• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

٭٭٭ No Man Walks Alone - Official Affiliate Thread ٭٭٭ (a.k.a. I shouldn't have slept on it)

dieworkwear

Mahatma Jawndi
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
27,320
Reaction score
69,979
Woah yeah great to hear James Grose is still in business! Seems like you guys also thought they were gone.

I'm interested in shearling, but looking to get something that isn't too heavy, especially for me living in 45+ winter weather. Grose DB and that Black/Brown Valstar are both beautiful. I remember asking about how warm the RAF was last season and seemed a bit too much for me, but wondering if Valstar options are a bit lighter.

I don't know how the weights compare, but for what it's worth, I bought the black James Grose shearling bomber a few years ago (the suede one). I find it's wearable even in low 60-degree weather. Definitely 45+.
 

tailoredtech

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2019
Messages
481
Reaction score
1,024
I don't know how the weights compare, but for what it's worth, I bought the black James Grose shearling bomber a few years ago (the suede one). I find it's wearable even in low 60-degree weather. Definitely 45+.
Nice, yeah was looking for input for the Bay Area, so good to get some perspective from someone in the area.

I'd probably be in for the DB or the RAF. I slept on the RAF last year, but the DB model looks interesting too. Would be cool to see it on someone.
 

cyc wid it

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Apr 2, 2011
Messages
12,492
Reaction score
20,901
I wear the RAF over a t shirt whenever I can here in the bay area.
 

gdl203

Purveyor of the Secret Sauce
Affiliate Vendor
Dubiously Honored
Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
45,602
Reaction score
54,388
Cold morning in NYC today

26FA2300-28AC-4022-95EB-446C2B670BC1.jpeg
FF988FA4-1ADC-438A-A2D9-782A9936DA12.jpeg

84BE66C2-9AD2-4B51-88F5-01CA9D32F589.jpeg
 

gdl203

Purveyor of the Secret Sauce
Affiliate Vendor
Dubiously Honored
Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
45,602
Reaction score
54,388
TTS for a fit like this ^ (XL on me). Size up for that WWII vintage loose jacket look
 

Najnar

Senior Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Messages
152
Reaction score
118
I'm a little worried that the leather on the IRVIN will be too thin and delicate (though it's hard to tell from pics). I guess I'm concerned for how the nappa leather will hold up when its subjected to managing the stresses of not only its own bending, but also the thick shearling underneath - sounds like a blowout waiting to happen. Can anyone who has one comment on how it's aged?
 

gdl203

Purveyor of the Secret Sauce
Affiliate Vendor
Dubiously Honored
Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
45,602
Reaction score
54,388
umm.... it's sheepskin. It's the skin of the sheep. It's flexible but it's durable. Sheep don't explode IRL. They also don't ride motorcycles, so I guess my question is what are you planning to do in your jacket that causes these concerns.
 

razl

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
11,213
Reaction score
3,268
I guess I'm concerned for how the nappa leather will hold up when its subjected to managing the stresses of not only its own bending, but also the thick shearling underneath - sounds like a blowout waiting to happen.
I know nothing about this other than having observed that, in general, leather jackets with shearling underneath have been in use, like, forever. American WWII bomber crews wore, fought, and died in them. I'm thinking if it was good enough for them...
1611846467420.png
 

gdl203

Purveyor of the Secret Sauce
Affiliate Vendor
Dubiously Honored
Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
45,602
Reaction score
54,388
I know nothing about this other than having observed that, in general, leather jackets with shearling underneath have been in use, like, forever. American WWII bomber crews wore, fought, and died in them. I'm thinking if it was good enough for them...
View attachment 1544519

This is the "size up" fit I was referring to
 

Najnar

Senior Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Messages
152
Reaction score
118
umm.... it's sheepskin. It's the skin of the sheep. It's flexible but it's durable. Sheep don't explode IRL. They also don't ride motorcycles, so I guess my question is what are you planning to do in your jacket that causes these concerns.
I gotcha. For some reason I thought nappa leather was always made of lambskin, like for gloves.
 

gdl203

Purveyor of the Secret Sauce
Affiliate Vendor
Dubiously Honored
Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
45,602
Reaction score
54,388
Oh I see. AFAIK, the only difference between a shearling with the "nappa" smooth finish vs suede, is that the suede one is sanded/sueded, while the nappa ones are tanned and finished smooth. It's the same sheepskin
 

gdl203

Purveyor of the Secret Sauce
Affiliate Vendor
Dubiously Honored
Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
45,602
Reaction score
54,388
Also, lamb vs sheep is just a matter of age? 364 days old and it's a lamb, 366 and it's a sheep
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,182
Messages
10,579,221
Members
223,890
Latest member
MakersGumy
Top