Thoughts on the Cafecto style jacket?

[AeroFan_07]

So what do folks here think about this style overall?

Does anyone know the history or how it was designed?

I have never owned an actual "Cafecto" with an asymmetrical zipper, however while searching around for a proper-fitting Langlitz, I ran across several of these interesting creations. Most times, I have turned and looked away, and often wondered what was the point of that style, that also has a band-collar instead of the traditional shirt style collar.

I can see the following possible benefits:
- Easier to zip up all the way
- Lower interference with a helmet around the collar area on the bike
- Slightly lower cost of production
- A bit smoother appearance
- Easier to snap the smaller collar together for added protection
- ???

I suppose this design has grown on me, as I now have one on it's way to me. This will be a unique jacket for me as it is also made of Goatskin. I have not owned a Goatskin jacket since ~ 1999 when I briefly had a Navy flight jacket made of this leather. I have tried on a couple other jackets made of Goat, but we'll see how this works out. Here is a photo from the ebay ad, I hope to be doing a review of it soon.



Meanwhile, any other thoughts or actual experiences with this style of jacket? What did you like or dislike?

 

[newtojackets]

I'm a fan: It has attitude without standing out as much as a typical biker

 

[jeo]

I like the style a lot. It's very unique. Can't wait to see fit pics of your new jacket.

 

[ton312]

I like this style across a number of makers. Schott and Vanson have their version and Langlitz has done this style forever. It’s kind of the best of both worlds, a cross zip and a CR all bundled up into one jacket. The lancer style front makes more sense than any other for an M/C jacket. As does a banded collar tbh. The traditional shirt collar doesn’t really add anything beyond extra leather (functionally speaking).

I love the British versions of this style the most, with all the padded bits.

 

[JMax]

Love my Chopper. Also owned a 50s Langlitz in this style. If it fits, I think you will really like it.

Addict/Butterscotch make a beautiful D pocket in this style. Maybe @Merv owns one? Someone here does.

 

[navetsea]

practical wise:
+
on a bike or when leaning forward wearing it fully zipped, a slanted zipper is less likely to shape a bulge across your chest so that is benefit of slanted zip on a jacket since your bending torso doesn't fight the zipper tooth head on but rather under an angle, and also since our lower arm is hinged at the elbow so a curving / slanting motion is simpler and more natural to perform you only move your lower arm instead of combination of the whole arm movement to zip up and down.

-
you can not have a pair of chest pockets on it, perhaps it would impact more if you are left handed person and want to wear men's cross zip jacket with the zipper on the right side, the same with inner pocket only the one on the left is most practical or most accessible while symmetrical center zip can have 2 practical inside pockets equally on both sides



style wise:
+
you still can fold or roll the front into lapel while the back of the collar stay as standing collar, it is a probably a gateway for someone who is coming from cafe racer style and not sure about big collar would fit them or perhaps in their mind's eye big collar would be too attention grabbing.

_
asymmetrical style is not for every eyes, for some people who still at the beginning of the road after wearing centered vertical zip jackets and hoodies their whole life, wearing something that is not symmetrical is problematic to their eyes, and also you can not popped up the collar more than it already is

 

[Motocann]

Love my Chopper. Also owned a 50s Langlitz in this style. If it fits, I think you will really like it.

Addict/Butterscotch make a beautiful D pocket in this style. Maybe @Merv owns one? Someone here does.

Yes, indeed I do, and I really love it!
The new iteration is even better, because it has a two way zipper.

Also, Mr. Freedom makes a really nice D pocket Cafecto style (sans cross zip), called Bronco Champ. Such a beautiful jacket (this lousy photo below doesn't really do it justice) the fit is spot on! I would've grabbed me one of these if I didn't already have the Addict Tri-Jacket (aside from too many jackets). I've been dreaming for 30 years for all these wonderful jackets to come along and be available in the US market. Alas, my dream has come true!

*This biggest plus to a asymmetric or cross-zip is having two layers of leather across your chest to cut wind, which by design keeps your core warmer on a motorcycle. Form follows function and speaking from experience... it really works! In terms of the history... I would theorize, someone at some point just cut the collar off a motorcycle jacket. I suspect it was one of those crazy "ton-up" boys in England.

 

[Aloysius]

Also, Mr. Freedom makes a really nice D pocket Cafecto style (sans cross zip), called Bronco Champ. Such a beautiful jacket (this lousy photo below doesn't really do it justice) the fit is spot on!

Are you talking about a different photo from the one you posted?

 

[AeroFan_07]

Thanks for the replies so far. Guess I should have been a bit clearer - if you have such a jacket, feel free to post photos of it here too! @Merv those are both very nice and it will be cool to see how the natural CR develops over time. You will certainly get it out on the bike if prior history is any indication.

I realized my "US-Made" CR is really close to a Cafecto - although straight zip, so here's some photos of it. The lace up sides, back yoke and pocket details push this over the typical Cafe Racer design, so I guess in the language of the day it's a hybrid. This heavy, thick jacket has grown on me and is quite a favorite now.

 

[jeo]

Not sure if I would consider anything with a straight zip a cafecto. The design details can be different, like Merv's jacket that has a D-pocket instead of the perfecto pocket set up, but to me it must be an asymmetrical zip to be considered a cafecto, otherwise it's just a cafe racer.

 

[El Marro]

I suppose this design has grown on me, as I now have one on it's way to me. This will be a unique jacket for me as it is also made of Goatskin.

I think you are going to be impressed with the Langlitz goatskin. I tried one on last summer at the shop in Portland and I would have bought it if not for the arms that were at least 2” too long. It felt quite thick and substantial yet soft and pliable all at the same time. Truly a leather that does not need any break in.

 

[Motocann]

Not sure if I would consider anything with a straight zip a cafecto. The design details can be different, like Merv's jacket that has a D-pocket instead of the perfecto pocket set up, but to me it must be an asymmetrical zip to be considered a cafecto, otherwise it's just a cafe racer.

I would tend to agree with that critique. But, I do like when makers mash up different design elements. For instance having a D pocket on a cafe racer is a cool idea.

Personally, I never was a big fan of epaulettes- so I think that’s where Schott missed the mark a bit. They should’ve eliminated the epaulettes on their Cafecto.

 

[Aloysius]

I would tend to agree with that critique. But, I do like when makers mash up different design elements. For instance having a D pocket on a cafe racer is a cool idea.

It's not unheard of, although the Mister Freedom iteration is (in my opinion) rather confused looking and that awful undyed veg tan leather they use does it no favors. The Lost Worlds attempt at a D-pocket cafe racer is quite a bit nicer.

Personally, I never was a big fan of epaulettes- so I think that’s where Schott missed the mark a bit. They should’ve eliminated the epaulettes on their Cafecto.

I disagree pretty strongly. I get that you're not a fan of épaulettes but it would have been the wrong call to drop them–the military jackets that popularized the feature were themselves usually single-breasted with epaulettes–and many of the predecessors to this kind of hybrid, like the oft-reproduced Leathertogs, have that combination of cafe collar and cross-zip with épaulettes.

 

[jeo]

Personally, I never was a big fan of epaulettes- so I think that’s where Schott missed the mark a bit. They should’ve eliminated the epaulettes on their Cafecto.

The FCL treatment can always be applied lol

 

[AeroFan_07]

Not sure if I would consider anything with a straight zip a cafecto. The design details can be different, like Merv's jacket that has a D-pocket instead of the perfecto pocket set up, but to me it must be an asymmetrical zip to be considered a cafecto, otherwise it's just a cafe racer.

I would agree with you here Jeo.

I also think this D-pocket model looks quite nice, and not overly-busy.

 

[jeo]

Looks like Schott has one w/o the epaulets. Japan release I think.

Some nice ones out there...and some abominations!

 

[Marc mndt]

Lewis leathers Super Monza

 

[MrProper]

Lewis leathers Super Monza

View attachment 497476 View attachment 497477 View attachment 497478

It's super cool.
I asked LL if I could get it without the pads, because otherwise it would be very similar to my Racing Jacket. Unfortunately, they said that they no longer make such changes to their models.
But as the picture above shows, the jacket was already available without the pads.

Somehow I also find this one quite nice, even if it actually looks like a fashion jacket.

 

[Edward]

The Lewis Supermonza was first sold in 1978; originally alongside the Monza (since 1975, I *think* - if memory serves, it was first launched alongside the Super Phantom, which differs mainly in its having a centre zip; the SP definitely came out in 75). The main difference was that the Monza (dropped from the Lewis line some years ago) was shorter. The SuperMonza was by design a longer jacket, reflecting the increased fashionability of Japanese racing bikes in the UK by that point. Shorter jackets were a harder sell to riders who rode in that crouch position and didn't want a jacket riding up their back and letting cold air in.

I don't honestly know when the 'Cafecto' as it's been dubbed first appeared in British leather jackets of this style. It's not that far off the collar on a Trialmaster / International, of course - style which, in waxed canvas and leather both, were very common motorcycle wear early days in the UK. German leather jackets with a mandarin collar existed as far back as the thirties. What we now know as a 'cafe racer' jacket was being sold on the UK market by at least the 50s as a style to ape the top half of a leather riding suit, as worn by the big track names of the day. The minimal collar style was intended not to flap at race speeds; the lancer front a logical move to help keep the wind out, of course. Whenever it was first applied in the UK to a lancer front / cross-zip jacket, it was the mid-late 70s that they really gained in popularity. From c1978ish to really the turn of the Nineties, if you saw a biker in the UK and Ireland in leathers, more likely that not he or she would be wearing something approximating the Supermonza style. Racing style definitely had an impact where I grew up especially, being just over an hour's drive from the route of the North West 200, probably the biggest road-race event in these islands outside the IoM TT.

After 1990, the style evolved into this sort of thing:

The Supermonza is a bit too modern (post 1960) for my aesthetic, but I still like it. These upber-padded 90s jackets..... not so much. My parents bought me one for my 21st, bless them - it was naturally returned just about tried on. I remember it being very comical in that it made my shoulders twice the size they actually were. Cut aside, another modern touch I really disliked was the blacked out hardwear. I've never regretted not keeping that one, they only look worse to my eye with time - YMMV. Of course, they were the most advance PPE available for actual riders at the time.

These days, style is much less compromised by armouring. Goldtop is a brand that has been revived, reproducing its 50s-70s designs. As was the case back in the day, these are very much in the same aesthetic wheelhouse as Lewis, though more aimed at actual riding than I suspect a lot of Lewis sales are these days:

Another very nice example of this style is the REv-it Vaughn:

I was amazed when I saw one of these for real: the stock images you see in sales pages make it look hideous, but in reality it's a cracking looking piece if you like these much more modern designs.

By and large, I'm not sold on them for street wear, but if I can get back to living circumstances where I have somewhere to store a bike, I'd certainly be won over by their practicality as a riding jacket.

 

[Edward]

It's super cool.
I asked LL if I could get it without the pads, because otherwise it would be very similar to my Racing Jacket. Unfortunately, they said that they no longer make such changes to their models.
But as the picture above shows, the jacket was already available without the pads.

Somehow I also find this one quite nice, even if it actually looks like a fashion jacket.
View attachment 497482

Yeah, I'm not really surprised they aren't keen to go off-book any more, with Lewis' core market being selling themselves as a heritage brand, making the jackets just as they did when they were launched. The quilting was an integral part of those 1970s models, being the height of protective wear in its day. The Gold Top 'Lancer' model is in a similar vein without the quilting - https://goldtop.co.uk/collections/jackets - though I'm sort of in two minds as to whether it isn't missing part of the classic vibe as a result.