Minimum Annual Usage

[Turnip]

Why don‘t you create some opportunities then?

 

[red devil]

Is 0 an acceptable answer?

I would say yes, as long as you enjoy having/owning the jacket.

That being said @Turnip just said, you can always create some opportunities. Doesn't matter what they are. Whenever you go out - maybe less so in current times - be it for the post office, groceries, anything really, you can wear most of your jackets and definitely the m/c ones. Important thing is that you like the jacket you wear.

 

[jonbuilder]

I’ll be honest, I’ve been chuckling reading about everyone in this thread living in some of the warmest places on Earth. Why would you need even one leather jacket?!

Because leather jackets are cool and I feel cool wearing them even if I am rather warm sometimes.
Does anyone think Indiana Jones worn a leather jacket in the tropical Jungles because he was cold?

 

[Turnip]

No, because he got payed for.

 

[Bushman]

I have about 11 coats/jackets all together, and pretty much all of them get worn more than several times a year depending on the weather. I've got 3 cold weather (one barn coat, one wool dress coat, and one Mackinaw) that cannot be worn above 45 degrees. The rest are pretty much all Autumn/Spring wear jackets except for the Willis & Geiger bush jacket and even that pushes it sometimes. Of those, one is a waxed canvas jacket that I really probably don't wear enough to justify not selling, one Levi denim trucker, one polyester sports jacket, and 5 leather jackets (racer, A-2, etc).

I generally don't like to own clothes that I don't wear. They take up my limited space, and I don't see the point in keeping them if I don't wear them.

 

[l0fielectronic]

We had quite a mild winter last year so I've a couple of cold weather coats I've not worn for going on two years now, including an Aero that was bought new and which I like a lot ...but it was always at least one size too big.

I think not being worn for three years will definately be beyond minimum annual usage for me.

I should probably move them on but I tend to hold on to jackets I like a lot even if I don't wear them 'just in case'. The only way I've found to motivate myself past this is when something else comes up I want to buy and can fund it with a sale or two.

 

[navetsea]

I have most of my leather jackets in my room, on hangers, I think since I open my room, sun coming in from window, air moving, stuff in air, humidity, gravity, whatever, I swear the leather is aging, they turned softer, color turns either darker or lighter, the seams are more settling in folded edges start ghosting on the outer shell, I think gravity and the jacket own weight are main factors here , I swear my blue jacket turned lighter a little in hue all my metal hardware turned darker, wooden buttons also turned darker.

I also have one hanger hanging outside my window, periodically I hang any jackets there to air out for a day or two sometime I left them there longer when they become my go to jacket, maybe that ages them a bit too.

 

[navetsea]

I would say yes, as long as you enjoy having/owning the jacket.

That being said @Turnip just said, you can always create some opportunities. Doesn't matter what they are. Whenever you go out - maybe less so in current times - be it for the post office, groceries, anything really, you can wear most of your jackets and definitely the m/c ones. Important thing is that you like the jacket you wear.

these days my outing is only grocery shopping. I sometime purposefully buy less quantity just to create reason to do it more often.

 

[AeroFan_07]

Interesting what others had to say, I am a bit in between.
Obvious example: jeans. Most of the high end men's denim comes in those super-tapered(yoga pants like) cuts. Common! Looks so unbalanced, unless you have very skinny legs. It's getting harder to find a true straight leg jean(not tapered that is called straight). Also the trend of shirts/sweaters that have an ever increasing percentage of synthetics in the composition. And other countless examples.

I am sure some others on here would back me up when I say this, you should check out Wrangler Cowbow Cut jeans. They take some breaking if (if you get the Rigid/raw models) but for around USD $35- 45 these are very hard to beat: https://www.wrangler.com/shop/wrang...fit-jean-13MWZ.html?dwvar_13MWZ_color=13MWZPW

 

[Seb Lucas]

I am sure some others on here would back me up when I say this, you should check out Wrangler Cowbow Cut jeans. They take some breaking if (if you get the Rigid/raw models) but for around USD $35- 45 these are very hard to beat: https://www.wrangler.com/shop/wrang...fit-jean-13MWZ.html?dwvar_13MWZ_color=13MWZPW

Yep, I get them for around $20 each and buy 5 pairs and have them shipped here. Still often cheaper than buying one pair here if you can even find them. My only issue is the blue color is not dark enough and tends to go a lurid blueberry if you use a detergent with optical brighteners.

 

[Fonzie]

Yep, I get them for around $20 each and buy 5 pairs and have them shipped here. Still often cheaper than buying one pair here if you can even find them. My only issue is the blue color is not dark enough and tends to go a lurid blueberry if you use a detergent with optical brighteners.

Where do you buy them from if you don’t mind me asking? Cheers mate.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Great topic idea @Superfluous . We live in a similar climate, but I actually feel that wear we are is pretty decent for wearing leather jackets. Obviously other places would be better, especially San Francisco for example. However, the fact that it doesn't get extremely cold helps too because it's never too cold for a leather jacket. You rarely NEED a leather jacket here, but there are quite a lot of days in which I feel comfortable wearing one.

With that said, I have 5 leather jackets (one is being exchanged and one is unfortunately for sale) and I wear all of them quite often throughout the year. If it's under 70F/21C then I wear my leather jackets. End of story. I am lucky that my current work environment allows me to wear pretty much whatever I want and I took advantage of that this past year. I think I wear a leather jacket at least 180 days out of the year. I have actually done this calculation several times because this is a topic I think about quite often.

Are there 180 days of sub-70F highs in socal where I am? Not quite. We do have significant micro climate differences here and I am in a relatively cool area, but I think the highs stay under 70F around 120-150 days or so. I forget exactly. However, I check the weather religiously and even on days when it's 75F out and even into the low 80s during spring, I wear a leather jacket in the morning and/or in the evening. Despite loving cold weather, I get cold quite easily and am always freezing in the morning. Plus, my work location always blasts the A/C so even into late spring I actually need a jacket of some kind or I start shivering. I was trying to be slightly more professional by wearing a cardigan at first, but gave up and wore the leather jackets instead because they are warmer.

I was planning on actually doing a tally for how many times I actually wore a leather jacket this 2020-21 "jacket season," but COVID means working from home so the number will be much lower. Of course, that's true for all of my normal clothes so it's not just a jacket thing.

2019-2020 I would say MINIMUM I wore a leather jacket on at least 150 days. That would mean I wore each jacket around 30 times each, though I'm sure some got worn more than others.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Where do you buy them from if you don’t mind me asking? Cheers mate.

Shelpers - they do regular discounting on these.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

I couldn’t have a collection. With such limited wear time having jackets sit in the closet makes me feel worse not better. 6 is a good number To cover temps and occasions.

This flushes out a conflict, or say dissonance, for some collector types who are also minimalists at their core. Things are cool, and they can have a magnetism about them. Those things are fun to study and/or collect. But then some of us suffer this irritation, or at least annoyance, that they clutter up our space. We know things don't have to be used to be appreciated or valued, but that clutter isn't just physical. It affects our mental space in a nagging, negative way. Acquire. Purge. Acquire. Purge. It's a real tug of war with different areas of our brain.

I should have two jackets. One for cold. One for rain. I prefer to layer anyway. We have all four seasons, and I could make two jackets work for all of them.

 

[Seb Lucas]

This flushes out a conflict, or say dissonance, for some collector types who are also minimalists at their core. Things are cool, and they can have a magnetism about them. Those things are fun to study and/or collect. But then some of us suffer this irritation, or at least annoyance, that they clutter up our space. We know things don't have to be used to be appreciated or valued, but that clutter isn't just physical. It affects our mental space in a nagging, negative way. Acquire. Purge. Acquire. Purge. It's a real tug of war with different areas of our brain.

I should have two jackets. One for cold. One for rain. I prefer to layer anyway. We have all four seasons, and I could make two jackets work for all of them.

That's certainty true for me. Some jacket collectors hoard all kinds of stuff; they are maximalists. I try to keep my personal possessions spare and lean. I have a strong dislike of excess and clutter. I would love to get down to 4 or 5 jackets only but I'm weak.

 

[zebedee]

That's certainty true for me. Some jacket collectors hoard all kinds of stuff; they are maximalists. I try to keep my personal possessions spare and lean. I have a strong dislike of excess and clutter. I would love to get down to 4 or 5 jackets only but I'm weak.

When you let a jacket go, you forget about it inside 3 days. If you let it go, you probably didn't really like it or need it, because it wasn't wanted or a necessity deep down.

I'm like that with books, too. I took a contract once where I only brought my 'core' of books with me and had this little square-shaped shelf arrangement where I put them. I've gotten value out of my two-Aeros-per-two-year-Asian-contract for a long time, now. That and a few books that I re-read and the essential albums that go everywhere with me. Less isn't more, but it is better.

 

[Seb Lucas]

When you let a jacket go, you forget about it inside 3 days. If you let it go, you probably didn't really like it or need it, because it wasn't wanted or a necessity deep down.

I'm like that with books, too. I took a contract once where I only brought my 'core' of books with me and had this little square-shaped shelf arrangement where I put them. I've gotten value out of my two-Aeros-per-two-year-Asian-contract for a long time, now. That and a few books that I re-read and the essential albums that go everywhere with me. Less isn't more, but it is better.

Hmm - I miss jackets I sold years ago.

 

[mihai]

I am sure some others on here would back me up when I say this, you should check out Wrangler Cowbow Cut jeans. They take some breaking if (if you get the Rigid/raw models) but for around USD $35- 45 these are very hard to beat: https://www.wrangler.com/shop/wrang...fit-jean-13MWZ.html?dwvar_13MWZ_color=13MWZPW

Yep, I get them for around $20 each and buy 5 pairs and have them shipped here. Still often cheaper than buying one pair here if you can even find them. My only issue is the blue color is not dark enough and tends to go a lurid blueberry if you use a detergent with optical brighteners.

Thanks for the recommendation. I've been using them since some time. I like them, they are special, rugged, look so American. Different than what you see here in Europe.
I work seated and the high waist is restrictive and makes them a bit uncomfortable. The same goes for the 501 STF that I love. However I needed to switch to mid-rise jeans: Levi 505, Uniqlo (the old straight regular fit selvedge 100% cotton denim).

Speaking about Uniqlo, I discovered these jeans few years ago. I heard about Uniqlo from the online forums. Visiting London I entered by chance in their store. I was surprised to find their rigid selvedge straight(100% cotton), slightly slim(not tapered) it was very nice fitting, the denim looked nice had that irregular pattern. All this for only 39 euros. This was not the early "made in Japan" version, which was even better. Fast forward, 2 years ago I wanted to buy again the same jean(as did in London) passing by one of their stores. I was surprised to find out that the single selvedge was slim-tapered that had elastane(not 100% denim which means they'll look awful with wear) and the fit was ridiculous: I tried on the same size - W32 - and they were fitting me like a girl's leggings and half of my "seat" was out. The material felt flimsy. I then tried the so called "regular" same size W32. It was 1-2 sizes larger around the waist/seat and the legs bottom was tapered. Some kind of 80s jeans but more tapered. Fabric not selvege and ordinary quality like whatever mall jean.
Frankly I can barely find anything good fitting/high quality from their range. The materials have cheapened(thinner, lighter, more faded) and the patterns/cuts are so unflattering: tight on the chest/shoulders and so loose around waist. Who wears this, besides teenagers?
This is what I meant with quality goes down in my initial post, it's a systemic thing, not just one/few makers do it.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Thanks for the recommendation. I've been using them since some time. I like them, they are special, rugged, look so American. Different than what you see here in Europe.
I work seated and the high waist is restrictive and makes them a bit uncomfortable. The same goes for the 501 STF that I love. However I needed to switch to mid-rise jeans: Levi 505, Uniqlo (the old straight regular fit selvedge 100% cotton denim).

Speaking about Uniqlo, I discovered these jeans few years ago. I heard about Uniqlo from the online forums. Visiting London I entered by chance in their store. I was surprised to find their rigid selvedge straight(100% cotton), slightly slim(not tapered) it was very nice fitting, the denim looked nice had that irregular pattern. All this for only 39 euros. This was not the early "made in Japan" version, which was even better. Fast forward, 2 years ago I wanted to buy again the same jean(as did in London) passing by one of their stores. I was surprised to find out that the single selvedge was slim-tapered that had elastane(not 100% denim which means they'll look awful with wear) and the fit was ridiculous: I tried on the same size - W32 - and they were fitting me like a girl's leggings and half of my "seat" was out. The material felt flimsy. I then tried the so called "regular" same size W32. It was 1-2 sizes larger around the waist/seat and the legs bottom was tapered. Some kind of 80s jeans but more tapered. Fabric not selvege and ordinary quality like whatever mall jean.
Frankly I can barely find anything good fitting/high quality from their range. The materials have cheapened(thinner, lighter, more faded) and the patterns/cuts are so unflattering: tight on the chest/shoulders and so loose around waist. Who wears this, besides teenagers?
This is what I meant with quality goes down in my initial post, it's a systemic thing, not just one/few makers do it.

Uniqlo customers tend to be young. This company (like many others) changes things on a regular basis in order to keep things interesting and customers alert. It works for them. Unfortunately for you and I, it means there are few predictable or certain choices from Uniqlo. My problem with them is their jeans are all too short - I need 36 inches long.

 

[Goel]

I got into nice outerwear because I wanted a smaller collection of better jackets that I would wear often. I really hate the feeling of clutter when you have a house full of poorly made garbage you never use. I currently have 6 cloth jackets and 3 leather jackets, but some of these are crappy old ones that I plan to ditch as I move to higher quality stuff. At the moment I only have one autumn/spring jacket, a bedford cord trucker from viapiana that I wear pretty much every day during those seasons and one HH jacket from JL on it's way. For winter jackets I have my shearling jacket from JL, an Iron Heart N1, plus my old pop's M51 and two vintage wool jackets I never use and have trouble justifying keeping around. I once thought about just having one autumn and one winter weather jacket, but if you ever needed repairs or something on one you would be SOL.