Wise words to live by (jacket related)

[red devil]

I am saying this not to be a smartass or, worse, an ahole. I say this because it is true, and I care about wellbeing of my fellow TFLers.

For a proper leather jacket fit, it really helps not to have a beer belly or otherwise extra pounds. Leather jackets are very unforgiving that way.

So I am rooting for every one of you who lost or are losing excess pounds. Better fitting jackets are incidental, better health is the star here.

I should know, I lost 30 lbs a few years back, from 175 to 145. Working hard to keep it that way, and keep my jackets and pants fit like they should.

Tell me about it lol

Currently working my way through to a better weight (yet again). This time I will need to be very vigilant not to go back up 6 months later...

 

[Monte.C]

I have to be wary of a particular kind of demon that'll get me if I'm not careful. It happens with other things besides jackets. I'll be on the market for something like an article of clothing on Ebay, and something might be just what I'm after for about 90% of the way. Your mind naturally says "Hey that's almost perfect! Get this deal now while you can! It's our new treasure!" But in fact it's that last 10% that gets me. Like maybe it's too big in the shoulder, uncomfortably so. And that's the problem that got me with the last purchase, too...
I gotta watch for the last 10%. In this case, if it isn't perfect I have to understand that I'll be trying to live with the imperfect bit.

 

[navetsea]

most leather jacket journeys usually start with cafe racer and most likely end up with MC jacket, once you're at MC jacket phase your cafe racer will less likely to be ever worn... so just go straight with MC jacket right away you'll end up there anyway... and after that if you really really need a cafe racer then you can decide to own one too, but otherwise there are many jackets (not necessarily leather) that are more interesting than a cafe racer and you only have 7 days in a week

 

[zebedee]

-Get a Maxwell
-Get a Cafe Racer
-Get a Highwayman
-Then stop, ffs

 

[handymike]

Don’t be afraid of suede!
(Get a suede brush for $7 on Amazon)

 

[DogFacePonySoldier]

spoke with a man by the name of Walker in nyc who had on display a 50 year old fyres campus boots beat up and beautiful like Norma Jean at the end of her rope.
I said the only problem is not to buy everything. He said, with a positive practical coolness like Yoda after a swig of whisky.
No buy everything, give it life and when your done with it sell it and pass it on and let it go on its own journey.
I was like sheeeit and bought my first leather jacket 72 hours later.

 

[Camel24hrs]

I am saying this not to be a smartass or, worse, an ahole. I say this because it is true, and I care about wellbeing of my fellow TFLers.

For a proper leather jacket fit, it really helps not to have a beer belly or otherwise extra pounds. Leather jackets are very unforgiving that way.

So I am rooting for every one of you who lost or are losing excess pounds. Better fitting jackets are incidental, better health is the star here.

I should know, I lost 30 lbs a few years back, from 175 to 145. Working hard to keep it that way, and keep my jackets and pants fit like they should.

Yes indeed. I was 214 and had a jacket I really liked. But you could tell I was 214. Lost down to 180. Sold that jacket and got same jacket in a smaller size. Slim trim fit. But best part is my diabetes is gone. No longer have to take any meds for it. Got this from a BK post

 

[DogFacePonySoldier]

I also have a desire to improve my physique for myself triggered by clothing. First started by losing weight for my denim.
With my boots wearing out revealing supination. I want to improve my posture and gait by consciously keeping straight and landing my feet below my hips. And working out my core/glute muscles, which are the most important muscles IMO.
Now with a leather jacket I want to get better traps and shoulders to fill it in more properly. I am doing more pull ups although that is better for lats and arms for the V.
HQ clothing can be a good motivation for being healthier

 

[Monitor]

Yes indeed. I was 214 and had a jacket I really liked. But you could tell I was 214. Lost down to 180. Sold that jacket and got same jacket in a smaller size. Slim trim fit. But best part is my diabetes is gone. No longer have to take any meds for it. Got this from a BK post View attachment 648534 View attachment 648534

More accurate revision of the chart...

 

[MrProper]

I also have a desire to improve my physique for myself triggered by clothing. First started by losing weight for my denim.
With my boots wearing out revealing supination. I want to improve my posture and gait by consciously keeping straight and landing my feet below my hips. And working out my core/glute muscles, which are the most important muscles IMO.
Now with a leather jacket I want to get better traps and shoulders to fill it in more properly. I am doing more pull ups although that is better for lats and arms for the V.
HQ clothing can be a good motivation for being healthier

It's nice when the motivation is there. But I don't think it's really the clothes, but a certain amount of vanity (which I think everyone should have a little of)

 

[Monte.C]

I also have a desire to improve my physique for myself triggered by clothing. First started by losing weight for my denim.
With my boots wearing out revealing supination. I want to improve my posture and gait by consciously keeping straight and landing my feet below my hips. And working out my core/glute muscles, which are the most important muscles IMO.
Now with a leather jacket I want to get better traps and shoulders to fill it in more properly. I am doing more pull ups although that is better for lats and arms for the V.
HQ clothing can be a good motivation for being healthier

I like that. We're thinking along the same lines.
I started to lose a bunch of weight. Got tired of feeling like a slob, with nothing but more slob to look forward to in the future. Changed a bunch of things in my life and I continue to trim up.
The problem is you start feeling really, really good about the way you look and carry yourself, then you feel the urge to accessorize and buy expensive leather jackets.

So in my case it's reversed. Fill out the wardrobe triggered by improvements in physique.

 

[Monte.C]

It's nice when the motivation is there. But I don't think it's really the clothes, but a certain amount of vanity (which I think everyone should have a little of)

"Vanity" is still a dirty word. I prefer self respect, self esteem, dignity.

 

[MrProper]

"Vanity" is still a dirty word. I prefer self respect, self esteem, dignity.

Yes, vanity is often viewed negatively. I don't think it's negative as long as it's not pathological. That's why I like to say ‘a certain amount’. Just having self-respect and self-esteem doesn't mean that you take care of your appearance.
But I know what you mean. It's all good.

 

[Monte.C]

Yes, vanity is often viewed negatively. I don't think it's negative as long as it's not pathological. That's why I like to say ‘a certain amount’. Just having self-respect and self-esteem doesn't mean that you take care of your appearance.
But I know what you mean. It's all good.

Yup it's all good.
With all due respect, I thought it might be a bit of a language gap. At the risk of sounding argumentative:
Vanity: inflated pride in oneself or one's appearance. Conceit. (From Merriam-Webster.)

Pride is another one. We use the word as if it were a positive, but for someone to be prideful they need someone else to be better than. One can only be prideful in comparison to someone else. Pride stands on its podium, looks good and feels good and says "look at me". Pride is fragile. It's only a matter of time before someone comes along who's better, smarter, faster, hotter, richer. Pride stands well above despair, fear, resentment, etc. but there are many states of being higher and more desirable than pride.

 

[barnabus]

Yup it's all good.
With all due respect, I thought it might be a bit of a language gap. At the risk of sounding argumentative:
Vanity: inflated pride in oneself or one's appearance. Conceit. (From Merriam-Webster.)

Pride is another one. We use the word as if it were a positive, but for someone to be prideful they need someone else to be better than. One can only be prideful in comparison to someone else. Pride stands on its podium, looks good and feels good and says "look at me". Pride is fragile. It's only a matter of time before someone comes along who's better, smarter, faster, hotter, richer. Pride stands well above despair, fear, resentment, etc. but there are many states of being higher and more desirable than pride.

That's not my understanding of "pride".

Not is it Merriam -Webster's, if you want to look there;

a
: reasonable self-esteem : confidence and satisfaction in oneself

b
: pleasure that comes from some relationship, association, achievement, or possession that is seen as a source of honor, respect, etc.

I can be proud if I've built a shed or run a distance. No one else needs to be involved.

 

[Randomuser]

Except for some social events (wedding, job interview) that have a dress code, absolutely nobody is paying attention to what you’re wearing.

Which means you can dress how you want to dress. Wear literally anything that makes you happy.

 

[_Wayfarer_]

lots of style influencer dress to blend with the room decor, they pick all kind of muted color that would be totally invisible in peripheral vision among ikea furnitures and stucco walls, even their human silhouette is disguised like a mantle rack, coat hanger or a decorative pedestal, probably people they meet suddenly act surprised or widen their eyes and they think their reaction is a silent admiration of their style but they are just genuinely surprised there is suddenly a person near them.

There are a few actual men's fashion channels I've seen on YT. People with their own styles, who dress for themselves and nobody else, and who use the tools of fashion (e.g. cut, silhouette, fabric, colour, texture) to build their looks. But not many.

Most of what I see in 'men's fashion' is awful, and will turn you into a basic ba***rd, whose goal, far as I can tell, is to make you as bland and inoffensive as possible. This is a particular issue when it's women doing the styling. They almost always turn men into presentably boring. There are a few exceptions, Ilaria Urbinati for example, I'm just talking about the rule.

Once I figured out what I actually liked, I got rid of almost all influencers and never looked back. Now I buy for me.

 

[Camel24hrs]

A well fitting A2 jacket is a timeless classic look. Problem with A2s you really need a fit body to fully pull that off. Not everyone is so fortunate.
I wear mine every where I go weather permitting. We only have jacket weather from October through April where I live.
I can wear them with jeans or dress up and still wear it.

 

[Monte.C]

That's not my understanding of "pride".

Not is it Merriam -Webster's, if you want to look there;

a
: reasonable self-esteem : confidence and satisfaction in oneself

b
: pleasure that comes from some relationship, association, achievement, or possession that is seen as a source of honor, respect, etc.

I can be proud if I've built a shed or run a distance. No one else needs to be involved.

Well said. Point taken.

 

[AeroFan_07]

There are a few actual men's fashion channels I've seen on YT. People with their own styles, who dress for themselves and nobody else, and who use the tools of fashion (e.g. cut, silhouette, fabric, colour, texture) to build their looks. But not many.

Most of what I see in 'men's fashion' is awful, and will turn you into a basic ba***rd, whose goal, far as I can tell, is to make you as bland and inoffensive as possible. This is a particular issue when it's women doing the styling. They almost always turn men into presentably boring. There are a few exceptions, Ilaria Urbinati for example, I'm just talking about the rule.

Once I figured out what I actually liked, I got rid of almost all influencers and never looked back. Now I buy for me.

Some really good points made here!