Leather jacket for winter

[Enguerrand]

Hey every one !
Yep you read it i'm looking for a leather jacket that can keep me warm for winter. I'm french and here the temp' in winter are between -5 and 5 C°.
I really like the military jacket like the B-3,B-6,D-1 ect but i would like to have a jacket that is not too bulky (i don't want to look like a turtle..). But if you have any alternative jacket that can keep warm in winter i'm all ears !
If any of you have or had a B-6 or a D-& or a AN-J-4 from Aero please share your experience and if you can tell me how bulky the jackets are it woul be great !
Thanks for reading and sorry for my english, i hope it's understandable !
(My budget is 1K eur max')

 

[Bfd70]

Calling @powersci to the white courtesy phone.

 

[Carlos840]

IMO unless you get consistant -5/-10c you are wasting your time with a sheepskin jacket.
I have owned a B-3 for 15 years and living between Bruxelles and London i have worn it mabe 10 times, unless it is colder than -5 i get too warm in seconds, it's absolutely not worth it.
You are better of getting a "regular" leather jacket and wearing a couple warm jumpers beneath it, you will get much more use out of it.
Maybe get a thick wool lining, or Alpaca, but sheepskin needs serious cold to be useful.

 

[torfjord]

IMO unless you get consistant -5/-10c you are wasting your time with a sheepskin jacket.
I have owned a B-3 for 15 years and living between Bruxelles and London i have worn it mabe 10 times, unless it is colder than -5 i get too warm in seconds, it's absolutely not worth it.
You are better of getting a "regular" leather jacket and wearing a couple warm jumpers beneath it, you will get much more use out of it.
Maybe get a thick wool lining, or Alpaca, but sheepskin needs serious cold to be useful.

I would echo this statement. Living in Sweden, and our winter temperatures the last few years have been pretty similar to yours, usually between +5/-5 C. For those temperatures at least for me a sheepskin is overkill. Much better with a leather jacket (alpaca or wool backed quilted lining) and a wool sweater.
I have a sheepskin (not Aero) but last time it was cold enough for it was 4 years ago.

 

[Psant25]

Winter where I live (frozen tundra green bay packerland!) can see -30 F wind chills. I wear a certain jacket to snow blow and lets the dogs out. Work days I may go 10 ft outside from my truck to the work door and that is it. I am good wearing any leather jacket with a polo or oxford shirt. I would probably sweat to death in a sheep line jacket on the way to work. They look great but i would consider strongly how much you think you would wear it IMO
Brad

 

[dubpynchon]

For those temperatures I’d go for a D-1 or a B-6 if you want a military jacket, or an Aero Thunderbay if you want a leather jacket with shearling lining. I have an ANJ-4 and I think I wore it twice last winter. As Carlos said, a good chunky jumper under a leather jacket is fine, I wore my Sou’west chunkie under my Vanson Enfield a lot last winter.

Sniff... I miss winter...

 

[Enguerrand]

Okay so i will definitely not take a B-3 but even the D-1 and the B-6 are to warm for those temp' you think ? Because i heard that those jacket are thinner than the B-3. Thanks guys for your responses !

Oh and if any of you have a idea of where i can find a jacket like this one http://y-2leather.com/product/hand-oil-horse-french-double-brested-jkt-「yk-03」/ (i love it but it's a bit too costly for me) let me know !

 

[Marc mndt]

You could also consider a leather jacket with a removable vest / inner lining. Schott offers cafe racer jackets with a removable vest, or something like this from Thedi leathers. The shearling lining is detachable, just like the collar.

Photo is a bit blurry but you get the idea.

 

[Peacoat]

As others have suggested, a leather jacket with a thick sweater works, as does a Thunderbay by Aero, if you don't want to layer. I do it both ways and both work well in temps right around freezing and a little below.

BTW, welcome to the Lounge. PC

 

[JMax]

For those temperatures I’d go for a D-1 or a B-6 if you want a military jacket, or an Aero Thunderbay if you want a leather jacket with shearling lining. I have an ANJ-4 and I think I wore it twice last winter. As Carlos said, a good chunky jumper under a leather jacket is fine, I wore my Sou’west chunkie under my Vanson Enfield a lot last winter.

Sniff... I miss winter...

Those chunkie sweaters are the real deal. Perfect for when I travel during winter.

 

[Harris HTM]

Owning a B-3 and a shearling lined cxl jacket (https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/new-aero-long-half-belt-shearling-lined.89578/) I would advise against a shearling jacket, unless you wanna use it in extremely cold and dry conditions.
If you go for a shearling lined then I'd advise to use a mid-weight leather, a longer style coat (so your ass remains warm), ask for slightly longes sleeves than normal (the shearling on the inside lifts the whole jacket) and check whether the shearling lining covers the whole body.
Welcome to the Lounge!

 

[Claybertrand]

In addition to the recommended Aero Thunderbay, if you don't want the Fur collar look/feel or just want a different look, the Aero Longshoreman is right at the top of their warm jacket offerings.

http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/product-detail.php?id=27

 

[Carlos840]

Okay so i will definitely not take a B-3 but even the D-1 and the B-6 are to warm for those temp' you think ? Because i heard that those jacket are thinner than the B-3. Thanks guys for your responses !

Oh and if any of you have a idea of where i can find a jacket like this one http://y-2leather.com/product/hand-oil-horse-french-double-brested-jkt-「yk-03」/ (i love it but it's a bit too costly for me) let me know !

A regular leather jacket with a fur collar will be all you need down to -5c.
A fur collar really does a lot for comfort in cold weather, i usually only wear fur collared leather jackets from below 10c to -5c. If it gets colder i get out the sheepskin.

 

[Enguerrand]

Thanks for all your responses and recommendations ! It's really a nice forum.
Actually i don't really like the jackets with fur collar only...
Because i will not get a sheepskin jacket i'm gonna look for military style jacket like a A2 or if i can find a really cool double breasted jacket like this one http://y-2leather.com/product/hand-oil-horse-french-double-brested-jkt-「yk-03」/

 

[Carlos840]

Thanks for all your responses and recommendations ! It's really a nice forum.
Actually i don't really like the jackets with fur collar only...
Because i will not get a sheepskin jacket i'm gonna look for military style jacket like a A2 or if i can find a really cool double breasted jacket like this one http://y-2leather.com/product/hand-oil-horse-french-double-brested-jkt-「yk-03」/

You do know most fur collars are removable, you just stick them on in winter to be warm and remove them in summer.
To me that's the best of both worlds.

 

[Monitor]

Hey every one !
Yep you read it i'm looking for a leather jacket that can keep me warm for winter. I'm french and here the temp' in winter are between -5 and 5 C°.

Your winters seem to be the same as ours here and I can tell you that my sheepskin jacket sees a lot of use each year. It can get a bit warm if you're walking around a lot but I don't mind having a jacket I know will keep me warm all day, even if I need to stay out for a long time. Like, I still prefer to have a coffee outside even in the winter and I can't do that in any other type of jacket.

Our workmen choir jackets always had a removable sheepskin lining here in the past, so I know I'm not the only one feeling that way.

IMO, shearling is the nicest thing you can wear. What I love most about it is that it's wearable on a t-shirt even on a sunny, warmer day. It's very breathable and air seems to somehow circulate all thru the fur. Back in the day, country folk used to wear sheepskin vests all freaking year! My grandfather would go on about how if you turn it over, it'll keep you cool during summer. Wouldn't go that far but for me personally, it's the most worthwhile investment you can make when it comes to clothes.

To cut this short, I'd definitely get a mid-weight sheepskin / shearling jacket for -5C temps.

And you gotta take into the account that leather jacket on its own won't make you any warmer. Leather will get cold and it'll make you even colder. If you'll need your jacket to keep you warm, you ought to get something with a heavier liner. Quilted, wool padded linings are great. Blankets too. Light cotton lining won't do a thing, though.

 

[powersci]

Calling @powersci to the white courtesy phone.

Sorry, I picked up the red phone.

I currently own the B6, B3, and ANJ4 for Aero. Chicago winters can be harsh and easily get below -15°C. I wear the B6 more often than I do the B3, and I wear the B3 more often than the ANJ4. Last winter I wore the ANJ4 maybe 2-3 times.

If your heart is set on a shearling from Aero, the B6 is a good way to go. But, don’t discount other TFLers’ recommendations for a quilted or shearling lined leather jacket.

Last December I was in France. I wore a lightweight shearling over a button-up shirt. It kept me perfectly warm, maybe a tad on the cold side. Only a few days before I was wearing it with a hoodie in Chicago. Evidence again that the best way to stay warm is to layer!

 

[Robbie79]

In the area I live our Winters are similar to yours and I both wear my Aero Long Halfbelt with thick brown Alpaca lining and sometimes a Canada Goose when it's getting too cold. When I was talking to Theodoros (Thedi, Greece) he recommended following Shealing jacket which, according to him, is thinner and less bulky then the other ones you mentioned:

 

[Enguerrand]

Okay so from what i understand i can actually go with a B-6 or a D-1 jacket and wear it with just a shirt under and i will be fine or wear it with a sweater if it's colder. I think it's can be a good investement like Monitor said because i can layer and be fine in every climate.

I currently own the B6, B3, and ANJ4 for Aero.

Wow what a collection man ! I now understand the first message of the thread !

I'm now gonna think about all the option i have before making a decision and again thanks you so much guys for your help, i love this forum.

 

[Imuricecreamman]

For me the most important in a winter jacket other than it needs to be well insulated is neck protection/comfort and comfortable pockets to keep my hands. I also need pockets, preferably inside to keep the things I carry around. I made a custom 30's halfbelt via Aero that suits those needs perfectly, but other than that and if one likes a more military look, I would recommend looking at the "air Comfort" from Eastman.