?
Also not sure what sort of hat to wear with this coat. An old fashioned police hat would be the obvious choice but I don't want to. A flat cap, newsboy or ascot or snap brim hat? In felt or leather?
It is a budget jacket, but I really like it and want it to work for me.
It is very heavy, slightly pebbled black cowhide, fairly stiff. Rib knit cuffs set inside the sleeves, generous bi-swing bellows, fits well (size chart on website was accurate) and feels like a suit of armor, in a good way.
Lapels button down, but can be unbuttoned so as to button the coat up all the way to the collar.
My only quibble is with the buttons. They do seem very sturdily fastened onto the jacket, which is a big relief - on most button up leather jackets I've had, the buttons were very weakly fastened to the leather. Not these. They stick out from the surface of the coat a bit on long stems, I guess to better accommodate the thickness of the leather. But they are a little flimsy, they have sharp edges on the back that have cut threads in two buttonholes, and so far I've had a tough time buttoning and unbuttoning them because the leather is so thick and stiff. Also they jingle like Christmas bells, which was fun until December 26 and then became slightly annoying.
I've sprayed the coat down with the water/stain repellent Taylor's sells on their website. I rubbed the area around each of the buttonholes with a damp rag dipped in petroleum based softener/conditioner and then put a dowel rod through each of the holes to try and open them up a bit (this was after the lapel buttons cut threads on their holes as I tried to unbutton them) but so far not much luck. What's a better way to break in the button holes?
I wonder if I should get the buttons replaced with something more substantial/less jingly. How wold the coat look with black leather football buttons, for instance? Or similar silver buttons, but more substantial? Any suggestions where to find quality replacement buttons?
Also not sure what sort of hat to wear with this coat. An old fashioned police hat would be the obvious choice but I don't want to. A flat cap, newsboy or ascot or snap brim hat? In felt or leather?
It is a budget jacket, but I really like it and want it to work for me.
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