What is wrong with me?

[ton312]

Am I the outlier here?

I pretty much own one of every style, in brown and in black, vintage and repro. Still my hunger is not satisfied lol. I bought a 50s Buco j24 this week, have projects going with FL, Thedi, Regius.

I sold a lot too though, only kept the irreplaceable grail pieces. Therefore I now have a rack full of grail pieces which I enjoy wearing or just admiring. They're also great conversation pieces. Friends who visit us walk by the jacket room when they come in and they all want to know the story behind it.

Also, I really enjoy doing full custom projects. The research, sourcing the right (vintage) hardware, conversions with the makers. For me this jacket hobby is about so much more than just 'wearing a nice jacket'.

You’ll eventually get bored too. There’s only so many combinations of a leather/wool/denim tube with sleeves…

What I find most interesting is the notion of a “prized possession” with regard to clothes. I’ve never felt that way about anything other than my motorcycle, probably because I built it. Objectively, it’s a piece of sh!t.

 

[JMax]

You’ll eventually get bored too. There’s only so many combinations of a leather/wool/denim tube with sleeves…

What I find most interesting is the notion of a “prized possession” with regard to clothes. I’ve never felt that way about anything other than my motorcycle, probably because I built it. Objectively, it’s a piece of sh!t.

And without front brakes…

No idea you built it. Props to you. Very cool bike. You somehow should do more of that.

 

[ton312]

And without front brakes…

No idea you built it. Props to you. Very cool bike. You somehow should do more of that.

In my living room no less!

 

[Pandemic]

I’ve been buying more tailored clothing lately- stuff I can wear to the office. Maybe more ‘practical’ in that looking professional is arguably good for one’s career. Maybe more ‘dressing my age’. Or maybe just rotating my hyperfixations that are all somehow rooted in old insecurities.

Leather jackets may not feel good to wear be we often feel good wearing them. I know I do. I love the Barbour for keeping out the rain but I swear a good leather jacket adds a couple of inches to my height and some swagger to my gait. That said, I think I can comfortably cap myself at one black and one brown.

 

[John Lever]

I’m even contemplating selling most of them off… this is an unforeseen part of the cycle for me.

Me too...unlike most used clothes , our leathers keep their value and can be a better investment than cash in the bank. If I don't wear one for a year then I sell it.

 

[navetsea]

You are a collector, and that is awesome. We all benefit by watching your journey, and love seeing the pieces you come up with (like Terry), but you are also in the upswing of the cycle. I have been at this for over 10 years now, and @navetsea is right. This whole thing began when I turned 40, things were on auto-pilot, and we were having our second child. It got me through the baby years…and then some. I obsessed, planned on becoming a maker myself, bought and sold looking for my perfect patterns, learned to sew, visited other makers, went to shops to see jackets, met with other forum members to handle their jackets, visited tanneries, etc. During the pandemic I began to re-discover my passion for my photography. All thoughts of making the perfect jacket and my alt-business plan melted away, and now all I can think about is re-igniting my career. It’s a tough sell as a white-haired old guy without a lot of style who dislikes social media these days, but hey, I’ve got an eye for detail, a love of the craft, a message, and a 100mp camera. “Put me in coach!”

and there is really special feeling of joy when we create something, it is different than the feeling of joy from buying something or from opening package from the courier, must be some chemical in our brain, maybe the same thing felt by other people after spending hours in gym, some other find it through art, or some other through doing other passions perhaps fixing motorcycle, or fishing, or doing sport, or trekking into beautiful vista, or climbing, or cycling around, its longer lasting and self producing, its great when you find your passion back into your own craft.

I enjoy the huge collection from several members here like Terry, Marc, Carlos, and RD, some people are born collectors and nothing is wrong with that when it is a passion, some like to see minor shift in design from year to year and need the actual item to feel it to see it with their own eyes be it post stamps, coins, or jackets. however I also see in the past there are several members who got into buying phase and then burned out and mostly left the hobby.

 

[Monitor]

One other thing, another reason why I'm still in the hobby is because it's like a good TV show; I'm genuinely curious what's going to happen next as I know that so far, we've consistently been discovering new jackets, makers, etc. so I know I can't stop watching now as things are clearly going to happen and honestly, the drama part is pretty fun as well as it's never really personal enough to be personal - I mean, who gives a crap if someone doesn't like their leather jacket - while still hitting pretty close to keep things on the edge. We have, after all, had members running away in tears because someone might have insulted their favorite maker.

 

[navetsea]

One other thing, another reason why I'm still in the hobby is because it's like a good TV show; I'm genuinely curious what's going to happen next as I know that so far, we've consistently been discovering new jackets, makers, etc. so I know I can't stop watching now as things are clearly going to happen and honestly, the drama part is pretty fun as well as it's never really personal enough to be personal - I mean, who gives a crap if someone doesn't like their leather jacket - while still hitting pretty close to keep things on the edge. We have, after all, had members running away in tears because someone might have insulted their favorite maker.

another thing some people can quickly become a fan with a brand, or jacket maker, or tannery, or leather type, or certain construction or with certain genre, I mean coca cola and pepsi cola, religions, fanatic fan of foreign sport team, foreign GP or F1 racer, and take it personally when their favorites get criticized or feel the need to defend it everytime someone talk about it.

personally I don't get it, I like things for myself I know what I like, I can appreciate good thing on other people but I never care enough to hate things, or hate people who don't share my view or taste on things.

I like how outerwear section of today is doing, we have wider view on fit and what considered good leather, people don't look down on cowhide or anything not horween or shinki, less fanatics, less preachy people with strong opinion on things.

 

[Marc mndt]

and take it personally when their favorites get criticized or feel the need to defend it everytime someone talk about it.

personally I don't get it, I like things for myself I know what I like, I can appreciate good thing on other people but I never care enough to hate things, or hate people who don't share my view or taste on things.

Of course, we don't all have to feel the same about some maker. What bugs me is when people criticize makers because of the leathers they use, the patterns the hardware etc. without having any first hand experience.

I know I'm guilty of this myself every now and then but I really don't have to try on a Fountainhead in order to know that their patterns are crap

 

[TLW '90]

You need to get into traditional wool.

 

[Sloan1874]

It‘s easy. You are not buying these jackets because you are a man who is looking for a leather jacket to wear. You are buying them because you are a collector. We all are. The first jacket maybe was an actual enthusiastic „i need a leather jacket to wear“ purchase, everything going onwards…. collecting. It‘s unlikely you will feel better if you sell off some years worth of this collecting hobby. You are just fine. People who are into collecting stamps don‘t use them to send letters either.

This is absolutely true. We all start off thinking "This will last me a lifetime". Then you get it and you think "well, it's great, but I really like x design. Then you do a bit of research, you decide to put down a bit of a deposit (rationalising that it's 'spreading the cost', and on we go... I haven't bought any leather jackets for a few years, tbh, as I've been refurbing our house - I've still got a Good Wear on order, I just have to pull that trigger (probs May this year). But I still bit buy bits and pieces. All get worn, so even if it's a collection, it's one that gets used no matter what. Example: new Pea Coat bought at the start of the month. Held off forever looking for one that fit the bill, but finally pulled the trigger and it's a great addition to the collection...

 

[navetsea]

it may sound counter productive at first but it might be best to have several hobbies and divided interests spread across many things, that way we just floating on the surface hopping from one interest into another but never long enough to sink into deep water... as you want to get a new jacket you also know there would be new collectible something going to be released, and other things open for preorder, and another thing again, you would google all these things read every information about it, reading testimonies, get hyped, get to search more pictures, looking for youtube videos...in the end the overloading information overwhelmed your thirst to get so confused you don't buy anything and feel good about it as if you know all these things so well you don't need to buy them anymore
.

 

[AerGuitar]

What the hell just happened here? I feel like I need to pay a fee for reading this thread.

 

[Barnwell]

In some respects this is the most important, if not existential, thread I've seen here. Having said that I note I am also consumed with restoring an '81 GS450T (a commuter bike) and I immensely enjoyed walking a couple of miles today in an '80s Bean Flying Tiger (comfortable too!).

 

[dudewuttheheck]

I wear my leather jackets because I like them and because I think they look cool, not because they're practical. This has been discussed on here before, but leather isn't all that practical to keep warm compared to other materials.
It's so poor for warmth that I bought an actual winter jacket for the cold-ish mornings I experience going to work.

While I'm not at the point of not wearing my jackets, I'm at the point now where I totally understand where you are coming from. That said, I still wear them most days. They're still my general go to for doing everything- errands, work, dates sith my wife, everything. Unless it's too cold or too warm, I'm wearing a leather jacket. As @Marc mndt said: dont keep them for specisl occasions. I treat them as my daily jackets.

 

[ChewingWax]

In some respects this is the most important, if not existential, thread I've seen here. Having said that I note I am also consumed with restoring an '81 GS450T (a commuter bike) and I immensely enjoyed walking a couple of miles today in an '80s Bean Flying Tiger (comfortable too!).
My first leather jacket is a 1984 Bean flight jacket. It was always very comfortable. Got the wool replaced a couple times and now it’s better than new.

 

[Will Zach]

Gotta love those SoCal guys complaining about cold.... just messing with ya.... In NE USA (or Poland) winters I am totally not wearing leather on cold days. It is pretty much useless, unless it is sheepskin, which I don't (yet) have. For colder days, I did some redneck engineering on my originally-unlined waxed Gustin jacket and installed an M-65 liner in it. You can see it peeking under the lapels a bit. Works fine down to mid-20s F with some layering. Or else I totally give up and wear some down Michelin Man puffers when it gets really cold.

Once it warms up it will be back to leathers for me, but I am not actively looking for more at this point. Opportunistically, if I see a vintage grail for relatively little money I'll bite, but that is about it.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Gotta love those SoCal guys complaining about cold.... just messing with ya.... In NE USA (or Poland) winters I am totally not wearing leather on cold days. It is pretty much useless, unless it is sheepskin, which I don't (yet) have. For colder days, I did some redneck engineering on my originally-unlined waxed Gustin jacket and installed an M-65 liner in it. You can see it peeking under the lapels a bit. Works fine down to mid-20s F with some layering. Or else I totally give up and wear some down Michelin Man puffers when it gets really cold.

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Once it warms up it will be back to leathers for me, but I am not actively looking for more at this point. Opportunistically, if I see a vintage grail for relatively little money I'll bite, but that is about it.

Don't worry I know it's pathetic. I used to be able to do 35 in shorts, flip flops, and a hoodie. I've just been down here for too long now...

 

[TheDonEffect]

I go through an inventory check, have this sort of rule of I didn't use it in a year or two I don't need it and it's time to reevaluate. If it doesn't find me some value, time to move on.

Value can be simply enjoying owning it, like a collectible. I tend to lean on being practical because I'm too poor to own just to own lol, but I have some things that I keep for the sake of keeping. Oftentimes it's something that was aspirational or sentimental.

Take my latest cross zip, I kinda went too comfort minded by getting a 2oz steer that feels like a lambskin windbreaker. It lacks structure and doesn't have the typical TFL rack appeal, no crazy grains or anything like that. But, I actually wear it. It's as comfortable and mobile as my hoodies but it's tailored to me so it looks like I have some self esteem.

Instead of being part of my exit plan, it just unlocked a new level that draws me back here.

My point is I think you're evolving and hit a plateau. I think now is the perfect time to reevaluate, change things up some, and refocus. You said there arent opportunities to wear them, yet you still wear jackets, so those are missed opportunities. Driving to the store? OK maybe I can't pull off a cxl #8 with belt and million pockets and rivets, but a subtle black half belt? A nicely worn in brown cafe?

Rain? Take a look at the boot guys and the rabbit holes about water proofing leather.

There are many facets to every hobby. Perhaps this is the point where you go from a collector to a lifestylist.

Anyway food for thought.

 

[Mawashi]

I stumbled across this thread purely by accident and it's a real good de-stress read!

Keep em all. You don’t have to wear them to keep them. Unless you need to clear out some closet space or something. I’m up to 17 jackets and there are maybe 4 or 5 of them that I wear very regularly and the rest I wear basically only to share them on TFL/justify keeping them/put them on and look in the mirror.
But really, if it gives you joy to put them on and look at them in the mirror, keep them.

17 jackets OMG, I don't even have 17 pairs of underwear or socks.

I don't think it's got anything to do with collecting or disliking jackets.

Personally, the only reason why I was buying leather jackets was to feel good. And I have! Of course, to feel good, the jacket had to be good but yeah, just leaving the apartment in my new leather jacket would have me feeling fantastic and that's what I was chasing this whole time. Sadly, the feeling would subside, sometimes quickly, sometimes it'd take a while and once it was gone... No, once I've gotten used to it as it wasn't ever truly gone, I'd buy another leather jacket to feel that way again, thinking it automatically meant the new jacket was better than the last one and the process would continue to repeat itself as long as there were styles to try out.

But now I am at a point where I know there isn't much else to try out, all the while knowing that no other item of clothing commands my love as much as leather jackets. All this is combined with the feeling that I have finally discovered my own personal style, who I am or want to be and deviating from it by trying something wildly new is no longer an option as I genuinely would not enjoy it.

At the same time, even if the absolute holy grail of leather jackets appeared before me, nothing about it could in any way, shape or form surprise me anymore. Thus, the need to buy another leather jacket and ultimately wear it is... Sort of no longer here.

Another very important point is that... Well, leather jackets are inherently just not fun to wear & I don't believe anyone saying otherwise. They're not. Literally everything else feels better. God knows we don't care much for comfort here otherwise the place would be called The North Face Lounge but this is something to be factored in.

So what I think happened is that you've gotten used to leather jackets and you're reaching for your N-1 over whatever leather jacket you still no doubt love, is the same.

I am definitely not a collector because I absolutely CANNOT STAND having too many leather jackets & especially the ones that I feel have been upgraded upon. These then have to go and like yesterday. I'd literally gift them away if I didn't need the money.

Not comfortable or fun to wear...
What's your size, can you give me a few of your jackets... I'm a 38
Just throw them my way lol!

This thread has been an eye opener. Forget leather jackets, just for a moment and step outside the box, as the saying goes. For what it's worth, I do have a couple of rather expensive, leather jackets. But, and this is a serious but, why do I need more sports blazers than is feasibly possible to wear, when everyone is tailor made. Worse, the tailor is Savile Row trained. If you've never heard of Savile Row, Google it, the compulsion might explain why you collect but rarely wear. Think yourself lucky it's ready to wear leather. My addiction has my tailor reaching for the cruise brochures and my bank manager weeping into his handkerchief.

You have a bank manager and a tailor...

I cry when I see my bank account, I don't need anyone to do that for me.

Wait wait wait... You're missing a key opportunity here. You need to get into wool coats! There's a couple Filsons, a couple '60s peacoats, 40s and 50s army trenches, three pelerines, woolrich hunters... I dig my leather on the bike but nothing beats wool for daily wearability!

Ditch the leather if it doesn't bring you joy anymore, but keep them if they do, and then expand your horizons into the great fuzzy scratchy warmth that wears like iron while resisting odor AND precipitation! You think conditioning leather is a process? Try lanolizing a full length guardcoat!

Call me when wool gets boring and we'll find you a vintage Barbour A7, or Belstaff Trialsmaster. Or rubberizes cotton! Old Macs, and rubberized canvas soviet officers rain cape, or British poncho...

And you'll need woolen trousers for deep winter, waxed overtrousers for rain...

There are some amazing boot makers...

I love my leather, it's a great windbreaker and road slider, but there's a whole world out there. Someone mentioned leather just isn't very comfortable to wear, and I think it can be, but the conditions are pretty narrow. A good wool coat however, can be tough, stylish, and as cozy as a blanket.

I read with envy, you guys have weather that allows for wool, leathers, etc etc. Singapore weather is only suitable for shorts, tees or just a towel around your waist.

I'm telling you people, leather jackets are horribly uncomfortable. Even the comfortable ones.

Why oh why are your even here then rofl! JK please stick around!

Am I the outlier here?

I pretty much own one of every style, in brown and in black, vintage and repro. Still my hunger is not satisfied lol. I bought a 50s Buco j24 this week, have projects going with FL, Thedi, Regius.

I sold a lot too though, only kept the irreplaceable grail pieces. Therefore I now have a rack full of grail pieces which I enjoy wearing or just admiring. They're also great conversation pieces. Friends who visit us walk by the jacket room when they come in and they all want to know the story behind it.

Also, I really enjoy doing full custom projects. The research, sourcing the right (vintage) hardware, conversations with the makers. For me this jacket hobby is about so much more than just 'wearing a nice jacket'.

Edit : typo

Marc, what took you so long to realize that. You have more jackets than I have for tees and shorts, you even have a social media page for that... need I say more lol?

I wear my leather jackets because I like them and because I think they look cool, not because they're practical. This has been discussed on here before, but leather isn't all that practical to keep warm compared to other materials.
It's so poor for warmth that I bought an actual winter jacket for the cold-ish mornings I experience going to work.

While I'm not at the point of not wearing my jackets, I'm at the point now where I totally understand where you are coming from. That said, I still wear them most days. They're still my general go to for doing everything- errands, work, dates sith my wife, everything. Unless it's too cold or too warm, I'm wearing a leather jacket. As @Marc mndt said: dont keep them for specisl occasions. I treat them as my daily jackets.

Dudewuttheheck, I am glad there are people like you around, the amount of trial and error you go through with all your stuff makes it so much easier for guys like me to get a really good idea of what not to get etc.

That said you truly belong in the dudewhattheheckwithallthisleatherstuff category.

Peace guys, love all you nutters!