Traditional 50's style Leather Biker Jackets

[reetpleat]

I have 1980's vintage Langlitz that has a small tear in the fabric at the bottom of the zipper. After reading these posts, I shot them an e-mail. They quoted me $40 to replace the zipper plus $15 return shipping. So policy has apparently changed. $70 bucks seems steep, but I hate to have the local shoe shop do the zipper.

For a quality job, that is a bargain. When I had one done, they also replaced a pocket zipper that looked weak for free, put a snap at the bottom so it wouldn't rip again, and. most importantly, used an original style zipper and did the stitching in the original holes. You can't get just anyone to do that.

 

[ron521]

What we think of as "50's" style motorcycle jackets actually originated in the late 20's, and were already classics when Marlon Brando wore one in 1953.

I have owned motorcycle jackets by Excelled, Brooks, Wilson, and Schott. The workmanship on all of them was pretty good, however they varied in how well they fit me, both on and off the motorcycle.

I recently stumbled onto a good deal on a Schott 618, and find it to be a very nice garment. The articulation of the arms, with the action back and "footballs" under the arms, allows better movement than most of the other jackets.

The leather is a very tough, thick steerhide, which breaks in slowly. The length is such that, in a seated postion, the jacket JUST reaches the tops of my thighs, but is not pushed up by them. So the front of the jacket hangs straight, instead of having to fold. There is a slight downward taper toward the rear, so that my belt is still covered in the back (this can vary depending on how high one wears their pants). So for actual riding, as opposed to wear OFF the bike, the 618 works very well.

Schott offers the similar model 118, which is one inch longer overall, and the model 125, which has a removeable liner and a "kidney extension" in the back, making it two inches longer in the back.

Schott also offers the "cafe racer" 141 style, for those who prefer a more conservative look and a slightly longer cut (26" back length). I'm one of those people, and would trade my 618 for a 141.

Schott maintains an active owners forum, moderated by Gail who is very knowledgeable about all matters pertaining to fit and jacket history.

 

[GHT]

Would anyone pay fourteen and a half grand for a biker jacket with embellished wacky baccy plants on it?
https://www.mrporter.com/en-gb/mens...MIhZWa7tyj1QIVar7tCh1ztwFcEAYYBCABEgLRwPD_BwE

 

[Doctor Damage]

Would anyone pay fourteen and a half grand for a biker jacket with embellished wacky baccy plants on it?

Maybe, maybe not. But it's a fact that there are a lot of people out there with more money than brains.

 

[dubpynchon]

We need to educate them! One fashionista at a time! To be honest before I found TFL I might have thought this jacket had some intrinsic value based on the price.

 

[AeroFan_07]

No.

What a thread revival! 2009 and does not look like the OP ever responded back.

 

[ton312]

Would anyone pay fourteen and a half grand for a biker jacket with embellished wacky baccy plants on it?
https://www.mrporter.com/en-gb/mens...MIhZWa7tyj1QIVar7tCh1ztwFcEAYYBCABEgLRwPD_BwE

If you could buy it in the App Store I'm pretty sure my 7 year old daughter would've tried!

 

[ton312]

To me the traditional 50's style is an LAPD or CHP like this one. This was a star glove CAL. The perfecto always seemed more 60's-70's to me.

 

[Edward]

IT's interesting how different designs have different period associations for different folks. I came to the Perfecto in the eighties because of folks like Alice Cooper, then stuck with it as my tastes shifted to 70s punk rock and I dressed like the fifth Ramone, and now it still works for me as these days I'm much more aware of its earlier origins. While it wasn't a Schott that Brando wore, the basic Perfecto design was fairly old hat by the time The Wild One was released in 1953 starring Brando wearing that very similar style (it having been in production since at least the late 40s).

Course, many bikers in the 50s would have been wearing old jackets and hand-me-downs, many of them likely dating to the thirties; on the London punk scene of the 70s, a lot of the leathers (especially prized Lewis / Aviakit jackets) dated to the early sixties, and weren't bought new by their punk wearers.

 

[feltfan]

Would anyone pay fourteen and a half grand for a biker jacket with embellished wacky baccy plants on it?
https://www.mrporter.com/en-gb/mens...MIhZWa7tyj1QIVar7tCh1ztwFcEAYYBCABEgLRwPD_BwE

Ridiculous price, but as noted in the text, those are palm trees.