Why do thick leathers keep getting recommended?

[Nykwil]

Ok hear me out when I originally was on the hunt for a leather jacket, my searches on here kept recommending cxl.

My question is: why?

Who decided that thick stiff leather was something of quality ?

From my years of having a cxl boot and a jacket I’m starting to come around…cxl SUCKS.

It’s a utility leather meant for gaskets and boots. I, for the longest time thought it wasn’t grain corrected but it is. It’s sanded down to look smooth.

First jacket I bought in cxl was a board racer and that does not go well at all with thick cxl. It will never drop softly and you will never ever feel not like you’re sandwiched between thick cardboard?

These days I’m all for Vicenza or leathers that don’t hug you so damn tightly without give. Which is what cxl is, even after it’s warmed up.

So, I ask; fedoralounge, why was cxl recommended so freely? After I got my cxl board racer I ended up selling it two years later. Lying to myself that my daily wear and struggles would pay off in the end. In the end it didn’t.

 

[cbez]

Depends on the leather too... you can have thick leather that is tanned supple and thin leather that is tanned stiff.

 

[Yango]

Every recommendation is an opinion, and is unique to the person posting. Many people may agree on a particular topic, but that by no means makes it ‘written in stone’.

Each person has to decide for themselves what size, what style of jacket, and type of leather that works for them—just like you did.

 

[Nykwil]

Every recommendation is an opinion, and is unique to the person posting. Many people may agree on a particular topic, but that by no means makes it ‘written in stone’.

Each person has to decide for themselves what size, what style of jacket, and type of leather that works for them—just like you did.

True. Had I known I’d have skipped cxl entirely. But yeah, that’s my lack of knowledge coming through. A lessson best learned in the beginning rather than later.

 

[MrProper]

I would also differentiate between CXSH and CXFQHH. I've had both leathers, but only one jacket of each. And I have to say that CXSH is much more comfortable to wear than the other. At least that's the case with mine.

 

[ton312]

CXL is absolutely beautiful to look at. I would never purchase another CXL jacket again, ever.

 

[Nacho]

I used to own a CXFQHH Bird of Prey made by Aero. The jacket was gorgeous but not my favourite leather. Too stiff and heavy for everyday wear. Not very comfortable moving around in it. So the dude was gone quickly.

I also didn’t like the cut on that jacket either. The back was fine, but the front looked a little off to me. Maybe because of it being a pre-production sample.

 

[newtojackets]

my first jacket was also a CXL (FQHH) board racer, which I sold. Gorgeous leather- could never get it to be comfortable or to look like it draped.

 

[Aloysius]

Raw denim.

Workwear culture has this notion of the heavier the denim the better, break in is everything, getting sicc fadez, etc. (Even though those super-heavy denims are usually ahistorical for the period workwear looks are usually based on.) The stiff leather and veg tan fetishes pretty much come directly from this.

This transferred pretty much directly to leather jackets, because the audience was the same (and in the case of the Japanese brands, the companies were often the same).

The popularity of CXL in particular has a number of factors. The above is certainly one of them.

CXL is also a pretty beloved leather for a lot of leather goods, so some people seek it out in jackets because they like them in those goods. In some cases they might be workwear guys and love CXL boots/belts/wallets so it's more than one at once.

 

[El Marro]

When I came to the lounge back in 2016 it seemed like at least 75% of the new jackets here were CXL from Aero and naturally I had to join the club. My cordovan CXLFQHH Bootlegger is still far and away my most complimented jacket (Not surprising because it’s gorgeous) but it was never fun to wear.
In those days, I saw a lot of glorification of the break-in process, similar to the way folks talked about heavy selvage denim. As if a comfortable jacket and pair of pants was something that you could only look forward to after having suffered for a sufficient amount of time. That kind of works with denim but a CXL jacket is always going to be cold and stiff when you pick it up on a cold day.
i’m happy that the lounge, and myself, have moved on from that paradigm. I agree with that CXL is better used for footwear and while I love to look at my CXL bootlegger, it does not get worn that often.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Raw denim.

Workwear culture has this notion of the heavier the denim the better, break in is everything, getting sicc fadez, etc. (Even though those super-heavy denims are usually ahistorical for the period workwear looks are usually based on.) The stiff leather and veg tan fetishes pretty much come directly from this.

This transferred pretty much directly to leather jackets, because the audience was the same (and in the case of the Japanese brands, the companies were often the same).

The popularity of CXL in particular has a number of factors. The above is certainly one of them.

CXL is also a pretty beloved leather for a lot of leather goods, so some people seek it out in jackets because they like them in those goods. In some cases they might be workwear guys and love CXL boots/belts/wallets so it's more than one at once.

That's actually not totally true. In fact, id say its mostly incorrect. Most or the people who favor super thick leather in these parts are not part of that scene at all. Most of the cxl Aero love came from this forum with denim nerds being more into Japanese and vegetable tanned leathers. You can blame raw denim. For that, but definitely not for the love of thick leather on this forum.

I've been wearing leather jackets and raw denim since 2013 and the vast majority of denim guys back then and still now prefer more medium weight, veg tan stuff that tea cores too fast.

Your vitriol against the amekaji scene is pretty grating at this point and often misguided. There are certainly issues with it and I'll be the first to point them out, but your answer to seemingly every question is "lol raw denim and standard and strange are the problem all those people suck." It's a bit reductive. I know what you say isn't that simple, but it comes off that way. Of course we both agree on many of the issues within that scene, but I feel that the way you come across about it as a whole is too negative and does a disservice to the positive aspects of the scene. Maybe you're just more jaded about it than me. I've held this in for a while because I was trying to be nice, but this is just so inaccurate.

I personally hate overly thick leather. A lot of it looks and feels pretty mediocre. Of course, there's also excellent thicker leather, but like any leather, it's on a case by case basis.

 

[Khilij]

I will happily state that I am a fan of CXL steerhide, but CXL horse is too much for me.

 

[Tom71]

To each their own, I guess. And every hide has its time too.

CXL FQHH was my first love in leather, and like most first loves, it sticks. If I want ‚comfort‘, I am sure, Patagonia or The North Face will set me up with something totally ‚toasty‘ and ‚useful‘.

I don’t wear CXL stuff all that often anymore, but I still grab it when the time is right. I am actually just back from going out with an old friend. We’ve been having heavy rains all day, and CXL just handles it. Many veg-tan options don’t.

‘…cxl SUCKS…‘. Yeah, well,…

 

[JMax]

CXL SH and HH is beautiful. My CXLHH is not a chore to wear. It gives when moving and feels good. I roll it up and stick it in a saddlebag. It protects me and looks unlike anything else.

I like how heavy leather looks, feels and most importantly, functions. If I want something that feels lighter, I go denim, nylon or whatever else. I love me some LW and Vanson.

Thick leather doesn’t have to be cardboard either. Plenty of naked hides that are thick AF and immediately wearable. I don’t prefer those though.

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

Getting a slim-fitting cafe racer in CXL is just asking for this:

 

[nick123]

I drifted away from CXL too, and there’s no denying less stiff leathers are in most cases, more comfortable. But there’s always a spot for a CXL jacket, if only just one.

 

[El Marro]

I drifted away from CXL too, and there’s no denying less stiff leathers are in most cases, more comfortable. But there’s always a spot for a CXL jacket, if only just one.

Nice to see you back here @nick123!!!

 

[Aloysius]

That's actually not totally true. In fact, id say its mostly incorrect. Most or the people who favor super thick leather in these parts are not part of that scene at all. Most of the cxl Aero love came from this forum with denim nerds being more into Japanese and vegetable tanned leathers. You can blame raw denim. For that, but definitely not for the love of thick leather on this forum.

I've been wearing leather jackets and raw denim since 2013 and the vast majority of denim guys back then and still now prefer more medium weight, veg tan stuff that tea cores too fast.

I wasn't talking about CXL specifically except at the very end. I was just talking about the emphasis on tea core, "natty veg tan", break-in, the need to start stiff, etc-- things that, by the way, I've by no means been immune to. In fact your last point is really the best illustration of my point--fast fading jackets are presumably popular for the same reason fast fading denim is.

Your vitriol against the amekaji scene is pretty grating at this point and often misguided. There are certainly issues with it and I'll be the first to point them out, but your answer to seemingly every question is "lol raw denim and standard and strange are the problem all those people suck." It's a bit reductive. I know what you say isn't that simple, but it comes off that way. Of course we both agree on many of the issues within that scene, but I feel that the way you come across about it as a whole is too negative and does a disservice to the positive aspects of the scene. Maybe you're just more jaded about it than me. I've held this in for a while because I was trying to be nice, but this is just so inaccurate.

Okay. I'm talking about a scene I've been in myself since the 2000s, and I think it's a pretty wide spectrum with all kinds of people in it. I'm honestly not sure what has you upset about this given that my impression is that you are bothered by the same parts of that culture that I am. (And yeah, I think Standard & Strange epitomizes most of what's wrong with it. I don't hide that I feel that way, and it's not like it matters considering I have friends who basically spend every paycheck there.)

I obviously feel there's a positive aspect to the subculture and clothing considering I still participate in it and wear it, but I think it's useful for there to be a counterweight because most of the internet when people search this stuff is either: stuff from much earlier in people's stages in the scene, which we've since moved away from (I try not to think about my decades of forum posts...) or outright advertorial content from stores.

I think I am indeed more jaded about it now but I didn't start out that way, nor am I not part of those trends myself.

 

[AeroFan_07]

I am all for some good thick leather, including CXL SH & HH. That said I have "softened" a little in terms of my affection for these, in particular. They are like a weighted blanket - secure, comforting, in the right conditions, but can be awkward.

I personally have made other adjustments, especially regarding "pattern" of jackets I prefer overall.

Please remember any of our suggestions here are purely personal and it's no issue to me at all if anyone ever takes or leaves anything I say. I think I can speak for the vast majority on these forums that we really are here to help each other - not ever to cause distress. However some of our encouragements may be rather detrimental to your wallet for sure!

 

[Peacoat]

When I came to the lounge back in 2016 it seemed like at least 75% of the new jackets here were CXL from Aero and naturally I had to join the club.

I actually remember when you joined. I had been a member then for 10 years and had seen a lot of people come and go. I'm glad you have stayed with us as you have been a real asset to the Lounge.