A2 or Half Belf, which one first?

[scrawlysteve]

@tropicalbob----you are right to be afraid---in fact you should be terrified...it looks pretty much like $2,500.

 

[zhz]

It is about $2500, and this doesnt include the shipping and import tax if you buy if from US...

Ishmael, I was checking out some of the new leather jackets on that site and was truly blown away. However, (I'm almost afraid to ask) what does 257,000 yen look like in US dollars? Thanks for the pics.

 

[Cooperson]

Ishmael - that's a cracking jacket/coat. Nice length, button cuffs, button front but no half-belt, I could wear that all day long. It's like traditional car coat from the back, but a Maxwell from the front - Killer! I would probably loose the throat latch though.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I reckon Johnson might be able to do one similar for around a third of that price. Tempting. And Ish, the designer may well be a hell of a nice guy but he still looks a hipster and I'm not keen on the hipster aesthetic - just my opinion so it matters not a jot. Nice jacket.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I think what he meant is cover 1.5-2 inches of the back pocket.

Yes, covering the back pocket.

 

[zhz]

Seb, if you look in the market, the Japanese made jackets are generally expensive than Western brands, and Freewheel is one of the most expensive one in Japan. I am sure someone can make a similar jacket with cheaper price, but is it the same quality, I mean the leather used, the hardware etc.
I always believe what you pay is what you get, especially in the vintage repro game.

I reckon Johnson might be able to do one similar for around a third of that price. Tempting. And Ish, the designer may well be a hell of a nice guy but he still looks a hipster. I'm not keen on the hipster aesthetic - especially how it presents over here. Nice jacket.

 

[Ishmael]

That particular jacket is not $2500. Close, and getting closer, though.

He looks like a hipster? Not really sure what that means. I find this anti-hipster angst pretty silly. In an era of more enlightened views on homosexuality, it's like the hipster is the new fag, someone it's ok to hate on for not being like me. Honestly, if you don't want to look hip, consider moving away from leather outerwear entirely.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I certainly don't want to look hip (whatever that means) and never have. I don't hate hipsters. Well, some of them... I just find the often pretentious commodification of the hipster aesthetic lame. My mate had a business that caters to that crowd over here so I got to know a bunch of them (I'm close to a few) but many were terribly up themselves. The new fag? Are you kidding? You can't help who you love. But you can help how you choose to posture. Anyway, are you happy to move on? I'm done.

 

[Dickie Teenie]

Who wants to start a hipster thread? hehe

 

[Seb Lucas]

Seb, if you look in the market, the Japanese made jackets are generally expensive than Western brands, and Freewheel is one of the most expensive one in Japan. I am sure someone can make a similar jacket with cheaper price, but is it the same quality, I mean the leather used, the hardware etc.
I always believe what you pay is what you get, especially in the vintage repro game.

I'm well aware of the Japanese market and I believe the jacket I could get form Johnson would tick all my boxes and I reckon it would be pretty close to the same quality.

 

[pauleway]

I just found these two pictures from another forum, and I understand DT's point now. The jacket looks perfect in front, but ridiculous from the back, how does this happen?
View attachment 11869
View attachment 11870

The body length is too short, back and front of this jacket! Sleeves look ok!

 

[pauleway]

What do you think about this fit? The guy in the pic is as tall as me. IMO, the jacket fits perfect.
View attachment 11856

That looks like a perfect fit to me. Go for the 30's HB, can't go wrong with that choice!

 

[tropicalbob]

zhz -- What you pay is what you get? These days? Take a gander at the leather jacket sections of the dept. stores. $3,500 for lamb-skin men's girdles with the consistency of toilet paper. Value and who's doing what right is what these threads are about.

 

[tropicalbob]

Didn't mean to sound pissy, but if you read the recent JC interview you can see the justifications for his prices. Not all the makers are the artisan he is. I look at everything in a guitar-value ratio: is that jacket a telecaster or a stratocaster?; that car's worth four Guild 12-strings? etc.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Didn't mean to sound pissy, but if you read the recent JC interview you can see the justifications for his prices. Not all the makers are the artisan he is. I look at everything in a guitar-value ratio: is that jacket a telecaster or a stratocaster?; that car's worth four Guild 12-strings? etc.

We can parse value until the cows come home. Bottom line; you can still get a magnificently hand crafted leather jacket for a realistic price. I'm not one to compare a jacket to guitars, violins or cars for that matter. And zhz is right, you can get a lambskin piece of fashion crap for $1500, proving that the adage you get what you pay for is utterly lacking in precision. As it happens, I have no problem with people paying vast money for a jacket or having a zealous faith in various makers over others. It's up to the individual and their values.

 

[tropicalbob]

We can parse value until the cows come home. Bottom line; you can still get a magnificently hand crafted leather jacket for a realistic price. I'm not one to compare a jacket to guitars, violins or cars for that matter. And zhz is right, you can get a lambskin piece of fashion crap for $1500, proving that the adage you get what you pay for is utterly lacking in precision. As it happens, I have no problem with people paying vast money for a jacket or having a zealous faith in various makers over others. It's up to the individual and their values.

?

 

[Seb Lucas]

My point t-bob is let's not get snooty about jacket prices.

 

[zhz]

Well, mate, more those mall jacket, the price is for that brand name. I mean, maybe Aero/BK/ELC/GW is far better than a Gucci/Armani leather jacket, but if you ask someone on the street, most likely they can recognise the mall brand easily. That is what you paid for.
I also said that my statement is more suitable in vintage repro industry.

zhz -- What you pay is what you get? These days? Take a gander at the leather jacket sections of the dept. stores. $3,500 for lamb-skin men's girdles with the consistency of toilet paper. Value and who's doing what right is what these threads are about.

 

[Sloan1874]

Once you get into the margins, it's terrifying. I sometimes go into the Belstaff shop in Glasgow, just to laugh at the prices!

 

[zhz]

Belstaff called themselves as luxury brand somehow. I just cant see the difference between them and Barbour.

Once you get into the margins, it's terrifying. I sometimes go into the Belstaff shop in Glasgow, just to laugh at the prices!