Why all the hatred towards black leather jackets?

[Windward]

Black Leather and Khakis ...

for comparison ....

 

[Stearmen]

Iron Mans Brown Leather Jacket

Interesting comments on brown jackets. I was at Ed Kretz Jr's 80th birthday a last month, I noticed his dads jackets were brown classic motorcycle jackets with fur collars. Now, if any of you want to call Ed Kretz Sr a Nerd, remember he won both the first ever Laconia Classic and the first Daytona 200 in 1937, the one where they raced on the asphalt and beach with the tide coming in! He rode Indians and Triumphs. He also won the Langhorne, Pa. 100 Mile race three times before WWII. He was voted the AMA greatest racer of all times. So if you think brown jackets are for Nerds, lets see if you can measure up to The Iron Man!

 

[ButteMT61]

Interesting comments on brown jackets. I was at Ed Kretz Jr's 80th birthday a last month, I noticed his dads jackets were brown classic motorcycle jackets with fur collars. Now, if any of you want to call Ed Kretz Sr a Nerd, remember he won both the first ever Laconia Classic and the first Daytona 200 in 1937, the one where they raced on the asphalt and beach with the tide coming in! He rode Indians and Triumphs. He also won the Langhorne, Pa. 100 Mile race three times before WWII. He was voted the AMA greatest racer of all times. So if you think brown jackets are for Nerds, lets see if you can measure up to The Iron Man!

Not to mention 1000's of war heroes wearing brown pilots/bomber jackets. It really isn't a statement worth replying to (brown is for nerds) but I'd laugh at anyone who said that pretentious line of BS. I am the epitome of uncool with a closet full of brown jackets. And thanks for posting on Mr. Kretz' birthday. Glad he's still Rollin!

 

[Aerojoe]

I didn't knew there was hatred towards black leather jackets I guess there must be hatred towards anything world wide.

Black Leather and Khakis ...

Beautiful Vanson A-2, although the manufacturer call them Mustang pilot jacket. Very tempting. These are listed as "black" but I'd swear they were a very dark seal brown. In this picture, gloves look darker than those jackets.

 

[Edward]

I don't doubt them to be black. Black is notoriously difficult to match. Some blacks have grey undertones, some brown, some blue, some red.... Anyone who ever spent time as a goth or a metal head will know exactly what I mean... IME, black can vary on leather depending on the hide, and most likely the tanning process.

 

[Aerojoe]

I don't doubt them to be black. Black is notoriously difficult to match. Some blacks have grey undertones, some brown, some blue, some red.... Anyone who ever spent time as a goth or a metal head will know exactly what I mean... IME, black can vary on leather depending on the hide, and most likely the tanning process.

When Aero sent me their leather samples package, they included a very dark seal brown. It was labeled as "smooth seal" and it looked almost black, with just some brown highlights. I was thinking that maybe Vanson called "black" to this kind of dark seal.

I placed my order for an Aero Bronco back in March - it is still due - and I requested their very dark seal brown but in a jerky hide. I'll be able to tell for sure if it looks so black like that Vanson whenever I have my jacket.

 

[Edward]

When Aero sent me their leather samples package, they included a very dark seal brown. It was labeled as "smooth seal" and it looked almost black, with just some brown highlights. I was thinking that maybe Vanson called "black" to this kind of dark seal.

I placed my order for an Aero Bronco back in March - it is still due - and I requested their very dark seal brown but in a jerky hide. I'll be able to tell for sure if it looks so black like that Vanson whenever I have my jacket.

Possible, I suppose. There was one A2 contract (I don't recall which one - one of the later Aeros maybe?) where the seal leather was so dark it did look like black in some lights. I'd be surprised if a company offering non-repro market A2 inspired jackets labelled something as black when it was actually really, really dark brown, in order to avoid returns, but it is possible.

 

[ButteMT61]

I had this very discussion/argument with my son yesterday. Indeed at first glance, some seal looks black, but put them side by side and it's very clear it's not. but point(s) taken. Seal can be very dark - some Aero's are like that as are some Dubow's I've seen.

 

[HighandDry]

Exactly. My seal brown GW looks black next to my oil pulled Aero. But is definitely brown when you put next to my black FQHH Aero.

 

[Aerojoe]

There was a curious thing with the samples I had from Aero. In the package there were two seal brown samples. One jerky, one smooth. The jerky one is what we all know as "seal brown". Dark brown but not black. Back of the hide wasn't tinted.

However the smooth one is very dark, almost totally black and it has the back tinted too, like if the whole piece was soaked in paint. Another curious thing is that this sample is supposed to be smooth but actually is slightly jerky. Not smooth like one of those oil pull finishes. When I had to decide between one of them, the choice was between jerky or less jerky. I chose the regular one but I think you could make a real piece of A2 with Aero's smooth HH, probably very similar to that Vanson in the picture.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I don't doubt them to be black. Black is notoriously difficult to match. Some blacks have grey undertones, some brown, some blue, some red.... Anyone who ever spent time as a goth or a metal head will know exactly what I mean... IME, black can vary on leather depending on the hide, and most likely the tanning process.

Interesting persepctive, Edward. As someone who has worn mostly black for the past 25 years, I have never worried about it matching. In my view the variations in black don't matter unless you're trying to match a suit coat with a pair of pants - and even then....

 

[SHOWSOMECLASS]

Many of the traditional motorcycle jackets have a shiny finish i.e. Schott 618 or 613. That is the the old school style exterior. Today they offer a 618 which they call naked cowhide. This is a more modern finish. I prefer the 613 HH one star, which is no longer available.

 

[gwynng]

My preference has always been for a black leather jacket, which is reflected in the overly large collection of black classic CHP/lancer/biker styles crowding my closets. Recently I've looked more in to brown ones because I've gotten some great brown boots in the last year. So I may be a recent brown convert. Or maybe just black brown ambidextrous.

 

[Superfluous]

 

[ButteMT61]

What's a black jacket?

 

[Guppy]

So I do lots of reading about leather jackets on the internet and many people, especially women, are vehemently against men wearing black leather jackets of any kind. Many members here shun black leather for brown. Is this because of any particular stereotype or would a tastefully done jacket change the world's mindset?

The best brown is nearly black, and the best black when it wears starts showing brown undertones.

 

[Superfluous]

The best brown is nearly black, and the best black when it wears starts showing brown undertones.

 

[ProteinNerd]

The best brown is nearly black, and the best black when it wears starts showing brown undertones.

You just blew my mind!

Its true I tells ya.

 

[navetsea]

to a lot of people the first jeans they bought was blue and the first leather was black, black leather jacket is standard, I don't see how standard is hated, it is too common to hate.

I can imagine a negative connotation of lets say a black leather trench coat or black jacket fully decked with spikes and studs and chains.

 

[AdeeC]

Never liked black much for myself though I can admire a cool black leather jacket on someone else. I sort of feel uncomfortable in black for various reasons though I have recently tried to break the mold and bought a used black leather jacket which I intend to wear when it gets cooler. 11 of my 12 leather jackets are various browns.