I heard this was the place to talk about leather jackets, and I am interested in making my own

[Bodily_Carried_Technology]

Hello, first time poster, I'm not entirely sure what the fedora lounge is about but I heard that this is the best place on the Internet to post about leather jackets.

I personally am interested in making a leather jacket, from the ground up, not repairing one, but cutting the leather and fabric and sewing one together from scratch.

I wanted to post here and ask if anyone on the fedora lounge makes their own leather jackets from scratch, or if they can point me to resources that can help me in making my own leather jacket from scratch.

Thank you

 

[Oil Tanned]

What applicable skills do you currently have?

 

[Bodily_Carried_Technology]

What applicable skills do you currently have?

I went to school for a year and a half for automotive upholstery, as such I have a year and a half of sewing experience with industrial sewing machines, both Pfaff and juki, I have a year and a half experience tracing and cutting upholstery patterns.

And I own a working Pfaff 1245 industrial sewing machine in my house

 

[jacketjunkie]

Hello, first time poster, I'm not entirely sure what the fedora lounge is about but I heard that this is the best place on the Internet to post about leather jackets.

I personally am interested in making a leather jacket, from the ground up, not repairing one, but cutting the leather and fabric and sewing one together from scratch.

I wanted to post here and ask if anyone on the fedora lounge makes their own leather jackets from scratch, or if they can point me to resources that can help me in making my own leather jacket from scratch.

Thank you

There is few members who started making jackets, some selling them too. The hardest part is making a proper pattern, good range of motion, sleeves not too wide, not too slim, right shoulder slope, these kinds of things.. while some may give you some general advice, nobody is going to share their pattern with you, so you will have to do a lot of try and error and figure out some base pattern which you can then apply to differently styled jackets.. my best tip: find some jacket that fits you well and try to reveree-engineer it.. that will be a good starting point!

 

[GHT]

The Anatomy of a Biker Jacket: A Complete Guide to How They're Built.
https://denimotto.com/blogs/article...NUTjw****xd0dT9PDuE6WfF2vUPdJLqhFQDAU1CFjfpHY

That website is highly detailed, I hope that you find inspiration there.

 

[Bodily_Carried_Technology]

There is few members who started making jackets, some selling them too. The hardest part is making a proper pattern, good range of motion, sleeves not too wide, not too slim, right shoulder slope, these kinds of things.. while some may give you some general advice, nobody is going to share their pattern with you, so you will have to do a lot of try and error and figure out some base pattern which you can then apply to differently styled jackets.. my best tip: find some jacket that fits you well and try to reveree-engineer it.. that will be a good starting point!

Interesting, why don't people want to share their patterns?

Also couldn't I just get a mens jacket pattern from one of the big commercial pattern companies and just tweak it until I make something I personally like?

 

[Bodily_Carried_Technology]

The Anatomy of a Biker Jacket: A Complete Guide to How They're Built.
https://denimotto.com/blogs/article...NUTjw****xd0dT9PDuE6WfF2vUPdJLqhFQDAU1CFjfpHY

That website is highly detailed, I hope that you find inspiration there.

Ooo neat, thank you

Are there any guides for the indiana jones jacket? Or maybe a bomber jacket?

 

[Bodily_Carried_Technology]

The Anatomy of a Biker Jacket: A Complete Guide to How They're Built.
https://denimotto.com/blogs/article...NUTjw****xd0dT9PDuE6WfF2vUPdJLqhFQDAU1CFjfpHY

That website is highly detailed, I hope that you find inspiration there.

I clicked on your link and it's dead

 

[GHT]

I clicked on your link and it's dead

How curious, it works okay for me. Try typing: "The Anatomy of a Biker Jacket: A Complete Guide to How They're Built." into the search an see if that helps.

You won't find any details about a pattern for the Indiana Jones jacket, but you will find a complete history of it's origin on this website: https://indygear.net/raiders-of-the-lost-ark/
My wife, who is something of a talent with her sewing machine, told me of a leather jacket tuition video on YouTube. Have you got four hours?

 

[Bodily_Carried_Technology]

How curious, it works okay for me. Try typing: "The Anatomy of a Biker Jacket: A Complete Guide to How They're Built." into the search an see if that helps.

You won't find any details about a pattern for the Indiana Jones jacket, but you will find a complete history of it's origin on this website: https://indygear.net/raiders-of-the-lost-ark/
My wife, who is something of a talent with her sewing machine, told me of a leather jacket tuition video on YouTube. Have you got four hours?

Oh cool thank you, I will take a look at it

 

[Edward]

Interesting, why don't people want to share their patterns?

A huge amount of work goes into making a functional pattern, and many more hours grading it for any sort of size range. Most people who put that much work into leather jacket making intend at some point to turn it to a business (some succeed, some don't; in the last twenty years I've seen two or three successfully transition this hobby into a business, while many more can't make it work even with a great product. Niche markets are tricky like that). Given that what really gives a great leather its edge is the pattern, as anyone with the time, money and inclination to seek it out can start with quality components, I wouldn't expect anyone who put a lot of work into creating a good pattern to want to let someone who could be or become a competitor have access to that. We've already seen a huge controversy in this community, about a decade ago, when an ex-employee of one of the big names illicitly copied patterns and used them with a new business.

Also couldn't I just get a mens jacket pattern from one of the big commercial pattern companies and just tweak it until I make something I personally like?

Possibly, though if the pattern wasn't designed with leather in mind to begin with it might take a lot of tweaking and possibly significant redesign to make it look / drape / feel "right". Starting with something intended for a material which might vaguely have a quasi similar drape to it as leather might help - like a pattern for a heavy denim jacket, for instance.

 

[GHT]

Edward is most prescient, click on the link above about The Indiana Jones, Raiders jacket, and see the amount of work that went into the design, even details of how it was adapted for carrying a hand g-un and bull whip. Such is the need to classify the confidentiallity of the design, it is most unlikely to be available, online or elsewhere.

My wife agreed with JacketJunkie's idea, try to acquire a secondhand jacket that fits, take it apart and copy each panel onto dressmaking pattern paper. From there you can alter and adjust as required.

 

[Bodily_Carried_Technology]

A huge amount of work goes into making a functional pattern, and many more hours grading it for any sort of size range. Most people who put that much work into leather jacket making intend at some point to turn it to a business (some succeed, some don't; in the last twenty years I've seen two or three successfully transition this hobby into a business, while many more can't make it work even with a great product. Niche markets are tricky like that). Given that what really gives a great leather its edge is the pattern, as anyone with the time, money and inclination to seek it out can start with quality components, I wouldn't expect anyone who put a lot of work into creating a good pattern to want to let someone who could be or become a competitor have access to that. We've already seen a huge controversy in this community, about a decade ago, when an ex-employee of one of the big names illicitly copied patterns and used them with a new business.





Possibly, though if the pattern wasn't designed with leather in mind to begin with it might take a lot of tweaking and possibly significant redesign to make it look / drape / feel "right". Starting with something intended for a material which might vaguely have a quasi similar drape to it as leather might help - like a pattern for a heavy denim jacket, for instance.

Oh ok, I thought because you could buy patterns like this

https://www.amazon.com/Know-Me-Patt...sc=1&msclkid=ee491963692a12426ac773e69178516a

People were cool about sharing patterns but I guess I was mistaken, thank you

 

[TheOldFashioned]

Oh ok, I thought because you could buy patterns like this

https://www.amazon.com/Know-Me-Patt...sc=1&msclkid=ee491963692a12426ac773e69178516a

People were cool about sharing patterns but I guess I was mistaken, thank you

It's not like you're going to reinvent the wheel here if you're looking at making a crosszip jacket. That being said, a pattern is more or less IP. Do businesses freely give out their IP? There's a reason why Vanson/Langlitz/Cal/Bates is lauded for their patterns if you ride a motorcycle. Just like there's a reason why Thedi or Himel or <insert Japanese brand> is praised if you're more oriented towards fashion.

For $14 that's a minimal cost for a starting point, but I wouln't expect much from that. You might as well deconstruct a garbage bag and use that as a template. The advice about buying a jacket that appeals to you, deconstructing, and trying to reverse engineer it is probably the best route.

 

[Rgcards]

I think John Chapman of good wear leather has been of assistance to some novices in the past. Hes a great guy , but hard to reach. I would e mail him

 

[Oil Tanned]

Same one for six clams:

https://simplicity.com/know-me/pdme...89f2-c8aa7d62c057&search_query=leather+jacket