What other things do jacket junkies feel it's not ok to go for the cheapest option

[navetsea]

lately I question relation between what quality & construction that reflect on price that is claimed by general guide on internet vs my reality.

like shoe construction, everyone preach about goodyear welted because it is resoleable, more water proof etc, yeah but even cemented shoes is resoleable , and you might not need to resole ever if you just put on a rubber pad under your leather sole and just replace that pad every so often also made it water proof too. the idea of cemented sole is not resoleable is just pure internet lie, usually cemented shoes since they are cheap to begin with they are also not made from quality upper, it would breakdown evenly so probably when the sole is wornout the upper would look as wornout too, but companies cash on this misconception by making goodyear welt shoes using mediocre leather upper claiming it is the only way the shoes can be resoleable while their upper might crumble far before the over engineered sole construction, even more lie perhaps they even glue the outsole to midsole too just in case and using the sewing just more or less as decoration.

or the advantage of selvedge jeans, what advantage of it other that showing off the tape? it only make the outseam straight along the leg and can not be better tailored and resulting in some weird sagging around the crotch and digging into butt on the rear side that only promote crotch failure overtime, things that doesn't exist on just mediocre mall jeans that is cut better since they don't use selvedge. I can see the advantage of raw denim since obviously it would last longer but I don't see the advantage of unsanforized that is usually seen as quality, now not only the leg is poorly tailored because of the straight outseam but the legs are twisting too make it fits even weirder.

or how about full grain leather, how many misleading cookie cutter articles about how sanding up a micron of leather would make quality so different?

in my belief internet feed us BS mostly, I read them for entertainment not for fact or education

 

[Seb Lucas]

lately I question relation between what quality & construction that reflect on price that is claimed by general guide on internet vs my reality.

like shoe construction, everyone preach about goodyear welted because it is resoleable, more water proof etc, yeah but even cemented shoes is resoleable , and you might not need to resole ever if you just put on a rubber pad under your leather sole and just replace that pad every so often also made it water proof too. the idea of cemented sole is not resoleable is just pure internet lie, usually cemented shoes since they are cheap to begin with they are also not made from quality upper, it would breakdown evenly so probably when the sole is wornout the upper would look as wornout too, but companies cash on this misconception by making goodyear welt shoes using mediocre leather upper claiming it is the only way the shoes can be resoleable while their upper might crumble far before the over engineered sole construction, even more lie perhaps they even glue the outsole to midsole too just in case and using the sewing just more or less as decoration.

or the advantage of selvedge jeans, what advantage of it other that showing off the tape? it only make the outseam straight along the leg and can not be better tailored and resulting in some weird sagging around the crotch and digging into butt on the rear side that only promote crotch failure overtime, things that doesn't exist on just mediocre mall jeans that is cut better since they don't use selvedge. I can see the advantage of raw denim since obviously it would last longer but I don't see the advantage of unsanforized that is usually seen as quality, now not only the leg is poorly tailored because of the straight outseam but the legs are twisting too make it fits even weirder.

or how about full grain leather, how many misleading cookie cutter articles about how sanding up a micron of leather would make quality so different?

in my belief internet feed us BS mostly, I read them for entertainment not for fact or education

There's been some discussion of this here already. Identifying quality can be as subjective as identifying an appropriate price.

I've never found overwhelming evidence that expensive is better. We also need to be wary of tbe "hand crafted" is always better school. Sometimes it isn't. I am constantly surprised by the quality of clothing from mall shops. And I hate malls.

Many of the items I have bougbt spontaneously for cheap are still with me years after the carefully chosen "quality" items have died and been thrown away.

 

[zebedee]

I max out, price-wise, at Aero's prices for jackets (I just won't spend more than 800 quid on a jacket: when Aero's prices reach that point, I'll stop buying) even though I reckon they're excellent. I'd love a Freewheelers' jacket or a Himel, but... not at those prices. Shoes I'll spend money on, but in the 100-200 quid price range, and not a penny more. Other stuff I can have made, and will pay mid-range prices for (although all my suits were made in Shanghai or Hong Kong- not one has ever fallen apart or needed repairing, and the Shanghai ones were between 80-120 quid). Don't care at all about cars, bikes, apartments (pretty minimalist), furniture (will buy used), sunglasses. Tend to buy laptops that have lasted 6-7 years. Quite happy to buy LG mobile phone over Apple's stuff, and used a Samsung S2 for about 5 years until it stopped updating but essentially still functioned.

One thing that I have found is that Doc Martens have consistently outlasted boots that I've owned from the (supposedly) sturdier makers. My made-in-Vietnam brown Docs have lasted for years and years in high humidity, freezing cold, the lot. I still wear them on an almost daily basis. I'm gonna get some Solovair boots if I ever need to retire the Docs.

 

[GHT]

Old cars is like vintage jacket to me, looks good as wallpaper on my pc backdrop, but i dont dream to actually drive them.

There speaks the voice of reason, if only I could think that way. Old cars of a certain era are part and parcel of all things vintage. With old cars you get a huge price variation, you will almost certainly find it cheaper after you've bought it.
My mantra for buying almost anything is, if it's good value for the price then it's worth considering. For example, a decent made to measure suit will set you back anything from three and a half grand to about five grand if you buy from one of the tailors in London's Savile Row. I know two excellent tailors in London where you can get a made to measure quality suit for about £700.
There are those who will only buy something because of the label, their money, their choice.

Going back to old cars, the Harley lasted ten years, in all the time I had it, I never came near to coming off, not even a near miss, so Her Ladyship persuaded me to sell it, arguing that I had been lucky up to now, but as I got older my reaction time was getting slower, and she's a paramedic, she has been to a few horrendous motor cycle collisions, older guys who passed their test at sixteen, gave up motor bikes when the mortgage and kids came along, and now that the kids have flown the nest, a sixteen year old, going on fifty, gets back on the saddle of a modern day bike. Born again bikers the ambulance service calls them.

She agreed that a classic car would be welcome after the Harley went to a new home, so.................

 

[Big J]

@ShadowBoxer,
Actually, not talking about perceived value was kind of what I was aiming for, because once you do it starts never ending debates about 'how much something is worth' and that's way too subjective a discussion.
I'm really just interested in what things people are fussy about; what is important to them. And conversely, what they don't care about.
It's just a bit of fun.
I care about having having good cheese, but I don't care about my cheap T-shirts as long as they are white.

 

[Downunder G Man]

My 2017 Holden Commodore 6.3 litre LS3 V8. One of the last Australian built cars before we went "100% imported".
Bought new June 2017 , probably now worth the same IF NOT more than I paid for it !
Most expensive car I have ever bought , and will not do so again. Took a punt on it holding it's value.
Holden Commodore Redline Motorsport the model designation.
Registration plate number LAST SSV8
I wear off the peg Levi jeans , Lucchese western boots ( most bought lightly used !) and have a fair few leather jackets.
Again with the jackets the majority were bought lightly used.

 

[Downunder G Man]

My Harley , a 2008 FXSTSSE2 CVO Springer. Bought used out of Central Texas in 2011 with 6,300 miles
Now done 38,000 Kilometres. Worth more now than I paid , again another punt that paid off.
ZERO depreciation , good on Fuel ( 63MPG !) , beautiful , grunty and RARE in Western Australia
Many days my main transport

Oh and with respect to sunglasses , I'm a Bausch & Lomb Rayban guy 100% , Have been for near 40 years. Used to buy then on clearance in Optical stores/tourist shops etc etc. For a long while on ebay as well.

I have a huge collection , all the "famous" styles/ movie worn models
My favourite style is LO 2872 Balorama. Wrap-Arounds (think "Dirty Harry")
Absolutely the best style/model for motorcycling.
Made in Rochester New York up until the 90's maybe ( sadly no longer !). Some of my collection is now VERY desirable amongst sunglass collectors.

 

[Rich22]

I’m so all over the show with my answer to this- I buy some very expensive premium items, as well as the cheap and mid range stuff.

I like to have some items of top quality, but I expect them to last years and years (and they tend to). Sunglasses, boots, phones, laptops, speakers/hifi stuff, running trainers for example. Suits would be on this list too, but I lift weights and have huge thighs so I blow trousers out at the crotch incredibly fast. So Asia tailored and replaceable is the way to go.

I desire to own few possessions, especially while I continue to live abroad. When adding to my collection of things currently I either go very cheap (disposable), or high quality. T shirts/jeans/jumpers I much prefer mid range however- they don’t need to be expensive but I’ve never really liked any very cheap ones I’ve bought.

The plan when I “settle down” is to have a house designed and built to my own specifications- the challenge there will be achieving a really top quality result without paying silly money.

 

[Justhandguns]

I’m so all over the show with my answer to this- I buy some very expensive premium items, as well as the cheap and mid range stuff.

I like to have some items of top quality, but I expect them to last years and years (and they tend to). Sunglasses, boots, phones, laptops, speakers/hifi stuff, running trainers for example. Suits would be on this list too, but I lift weights and have huge thighs so I blow trousers out at the crotch incredibly fast. So Asia tailored and replaceable is the way to go.

I desire to own few possessions, especially while I continue to live abroad. When adding to my collection of things currently I either go very cheap (disposable), or high quality. T shirts/jeans/jumpers I much prefer mid range however- they don’t need to be expensive but I’ve never really liked any very cheap ones I’ve bought.

The plan when I “settle down” is to have a house designed and built to my own specifications- the challenge there will be achieving a really top quality result without paying silly money.

Absolutely, quality items tend to last a lot longer, but that adds a problem to the styling if you are following the trends (guess most of us don't here). I am still wearing my Ray-ban which my dad bought for me some 30yrs ago and my Oakley Romeo that I bought when Tom Cruise wore it in Mission Impossible 2 (2000). I have several pairs of RedWing's and DM/Solovair's which could be dated back to my school days. All of them are still perfectly fine while my pairs of Marks and Spencer's dressed shoes simply fell apart even with minimal wear (soles came off, heels disintegrated, and those stitches....). My girlfriend always asks me why my things can actually last that long. She, on the other hand, goes for cheaper fashion items, which is completely fine, because they are pretty much like disposables after one or two seasons. Mens' shoe styles have not changed for God knows how many years, certainly not a problem for me.

For laptops, I usually for the best specs. that I can afford, it can actually save you money in a long run. For phones, buying the previous top model works for me fine, especially when I do not have reception inside my office. The most expensive watch that I bought is a German Flieger, the rest are Seiko/Casio/Suunto which are more for practical usage like swimming and exercising. My dad passed down a brand new Explorer 2 to me and he paid £500 just to service it. Just when you think Rolex is as rugged as you can get for an 'Explorer' while my 30yr old Seiko is still running strong (and very accurate).

Things that I would go for the cheapest? T-shirts is top of the list, especially when we now have Primark here in the UK, £2 for an all cotton tee and probably £5 with prints and designs?! Expensive ones don't necessary last longer, they still fade and sag after two or three summers.

As for jackets, you get what you pay for in general, that applies not just for leather jackets. I have no regret what so ever paying for most of them (maybe except one or two, not because of the money, but more of the workmanship). The best thing is my job allows me to wear whatever I like in the office, that adds to my justification (maybe? ).

 

[willyto]

I like watches, I always wear one but I very much dislike big watches so anything modern is a no go. I would always go for the cheapest vintage mechanical watch available on Ebay. I don't buy anymore but I have 2-3 that each didn't cost me more than 20-40$ (3 Elgin, from the 20s and 30s).

They run great, look great, are comfortable to wear and I didn't have to ask for a loan to carry a super expensive watch in my wrist that can be stolen or damaged at any given time. For me such expensive watches are an unnecesary display of wealth as is jewelry.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I like watches, I always wear one but I very much dislike big watches so anything modern is a no go. I would always go for the cheapest vintage mechanical watch available on Ebay. I don't buy anymore but I have 2-3 that each didn't cost me more than 20-40$ (3 Elgin, from the 20s and 30s).

They run great, look great, are comfortable to wear and I didn't have to ask for a loan to carry a super expensive watch in my wrist that can be stolen or damaged at any given time. For me such expensive watches are an unnecesary display of wealth as is jewelry.

I hear you. There are some great modern watches that are small and simple too. I like the Rolex Explorer which is only 36 millimetres and is a decades old design. But spending $6,000 to $10,000 on a watch seems off to me. Like you say, it could be seen as an unnecessary display of wealth, but maybe not.

Many people would feel that way about some of the leather jackets we see here too. I don't know if jewellery and expensive watches are unnesssessary displays of wealth in all circumstances. Sometimes people just like them.

 

[steve u]

Socks...Or should I say sock (I only need one at a time).
Darn Tough socks are Great, and with an (easy to use ) life time warranty.
steve

 

[handymike]

My car has lasted a really long time...I love the fact that it just keeps going. My family calls it the "battletram." It really is built like a tank.

 

[Edward]

I hear you. There are some great modern watches that are small and simple too. I like the Rolex Explorer which is only 36 millimetres and is a decades old design. But spending $6,000 to $10,000 on a watch seems off to me. Like you say, it could be seen as an unnecessary display of wealth, but maybe not.

Many people would feel that way about some of the leather jackets we see here too. I don't know if jewellery and expensive watches are unnecessary displays of wealth in all circumstances. Sometimes people just like them.

I think, though, that the average person on the street is less likely to spot one of "our" preferred jacket types as a thing of specific expense, as opposed to a Rolex, which will elicit either the assumption that the individual has "money to burn" - or that it's a fake.

I've often thought that if I had the money to spend on serious watch, I might consider a Tudor version of the Submariner.

 

[bn1966]

Not the cheapest but not the most expensive either:

Pants/Trousers/Belts/Lanyards:
Pike Bros

Shoes:
Clarks

Boots:
Sanders Brogue Boots
German Army Boots (used)

Sunglasses:
Rayban Wayfarers
Oakley

Watches:
Omega Seamaster (Used)
Casio G Shock (used)
Hamilton (Military) (used)

Polo Shirts:
SJC
Silk Scarves

T Shirts:
John Lewis & Co (white)

Caps:
Stetson

Underwear:
Pringle

Bike:
Vespa Sei Giorni 300

Car:
Fiat 595 Abarth (used)

I feel all of the above do what I need them to do well & with a certain amount of style. I'll scan sales & evilBay to try and get things for the best price, happy with 'used / second hand' for lots of things (obviously not underwear). Not keen on really cheap Mall goods.

 

[Edward]

The rebirthed Fiat 500 is a lovely little motor; if I ever needed a car, I'd be sorely tempted by the Abarth version. Amazingly pokey for such a little thing, and the redesigned shell gives a surprising amount of space for two adults to sit in the back.

 

[bn1966]

Smashing cars Edward!!

1400 CC of well thought out turbo charged Pocket Rocket.

Most fun I've ever had outside of two wheels!!! Civilised manners (inc MPG) press 'Sport' on the dash & it turns into a little monster..lots of BHP for such a small car

Abarth offered to 'chip it' up..I declined on the basis that I'm not really using what it currently kicks out. Like a Tardis inside, cab & back seats much bigger than folk expect too

 

[Seb Lucas]

I think, though, that the average person on the street is less likely to spot one of "our" preferred jacket types as a thing of specific expense, as opposed to a Rolex, which will elicit either the assumption that the individual has "money to burn" - or that it's a fake.

I've often thought that if I had the money to spend on serious watch, I might consider a Tudor version of the Submariner.

I think that's partly right but many people buy the jackets as part of a knowing subculture where the status of hand crafted items has its own snobbery and ostentations, so the principle may be the same.

A Tudor has that "poor man' Rolex" aura, unfortunately. I like their Black Bay Heritage 36mm but the bloody crown sticks out too far. I came close to pulling the trigger on one of those.

 

[navetsea]

lot's of people these days seems to force themselves to wear or pretend to enjoy things they honestly don't care for just for the image to the public, paying $$$ for all that on top just to be seen as sophisticated

all the sudden there are lots of coffeeshop here that sells import coffee beans and people who visit there I bet they really eager to just pour creamer and some sugar to their coffee but forcing themselves to drink their coffee black and spending 2 hours chatting about the most ideal way in roasting coffee beans just because they need 2 hrs to finish their small cup of espresso they paid steak price for.

 

[Bfd70]

My observation is that most people tend to age out of that sort of behavior.