Why all the hatred towards black leather jackets?

[Ledfeather]

black leather holds up better against my wheelchair. i have black ones that ive worn for years, and they dont have any severely visible scarring from the wheels and dirt and etc. i always feel like if i bought a nice brown leather jacket the chair would ruin it. dont get me wrong i love them, but, i dont feel like i could wear them.

on that note, though, i found a vintage place with a korean war era brown flight jacket. really want it. dont have the money for it right now, but i dont think its going anywhere. should i get it?

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

on that note, though, i found a vintage place with a korean war era brown flight jacket. really want it. dont have the money for it right now, but i dont think its going anywhere. should i get it?

Of course.
In my experience, if I found that I had to ask myself that question, I ultimately did get it. Whatever the "it" was at the time.

 

[Ledfeather]

Of course.
In my experience, if I found that I had to ask myself that question, I ultimately did get it. Whatever the "it" was at the time.

i do agree there. think its worth 300 bucks? i know some new ones sell for 500 and up. i dont know much about old leather, but i know this thing is still stiff, pretty well unscarred. the guy who runs the store says its army issue. but it has no patches. so, if thats true, im thinking surplus.

 

[BigHairyFinn]

So if its "army issue" it ain't "korea" as there was a hiatus of A-2 1943-1987. If its "navy issue" as in G-1 it well might be if the collars real mouton. What you need to do is get the specs off the tag and these guys will provide a picture of the goats providing the leather... well... almost

 

[Sir Jacket]

It's an interesting question. When my leather jacket fixation began, at the age of about 14, the jacket had to be black, and quite "biker", at that. I would probably have preferred to undergo some fairly severe torture than wear a brown leather jacket, which I perceived as pretty much synonymous with middle age and all-round conservatism, blandness and distended bellies.

It was a prejudice that took many years to overcome and it has been only my last two (Aero) leather jackets that have been brown. Why? No doubt the reasons are complex but it just occurred to me that the colour of the browns is potentially far richer than the blacks, the patina that develops is potentially more beautiful; in short, a brown leather jacket seems likely to acquire character more easily than a black one.

But these things seem to occur in revolutions, and I am almost certain to make my next leather a black one –*an Aero halfbelt, minus as many buckles, harnesses, straps and so on as possible but which I hope will acquire its own Lou Reed-like patina and character in time.

Sir J

 

[captaincaveman1]

Anyone ever consider, gasp!, white? For motorcycle riding, white is arguably an ideal color since it reflects thermal energy and has much better visibility.

Problem is, I'm having a hard time finding an off the rack, cafe style jacket in that color.

 

[David Conwill]

Anyone ever consider, gasp!, white? For motorcycle riding, white is arguably an ideal color since it reflects thermal energy and has much better visibility.

Problem is, I'm having a hard time finding an off the rack, cafe style jacket in that color.

I agree that it would be somewhat practical (though if you ride anything vintage, you'd probably prefer something that hides oil stains), but I couldn't help but feel like white leather made me look like Evel Knievel or Elvis.

-Dave

 

[captaincaveman1]

I agree that it would be somewhat practical (though if you ride anything vintage, you'd probably prefer something that hides oil stains), but I couldn't help but feel like white leather made me look like Evel Knievel or Elvis.

-Dave

I'm considering this one. Not vintage by any means but has a cafe-esque flavor to it. I haven't pulled the trigger yet because of the stupid looking Dainese logo. Infuriating how jacket makers plaster their jackets with them.

 

[David Conwill]

Actually, that looks pretty good: Far nicer than the lime-green or lipstick-red leathers I sometimes see on the riders of sport bikes. Just don't ever lay the bike down whilest wearing it.

-Dave

 

[Kid Mac]

CC,

I can see why you're considering that jacket, but I agree about the logo. Looks like the logo for a stealth bomber pilot.

Mac

 

[captaincaveman1]

Actually, that looks pretty good: Far nicer than the lime-green or lipstick-red leathers I sometimes see on the riders of sport bikes. Just don't ever lay the bike down whilest wearing it.

-Dave

hehe. That would be a shame. I'll be sure to keep this in the closet on the day I go down.

 

[Silver Dollar]

I'm considering this one. Not vintage by any means but has a cafe-esque flavor to it. I haven't pulled the trigger yet because of the stupid looking Dainese logo. Infuriating how jacket makers plaster their jackets with them.

Looks almost like a modern day Batman logo. :eusa_clap

 

[Speedbird]

Don't do it CC ..... just say "NO!" ..... you will regret it I guarantee ... you will wear it once and then it will live in the closet of shame forever more.. it is just wrong on so many levels.... lol lol lol

 

[Fletch]

Lost Worlds had something off-white on their clearance page (actually they called it "Cream Horsehide", which could be the answer to either "How do you break in a LW jacket?" or "What does Stu Clurman do when it gets lonesome at the factory?") lol

 

[captaincaveman1]

Looks almost like a modern day Batman logo. :eusa_clap

haha. I have closets full of jackets. I'm sure I'll work this into the rotation.

BTW, I'm engaging Spartan Leathers to build a custom one-off cafe racer in perforated white instead of the Dainese jacket. Yeah, it might draw some funny looks but that beats literally ROASTING in summer traffic. Ever wear a black leather jacket on a 90 degree, hot and humid day? Yuck.

http://www.spartanleathers.com/

 

[Barney]

Do Black patent leather chaps count?

 

[Sir Jacket]

Most important to me is the "personality" a good jacket gains as I wear it. That is comforting and satisfying in a very basic, tactile way, a way very different from cloth garments.

A good jacket - like a good hat - is sensible armor for the everyday world.

Very well expressed, sir! My feelings exactly.

Sir J

 

[kyboots]

Brown vs Black vs Trenchcoats

Captain I think your jacket minus the logo is pretty kewl, and I agree that it really beats burnt orange, jello green, and a few other colors only known to God out there on jackets. Fletch that long brown coat is great. Back in the early 90's there was a leather company in northern California that still made beautiful leather clothes on order or even gasp "off the rack"! One could find very soft full leather shirts and sportcoats that were very reasonable, and you could order anything!! in leather you wanted to wear. I had an oustanding brown leather trenchcoat with wide lapels and full collar I wore it everyday to work. Along with brown boots,
it
was great. But as times go by and "wide lapels" are now
considered designer fashion faux pas,
it now sits in the closet.I believe the recession took the
store too, but I will try to look it up. Do patent leather chaps reflect as bad as shoes? Might be realy
worth trying!
(not that there is anything wrong with that! )
John. PS Good evening Barney ( welcome ) and SSir J!

 

[Viola]

I had a dark green leather long coat of which I was fond. I don't think I still have it.

I want a new-to-me leather coat at some point but I am still debating style and cut. A belted trench maybe but in that case a basic sand fabric trench might go with more things?

I am also the terrible person who likes bright colored leather coats.

 

[HDRnR]

I have no problem with black, my riding jackets are black and my Aero's are cordovan and brown.