Lost worlds Horsehide trench coat

[willyto]

Yep, all my LW where declared as being worth 650$, i never paid more than 350$ for shipping + import taxes.

Personally i'm a big fan of LW (i have 11 of their jackets and more coming) and would definitely recommend their work, but Thedi is definitely no slouch either.
You can't go wrong with either of them.

I'm just considering entering the LW world by purchasing a used canvas jacket for cheap to see fit and all that.

 

[yellowfever]

Wow, I'm very grateful for the lengthy and thorough responses I'm getting. It's my first time posting here and I'm super impressed. Seems like you guys really want to help me out, thanks!

I've been in contact with Pegasus as well. They're prepared to make their officers coat a tad longer and without the epaulettes, special order for me! I'm looking for more of a classy look than a military look. I checked out the Vanson and they seem a tad on the military side for me. Also I want a brown coat, so that it doesn't look too aggressive. I appreciate that LW is an actual repro, while Pegasus is an 'inspired by'.

I've actually worn a women's leather trench coat for years. I'm used to the statement it makes and I actually think that a coat that fits properly and is of high quality will be less off-putting to other people than what I currently wear. If it just looks great, people will understand (I hope ). I'll add a picture so you can decide if I pull it off My old coat \/ View attachment 311571 View attachment 311570
This whole thing is really because I want to replace my old coat. I'll make sure to send measurements to Stuart and get him to agree to me returning the coat should it fit badly. I'll think about buying a second hand coat to try, but I'm not sure about that option yet. I think I'll adapt to heavy outerwear pretty quickly if I actually buy the LW trench. Can't imagine letting it gather dust once I actually own it.

I'll keep you guys up to date!

No problem, glad it was helpful. Longer leather coats don’t typically seem to get much discussion here, so it’s good to see this getting plenty of interest and I look forward to seeing the end result here.

Good to know you already have experience of wearing (sort of) this style of coat, so as you say, getting a better quality properly fitting long leather coat can only be an upgrade and hence be even easier to wear for you. So I’d be much more relaxed about you diving in to get an expensive one without worrying it could be an expensive mistake. So if you’ve got the money for it (inc duties/import costs) then I’d say go for it! As an aside if you weigh your current coat that will give you a frame of reference to better understand the weight the trench coats you’re considering will be (3-4kg and up depending on leather, length, size and lining...).

On import costs, declaring lower values can help in lowering import taxes and duties, but it’s not completely risk free. I’ve personally had a problem (not with a leather jacket) on an import to Belgium from the USA, that got ugly and expensive, despite the goods not obviously looking under declared. Apart from that risk, you also have to consider what happens if it’s lost in transit - insurance is only likely to pay out up to the declared value for import purposes... again a small risk, but not zero...

On sizing @monitors idea of getting professionally measured seems a good one. If you give properly taken accurate measurements to the makers then, with their expertise, you should be confident of getting the right sizing. I’d just say that, despite modern preferences for very close fitting clothes, a trench coat should not be too snug. As I’ve said elsewhere, they were originally meant to go over uniforms and still allow for freedom of movement. Heavier leather versions took a bit more inspiration from heavy wool greatcoats (which also originally inspired the lighter weight cotton trench coats), so again you should not expect (or want) a very close fitting coat. You should be able to wear it over a structured suit (the English tailoring that was itself inspired by uniforms) or other layers - it is after all meant to be a winter coat. So certainly you’ll want a reasonably trim sharp silhouette, aided by the belt, to fit with more modern cut sensibilities. But you don’t want to look like a leather sausage, nor go too far from the original historical patterns and shape that also allow for good wearability and ease of movement.

 

[Edward]

I have a knee-length, black leather jacket somewhere, trench-style. French, possibly late 40s /early 50s, I think, bought years ago in Camden Market. I do have my eye on something longer, as well as in brown, in the future. As I know I'm likely to wear this a little bit less, I'm looking to spend less than one some of my other leathers - got my eye on this one from the history bunker:

£329 retail, I believe, so it's clearly in a different price band from LW and the likes, but it appeals to me. HB do list this as a "Gestapo" coat, but that's something of a misnomer. The Gestapo were a plain-clothes operation, only appearing in uniform (and then not always) in occupied territories outside Germany - in which situations they wore a modified SS uniform. Though they did often favour leather coats of this variety, that is simply because they were practical and not uncommon in Europe at the time. No more 'Nazi' than a double breasted suit or a black fedora. Hollywood has a lot for which to answer...

 

[Marc mndt]

I have a knee-length, black leather jacket somewhere, trench-style. French, possibly late 40s /early 50s, I think, bought years ago in Camden Market. I do have my eye on something longer, as well as in brown, in the future. As I know I'm likely to wear this a little bit less, I'm looking to spend less than one some of my other leathers - got my eye on this one from the history bunker:

£329 retail, I believe, so it's clearly in a different price band from LW and the likes, but it appeals to me. HB do list this as a "Gestapo" coat, but that's something of a misnomer. The Gestapo were a plain-clothes operation, only appearing in uniform (and then not always) in occupied territories outside Germany - in which situations they wore a modified SS uniform. Though they did often favour leather coats of this variety, that is simply because they were practical and not uncommon in Europe at the time. No more 'Nazi' than a double breasted suit or a black fedora. Hollywood has a lot for which to answer...

This jacket looks a lot like Eastman's Brooklands motoring coat (or vice versa)

https://www.eastmanleather.com/civilian-aviation-design-classics/251-brooklands-motoring-coat.html

 

[Edward]

This jacket looks a lot like Eastman's Brooklands motoring coat (or vice versa)

https://www.eastmanleather.com/civilian-aviation-design-classics/251-brooklands-motoring-coat.html

Yes, they have some nice designs. They won't be UK-made, I suspect, at that price, but the quality should be Wested-type reasonable. Likely as good as an original, given they were mass-market items and not luxury, custom pieces... I'm actually rather taken with the shorter, brown WW1 German despatch rider jacket; a nice style I haven't seen anywhere else.

 

[tedobs]

I have a knee-length, black leather jacket somewhere, trench-style. French, possibly late 40s /early 50s, I think, bought years ago in Camden Market. I do have my eye on something longer, as well as in brown, in the future. As I know I'm likely to wear this a little bit less, I'm looking to spend less than one some of my other leathers - got my eye on this one from the history bunker:

£329 retail, I believe, so it's clearly in a different price band from LW and the likes, but it appeals to me. HB do list this as a "Gestapo" coat, but that's something of a misnomer. The Gestapo were a plain-clothes operation, only appearing in uniform (and then not always) in occupied territories outside Germany - in which situations they wore a modified SS uniform. Though they did often favour leather coats of this variety, that is simply because they were practical and not uncommon in Europe at the time. No more 'Nazi' than a double breasted suit or a black fedora. Hollywood has a lot for which to answer...

This one looks pretty good. I always wonder why there is this huge price gap. The leather on most HB coats looks a bit cheap, but on this it looks fine. Could this really be full-grain horsehide? Where did they save on production costs to offer this coat at such a low price?

I've been in contact with Thedi leathers and they said they could revise their patterns to be as long as my old coat. I've sent them some additional ideas about leather choice and some details and am waiting for a response. I've also proposed to visit them in Greece. Right now, I've got a very good feeling about these guys.

Pegasus has also offered to make their officer's coat a little longer and without epaulettes. The thing with me and Pegasus is that something about them kind of rubs me the wrong way. It's like they just don't really have the same passion and vision that LW and Thedi seem to have. It might just be tasteless marketing, though. I mean let's compare how LW, Thedi and Pegasus advertise their coats!

Pegasus just rubs me the wrong way, I'm telling you. Maybe their marketing has nothing to do with their quality, but to me these coats are like works of art and a real artist has passion for his work and vision and would cringe at this Pegasus picture. Pegasus gives me this feeling that they're more in it for the money. Just my honest opinion, guys.

I could share my e-mail correspondence in detail to anyone who'd be interested. I could even copy and paste the e-mails here, but I don't want to spam this thread with boring stuff. Still, if anyone is contemplating e-mailing the manufacturers, but is scared to do so, it might help to read through an e-mail conversation. Let me know if this would interest you.

 

[red devil]

All I can say is that I arlready have the Thedi coat on order, standard length and I am seriously looking at the LW version, just thinking which leather.

I may be biased - you will notice that I have quite a few jackets from both of these makers - but I would say whichever you go with you will get something worthwhile.

I would tell you to simply get both... but I am not sure you are in this mindset, at least not yet lol

 

[Will Zach]

I was mindlessly flipping through eBay listings and came across a Polo RL leather trench - figured I'll post it here. @Marc mndt says these are quite good quality.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ULTRA-RARE...-/124508731390?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

 

[Edward]

This one looks pretty good. I always wonder why there is this huge price gap. The leather on most HB coats looks a bit cheap, but on this it looks fine. Could this really be full-grain horsehide? Where did they save on production costs to offer this coat at such a low price?

I may have misread, though I thought it was cow.... I'm sure the hides aren't as nice as the likes of Horween or Vicenza or Shinky, though with a style I would prefer not to see 'patina'ed', they just have to be durable, not as 'interesting' for me. The biggest attraction with a leather trenchcoat for me is that - asl ong as it's been chrome tanned - I've had little more effective in rain. As far as I know, the HB jackets are imported from South Asia - either India or Pakistan - so much of the saving is in labour costs. I can't claim to know exactly how it works with the garment industry, but I do know for example that a call centre operative in India earns around 25% of the wage of a call centre operative in the UK, which is one reason outsourcing there is popular. (Another is that in India it is a sought-after, graduate level job, whereas in the UK it is less so.) Of course this is also relative to the local economy. In academia, I work on a project where some of our colleagues in our Beijing partner university did their PhD with us in the UK and could have stayed here. Instead they chose to return to China. They earn half the amount in real terms compared to a UK salary, but relative to the local economy in China, they are actually better off.

I do mostly stick to UK/EU/US made jackets for the most part. I've owned all sorts, though the one I keep going back to is Aero as that's what works for me. My preference for 'local' purchases that way is partly based on the tangible (i.e. I am very happy with the product) and partly on the intangible (lower carbon footprint / fewer airmiles, knowing the working conditions of the manufacturers, and such). Just occasionally, though, a cheaper jacket might hit the sweet spot of a style my usual makers don't do, and one I might wear less often, and then a lower price point makes sense. With many things, given money is, alas, not unlimited, I do tend to prioritise the big spend on x, so if I save on Y that's all to the good.

I was mindlessly flipping through eBay listings and came across a Polo RL leather trench - figured I'll post it here. @Marc mndt says these are quite good quality.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ULTRA-RARE...-/124508731390?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

Interesting. This belted, single-breasted style of raincoat was common in the UK in the 50s through 60s, but I've never seen it rendered in leather before.

 

[tedobs]

Hello, again everyone!
I'm now pretty sure I'm going to buy this coat https://thedi-leathers.com/product/mtc-1279400/
Theodoros from Thedi said he'd make it longer for me, like my old jacket.

I'm really on the fence between two leather types for it.

• veg-tanned buffalo https://thedi-leathers.com/product/mtc-127915/
• veg-tanned horsehide https://thedi-leathers.com/product/cafe-racer-mtc-127920/

I've always thought horsehide was the best leather for jackets, but from these pictures I actually think the buffalo looks better. I haven't found very good comparisons of horse and buffalo on the web. What is your opinion on this? Should I get it in horsehide or buffalo? Which is more durable, waterproof, ... ?

 

[Marc mndt]

Hello, again everyone!
I'm now pretty sure I'm going to buy this coat https://thedi-leathers.com/product/mtc-1279400/
Theodoros from Thedi said he'd make it longer for me, like my old jacket.

I'm really on the fence between two leather types for it.

• veg-tanned buffalo https://thedi-leathers.com/product/mtc-127915/
• veg-tanned horsehide https://thedi-leathers.com/product/cafe-racer-mtc-127920/

I've always thought horsehide was the best leather for jackets, but from these pictures I actually think the buffalo looks better. I haven't found very good comparisons of horse and buffalo on the web. What is your opinion on this? Should I get it in horsehide or buffalo? Which is more durable, waterproof, ... ?

I own several thedi jackets. One in bruciato hh but also one in Buffalo.

Both absorb water like a sponge. Which is perfectly fine with me. I've worn then in rainy weather for an hour and the inner lining was still dry. But I don't think they'll keep you dry of you go out in the pouring rain.

I don't think these hides really differ in terms of longevity / durability. Maybe you could ask theodoros for a couple of swatches and choose the hide you like best (esthetically)

Bruciato horsehide

Buffalo

 

[tedobs]

I own several thedi jackets. One in bruciato hh but also one in Buffalo.

Both absorb water like a sponge. Which is perfectly fine with me. I've worn then in rainy weather for an hour and the inner lining was still dry. But I don't think they'll keep you dry of you go out in the pouring rain.

I don't think these hides really differ in terms of longevity / durability. Maybe you could ask theodoros for a couple of swatches and choose the hide you like best (esthetically)

Bruciato horsehide
View attachment 312807
View attachment 312807 View attachment 312806

Buffalo

View attachment 312808 View attachment 312801 View attachment 312802 View attachment 312803 View attachment 312804 View attachment 312805

Thank you very much for these pictures! Both look great! For my particular coat my intuition is telling me to go for the horsehide. I've asked Theodore for advice, but haven't thought of asking him to order swatches. That said, I trust his judgement more than I do my own. I think swatches might give me the wrong idea anyways. It seems from your pictures horsehide has a finer grain, so I think that's what I'll go for.

 

[red devil]

Hello, again everyone!
I'm now pretty sure I'm going to buy this coat https://thedi-leathers.com/product/mtc-1279400/
Theodoros from Thedi said he'd make it longer for me, like my old jacket.

I'm really on the fence between two leather types for it.

• veg-tanned buffalo https://thedi-leathers.com/product/mtc-127915/
• veg-tanned horsehide https://thedi-leathers.com/product/cafe-racer-mtc-127920/

I've always thought horsehide was the best leather for jackets, but from these pictures I actually think the buffalo looks better. I haven't found very good comparisons of horse and buffalo on the web. What is your opinion on this? Should I get it in horsehide or buffalo? Which is more durable, waterproof, ... ?

If you want durability and water resistance, then Lost Worlds is where you should be looking. I was riding for several hours under a downpour and it kept me completely dry.

I have the veg tan buffalo version of the jacket you linked, this is how it looks after some good serious sun exposure, again on the motorbike but this time under a heatwave lol

 

[tedobs]

If you want durability and water resistance, then Lost Worlds is where you should be looking. I was riding for several hours under a downpour and it kept me completely dry.

I have the veg tan buffalo version of the jacket you linked, this is how it looks after some good serious sun exposure, again on the motorbike but this time under a heatwave lol

It's so strange, I always assumed buffalo was extremely grainy, but your jacket look shiny, almost like horsehide! Lost worlds will indeed most likely be a more practical garment than Thedi, but the extra shipping costs throw me off.

For now, all that I'm debating on is Thedi horsehide vs Thedi buffalo. I'm gathering that these two options won't make a huge difference except for aesthetics, or am I missing something? It seems both will be long-lasting and mediocre in the rain. Buffalo vs horsehide seems like western-look vs military-look or something. Hard to choose!

 

[Marc mndt]

It's so strange, I always assumed buffalo was extremely grainy, but your jacket look shiny, almost like horsehide!

This cuff is also buffalo, without any grain.

I think Theodoros can select either a grainy or a smooth hide for you, whatever you wish

 

[red devil]

It's so strange, I always assumed buffalo was extremely grainy, but your jacket look shiny, almost like horsehide! Lost worlds will indeed most likely be a more practical garment than Thedi, but the extra shipping costs throw me off.

For now, all that I'm debating on is Thedi horsehide vs Thedi buffalo. I'm gathering that these two options won't make a huge difference except for aesthetics, or am I missing something? It seems both will be long-lasting and mediocre in the rain. Buffalo vs horsehide seems like western-look vs military-look or something. Hard to choose!

Yes shipping and customs makes things complicated, and there is also the fact that we don't buy these only for durability, but because something attracts us.

I generally try to be as objective as possible but I am still biased. Luckily, in this instance, I love both these makers for different reasons. If we were to consider the making of leather jackets as a tree, they would both be in different branches, but - in my opinion at least - the farthest reaching branches.

When it comes to Theodoros, I don't even ask for which leather anymore, only for the colour and the model. So for this swedish coat that I already ordered, it will be in blue cowhide. He chose that cowhide knowing I wanted blue and this model.

Buffalo, cow and horse leather are very similar, I wouldn't worry so much about the origin. The most important question, is which colour you like better?

The natural/cognac buffalo will age as I have shown you.

 

[red devil]

Another example is this, it is cowhide

Whatever you choose will make you happy I believe, there is no wrong answer with Thedi.

 

[tedobs]

That looks amazing. I like the leather buttons as well. You're probably right that all Thedi leathers will be of the same quality. They definitely have their own look, regardless of which animal the hide comes from. That said if I'm purely going on the pics on their site, I'd choose cognac buffalo. However, pictures of buffalo jackets from Thedi look significantly different on their site as opposed to what I find on this forum. I'm not sure what to make of that :/ . Buffalo seems more of a risk than horsehide. I've ask Theodoros for some insight on this choice, still waiting for a response...

 

[red devil]

That looks amazing. I like the leather buttons as well. You're probably right that all Thedi leathers will be of the same quality. They definitely have their own look, regardless of which animal the hide comes from. That said if I'm purely going on the pics on their site, I'd choose cognac buffalo. However, pictures of buffalo jackets from Thedi look significantly different on their site as opposed to what I find on this forum. I'm not sure what to make of that :/ . Buffalo seems more of a risk than horsehide. I've ask Theodoros for some insight on this choice, still waiting for a response...

Can you post pics of those you like and those less so?

 

[tedobs]

It's not that I don't like the ones I'm about to post, it's just that they differ from Thedi's site

This one is cognac buffalo, like this https://thedi-leathers.com/product/mtc-127915/ but it looks so different with less luster and patina

I was hoping the cognac buffalo would be more like this next one.

This bruciato horsehide looks a lot more grey than the one on their site, which looks more red. https://thedi-leathers.com/product/cafe-racer-mtc-127920/

It's not that any of these pics look bad, it just makes choosing a lot more difficult.