Leather Monkeys Fighter Leather Jacket Buying Advice

[dfa1979]

hello!
i've been waiting all month to get paid so that i can buy one of the Leather Monkeys Fighter jackets: lmuk.co/fighter
i'm a 36 inch chest and slim and i want a slim fitting jacket that fits well without being loose on me. with other jackets i usually have to get a size down to get a better fit in the body, but this can sometimes make it too short, but the LM ones seem to be pretty true to size. the only other jackets i've found that fit me well are the Lewis Leathers slim fit jackets that they sell in Japan.
what i'm asking is, has anyone got one of these jackets that can give me advice on the fit? should i get the size i want(36) or should i get a size smaller? or has anyone bought one of their other jackets to give a comparison? or even better, does anyone have one that also has a Lewis Leathers slim fit that can compare the two? i've seen people talking about the jackets on here but can't find a post from anyone that has one.
i've checked the returns policy and it seems to be hassle free and i can return it for a different size if it's not quite right, but i really want to get it right first time as i've been looking forward to getting one all month.
any help would be much appreciated.

 

[ProteinNerd]

I think the best thing to do is to email them and get the measurements for pit to pit, shoulder, sleeve and back length etc.

 

[dfa1979]

thanks for the reply. all the measurements are on the site. i've been waiting all month so i've been emailing(hassling) them a lot with questions. i decided to go for it and buy the 36. i'll post an update once i receive it for anyone that may be interested.

 

[Duracell]

thanks for the reply. all the measurements are on the site. i've been waiting all month so i've been emailing(hassling) them a lot with questions. i decided to go for it and buy the 36. i'll post an update once i receive it for anyone that may be interested.

I would certainly be interested to hear your views on the leather and the construction. I have been wavering over the Icon myself.
Cheers

 

[Seb Lucas]

I think the best thing to do is to email them and get the measurements for pit to pit, shoulder, sleeve and back length etc.

Yep, that's the best advice you'll ever get about jackets. But you do need to know what your ideal measurements are. It took me a few years to work out pit to pit and sleeve length.

 

[dfa1979]

i signed for a delivery when i was leaving this morning that was a box with an "LM" logo on it, but i didn't have time to open it so have been waiting all day to get home and open the box... killer! i suppose i have been waiting all month...
i've just got it out and tried it on and it fits... like a glove! really happy with it. i don't want to take it off now!

I would certainly be interested to hear your views on the leather and the construction. I have been wavering over the Icon myself.
Cheers

the jacket is very high quality and the leather is really beautiful. it feels very well made too. i can't comment on the Icon as i've never seen one in real life, but if it's anything like this, you'll be very happy with it. just as i am with my Fighter.

 

[Monitor]

Well, let's see some photos! I'm really curious about it too!

 

[dfa1979]

Well, let's see some photos! I'm really curious about it too!

it's too dark to get any decent photos now(my excuse for crap photography skills), so this is the best i can get for now.

i'll try again tomorrow in the daylight. i wish i'd taken a photo of it as i was opening it as it was packaged really nicely, but i just ripped the tissue paper off it...

 

[Monitor]

Looks very nice. Don't forget the fit pictures, too, as I'm sure that's what interests most of us here.

 

[navetsea]

looks interesting, especially those sleeves look quite rad

 

[dfa1979]

looks interesting, especially those sleeves look quite rad

the sleeves are really cool. they have a slight curve that flows with the natural curve of your arm which makes the fit really nice.

Looks very nice. Don't forget the fit pictures, too, as I'm sure that's what interests most of us here.

i'm not one for "selfies" but i'll try and get a photo of the fit when i get in this eve.

 

[Edward]

it's too dark to get any decent photos now(my excuse for crap photography skills), so this is the best i can get for now.
View attachment 27062
i'll try again tomorrow in the daylight. i wish i'd taken a photo of it as i was opening it as it was packaged really nicely, but i just ripped the tissue paper off it...

Interesting to see they're expanding their range. Leather Monkeys started out dealing in second-hand jackets before starting to produce their own copies of Lewis designs. They've already had a go at a Monza and one of the cafe racer types; this is obviously their copy of the Corsair:

Interesting they've added to this one the angled forearm zip-pocket that Lewis applied to some of its models (though curiously it's not a feature of the Corsair) circa 1962. Lewis aren't particularly thrilled by this, but like any other jacket company who've survived long enough, their classic designs can't be protected any longer (though they can block infringement of their trademark, such as jackets like this being sold on eBay using the "Lewis Leathers" mark in the description). Looks like they've got the overall shape of it down fairly well. The red lining is also accurate to the original. It's a very distinctive style of jacket, if the cut's right: neat-fitting, definitely different than a Highwayman, and very distinctly British (much like the rest of the Lewis line-up; even the Bronx, though influenced by the Schott Perfecto, is distinctly different than the American jackets at a glance).

 

[dfa1979]

here's a photo of the fit as promised. not much of a photographer but you should get the gist...

 

[navetsea]

very trim and sleek, I like such fit. But can you move your arm freely in it?

 

[Edward]

Yes, that's how it should fit. It would be interesting to compare it directly against current Lewis production.

 

[dfa1979]

very trim and sleek, I like such fit. But can you move your arm freely in it?

yes, no problem. i can hold my phone up to my ear which i think is a good test for these jackets...
i've been wearing it around the house a lot until i'm ready to remove the tags and it's actually very comfortable to wear.

 

[Blackadder]

Yes, that's how it should fit. It would be interesting to compare it directly against current Lewis production.

I also was thinking about the Lewis Leather T cut.

 

[dfa1979]

Yes, that's how it should fit. It would be interesting to compare it directly against current Lewis production.

I also was thinking about the Lewis Leather T cut.

i actually have a Lewis Leathers Lightning 391T(the slim fit version they sell in Japan), but unfortunately i don't have it to hand to compare side by side as it's stored at my parents house. as i said in an earlier post, the only biker jackets i've found that fit properly for me are the T cut LL jackets, but the fit on this Leather Monkeys jacket is just like that. in terms of quality, it's difficult to say until i can compare them side by side, but from memory i can't see any difference. from what i remember, the Lightning is heavier, but then it is a heavier style of jacket. as much as i love my Lightning, it's not a jacket i can wear all the time, and the reason i wanted the Fighter was i wanted something i could wear in different situations. i feel like i could go out for dinner in the Fighter whereas the Lightning would be a bit too much. but then that's all down to the style of jacket more than anything else.

 

[Duracell]

Would love to hear a direct comparison when you get your 391T from your parents.

 

[Edward]

Ah, the Lightening.... eventually I'm going to treat myself to a 391 Lightening.... 1958 spec, without the forearm pocket or the LL logo on the front....