Any leather jacket recommendations for a big guy?

[ComradeElephant1917]

Hello everyone! I hope you all are doing well!

This is my first post here! I recently completed a marathon of the Indiana Jones franchise with my little brother, and grew curious about leather jackets and outerwear. I’ve been reading some of the posts on this forum, and was curious if I could get any opinions, advice, or insight.

I’m looking for a brown leather jacket, something that isn’t too insulating (no shearling, though it looks superb). I already have a shearling bomber from Wilsons that was gifted to me by my late mother. I don’t place much emphasis on historical accuracy for reproduction jackets. Instead, my big concerns and quandaries are the following:
Sizing and styling
I’m a bigger guy, about 56” in the chest. I’m also…rotund, for lack of a better word. I have some experience with and firmly enjoy the world of casual tailoring and classic menswear, and have grown to embrace more full cut, full length jackets (ie sport coats, blazers, and especially safari jackets), as well as high rise trousers. Most of the leather jackets I see on the market, however, are shorter, and I'm not sure if cropped jackets, motorcycle jackets etc really suit my body type (which is unfortunate, as I love the look of jackets like the Schott Perfecto, I just think it’ll be a bad choice for me).

Quality, durability, and longevity
I admittedly don’t have a lot of money to spend on a lot of clothing. I’m a university student, and most of my money goes to fund my education. Most of my peers in similar situations buy more affordable clothing in higher quantities, but (perhaps paradoxically) I’ve adopted a quality over quality mindset, à la boots theory, and want to ensure the garments I buy are heirloom quality, or close to it, and can take a good deal of punishment without failing (not that I intend to punish them). However, I’m new to the world of leathers. Most of my knowledge about different leathers comes from footwear, and I’m not too sure which leather, or which manufacturers, are best for my use case. I’ve heard full-grain leather is the best, and that goatskin, cowhide and horsehide are best for those durability concerns. That’s…about all I could parse through in my cursory reading before things got a bit confusing for me. I also read a bit about the different manufacturers there are, custom builders, etc., and don’t know where to begin with them.

Budget
Yeah there’s not really any avoiding this. The most I’ve ever spent on any garment is about $550, for a well tailored and fully customized jacket that I bought for sentimental purposes. I’m currently looking for a suit as well, or something suitable for dressier occasions at my transfer institution. As a result, my budget for a leather jacket is limited, I’d say no more than $600. I’ve tried looking on ebay, and so far I’ve found maybe one Schott leather peacoat in my size. Outside of that, it’s pretty much zilch. So, a new garment in my size, or a custom/MTM jacket seems to be the only option. I’ve looked at Aero, Thedi, Schott etc. These are lovely jackets, but at the moment, it’s hard for me to justify their prices on a single jacket.


Again, I don’t really care about historical authenticity. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I just have other priorities. I don’t dislike any of the military options either, just to be clear. I know a lot of comments in regards to companies like Five Star are in regards to how accurately they reproduce military clothing. My main concern in regards to that company is whether or not it’s a quality, long lasting jacket. Same goes for Jacket Maker, MFG, Cockpit, Eastman, Johnson, San Diego Leather etc

With all that said, are there any styles of jacket that you would recommend for my concerns, and, following that, are there any specific manufacturers I should look into in my price range that I have potentially overlooked? Are any of the ones I’ve mentioned viable?

Thank you all in advance for your comments, and I hope you all have an excellent day!

 

[Boyo]

Hello and welcome.. good luck on the leather jacket journey. my initial thoughts are that you should attempt to try on as many leather jackets that you can in different styles to see what might look good. On you.
Others may disagree but I think starting with a commercially available ( Mall type Jacket) might be the best place to start. You’ll get used to wearing a leather jacket and the investment will be relatively small.
also you should take a cloth jacket or heavy flannel and measure the common dimensions so you can make some educated guesses if you happen to see something online.
most custom makers we talk about here don’t make too many jackets in size 56. So the cost of one of those would be pretty high, if they even agree to do it.
Five star would be a good option as I think they have experience making jackets for a lot of markets, but you’ll want to know your measurements in advance.

 

[ComradeElephant1917]

Hello and welcome.. good luck on the leather jacket journey. my initial thoughts are that you should try to try on as many leather jackets that you can in different styles to see what might look good.
Others may disagree but starting with a commercially available ( Mall type Jacket) might be the best place to start. You’ll get used to wearing a leather jacket and the investment will be relatively small
also you should take a cloth jacket or heavy flannel and measure the common dimensions so you can make some educated guesses if you happen to see something online.
most custom makers we talk about here don’t make too many jackets in size 56. So the cost of one of those would be pretty high, if they even agree to do it.
Five star would be a good option as I think they have experience making jackets for a lot of markets, but you’ll want to know your measurements in advance.

I know my measurements pretty well for tailoring, as I've gotten MTM and bespoke sportcoats before. Should those measurements carry over well for leather, or should I anticipate a need for adjustments?

I have dimensions from one of my safari jackets in a 14-15 ounce cotton cavalry twill that fits me almost perfectly, literally only 2 areas where I can achieve small improvements. I was thinking of basing any leather jackets on those dimensions.

 

[Boyo]

there are a few threads that detail how to measure a jacket you could search for here that would be really helpful
I don’t have much experience with custom tailor measurements and how they correspond to a leather jacket measurement.. might be the same might not..

 

[ComradeElephant1917]

there are a few threads that detail how to measure a jacket you could search for here that would be really helpful
I don’t have much experience with custom tailor measurements and how they correspond to a leather jacket measurement.. might be the same might not..

Makes sense, I'll have to look into those threads. Thank you!

 

[Zoro]

Being a university student that's "rotund", I would assume you're also young and also tell you to buy anything cheap readily available.

I love heirloom pieces but your heirloom piece will be worthless to you if you lose weight and your 56" chest become 46" (Don't ask me how I know) or if your taste simply changes in a few years.

 

[jchance]

Where do you live? If it’s LA, SF, or NYC, you should go try on some leather jackets in person to have a better idea of the fit you want.

Leather jackets are stiffer than suits, and are very unforgiving. To me, fit is most important, before we even talk about the hide or construction, etc. At your size, you might have to go custom.

 

[ComradeElephant1917]

Where do you live? If it’s LA, SF, or NYC, you should go try on some leather jackets in person to have a better idea of the fit you want.

Leather jackets are stiffer than suits, and are very unforgiving. To me, fit is most important, before we even talk about the hide or construction, etc. At your size, you might have to go custom.

I live in TX, in the DFW area specifically, but I'm transferring schools and moving to Ithaca, NY in 2 months, so I might visit some shops in NYC around that time.

 

[LeatherHunter]

There are a few of us on the forum that fall into the bigger category, myself included. I am 6’1” and go from 280-300 lbs. depending on my mood. I reside in the size 50-54 jackets , I also only buy pre-owned jackets mostly on eBay So I understand the struggle with finding bigger sizes. its critical that you use a jacket that fits you and then measure it for reference. Once you have your measurements then always have seller provide theirs to compare. I can tell you that most makers vary widely in how their jackets fit. A 20 year old Schott is cut differently than a newer Schott jacket even if both were tag sized 52 and same model number.

The jackets that fit me the best are Schott, Vanson, US Wings and California Creations to name a few.

first one is a US Wings Indy Jacket **L (52) brown
second one Schott 141 size 54 Long . Very generous waist for example

 

[ComradeElephant1917]

Being a university student that's "rotund", I would assume you're also young and also tell you to buy anything cheap readily available.

I love heirloom pieces but your heirloom piece will be worthless to you if you lose weight and your 56" chest become 46" (Don't ask me how I know) or if your taste simply changes in a few years.

I've been a big guy for longer than I can remember. In fact, I've actually lost a lot of weight and slimmed down in recent years due to work, and I'm still big. I don't really anticipate much changing on that front.

 

[ComradeElephant1917]

There are a few of us on the forum that fall into the bigger category, myself included. I am 6’1” and go from 280-300 lbs. depending on my mood. I reside in the size 50-54 jackets , I also only buy pre-owned jackets mostly on eBay So I understand the struggle with finding bigger sizes. its critical that you use a jacket that fits you and then measure it for reference. Once you have your measurements then always have seller provide theirs to compare. I can tell you that most makers vary widely in how their jackets fit. A 20 year old Schott is cut differently than a newer Schott jacket even if both were tag sized 52 and same model number.

The jackets that fit me the best are Schott, Vanson, US Wings and California Creations to name a few.

first one is a US Wings Indy Jacket **L (52) brown
second one Schott 141 size 54 Long . Very generous waist for example
View attachment 711870 View attachment 711869

Thank you for providing references images. The jackets look fantastic on you! I really dig the Indy.

I have a good jacket that I use for my measurements, but it isn't leather. It's a heavyweight cotton twill. Aside from the shoulders and the elbows, it fits me perfectly (and the shoulders and elbows are only just slightly tight, still a very enjoyable jacket). That's why I have some degree of confidence with custom options like Johnson, Five Star etc, I just don't know enough about their quality to justify it yet.

My struggle is just finding a good style of jacket. I dig the double riders and jackets of that nature, but they just seem really short, and I think it would do more harm than good for my silhouette, even with the high rise trousers I typically wear.

 

[Chunkster]

If you like how a safari jacket fits you, then there's the Six day trial kind of leather jacket, Belstaff Trialmaster being the most well known one, which is basically a leather safari. Belstaff being maybe a bit costlier, but Five Star could be a budget option and you could measure your safari for a good fit too.

 

[LeatherHunter]

Thank you for providing references images. The jackets look fantastic on you! I really dig the Indy.

I have a good jacket that I use for my measurements, but it isn't leather. It's a heavyweight cotton twill. Aside from the shoulders and the elbows, it fits me perfectly (and the shoulders and elbows are only just slightly tight, still a very enjoyable jacket). That's why I have some degree of confidence with custom options like Johnson, Five Star etc, I just don't know enough about their quality to justify it yet.

My struggle is just finding a good style of jacket. I dig the double riders and jackets of that nature, but they just seem really short, and I think it would do more harm than good for my silhouette, even with the high rise trousers I typically wear.

The cross zip style can be tricky, a lot of the older ones are very short for me. Sometimes 23,24 or 25 inches, the ones I can wear are 26” up to 28” Some people prefer that very short style but it’s not for me. This is a Schott 118 in size 52 Long, one of my favorites.

 

[Edward]

If you like how a safari jacket fits you, then there's the Six day trial kind of leather jacket, Belstaff Trialmaster being the most well known one, which is basically a leather safari. Belstaff being maybe a bit costlier, but Five Star could be a budget option and you could measure your safari for a good fit too.

Goldtop also do a version of this style, named "The Patrol". Black or russet, very nice, up to a size 52.

https://goldtop.co.uk/collections/jackets/products/the-patrol?variant=37995078025387

 

[Edward]

Goldtop also do a version of this style, named "The Patrol". Black or russet, very nice, up to a size 52.

https://goldtop.co.uk/collections/jackets/products/the-patrol?variant=37995078025387

Just realised this is under OPs size range. They have offered custon in the past, so bigger may be an option.

 

[ComradeElephant1917]

If you like how a safari jacket fits you, then there's the Six day trial kind of leather jacket, Belstaff Trialmaster being the most well known one, which is basically a leather safari. Belstaff being maybe a bit costlier, but Five Star could be a budget option and you could measure your safari for a good fit too.

Sorry, I'm just getting back to everyone, been spending some time with family!

I have looked at the Trialmaster. I think it's a very cool-looking jacket! I'm not the biggest fan of the collar, to be honest, but everything else on it looks sick. Unfortunately, can't find any in my size. And also really expensive.

I have the exact tailored measurements from my safari, and have discussed alterations with my tailor to fix those one or two measurements that are just slightly off. So I have *exact* measurements, I'm just unsure if those will translate well from a cloth jacket to a leather one. If they are good to use, then I'll use them.

I've looked at Five Star, and I like what they have to offer. However, I can't seem to find a solid consensus on them. It seems people either get perfect jackets or something they can't wear. I don't know what to make of it. I don't know if the unsatisfactory results are just because of the difference in attention to detail when it comes to reproduction models, or if it's because they are just wildly inconsistent as a whole. I don't know if it would be a good investment in the long term, ie, if it's a long-lasting, heirloom garment.

 

[ComradeElephant1917]

The cross zip style can be tricky, a lot of the older ones are very short for me. Sometimes 23,24 or 25 inches, the ones I can wear are 26” up to 28” Some people prefer that very short style but it’s not for me. This is a Schott 118 in size 52 Long, one of my favorites.
View attachment 711909

Hey, that jacket looks good on you! Again, thank you for the images.

I've been getting used to wearing much higher rise trousers. I think I might be able to pull one of these off, I just would need to experiment with it. My concern here really is making sure it sits at least at the waistband of my trousers. My safari is 32 inches long, and typically I have about 7 inches to spare between the top of the waistband and the bottom of my jacket. I think I'll be comfortable with something at least 28" long, so I'll have to do some research into these, find measurements, etc etc.

 

[ComradeElephant1917]

Goldtop also do a version of this style, named "The Patrol". Black or russet, very nice, up to a size 52.

https://goldtop.co.uk/collections/jackets/products/the-patrol?variant=37995078025387

I like this jacket a lot actually, but yeah, a bit small for me still, thank you for the link!

 

[Will Zach]

Sometimes a biker jacket from manufacturer called Branded Garments (no longer around) in a really large size shows up on ebay. Usually in a very good shape. They are not expensive, either. You can't go wrong with quality of those. But these are biker, cross-zip, black jackets. If you decide to go that route it's worth keeping an eye out. Generally speaking, used jackets in that size will be cheaper, just because the pool of potential buyers is smaller. But they are rarer, although I have seen my share over the years. Another brand worth looking out for is Natal. Built like a tank. Here's one in size 56.
https://ebay.us/m/MpvxVb

 

[Chunkster]

Sorry, I'm just getting back to everyone, been spending some time with family!

I have looked at the Trialmaster. I think it's a very cool-looking jacket! I'm not the biggest fan of the collar, to be honest, but everything else on it looks sick. Unfortunately, can't find any in my size. And also really expensive.

I have the exact tailored measurements from my safari, and have discussed alterations with my tailor to fix those one or two measurements that are just slightly off. So I have *exact* measurements, I'm just unsure if those will translate well from a cloth jacket to a leather one. If they are good to use, then I'll use them.

I've looked at Five Star, and I like what they have to offer. However, I can't seem to find a solid consensus on them. It seems people either get perfect jackets or something they can't wear. I don't know what to make of it. I don't know if the unsatisfactory results are just because of the difference in attention to detail when it comes to reproduction models, or if it's because they are just wildly inconsistent as a whole. I don't know if it would be a good investment in the long term, ie, if it's a long-lasting, heirloom garment.

I have one custom made Five Star, which I am adequately pleased with, and as a starting point I think you could do a lot worse. Also with custom made you can just change the collar to one that pleases you, be it shirt or notch type etc. You'll just have to give them lot of measurements (I gave 13 different measured points) and add a little room the stiffer the leather you choose. The jacket most likely will not be perfect, but I'd wager it to be good enough to start with if you do your do diligence with the measurements.