Some perspective on leather jacket pricing?

[pipvh]

Back in the day I was a Mod & the influence of this & the 'one up man ship' that came with it (and appealed to my ego) has led to me rejecting the 'mainstream' the 'Mall' & it's kin. I've gone for the rare and exclusive & the customized. This is true of what I wear (apart from M&S underwear T-shirts & sweatshirts), drive and ride...and has cost me £££££...$$$$$ in the process.

Ex-mods... Even approaching my 50th birthday I still find this rings true. Back in that fondly remembered day, we had a crowd with whom we could obsessively dissect jean turn-ups, hem lengths, collars, leather types. These days the FL fulfils that role for me - FL and the few friends I have in the vintage clothing trade. Other than that, who the hell's interested? I could walk down any street in Plymouth wearing a deadstock 1920s Hercules cossack and no-one would pay any attention whatsoever. I would guess that most of us are doing this for ourselves and only ourselves, in which case cost becomes - ideally - a surprisingly secondary issue.

(EDIT: Did Hercules actually make a cossack? Not that it matters...)

 

[schitzo]

I wonder, did any one ever find a half decent leather jacket in the shopping centre? I did, once. An impulse buy that was possibly the first leather jacket I ever bought for myself. It was a Timberland tan heavy cow hide Stratham jacket. They've since tampered with the model, but this version was basically a highwayman without the side straps. It was a good fit all over and I really liked the colour and quality of that leather, alas the thing didn't breathe very well and I found my skin would overheat and or become easily irritated with it on for more than half an hour. From memory, and this was a good few years ago, I think they were £300 new, and that I got 10% off on mine for using a borrowed student card! I eventually sold it on ebay but with hindsight realise that I probably ought to have simply had the lining replaced somewhere. If I could access a photo right now I'd post it, perhaps later I can

 

[zhz]

Speaking of timberland, I think this is a really nice jacket, heavy cowhide, nice grain etc.

I wonder, did any one ever find a half decent leather jacket in the shopping centre? I did, once. An impulse buy that was possibly the first leather jacket I ever bought for myself. It was a Timberland tan heavy cow hide Stratham jacket. They've since tampered with the model, but this version was basically a highwayman without the side straps. It was a good fit all over and I really liked the colour and quality of that leather, alas the thing didn't breathe very well and I found my skin would overheat and or become easily irritated with it on for more than half an hour. From memory, and this was a good few years ago, I think they were £300 new, and that I got 10% off on mine for using a borrowed student card! I eventually sold it on ebay but with hindsight realise that I probably ought to have simply had the lining replaced somewhere. If I could access a photo right now I'd post it, perhaps later I can

 

[Plumbline]

I've bought a few GREAT Mall jackets ... 3 of which I still have .. .all from TK Maxx ( TJ Maxx in the USA).

Chevignon Nubuck VDR/Lavant style coat ..... superb steerhide Nubuck, incredibly well made ... £149.95.
Schott Black Steerhide Suede Blazer ... again awsome jacket ...... £139.95
Schott Western Fringed Coat - Suede Steerhide .... £69.95

I also bopught a Timberland Nubuck jacket ( sort of like a field coat ) for $350 at the Chicago Aurora factory Outlet ... brought it back ... wore it for a year or so .... and sold it for £350

I've had a couple of old Orvis jackets ( from their Houston Store on sale ) and while these were made in China ... they were really well made ( though having seen many of their jackets in recent times this is no longer the case I feel )

There are bargains out there ....

 

[morrison2951]

I've got 3 mall jackets still myself- a Unik, a Context and my venerable Wilson's.

All the Wilson's Leather stores in my area have since gone away.

 

[Cyber Lip]

With most people, the brand 'tag' is most of the appeal. They'd rather have a jacket with a Ralph Lauren, John Varvados etc. tag than one with some "funky brand nobody's heard of" like Aero, regardless of quality.

 

[zhz]

one questions, how many of you think LVC is over prices and belongs to mall jacket?

 

[Superfluous]

one questions, how many of you think LVC is over prices and belongs to mall jacket?

Having previously owned three LVC leather jackets -- none of which were purchased from a mall -- I can tell you that, while they are not on a par with the brands favored by TFL members, they are reasonably well made, and certainly superior to your average mall jacket.

 

[zhz]

I think most of us know that the LVC leather jacket used to made by Aero and now they made in Italy I think. How about yours?

Having previously owned three LVC leather jackets -- none of which were purchased from a mall -- I can tell you that, while they are not on a par with the brands favored by TFL members, they are reasonably well made, and certainly superior to your average mall jacket.

 

[Superfluous]

I think most of us know that the LVC leather jacket used to made by Aero and now they made in Italy I think. How about yours?

All three of mine were made in Italy.

 

[technovox]

one questions, how many of you think LVC is over prices and belongs to mall jacket?

I briefly owned the Levis “Black Blue” goatskin jacket -modeled after a vintage design found in their archives. (Also known as the “Speedway” on the Aero site.) From my research, I believe my Blue black Levis jacket was originally made by Aero. But I felt the quality was not as good as my other Aero jackets. The main zipper and lining were very fragile, and the goatskin wasn’t as supple as I had expected. But, because of the attention to historical accuracy and intent of the design, I felt that it was still a cut above the basic “Mall” jacket. I feel that the other LVC jackets I’ve seen at the Levis store here in the city are maybe better in detail and design than the mall offerings, although that is such a subjective criteria. I suppose it all depends on how one defines a “mall jacket.” Ultimately, I would never put them in the same category in terms of fit, attention to detail, and the quality of leather of a custom Aero, Johnson, Himel, Vanson.

 

[thor]

I think some people would find waiting ANY length of time for their latest "must-have" leather jacket unacceptable. They want instant gratification, or their jacket purchase is an impulse buy (see it, want it, buy it!). Waiting 2 minutes (let alone 2 years) to fulfill their desire is not an option. For them, a nice-looking (albeit over-priced) "mall jacket" makes perfect sense.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I think some people would find waiting ANY length of time for their latest "must-have" leather jacket unacceptable. They want instant gratification, or their jacket purchase is an impulse buy (see it, want it, buy it!). Waiting 2 minutes (let alone 2 years) to fulfill their desire is not an option. For them, a nice-looking (albeit over-priced) "mall jacket" makes perfect sense.

Well, in fairness I don't want to wait any length of time either. I will wait a few weeks if I have to, but no longer.

 

[Big J]

TBH, none of us actually likes waiting for an order made jacket. How many of us would be prepared to pay $100 more if the same jacket was in stock, and could be in the post today?

As for mall clothes, my wife made me watch 'The Devil Wears Prada' (or whatever it was called) on a date a few years back. The experience wasn't as pointless as I has suspected it would be; there's a great line where Glenn Close (or whoever was the boss) looks at the protagonists sweater and says;

'You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff.'

So, yeah, I guess I learned that fashion is a racket, and what's in the malls now is a pale imitation of a simulacra of the image of something that showed on a couture catwalk a couple of years ago. Nothing very 'trendy' or stylish about that. I also learned that buying the symbols of your rebellion, mass-produced from a mall store, was an equally impotent gesture.

First world problems, eh?

These days, I don't go to the store, because stores in Japan don't have my size, but underpants, socks, white T-shirts, sneakers, office shoes, white shirts and suits, all come via the internet from mall stores.

 

[robrinay]

I wonder where Sumo wrestlers get their stuff?

 

[Big J]

I wonder where Sumo wrestlers get their stuff?

I can field that one!

Of course, being a larger gent over here, I had the same idea. Until I realized that these guys are mainly wearing tailor made suits, and order made kimono that cost more than my car.

I'm a big fan of M&S, Debenhams, and Next; UK mall stores that deliver to Japan.

 

[Justhandguns]

Very interesting thread indeed. I find that most people have the incorrect perception of 'quality' associated to certain mall brands (or even designer brands). Most of them are using some designer brands as their quality benchmarks, and we ended up with endless debates of which are better. I bet that most of of you have seen statements such as 'Top quality vintage heavy duty YKK zipper' or 'Made with top quality extra supple and smooth lamb skin' craps; the reality is that the general public are brainwashed that way. I still remember my mum was pretty puzzled why I bought my Vanson jacket which can stand on it's own while her vision of a great leather jacket should be something like an RL made with thin smooth lambs skin.

As for the waiting time? I think most people do not mind waiting for a few weeks if they are getting a tailored jacket. At a certain age, I realised that uniqueness is more important than following the trends. I guess that is what they call individualism.

These days in the UK, we are all influenced by the subtle brand promotions on all kind media (and yes, even on BBC!). You just cannot stop seeing brand names like Belstaff, Barbour, Levi's, popping up on celebrities' chests. Even though you just wonder how bad it would be, say, if Jeremy Clarkson, David Beckham or the Hairy Bikers fell off their bikes with their thin stylish Bestaff jackets!

 

[Amir]

Back in the day, my High School buddies rode motorcycles (750 Hondas; 900 Kawasakis), and to join the crew, I bought what I now know to be a Cafe Racer jacket, in cordovan. They wore black, and showed no mercy!

I wish I knew, but I don't recall what brand it was. I figure it was not more than $99, and made of either steerhide or cowhide. The front and arm zippers were extremely robust. I wore it (out) for more than 20-years.

 

[GregO]

I saw the J Crew flight jacket as well and thought the same thing about the price. One thing to note is that the day I got the catalog with the jacket pictured, I got an email coupon from J Crew, and the jacket could be discounted with the coupon by 30%. So you would be looking at $766 for the jacket. Which, in my opinion, still is about 50% too much for the quality one could expect.

 

[trapp]

I still wear and enjoy a J. Crew 'Turner' jacket that I found for $150 or so a few years ago. It's sort of a Belstaff-inspired 4-pocket with billows pockets. Probably sounds atrocious but I quite like it. I think it retailed for stupid amounts of money that no one should pay for a jacket made in china. But the leather is heavy and nice, the lining is great, and the cut is fantastic - high armholes, slender arms. The only complaint I could possibly work up about it is the front zip, which is starting to go.