Y'2 Leathers

[Marc mndt]

We're all just playing dress up and should be more honest about that. This isn't a dig at you, just something I thought about because a lot of people who bring up your points about flat seems and shiny heels act like they really need the heaviest duty stuff to sit at a desk all day.

I'm definitively playing dress up and I know it, I'm wearing my workwear when going to my office job lol.

I also admit that I don't need the heaviest duty gear for commuting to the office.

But the reason why I wear (mostly vintage) workwear is not because I need heavy duty gear, it's because it has a certain esthetic. Old school construction techniques are part of that esthetic, as are wide upper sleeves and chest.

Some of the Japanese makers have taken vintage design and morphed it into dresswear that has different esthetics than the vintage workwear that I like.

Different esthetics

40s Windward

Japanese over-engineered slimmed down repro.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

I'm definitively playing dress up and I know it, I'm wearing my workwear when going to my office job lol.

I also admit that I don't need the heaviest duty gear for commuting to the office.

But the reason why I wear (mostly vintage) workwear is not because I need heavy duty gear, it's because it has a certain esthetic. Old school construction techniques are part of that esthetic, as are wide upper sleeves and chests.

Some of the Japanese makers have taken vintage design and morphed it into dresswear that has different esthetics than the vintage workwear that I like.

Different esthetics

View attachment 483734
40s Windward

View attachment 483735
Japanese over-engineered slimmed down repro.

That's a great point. You are right that vintage has a certain aesthetic to it. I don't mind some of the dressier construction details, but I do dislike a lot of the pattern changes.

I certainly like your 40s windward over the repro. I'm like this in some ways with my jeans. I want my repros of old levis to be repros of old levis, not modern updated ones.

Like I said, I know that you were not making the arguments for the wrong reasons like some people. It just reminded me of those other people.

 

[Marc mndt]

@dudewuttheheck good to have you back btw. Haven't seen you on the lounge for some time.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

@dudewuttheheck good to have you back btw. Haven't seen you on the lounge for some time.

It's good to be back. I appreciate the welcome I missed discussions such as these.

 

[58panheadfan]

...Personally I feel like Rainbow Country and Freewheelers jackets are over-engineered, and as a result they lack character....

That's why I'm always happy to have found a small flaw in an "over-engineered" leather jacket from the high-end manufacturers from Japan (apart from my RMC JH-2, which was flawless in terms of workmanship). That gives the jackets that certain "extra" a little wobbling here and a little flaw there. In addition, it makes the jacket "unique" only your jacket has this small flaw.

Btw: About the Y'2... I recently bought an HR-55 D-Pocket. The construction is excellent, unfortunately I have to say flawless, lol! The leather is debatable, in fact it has that plastic like feeling, glossy shining and feels like it's been spiced up with paint (much like my former RMC JH-2). I also think that over time the jacket will not develop the nice patina like other jackets. The haptic of the leather reminds me of the original J65 Buco I had (no joke) except for the finish. The hefty #10 Universal Zipper isn't really to my liking either, but... why did I even buy the jacket? It fits like a glove, is very comfortable to wear and has this little extra to stand out against other D-Pockets. Also it's nice to have a "different" jacket in your range... I have in mind to wear this particular Jacket (1.4 mm leather) as my riding Jacket, will you tell you more how it develop after some motorbike-seasons (self-deprecating if I haven't it sold already by then). Originally I thought about wearing my ELMC Roadstar as a motorbike jacket, which I did for 2-3 seasons (driven little). But somehow I always had the feeling that the jacket was a bit too "flimsy" (1.0-1.1 mm, I guess) for motorcycling. Also good, now I wear the ELMC as my "to go fashion" jacket. The Y's fills the gap perfectly, not to heavy-armor like, flexible and as said, yet substantive.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Crashing this Y2 party with some Regius and Rainbow Country.

Regius pattern is 40s/50s type fit, big top and shorter body with a taper and A2 rounded shoulders, in the same Italian horse Buzz Rickson uses, soft and drapy. This was his pattern test jacket, no custom. If I were going with custom I'd place the side cinches just a bit lower so less half belt more cossack. I did use clips to widen the collar.

Rainbow Country is more 70s fit. Slim long with the Wing collar. This is how the collar looks when brand new. No need to use clips to fold it back it just sits like this. Unibody construction, very early turn of the century. But the fit is very 1970s. And they were open about that, just have to read through pages and pages of Japanese Blog posts. Most Japanese repros will say they are "modern fit" but with certain vintage details. And apparently 70s fit is the belle du jour in Japan right now. Buffalo hide was a let down. I'd prefer the goat over it, it's basically the same type of leather in grain, but the RC goat is thicker. This buffalo is only about 3oz and a stiffer than thicker goat.

Y2 also make this design, known as the "Hummingbird" jacket, sold under one of Tokyo's retailer brand, Trophy General Store. A bit over priced and in a leather I cannot recommand. They are doing them in Eco horse which is not suitable for jackets imo. I would definitely get one of these in the other leathers. I've seen them on the used market. If I can find one (aniline horse or vintage horse) under ¥100,000 BNWT I would go for it. But I would not pay ¥200,000 for the Eco horse version. Both the Regius and RC jacket has the piped corded detail, this Y2 version does not.

That's all I've got.

BTW, I have some Y2 jackets if you go back in this thread. My suggestion is if you are looking for Y2 leather jackets, go with the retailer specials. They are nicer than the stocking models. Y2 prices are a bit high for my taste, but it's your money you can spend it however you like. Y2's biggest strength is pumping out new designs. The best deal on Y2 jackets are sale samples in their Japanese partner stores. But you've kinda gotta be there to take advantage of that. All the Y2 jackets I have to date tend to be very trim. 0 to 2" chest ease for the chest size tag. Good room in the mid torso. They are very modern cuts.

 

[willyto]

If something isn’t broken don’t try to fix it. That’s my approach to these jackets.

Stop trying to “improve”, “update”, “modernise” a classic design that just works as it is.

 

[Xavier WT]

Actually I kind of like those in certain situations so you may be disappointed by my reaction.

Dang. Came here to read about Y'2 but now I want to see you wearing flares. And a silk shirt with a huge camp collar.

 

[ton312]

Dang. Came here to read about Y'2 but now I want to see you wearing flares. And a silk shirt with a huge camp collar.

Don’t hold your breath

 

[Xavier WT]

Hey guys,

I recently bid on a BNWT Y'2 jacket on a whim and won it, so ... well it's home and I tried it. I decided to share my (y')2 cents with yall.

PICTURES FIRST

The model is apparently an exclusive for "Unique Jeans Store", one of the many japanese stores I had never heard about. They call it the Cotan and it's a type 1, based off the 71506XX model.

This is a size 42 & the measurements are listed as such

Length - 64.5cm
Shoulder - 50.0cm
Bust - 119.0cm
Waist - 109.0cm
Sleeve - 65.5cm
Sleeve - 42.0cm
Cuff - 27.0cm

The jacket feels a little smaller than what's listed, mostly because the way the back pannel is cut with a huge box pleat adds roughly 8 CM to the bust measurement. The hide is what they call "Vintage Horse L." and it's glossy as ****.

Without further ado ...

Fit : It fits me better than I thought. Honestly it feels like the right size for me, despire the fact that I would have loved a shorter body.

Construction : Honestly it's as well assembled as my Real McCoys and Himel jackets. I haven't noticed any significant flaws, but it's not something I judge with as much severity than others.

Pattern : It's cut quite straight and about an inch longer than the style traditionally dictates. The back pannels feels strange before break in (see pics 3 & 4). The pocket seems high, the cinch seems low. It's boxy but I am very much a boxy dude, so that does work for me. My other most worn jackets (Mr Freedom Lawrence & Himel Bros Wolverine) are ALSO boxy jackets. It's been working out for me. I have to underline that I completely understand the criticism of Y'2 in terms of patterning. It's not a tremendous pattern in itself, it just happens to work well for me. i don't think it's great at all, given the strangeness in the back.

Material : Combination tanned horsehide with a brow core and a pigment finish. I would guesstimate the weight at 3oz or a bit less (1 to 1.2 mm range). The sheen is... I don't know what I think of it. I don't hate it but I also don't love it. It feels like the kind of leather that has been engineered to change a lot with moderate wear. Hardwear appears good, but I don't know how to evaluate rivets and cinches as well as I can pass judgement on a zipper.

In conclusion, I'm in a like-it-but-don't-adore-it situation where I think I could keep it and wear it around, but I also feel like it because it's brand new with tags I could move it along to someone who will love it more and get something that's even more aligned with my preferences.

I will agree the pattern isn't especially a strong point, but in terms of garments construction the descriptions I've seen as "inferior" seem blown out of proportion. Same goes for the materials. They're good. I've handled a fair share of leather by various reputable tanneries and the hide didn't feel cheap or like corners were cut. The style choice of making it the way they did can cause you to like or not like the jacket - which is fair - but it doesn't come across as a sub-par product at all.

 

[agentred]

Hi all,

Thanks for all the pictures and discussions in this very interesting thread. I was looking for a cafe racer style jacket and originally thinking a Fine Creek. Went to a few stores to see a few different brands, ranging from Lewis Leather to Buco to RMC.

I was going for a Buco J-100 style, but wanted non-zip hand warmer pockets and chest pocket (internal or external) for my BT headphones case.

Every brand had its quirks/advantages/disadvantages, but for something very simple I settled on the Y'2 PR-64 vintage horse light leather.

This is a custom collab with only one front pocket which is (purely subjectively) a bit cleaner and nicer in my opinion. Initial thoughts are:

- This leather is supposed to be thin and casual, so I was expecting a drapey soft goat leather. But it's still very stiff and heavy and feels substantial
- Leather color is just what I wanted - deep and 3D like, not too much grain, a bit shiny but not plasticky. Not sure how the teacore will fade after use, but so far in my opinion I prefer it to the more traditional RMC or RC style leathers I saw which looked too grainy or flat
- Construction - I dunno, I'm not a tailor. But I own a decent number of leathers from the Japanese and Western brands and don't see or feel any differences in construction
- FIt - I'm quite short but not skinny, usually wear a S or M, 46-48 in suits. Went for a 38 here, instead of a 40. Was worried it would be uncomfortably tight but so far it feels fine. The sleeves at the pits are a bit tight, but the chest and boxy fit are good. Wouldn't go for a 36 or a 42, might have gone for a 40 to get more chest space but then it gets longer so for now I'm happy with this.

All told, I'm pretty happy with this one for this style. Do I feel it's objectively better or worse than other jackets at this price point? I don't think so, at a certain level of quality it's all subjective (in my subjective opinion) and it's about which brand gets you the details you want. So thanks for all your input on Y'2 and I hope this helps someone else with their decision!

 

[sweetfights]

I have a Y'2 indigo trucker and have been impressed with the leather and build. I really like Y'2 leather. Best indigo blue and I am happy to have mine.

 

[agentred]

Hi all, it's been a month since I got the jacket so I thought I'd post some pics and general feedback.

Pros:
- It's started to break in and feels a lot more comfy
- Lots of positive comments from people
- Good spring jacket, not too warm or thin

Cons:
- I think the sleeves are too short, I like the body but maybe I should've gotten a 40 instead of a 38
- There's no loop at the collar for hanging the jacket. I know it should be on a hanger at home, but when I go out it's hard to hang this without it sliding off

 

[sweetfights]

It is a great looking jacket but a 40 would have worked better for your dimensions. Trade up if you can.

 

[agentred]

It is a great looking jacket but a 40 would have worked better for your dimensions. Trade up if you can.

True, then I'm worried it will be too long. I took @Canuck Panda 's advice and got a store collaboration model, but the hard part about these smaller JP brands is it's hard to try on in person! I might sell it anhd get either a 40 or a different brand, will see...

 

[sweetfights]

Good luck. It's the game we play!!

 

[Canuck Panda]

Hi all, it's been a month since I got the jacket so I thought I'd post some pics and general feedback.

Pros:
- It's started to break in and feels a lot more comfy
- Lots of positive comments from people
- Good spring jacket, not too warm or thin

Cons:
- I think the sleeves are too short, I like the body but maybe I should've gotten a 40 instead of a 38
- There's no loop at the collar for hanging the jacket. I know it should be on a hanger at home, but when I go out it's hard to hang this without it sliding off


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The sleeves do seem to be on the shorter side, but I also think it's wearable. Very cool rock and roll vibe, especially with the longer top zip, like Durable jacket.

The Japanese racing shirt jackets seems to run at 1/2" shorter in length in general. Especially in the racing shirt designs. They are basically the same size as my button down shirts.
RMC J100 overall sleeve length from center neck to end of cuff is only 34.5", other jackets is 35"

The Cafe Racer designs will have a bit longer sleeve, but the racing shirt ones seems to be on the shorter side.

Enjoy your jacket until the next one shows up. You've got a very nice fit for first shot. Y2 jacket leathers are mostly veg tan shrunken horse and they do need a bit of break in. The broken in ones look really nice.

 

[agentred]

thanks for the input, and that J100 looks perfect on you!

 

[Franko13]

I have a Y'2 indigo trucker and have been impressed with the leather and build. I really like Y'2 leather. Best indigo blue and I am happy to have mine.

Totally agree - mine is great. The shoulders might be a bit square, but I’m hoping they soften up with extended wear. In my book the leather and color of the blue is exceptional. I did pick up a custom Double Helix type 3 which may fit a bit better, but I attribute that to it being a custom build (36 chest with 38 everything else). I think if I did a custom Y2 I could have achieved the same fitted result.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Totally agree - mine is great. The shoulders might be a bit square, but I’m hoping they soften up with extended wear. In my book the leather and color of the blue is exceptional. I did pick up a custom Double Helix type 3 which may fit a bit better, but I attribute that to it being a custom build (36 chest with 38 everything else). I think if I did a custom Y2 I could have achieved the same fitted result.

How do you get custom jackets from DH? Is it through a retailer or were you able to get them directly from DH? Thanks.