Seam down the middle in the back - poll!

[navetsea]

imo, that is way too dramatic of back shaping. if the goal is for the back not riding up when hunching over gas tank, then I prefer a lesser shaped back but with a curved hem like so

I find vertical piping acts as spring and bumper to localize creases from arm to not affecting the center back panel so much. And tapering toward the back of the neck will crease the jacket on the upper back behind your neck when you look up, or when you ride a sport bike. I try to picture creases on the back once the jacket is worn in.

 

[Carlos840]

If that center seam is causing the hunch back look... errr.

I'm not trying to convince you it's a good idea, or that it looks good, just that it is indeed a thing.
Whether you like it or not is another question.

Like everything, the result will vary depending on the skills of the pattern maker...

 

[Will Zach]

Thank you guys for the rich discussion - as usual, I have learned a lot at TFL!

I had no idea that these vertical seams could be functional.

Still don't like them, but at least I have a better understanding now. Poll results are also interesting. Keep'em coming.

 

[rockandrollrabbit]

Pretty much...
Imagine you are joining two pieces of leather, you could have the joined edge perfectly straight, you could have a slight convex cut on the edges, or a slight concave cut on the edges:

The top example is literally just a visual design/cost saving thing, it won't add anything to the shape of the jacket.
You are literally just splitting a panel in half.

The mid example, you are basically adding a curve in the back that follows the spine, i think that's what they do with the board racer, pretty sure it is visible in this jacket too:

Third example you are adding room, in the bottom and top, i am pretty sure this is how they do the bell shape on the bottom of this jacket:

Now imagine combinations of all of the above, the options are endless...

The same thing applies to yokes, this yoke for example uses the same principle to give more room in the scapular area:

You could not achieve the same thing with a single piece back...

Edit: i am not a tailor, this is my basic understanding of how this works, i am sure there is more to it than what i posted above...

Excellent visual aid. I totally get how that works now.

 

[Agent Black]

The vertical seam has to connect somewhere, either with a back yoke and/ or a kidney panel. Otherwise it just looks lost.
Personally I think they look great with a V shaped back yoke. These are my Kett Leathers cross zips that both have the V shape back yoke, of the two I prefer the second one due to its curve.

 

[sweetfights]

The yoke does seem to help balance it a bit.

The yoke is a must!

 

[sweetfights]

View attachment 266582

It doesn't look so bad on some designs

This looks nice. I agree with those who do not like the straight seam from the top to bottom. The yoke breaks things up.

 

[sweetfights]

Pretty much...
Imagine you are joining two pieces of leather, you could have the joined edge perfectly straight, you could have a slight convex cut on the edges, or a slight concave cut on the edges:

The top example is literally just a visual design/cost saving thing, it won't add anything to the shape of the jacket.
You are literally just splitting a panel in half.

The mid example, you are basically adding a curve in the back that follows the spine, i think that's what they do with the board racer, pretty sure it is visible in this jacket too:

Third example you are adding room, in the bottom and top, i am pretty sure this is how they do the bell shape on the bottom of this jacket:

Now imagine combinations of all of the above, the options are endless...

The same thing applies to yokes, this yoke for example uses the same principle to give more room in the scapular area:

You could not achieve the same thing with a single piece back...

Edit: i am not a tailor, this is my basic understanding of how this works, i am sure there is more to it than what i posted above...

What a fantastic illustration of design features. Thank you.
Great way of explaining it.

 

[Edward]

You guys are ignoring the fact that a center seam can be there for pattern tailoring, not only as a visual cue/money saving measure...
On these car coats, you can see that the seam is used to increase the bell shape in the back.
On Aero's board racer it is there to add a curve to the back.
There are things you can achieve by adding a center seam (or a yoke seam) that you cannot achieve with a flat single panel.

My vote goes for: If the seam adds to the wearability/design of the jacket i don't mind it.
If its a clear cost cutting measure, i don't like it.

Quite so. If it's done just to make a jacket 'cheap', it'll be cheap otherwise... The Boardracer is the one that comes to mind for me, though for my money, a centre seam is at its aesthetic best when topped and tailed by a yoke and a kidney panel respectively.

That said, I still love an Irvin.... which even in the early, 'four panel' type had a centre seam collar to hem...

NO - generic Type III Trucker
View attachment 266655

Interestingly, that looks fine to me - it's the topping and tailing, plus there are so many other panels going on on a Type 3 style, it just looks in keeping to me.

For what it's worth, I think there's another similar but different element. From talking to jacket makers in previous years, the reason they offered for this was not so much to cut costs but to not waste good leather. Yes, a person could take a cynical view and say this amounts to the same thing - but it's more textured than this - some craftsman have a great appreciation of the raw materials used.

There is that. It would be interesting to see whether anyone preferred tow pieces that match well to a single piece with a very un-uniform grain, too.

Would a sunburst type back be a saving type measure? You can certainly avoid to waste smaller pieces of hide but the more seams you add the more labour intensive it becomes to put the jacket together so also from that point of view is not always clear cut.

What I’m trying to say is that in some cases it might also be purely a design choice.

Per Aero's sales page on their Sunburst model, this was developed as a cost-saving measure at a time when the extra labour involved obviously must have cost less than the saving made by using what would otherwise be wasted material. Nowadays, of course it's a style choice. Much like cuffed jeans: cuffs came about originally because all jeans came in one, long length and many guys had to roll 'em to fit. That's no longer the case, but many of us now prefer that look to the extent where we deliberately buy 'em too long so that we can cuff them.

As long as it is one seam I wouldn’t mind if it is typical for the model.

What I like less is too many seams, only exception is a trucker jacket.

Sunburst jackets always remind me of Rory Gallagher´s tombstone for example.

But that’s of course just personal preference.

Cheers

Turnip

I've never seen Rory's grave before. Impressive. Unique tribute to a unique guy...

IMO back in the days the sunburst and hercules style backs were cost cutting, but nowadays made 2020 they are more of a design choice and a throw back to old styles. They probably cost more to make than a single piece back. But a single straight back seam that adds no function made in 2020 is still a cost cutting measure.

In money terms, it's all a trade of between labour and material costs. If the bits that form the sunburst would otherwise have been binned, by adding that design to the range, the jacket backs become basically free, so it then depends on whether the extra labour balances that out. In theory, anyhow - these days, a niche product like a high end leather jacket, it's all about the design, really.

I think the centre line looks best with a scalloped yoke.

I agree - a scalloped yoke at the top, and a kidney panel at the bottom for me. In that sense, it becomes little different than an 'action pleat' when closed, save the practical effect of the latter.

I'm not trying to convince you it's a good idea, or that it looks good, just that it is indeed a thing.
Whether you like it or not is another question.

Like everything, the result will vary depending on the skills of the pattern maker...

And the skill of the person doing the ordering at a distance, I should wager. Not every jacket design is going to flatter every body.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Quite so. If it's done just to make a jacket 'cheap', it'll be cheap otherwise... The Boardracer is the one that comes to mind for me, though for my money, a centre seam is at its aesthetic best when topped and tailed by a yoke and a kidney panel respectively.

That said, I still love an Irvin.... which even in the early, 'four panel' type had a centre seam collar to hem...



Interestingly, that looks fine to me - it's the topping and tailing, plus there are so many other panels going on on a Type 3 style, it just looks in keeping to me.



There is that. It would be interesting to see whether anyone preferred tow pieces that match well to a single piece with a very un-uniform grain, too.



Per Aero's sales page on their Sunburst model, this was developed as a cost-saving measure at a time when the extra labour involved obviously must have cost less than the saving made by using what would otherwise be wasted material. Nowadays, of course it's a style choice. Much like cuffed jeans: cuffs came about originally because all jeans came in one, long length and many guys had to roll 'em to fit. That's no longer the case, but many of us now prefer that look to the extent where we deliberately buy 'em too long so that we can cuff them.




I've never seen Rory's grave before. Impressive. Unique tribute to a unique guy...



In money terms, it's all a trade of between labour and material costs. If the bits that form the sunburst would otherwise have been binned, by adding that design to the range, the jacket backs become basically free, so it then depends on whether the extra labour balances that out. In theory, anyhow - these days, a niche product like a high end leather jacket, it's all about the design, really.



I agree - a scalloped yoke at the top, and a kidney panel at the bottom for me. In that sense, it becomes little different than an 'action pleat' when closed, save the practical effect of the latter.



And the skill of the person doing the ordering at a distance, I should wager. Not every jacket design is going to flatter every body.

Nice summary. For me on some jackets - like the Bates - the centre seam adds interest to the pattern regardless of the purported reason.

 

[jonbuilder]

Alright, I think I get it now. Took some thinking in 3d but I know how it works.

One reason this is desirable for fit is the our backs are not flat

 

[jonbuilder]

I mean just compare both versions of the jacket, it's pretty obvious that the one with a center seam has a curved back and the other one a flat back:

The backs are clearly different and fit differently.
No one is saying that a jacket without a center seam cannot fit briliantly either...

I mean just compare both versions of the jacket, it's pretty obvious that the one with a center seam has a curved back and the other one a flat back:

The backs are clearly different and fit differently.
No one is saying that a jacket without a center seam cannot fit briliantly either...

I can definitely see the bottom jacket follows the contour of the wearer's upper back. For casual wear a manner of preference, while riding or other activity more comfortable