Warm weather and leather jackets

[nick123]

It's been discussed that body perspiration can have a detrimental effect on leather, especially where the back of the neck meets the collar. Other than this, what are the downfalls of wearing a jacket in warm weather, if any? Will sweat accelerate the wear of a jacket's lining? I ask because I'm tired of waiting for it to cool down and I'd like to wear mine!

 

[Superfluous]

I'm tired of waiting for it to cool down and I'd like to wear mine!

Spoken like a So Cal resident.

 

[nick123]

Spoken like a So Cal resident.

Close! An hours drive south of San Francisco. It's not letting up here.

 

[nick123]

Our county is the first to take the steps toward "water usage enforcement". It's really not a good state with the current drought in much of California, and much of the west coast dealing with wildfires.

 

[Seb Lucas]

People's sweat has different qualities and, as we know, so does leather. In other words, there's one answer to this. Sleeve ends/cuffs and collars can discolor and deteriorate with sweat. Lining can stain badly and smell. But life is too short. Just wear it and enjoy. You can, if you have sweated a lot, wipe down those areas with a damp cloth to remove the salts. Once a week. If it's not too hot to wear the jacket comfortably wear it.

 

[nick123]

People's sweat has different qualities and, as we know, so does leather. In other words, there's one answer to this. Sleeve ends/cuffs and collars can discolor and deteriorate with sweat. Lining can stain badly and smell. But life is too short. Just wear it and enjoy. You can, if you have sweated a lot, wipe down those areas with a damp cloth to remove the salts. Once a week. If it's not too hot to wear the jacket comfortably wear it.

Thank you Seb. Will do.

 

[nick123]

Out of curiosity, what about those living near the ocean? I know what salty air can do to some cars.

 

[Sloan1874]

Given enough time and the wrong conditions, salt water will certainly go for fabric linings and thread. An extreme exampled was when a friend of mine was sent to cover a story at short notice which saw him spending a week on a tiny storm-lashed island in the same suit. The thing came back ruined, the texture and condition destroyed by the salt water - suspect it was a bit of a cheap suit, but that's by the by .

 

[Edward]

If memory serves, salt water environment is the reason relatively few Coastal Command Irvins have survived. Hot weather is the reason I bought my Wested Raiders in goat - light enough for much of the Summer, though typically not July and August. In my perfect world, we'd have two weeks in July when it was warm enough for linen suits, November / December / January for sheepskin, and Autumn the rest of the year. Sigh.

In terms of when it's too warm for leather - that's a personal comfort thing. I can't do it above 18Celsius; ymmv.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Edward raises an interesting point - when is it too warm for leather? Depends on the type of heat I think. 18 Celsius (64F) is fairly cool over here. It can get to 48 Celsius (118F) in summer. I would wear leather comfortably up to 20-22 Celsius (72F) but only if there's a cool wind around. But when is it too cold? My problem with leather has always been that it's often too warm in summer and not really warm enough in winter. Days 8 to 15 Celsius (46F-59F) I tend to wear tweed with an overcoat. But heat and cold vary with countries and locations. These days we get very humid heat so 25C sometimes is very sticky and shirt weather only.

 

[Monitor]

I as well cannot imagine wearing a leather jacket during anything above 18, tops... Otherwise, I'd wear it all year long, despite what that might do to the jacket. What Seb Lucas said, life's too short. I used to live near the ocean - well, sea, technically - but I haven't noticed that any significant damage occurred to any of my old leather jackets. They were drier, though, in a way. It's the first thing I noticed when I moved to the city, how the jackets became somewhat oilier and softer compared to how they were when I was living near the sea. But then again, any number of factors could have lead to this so I can't be sure.

 

[Edward]

I think for saltwater to do serious damage, you'd need to spend a lot of time wearing the jacket on the water, or anywhere you might get hit by its spray. Never notice any difference when I lived in a seaside village as opposed to London either.

 

[Smithy]

I think for saltwater to do serious damage, you'd need to spend a lot of time wearing the jacket on the water, or anywhere you might get hit by its spray. Never notice any difference when I lived in a seaside village as opposed to London either.

That's bang on Edward. I've lived by the sea most of my life and I also sail and for salt water to ruin clothing you really need to come into direct contact with lots of salt water and also, just as importantly, for that clothing to be not made for outdoor conditions.

Biggest problem living by the sea is really for cars and vehicles if the area experiences strong onshore winds most of the time. That's when you'll get quite severe salt corrosion if a vehicle isn't rust proofed.

 

[Sloan1874]

If memory serves, salt water environment is the reason relatively few Coastal Command Irvins have survived. Hot weather is the reason I bought my Wested Raiders in goat - light enough for much of the Summer, though typically not July and August. In my perfect world, we'd have two weeks in July when it was warm enough for linen suits, November / December / January for sheepskin, and Autumn the rest of the year. Sigh.

In terms of when it's too warm for leather - that's a personal comfort thing. I can't do it above 18Celsius; ymmv.

18C is good rule of thumb, as Scottish summers don't generally clamber far over that mark, so I usually reach for my A-2 or Dust Bowl when I'm heading out the door to work or on a summer evening. Any further, and it's either a light woolen jacket, or just shirt sleeves.

 

[Worf]

As mentioned earlier the chemical make up of each persons sweat is different. Look at silver or gold. My mother couldn't wear silver a week without it tarnishing badly, I don't have that problem at all. However my sweat can take the varnish off of some instruments... as it has in the past. I wear lots of leather now. I wear them in the Spring and Fall and when it gets too hot and I start to sweat in a particular jacket, I take it off and hold it in my hand or throw it over my shoulder... problem solved.

Worf

 

[IXL]

Here in Oklahoma, it can get pretty hot: saltwater problems, not so much. I have a couple of leather fully-perforated Vanson jackets (one is battleship grey, how many of you guys have THAT color!), worn while motorcycling in temps up to and over 100°F. The cuffs and the collar areas have become a bit discolored but have suffered no ill effects. I really don't mind the "wear," as it just honestly produces that which many people seem to go to extremes to achieve: that well-worn look. The interiors of these jackets are of a nylon mesh and are holding up fine.

 

[Stand By]

I would say that Summer is what a nice L2 is for ... and to be honest, I enjoy this short break from wearing leather. Before you know it, Summer is suddenly done and dusted and the ANJ-3 is back on for Fall ... then switched for the B-6 .... then the B-6/C-3 combo ... then the B-3 or Irvin ... then with the C-3 beneath it. And then the list is reversed towards Spring.
Just a shirt is nice for a while.

 

[bn1966]

My Roughwear A2 copes quite well with the warmer weather (getting lots here at present). C3 vest sometimes makes an appearance doing a gillet impression (over a t-shirt). Coastal conditions & sweat I don't think about...oh I do like to be beside the seaside! Most worn jacket award at the moment goes to my 1979 L2B (with wool in the interlining). Looking forward to Autumn and breaking out my B-15's & D1 . When winter sets in I might break out the Irvin & N2Bs

 

[bn1966]

Are you wearing an L2 over there Stand By?????

 

[Edward]

That's bang on Edward. I've lived by the sea most of my life and I also sail and for salt water to ruin clothing you really need to come into direct contact with lots of salt water and also, just as importantly, for that clothing to be not made for outdoor conditions.

It's easy to forget with some stuff that the way we use it now is not how it was intended or designed to be worn - especially the likes of an Irvin.

Biggest problem living by the sea is really for cars and vehicles if the area experiences strong onshore winds most of the time. That's when you'll get quite severe salt corrosion if a vehicle isn't rust proofed.

Yeah, my dad's long been a vintage car guy, so we know all about that... far worse, though, is the Winter when they salt the roads. Once had to move a 1959 Austin Cambridge in Winter. An hour on the salted road did bad things to the hubcaps.

18C is good rule of thumb, as Scottish summers don't generally clamber far over that mark, so I usually reach for my A-2 or Dust Bowl when I'm heading out the door to work or on a summer evening. Any further, and it's either a light woolen jacket, or just shirt sleeves.

I wish the same could be said of London... I'm reduced to fantasising about that sort of weather! I remember being a kid and 21 Celsius being hot.... then in 84, when we were on the Isle of Wight, it reached 24 and that was considered insanely hot. Now I'm lucky if I get any days in London in July and August below 25.... I love the opportunity to wear a linen suit, but really.... it gets old fast, this weather.

As mentioned earlier the chemical make up of each persons sweat is different. Look at silver or gold. My mother couldn't wear silver a week without it tarnishing badly, I don't have that problem at all. However my sweat can take the varnish off of some instruments... as it has in the past. I wear lots of leather now. I wear them in the Spring and Fall and when it gets too hot and I start to sweat in a particular jacket, I take it off and hold it in my hand or throw it over my shoulder... problem solved.

Worf

Sounds like you have a case of the Rory Gallaghers! Certainly, inidividual skin can make a difference.... as much as tanning method, I suspect.

I would say that Summer is what a nice L2 is for ... and to be honest, I enjoy this short break from wearing leather. Before you know it, Summer is suddenly done and dusted and the ANJ-3 is back on for Fall ... then switched for the B-6 .... then the B-6/C-3 combo ... then the B-3 or Irvin ... then with the C-3 beneath it. And then the list is reversed towards Spring.
Just a shirt is nice for a while.

I wore my L2 out in Glasgow the other week. Although I've had it sitting quite a while, this was the first time it actually saw use. Kinda surprised me just how much heat it kept in, actually - I supposed that's with nylon not being especially breathable? At least as warm as an A2, though I suspect a little more so.