Input requested

[iknowleather]

Friends at Fedora,
I recently received this in my Leather Care Specialists inbox from Jenn Barger: "
'I'm a contributing writer at Country Living specializing in vintage and thrift, and I'm doing a story on buying vintage leather jackets."
Jenn and I have a Google Meet appointment tomorrow morning (Monday 10-26). One of the questions she is looking to have answered is - Why do some people prefer vintage leather jackets over new?
and also - Are there particular vintage labels to look for?
I thought I'd reach out to all of you for some input. Anything you would like to offer will be appreciated!
Best always!
Dena

 

[Guppy]

I don't necessarily prefer vintage over new. But I like the style of vintage garments. I don't like the ways in which industries often try to cut costs and sacrifice quality to reach a price point or a profit margin. That, and automation, have resulted in the perception that older products were built with more care and to a higher standard than new.
As well, there's a survivorship bias for vintage items that were built well enough to last to the present and still be usable. The poorly made stuff didn't last or wasn't valued enough to hold onto it, so the stuff we see around today is the best of it.

New products on the other hand have benefits in the accumulation of learning and innovation that comes from the application of that old knowledge.

When the ultimate aim of the manufacturer is quality without compromise, modern reproductions generally beat vintage. But there's bound to be a difference between a $2000 jacket built from premium materials and old school techniques and the $20 jacket it was based on, which was an ordinary, everyday garment and not a luxury item.

 

[iknowleather]

I don't necessarily prefer vintage over new. But I like the style of vintage garments. I don't like the ways in which industries often try to cut costs and sacrifice quality to reach a price point or a profit margin. That, and automation, have resulted in the perception that older products were built with more care and to a higher standard than new.
As well, there's a survivorship bias for vintage items that were built well enough to last to the present and still be usable. The poorly made stuff didn't last or wasn't valued enough to hold onto it, so the stuff we see around today is the best of it.

New products on the other hand have benefits in the accumulation of learning and innovation that comes from the application of that old knowledge.

When the ultimate aim of the manufacturer is quality without compromise, modern reproductions generally beat vintage. But there's bound to be a difference between a $2000 jacket built from premium materials and old school techniques and the $20 jacket it was based on, which was an ordinary, everyday garment and not a luxury item.

Thank you, Guppy!
Good thoughts I agree with. My replies for Jenn are starting to gel

 

[jeo]

People prefer vintage over new for various reasons. It could be a design that no one is reproducing. It could be the cool factor. Or it could be because of cost. It’s cheaper to buy vintage. For some, vintage proportions fit them better. I’m in that camp. My new jackets are mostly custom since I need shorter lengths.

Vintage labels you want to look out for are Buco, Hercules (Sears), Windward (Montgomery Ward) and Sportclad (JC Penney). There are many more, but these are some of the more commonly seen ones in the 40’s and 50’s.

 

[iknowleather]

People prefer vintage over new for various reasons. It could be a design that no one is reproducing. It could be the cool factor. Or it could be because of cost. It’s cheaper to buy vintage. For some, vintage proportions fit them better. I’m in that camp. My new jackets are mostly custom since I need shorter lengths.

Vintage labels you want to look out for are Buco, Hercules (Sears), Windward (Montgomery Ward) and Sportclad (JC Penney). There are many more, but these are some of the more commonly seen ones in the 40’s and 50’s.

Jeo,
Thanks so much for your input! I'll share the link to the writer's article. I won't know when it's publishing until I talk with her tomorrow.
Best!
Dena

 

[tmitchell59]

Hey Dena!

I'm 74 today, graduted from High School in 1970. I don't think of that era as vintage, but it is, Just like the 1930s were vintage when I graduated. Everything gets old, used, vintage and most everything has someone who collects it, values it, pursues it.

Vintage clothes and leather jackets are no different. They represent a different time and a different feel. They have a history in the fashion world that is still being written.

I like the history, just like my friend jeo above, and we have gathered a great deal of that, here on this forum. The knowledge base has grown and we are trying to get that out there.

I do believe old, used, vintage jackets can be a great value in todays market and you don't have to spend a lot of money.

 

[Biff42]

Hey Dena!

I'm 74 today, graduted from High School in 1970. I don't think of that era as vintage, but it is, Just like the 1930s were vintage when I graduated. Everything gets old, used, vintage and most everything has someone who collects it, values it, pursues it.

Vintage clothes and leather jackets are no different. They represent a different time and a different feel. They have a history in the fashion world that is still being written.

I like the history, just like my friend jeo above, and we have gathered a great deal of that, here on this forum. The knowledge base has grown and we are trying to get that out there.

I do believe old, used, vintage jackets can be a great value in todays market and you don't have to spend a lot of money.

Happy birthday Terry!


@iknowleather for me, it's akin to having wearable antiques. As a child of the 80's/90's, my parents collected the bulky brown furniture antique pieces. I don't have much interest in those because of their size and the space they take up. Vintage leather jackets carry a provenance and history that fit in your closet. Also, searching for and purchasing the vintage pieces is way more interesting than buying currently produced leather jackets.

 

[Oil Tanned]

I like wearing a nice leather jacket that I know was worn a half century or more back by someone not all that different from me. It’s a connection to a different time that’s still meaningful to me.

I also like a jacket that’s thick leather, sturdy, and resistant to the scuffs and dings I might otherwise be exposed to in a lesser jacket. That comes at a cost and if you buy one like that new it can take a long time before that bad boy is broken in and like that one that jumps on your back first when you head out the door.

In a way I’ve paid someone to break in my jacket and in my case it’s always someone I’ll never have known. Be that as it may, I also have jackets that are a decade old or less and in all sincerity aren’t the most comfy I own… yet. A couple of Lost Worlds come to mind first. In that respect I suppose I’m paying it forward and in 50 years someone else will be wearing my jacket. They’ll wonder about its legacy and wish it could talk.

…and they won’t be all that different from me.

HBD, Terry!

 

[iknowleather]

I like wearing a nice leather jacket that I know was worn a half century or more back by someone not all that different from me. It’s a connection to a different time that’s still meaningful to me.

I also like a jacket that’s thick leather, sturdy, and resistant to the scuffs and dings I might otherwise be exposed to in a lesser jacket. That comes at a cost and if you buy one like that new it can take a long time before that bad boy is broken in and like that one that jumps on your back first when you head out the door.

In a way I’ve paid someone to break in my jacket and in my case it’s always someone I’ll never have known. Be that as it may, I also have jackets that are a decade old or less and in all sincerity aren’t the most comfy I own… yet. A couple of Lost Worlds come to mind first. In that respect I suppose I’m paying it forward and in 50 years someone else will be wearing my jacket. They’ll wonder about its legacy and wish it could talk.

…and they won’t be all that different from me.

HBD, Terry!

So wonderful. Thank you very much, Terry. I really love this. SO TRUE!

 

[iknowleather]

Friends at Fedora,
I recently received this in my Leather Care Specialists inbox from Jenn Barger: "
'I'm a contributing writer at Country Living specializing in vintage and thrift, and I'm doing a story on buying vintage leather jackets."
Jenn and I have a Google Meet appointment tomorrow morning (Monday 10-26). One of the questions she is looking to have answered is - Why do some people prefer vintage leather jackets over new?
and also - Are there particular vintage labels to look for?
I thought I'd reach out to all of you for some input. Anything you would like to offer will be appreciated!
Best always!
Dena

I want to thank all of you who posted and shared your thoughts and experience with me. You are AWESOME!!

 

[Oil Tanned]

So wonderful. Thank you very much, Terry. I really love this. SO TRUE!

My apologies, Dena! My name is Mike and that last reference was my wishing a Happy Birthday to Terry. I’ll be less obtuse next time, promise!

Terry has forgotten more about leather jackets than I’ve ever known and he’s shared an amazing amount of that knowledge on this board. Me? I mostly try hard not to get banned again.

 

[AeroFan_07]

Dena -

I'm a "fan" of the vintage jackets overall, however I have only had one or two of them that I could actually wear, down through the years. So it makes sense for my 6' 1" tall, 195 lb - long armed person to wear something that does not look totally out of place.

I am also quite "smell sensitive" and greatly dislike anything with a smokey or mildew scent to it - and I can smell that quite a way off sometimes as well. Therefore, it's a rare vintage jacket indeed that passes the criteria I have personally to be able to wear it without being self-conscious. However that said the quality of stitching, design, and simple creativity that many vintage jackets exhibit far surpass many of the reproductions and go head and shoulders above the 80's -- early 2000's "mall jackets" that you rarely see anymore. I certainly wore several of those mall jackets back in the day, however (saying this as nicely as possible) many of them fit and were styled like a large plastic trash bag.

 

[Retserrof]

For me, there's several reasons. Firstly, humans like collecting things, and this is just one thing I like to collect (fountain pens and heritage shirts are others). As an industrial designer that is now teaching, I gravitated towards these items for both aesthetics and engineering factors. I love how they look, with many unique qualities to them. I also love the innovation and engineering in different models that showcase interesting technologies, materials and techniques from the past.

Another reason why I love vintage jackets is that thrill you get from patiently searching and finding an awesome jacket, a feeling you can't really get from new clothing when you can just buy it straight away. I have searched for some of my jackets for multiple years and it's an awesome feeling when you find the one.

As others have alluded to, I also like vintage jackets because they often can cost less than buying new (with notable exceptions), and my frame and size tends to be a sweetspot for vintage measurements.

Josh

 

[iknowleather]

My apologies, Dena! My name is Mike and that last reference was my wishing a Happy Birthday to Terry. I’ll be less obtuse next time, promise!

Terry has forgotten more about leather jackets than I’ve ever known and he’s shared an amazing amount of that knowledge on this board. Me? I mostly try hard not to get banned again.

I love a sense of humor! All good

 

[ragtime_joe]

I prefer vintage for a few reasons.

1. The history. I love being able to see the actual jacket from a catalog from 80-90 years ago.
2. I like that the person with the most money can't just buy the rarest jacket. You have to actually do the work and care enough to find them.
3. Men from the 30s & 40s were generally more stylish & well dressed than they are now. This is the golden age of menswear IMO. I enjoy original pieces from this period. Repros are cool, but they just don't have the same feel to them.