What Jacket Are You Wearing Today?

[ton312]

I wonder why they can't make leather like this anymore. If they could do it back then, why can't they do it now?

For me it’s not so much about the materials (although there certainly is something to that). It’s hard to describe. It’s ethereal. Something that is more perfect than a repro, despite being far less so in material and construction. It’s so hard to describe but the feeling is plainly obvious. All this talk has me REALLY wanting my Windward back from Dena.

 

[Will Zach]

A quickie selfie in Schott cuz I really dig the grain:

 

[Will Zach]

For me it’s not so much about the materials (although there certainly is something to that). It’s hard to describe. It’s ethereal. Something that is more perfect than a repro, despite being far less so in material and construction. It’s so hard to describe but the feeling is plainly obvious. All this talk has me REALLY wanting my Windward back from Dena.

You just defined wabi-sabi, the undefinable.

 

[antoine p]

The Few - Chiefs black Badalassi
Now with fit pics.
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A couple pages back but wanted to say- this is fantastic. An instant high point of jacket styling & fit for me

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Like the 'Flying Nun', with that collar, we could call you the ' Flying Ton'....

 

[Hh121]

Fivestar horween CXLSH 6oz jacket

 

[ton312]

Like the 'Flying Nun', with that collar, we could call you the ' Flying Ton'....

Has epaulettes too. Next time I will stand with arms straight out at my sides aka the flight jacket guy pose.

 

[navetsea]

Fivestar horween CXLSH 6oz jacket

Wow, congrats, is this the jacket from your old JL thread that was not to be?

 

[Hh121]

Wow, congrats, is this the jacket from your old JL thread that was not to be?

Thanks, man!
Yes, so thanks to both JL and 5star.

 

[Cornelius]

I wonder why they can't make leather like this anymore. If they could do it back then, why can't they do it now?

Apart from there now being a fraction of the number of tanneries which existed in N.America & Europe in, say, 1950 (and the horsehide industry now down to almost nothing), environmental laws have changed some of the chemistry of tanning. Which would change the resulting leathers, I imagine.

I recall this being brought up specifically by the patriarch of Russell Moccasin (in the tiny town of New Berlin, Wisconsin, formerly home to "Sport Togs" per research of @tmitchell59). His favorite moc leather used to be French Veal, but some heavy metal used in the tanning was banned & the leather's never been as good since, in his opinion.

I should note I wholeheartedly support protecting our water! Poisons should be banned, for sure. But this is perhaps an obvious difference in the leathers available to jacket makers 50-80 years ago & those available now.

 

[navetsea]

Unstable stance since that cat refused to move from my selfie spot

 

[torfjord]

I wonder why they can't make leather like this anymore. If they could do it back then, why can't they do it now?

It’s not like they can’t do it today, in fact I think I think a lot of repro’s are superior in terms of material and construction. But the repro’s are fashion stuff produced for hipsters and vintage aficionados. The originals were made for bikers and labourers and so on. It’s the history of the jacket and the finite supply of them that I think gives originals much of their appeal for me at least.

 

[Marc mndt]

in fact I think I think a lot of repro’s are superior in terms of material and construction.

In this case, this vintage jacket is superior to repro's in terms of material and construction. That's what makes it so special to me. It has that vintage charm that can only come from decades of wear, yet it is better constructed than a lot of the repro's we buy today. Is it a unicorn?

 

[JMax]

In this case, this vintage jacket is superior to repro's in terms of material and construction. That's what makes it so special to me. It has that vintage charm that can only come from decades of wear, yet it is better constructed than a lot of the repro's we buy today. Is it a unicorn?

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Sportclad has super tight stitching. Herc, early Oakbrook, some Beck, Togs, etc., were loaded with French seams. I’ll recheck the HH Fidelity but the stitching seemed tight and straight. I wouldn’t say unicorn but certainly you have a superior jacket. What are the zippers used?

 

[Marc mndt]

Sportclad has super tight stitching. Herc, early Oakbrook, some Beck, Togs, etc., were loaded with French seams. I’ll recheck the HH Fidelity but the stitching seemed tight and straight. I wouldn’t say unicorn but certainly you have a superior jacket. What are the zippers used?

Ok I stand corrected. Maybe I should look into vintage some more

Zips are YKK so it's probably from the 80s.

 

[MrProper]

I think our psyche is playing tricks on us when it comes to vintage. Objectively speaking, today's high-quality new item will probably be better and no worse than the equivalent from the past. Subjectively, that's another story.

 

[Dav]

Yesterday actually, spring is in the air but it's still cool enough for an N-1

 

[dudewuttheheck]

FW Caboose and Wellema hat

 

[MrProper]

 

[dannyk]

exactly this. Was the point of my Cal thread I did the other day. None of my new jackets will ever come close because there's not enough chance to wear them. Plus and probably more importantly, I don't ride, so they're not getting exposed to all those elements. 60 or 70 years of wear can't be recreated with hand vintaging and whatever else. But I am very curious how some of our jackets will evolve in the next 20-30 years. Especially the shinki and teacore stuff, a lot of the Thedi, etc. I think this is why I'm justifying all these purchases now. Almost like investing early. Get in now, start wearing, and before I'm ready to die hopefully some of these will start peaking LOL

The teacore stuff will be really interesting to see as it ages 5,10,20,30 years down the line. I own teacore boots and I think when done right it looks badass. But when leather is created to look 50 years old in 2-3 years. Some even faster aging than that; it does make you pause to consider how will it actually look when it’s that old?