Field Leathers

[hondurasdave47]

The smile says it all!

Detailed review coming later. But first, fit pics:

 

[Kuro]

The smile says it all!

Detailed review coming later. But first, fit pics:

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Really clean lines, and I enjoy the smaller details on the zipper pulls. I would be smiling too! Congrats!

 

[FL2021]

Really Nice Pic... Elegant

 

[Jin431]

The smile says it all!

Detailed review coming later. But first, fit pics:

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looks perfect to me! happy that you seem to have a positive first impression of your new jacket! the zips on the top of the sleeves gives it that edge. congrats man, thanks for sharing and for the future review!

 

[Marc mndt]

The smile says it all!

Detailed review coming later. But first, fit pics:

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Wow, awesome. Congrats.

What I really like about FL jackets is that they're easily recognizable as one, just by looking at the overall picture. Somehow Greg managed to create his own look, which isn't easy in this saturated repro market.

 

[jimmer_5]

Hey all,

I got on Greg's list early this year and I'm starting the process of planning out my jacket with Sam. When I made the order, I was planning on getting a classic black tea-core cafe racer style (his Route 66) but having had 6-7 months to think on it, I've been hot on the idea of a cross zip. I like the idea of a simplified BROWN Manhattan keeping the D pocket, but removing the epaulets and belt. I'd also change the back to a J-106 type back (shoulder gussets and a kidney panel instead of the 3-piece back). Schott makes a simple brown lambskin cross zip that is my rough inspiration for this.

The issue is this - I've always preferred brown leather/cafe racer-board race styles, and this is the most expensive jacket I've ever tried out (I know this is still a reasonable price). Am I crazy to try a style that I've never owned before on this purchase? A brown cafe-racer would be the safe bet, but I think a simplified brown Manhattan could look amazing.

I need to give them an answer and I've been hung up for a week. Thanks all!

 

[FL2021]

Hey Jimmer,
Went through the exact thing...just finalized with Sam...
Sounds like in the end U might be get another in the near future.
I would go with the one that your least about to kick yourself in the ass with...
All of us, never seem to stop at one Jacket... Cafe most versatile... could never go wrong...and plan for another... which would be a min. of a year...
That's how I finalized my design

 

[Bfd70]

Go Brown cross zip. Your design idea Will stand out. Another cafe racer....yawn.

 

[Jin431]

Hey all,

I got on Greg's list early this year and I'm starting the process of planning out my jacket with Sam. When I made the order, I was planning on getting a classic black tea-core cafe racer style (his Route 66) but having had 6-7 months to think on it, I've been hot on the idea of a cross zip. I like the idea of a simplified BROWN Manhattan keeping the D pocket, but removing the epaulets and belt. I'd also change the back to a J-106 type back (shoulder gussets and a kidney panel instead of the 3-piece back). Schott makes a simple brown lambskin cross zip that is my rough inspiration for this.

The issue is this - I've always preferred brown leather/cafe racer-board race styles, and this is the most expensive jacket I've ever tried out (I know this is still a reasonable price). Am I crazy to try a style that I've never owned before on this purchase? A brown cafe-racer would be the safe bet, but I think a simplified brown Manhattan could look amazing.

I need to give them an answer and I've been hung up for a week. Thanks all!

for almost the same price you'll get more bang for your buck with a modified D pocket. you can always get a brown cafe racers from other makers but considering the extended wait time for an FL you might as well go for a modified cross zip. Greg offers cafe racer in the sales page every now and then so there's that off chance a jacket your size will come along.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

Was going to say same thing as Jin. Finding a good dpocket is harder than you think. The chance for racers is much higher either new or used.

 

[BlueSteel]

I will be in the same position. Been about 6 months since I started an order with Greg. Since then I have bought some other jackets, and will have to decide what my FL is when I get the call.

I have decided that I want Greg to make me something different than what I already have. And something that does not exactly mimic a jacket I could buy off the rack.

So I know I am taking a bit of a chance, but I think this is what I want from a custom/bespoke piece!

 

[jimmer_5]

Thanks for all the advice! I'm leaning towards the Manhattan at this stage.

One more note - I typically wear button down shirts in cooler weather, and I wear them untucked. Can this style be lengthened a bit without looking bad? Not a crazy amount, but an inch or two? I find that a really short bodied jacket looks kind of bad with too much shirt tail hanging out. I'm sure it would look better with the tails tucked in, or even just over a t-shirt, but that's not likely to happen.

Getting a bit off topic, I've never understood how people can wear a jacket over a t-shirt. In the places I've lived, jacket weather doesn't line up with t-shirt weather. I'm at least wearing long sleeves by the time I can wear a jacket. I feel like many of the Field Leathers jackets I've seen have a "t-shirt only" fit, but that doesn't work for my lifestyle and climate.

 

[MrProper]

Can this style be lengthened a bit without looking bad? Not a crazy amount, but an inch or two?

I also wear everything untucked.
Shirts I have had shortened and my last 4 shirts I have had explicitly made short.
I like it.

 

[Jin431]

Thanks for all the advice! I'm leaning towards the Manhattan at this stage.

One more note - I typically wear button down shirts in cooler weather, and I wear them untucked. Can this style be lengthened a bit without looking bad? Not a crazy amount, but an inch or two? I find that a really short bodied jacket looks kind of bad with too much shirt tail hanging out. I'm sure it would look better with the tails tucked in, or even just over a t-shirt, but that's not likely to happen.

Getting a bit off topic, I've never understood how people can wear a jacket over a t-shirt. In the places I've lived, jacket weather doesn't line up with t-shirt weather. I'm at least wearing long sleeves by the time I can wear a jacket. I feel like many of the Field Leathers jackets I've seen have a "t-shirt only" fit, but that doesn't work for my lifestyle and climate.

I have both the Route 66 cafe racer and Manhattan J24, they are both cool but the D pocket is just extra in a good way

for me I feel it will look off if you go too long, it will look tubular since you have to make the bottom hem bigger so you'll lose that tapered look. it will stilll look nice even if the shirt tail is showing but I don't have this problem since it doesn't get cold enough where I am and I just wear a t shirt and I can fake tuck that all day long

hmmm go for the quilted lining with flannel lined sleeves so you can have some heat retention and maybe add 0.5" to your ideal measurement so it's still trim but you can layer. My FL shinki jackets (aniline and black teacore) stretched to about 0.5" pit to pit (1" total) after it breaks in.

 

[Marc mndt]

Can this style be lengthened a bit without looking bad?

Generally speaking I think halfbelts can be lengthened without looking bad. I say generally speaking because I've seen a couple of FL halfbelts that were too long imo. If you look closely you can see that the body of jacket on the left hangs straight down, while the FL on the right is pressing onto my lower back. I believe that has something to do with the sleeve rotation/pitch. If the field leathers would have been two inches longer, it would probably have landed on my hips with material bunching up on my lower back. I don't have example to show of jackets of my own that have that 'problem' but if you browse this tread you will find a couple.

Motorcycle jackets look weird when they're elongated in order to cover shirt tails. Why, because mc jacket should be short by design. Long ones are impractical on a bike. But this is just my personal opinion of course. Just have a look at Fine Creek or even Lewis Leathers Japan. Apparently there's a market for elongated mc jackets.

 

[Carlos840]

Generally speaking I think halfbelts can be lengthened without looking bad. I say generally speaking because I've seen a couple of FL halfbelts that were too long imo. If you look closely you can see that the body of jacket on the left hangs straight down, while the FL on the right is pressing onto my lower back. I believe that has something to do with the sleeve rotation/pitch. If the field leathers would have been two inches longer, it would probably have landed on my hips with material bunching up on my lower back. I don't have example to show of jackets of my own that have that 'problem' but if you browse this tread you will find a couple.

View attachment 379174

Motorcycle jackets look weird when they're elongated in order to cover shirt tails. Why, because mc jacket should be short by design. Long ones are impractical on a bike. But this is just my personal opinion of course. Just have a look at Fine Creek or even Lewis Leathers Japan. Apparently there's a market for elongated mc jackets.

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That Fine Creek is painful to watch...

 

[Graemsay]

@jimmer_5 I've seen a few longer cross-zip jackets or coats with a belt at the waist, but they might not be your thing.

Greg did a really cool collared café racer for a guy called Roman. It's up on his Instagram. You could copy the style and add a few inches to its length.

Butterworth Vintage had a forties French coat that was like a much longer café racer, which might give you more inspiration.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

Thanks for all the advice! I'm leaning towards the Manhattan at this stage.

One more note - I typically wear button down shirts in cooler weather, and I wear them untucked. Can this style be lengthened a bit without looking bad? Not a crazy amount, but an inch or two? I find that a really short bodied jacket looks kind of bad with too much shirt tail hanging out. I'm sure it would look better with the tails tucked in, or even just over a t-shirt, but that's not likely to happen.

Getting a bit off topic, I've never understood how people can wear a jacket over a t-shirt. In the places I've lived, jacket weather doesn't line up with t-shirt weather. I'm at least wearing long sleeves by the time I can wear a jacket. I feel like many of the Field Leathers jackets I've seen have a "t-shirt only" fit, but that doesn't work for my lifestyle and climate.

How tall are you?

Generally speaking, I think you can go a little longer than the consensus here, but it's all relative. If you don't ride (I don't either) you can probably go a little bit more. My Vanson Commando is 27+ and at 6'0, that's pretty much the max I would go. It does feel long wearing but I like the different look (don't want all my jackets to be the same). My LL Lightning I just got is 26.4 and that feels just about perfect. I find 26ish is about right for me, but usually the advice I'd get on here is to be closer to 25. It's more of a preference, but unfortunately there does come a point where it's clearly wrong like the examples above that Marc gave.

 

[jimmer_5]

Generally speaking I think halfbelts can be lengthened without looking bad. I say generally speaking because I've seen a couple of FL halfbelts that were too long imo. If you look closely you can see that the body of jacket on the left hangs straight down, while the FL on the right is pressing onto my lower back. I believe that has something to do with the sleeve rotation/pitch. If the field leathers would have been two inches longer, it would probably have landed on my hips with material bunching up on my lower back. I don't have example to show of jackets of my own that have that 'problem' but if you browse this tread you will find a couple.

View attachment 379174

Motorcycle jackets look weird when they're elongated in order to cover shirt tails. Why, because mc jacket should be short by design. Long ones are impractical on a bike. But this is just my personal opinion of course. Just have a look at Fine Creek or even Lewis Leathers Japan. Apparently there's a market for elongated mc jackets.

Marc,

Yeah, I should have been more clear about my intentions. I am used to cafe racers, so I'm thinking 26-27" back at the longest. I'd still have 3-4 inches of tail showing. I agree, the jacket above looks ridiculous. I was just concerned that with a 24-25" back, it would look silly with too much shirt tail hanging out below. I also am considering using a 2-way zipper for sitting in the car or on the bike. I have found that to be a godsend in the car, where I spend too much of my outside time in the winter.

 

[Monitor]

Generally speaking I think halfbelts can be lengthened without looking bad. I say generally speaking because I've seen a couple of FL halfbelts that were too long imo. If you look closely you can see that the body of jacket on the left hangs straight down, while the FL on the right is pressing onto my lower back. I believe that has something to do with the sleeve rotation/pitch. If the field leathers would have been two inches longer, it would probably have landed on my hips with material bunching up on my lower back. I don't have example to show of jackets of my own that have that 'problem' but if you browse this tread you will find a couple.

View attachment 379174

Motorcycle jackets look weird when they're elongated in order to cover shirt tails. Why, because mc jacket should be short by design. Long ones are impractical on a bike. But this is just my personal opinion of course. Just have a look at Fine Creek or even Lewis Leathers Japan. Apparently there's a market for elongated mc jackets.

View attachment 379172 View attachment 379173

I couldn't wear this if it was gifted to me. I'd honestly feel bad.