Leather Jackets: Post Pictures of the Best You've Seen/Owned?

[dieworkwear]

Wow. I'm assuming Advanced European Tailoring did this?

Yea, although I provided my own lining cloth.

You can get boro at Shibui in NYC. (That's where I bought mine). There are also a ton of online dealers if you look around.

https://www.instagram.com/shibuikotto/

Also, I've never used them, but these guys in NYC can do leatherwork.

https://superiorleathernyc.com/services/

 

[michaellosauro]

Yea, although I provided my own lining cloth.

You can get boro at Shibui in NYC. (That's where I bought mine). There are also a ton of online dealers if you look around.

https://www.instagram.com/shibuikotto/

Also, I've never used them, but these guys in NYC can do leatherwork.

https://superiorleathernyc.com/services/

You're sharing absolute gold right now. How much fabric would you expect to be needed for a jacket lining? I'm assuming at least 2 yards to be safe?

 

[dieworkwear]

You're sharing absolute gold right now. How much fabric would you expect to be needed for a jacket lining? I'm assuming at least 2 yards to be safe?

I just bought a large piece of boro fabric and gave it to the tailor. I assume a tailor will be able to give you a better and more precise answer.

You can't really buy boro by the yard like regular linings. And they don't come in standard widths (most fabrics are made in modern looms, so they're a pretty standard 59" wide). Boro is just a piece of patchwork material. It's typically reclaimed from Japanese farmers, so it's whatever size that person decided it should be for their needs.

That also means you may have a lot of leftover fabric in the end. And larger pieces will be kind of expensive. Depending on the size, you'll pay about $500-1,000.

Some things to consider if you buy one:

1. Since these are irregular and patchwork, and your jacket is relatively small, you'll want to think about how the pieces will lay out across the interior. Some boro fabrics have large, uninterrupted areas. Which is fine, but if you want something with a lot of visual interest, you'll want to think about how the different pieces of patchwork will look in your jacket. It can be hard to find something that works well.

2. A lot of boro fabric is very thick. Since many of them were originally used as futon covers, and there are multiple layers of patchwork, that means you can wind up with something that's too thick to be practically used as a lining. If you're buying online, it may be good to buy from someone who can take returns.

3. There's a lot of fake boro out there. As I understand it, most of this stuff is sold to textile and art collectors. The stuff used to be super cheap cause it was just reclaimed textiles from poor Japanese families. The idea that anyone would want to buy this stuff was odd, so farmers were willing to sell it for super cheap -- it was like buying trash. But now there's a whole market for it and, consequently, a lot of people making fake boro. I'm not an expert on this stuff, but some of boro out there looks obviously fake (like, the material doesn't look genuinely worn and it's a verisimilitude of the real thing). Nothing wrong with something that's made to look like "real" boro, but maybe watch out if you're spending a lot of money.

You can also consider other "ethnic" textiles. The Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America are really rich in textile traditions. Some of them would be hard to wear as outer garments, but they're so beautifully done that they'd do well as linings (so long as you can find something thin enough).

Check out African indigo traditions (strip weaves, stitch resist, ikat) and mud cloth. "African Textiles: Color and Creativity Across a Continent" is a good book to flip through. So is Chris Spring's "African Textiles Today"

There's also some great Islamic textile traditions, especially from Turkey. John Gillow's Textiles of the Islamic World is a good reference.

Meisch also has a good book called Traditional Textiles of the Andes if you want to start exploring South American traditions.

Personally, I think African indigo and mud cloth are good starting points. Any of these would look great as a lining

FWIW, the average sport coat requires 2 meters of fabric. Some go up to 2.5 meters, but for a guy with an average build, it's usually 2m. So you imagine a lining will be close to that, but somewhat less.

 

[michaellosauro]

I just bought a large piece of boro fabric and gave it to the tailor. I assume a tailor will be able to give you a better and more precise answer.

You can't really buy boro by the yard like regular linings. And they don't come in standard widths (most fabrics are made in modern looms, so they're a pretty standard 59" wide). Boro is just a piece of patchwork material. It's typically reclaimed from Japanese farmers, so it's whatever size that person decided it should be for their needs.

That also means you may have a lot of leftover fabric in the end. And larger pieces will be kind of expensive. Depending on the size, you'll pay about $500-1,000.

Some things to consider if you buy one:

1. Since these are irregular and patchwork, and your jacket is relatively small, you'll want to think about how the pieces will lay out across the interior. Some boro fabrics have large, uninterrupted areas. Which is fine, but if you want something with a lot of visual interest, you'll want to think about how the different pieces of patchwork will look in your jacket. It can be hard to find something that works well.

2. A lot of boro fabric is very thick. Since many of them were originally used as futon covers, and there are multiple layers of patchwork, that means you can wind up with something that's too thick to be practically used as a lining. If you're buying online, it may be good to buy from someone who can take returns.

3. There's a lot of fake boro out there. As I understand it, most of this stuff is sold to textile and art collectors. The stuff used to be super cheap cause it was just reclaimed textiles from poor Japanese families. The idea that anyone would want to buy this stuff was odd, so farmers were willing to sell it for super cheap -- it was like buying trash. But now there's a whole market for it and, consequently, a lot of people making fake boro. I'm not an expert on this stuff, but some of boro out there looks obviously fake (like, the material doesn't look genuinely worn and it's a verisimilitude of the real thing). Nothing wrong with something that's made to look like "real" boro, but maybe watch out if you're spending a lot of money.

You can also consider other "ethnic" textiles. The Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America are really rich in textile traditions. Some of them would be hard to wear as outer garments, but they're so beautifully done that they'd do well as linings (so long as you can find something thin enough).

Check out African indigo traditions (strip weaves, stitch resist, ikat) and mud cloth. "African Textiles: Color and Creativity Across a Continent" is a good book to flip through. So is Chris Spring's "African Textiles Today"

There's also some great Islamic textile traditions, especially from Turkey. John Gillow's Textiles of the Islamic World is a good reference.

Meisch also has a good book called Traditional Textiles of the Andes if you want to start exploring South American traditions.

Personally, I think African indigo and mud cloth are good starting points. Any of these would look great as a lining

FWIW, the average sport coat requires 2 meters of fabric. Some go up to 2.5 meters, but for a guy with an average build, it's usually 2m. So you imagine a lining will be close to that, but somewhat less.

View attachment 1046370 View attachment 1046371 View attachment 1046372

Thanks! I'm not quite sure yet what kind of fabric I plan to use, but it's very helpful to know whether or not the fabric I end up finding will actually be enough. And now I have two more Derek Guy book recommendations on my reading list.

 

[LatAm]

I just bought a large piece of boro fabric and gave it to the tailor. I assume a tailor will be able to give you a better and more precise answer.

You can't really buy boro by the yard like regular linings. And they don't come in standard widths (most fabrics are made in modern looms, so they're a pretty standard 59" wide). Boro is just a piece of patchwork material. It's typically reclaimed from Japanese farmers, so it's whatever size that person decided it should be for their needs.

That also means you may have a lot of leftover fabric in the end. And larger pieces will be kind of expensive. Depending on the size, you'll pay about $500-1,000.

Some things to consider if you buy one:

1. Since these are irregular and patchwork, and your jacket is relatively small, you'll want to think about how the pieces will lay out across the interior. Some boro fabrics have large, uninterrupted areas. Which is fine, but if you want something with a lot of visual interest, you'll want to think about how the different pieces of patchwork will look in your jacket. It can be hard to find something that works well.

2. A lot of boro fabric is very thick. Since many of them were originally used as futon covers, and there are multiple layers of patchwork, that means you can wind up with something that's too thick to be practically used as a lining. If you're buying online, it may be good to buy from someone who can take returns.

3. There's a lot of fake boro out there. As I understand it, most of this stuff is sold to textile and art collectors. The stuff used to be super cheap cause it was just reclaimed textiles from poor Japanese families. The idea that anyone would want to buy this stuff was odd, so farmers were willing to sell it for super cheap -- it was like buying trash. But now there's a whole market for it and, consequently, a lot of people making fake boro. I'm not an expert on this stuff, but some of boro out there looks obviously fake (like, the material doesn't look genuinely worn and it's a verisimilitude of the real thing). Nothing wrong with something that's made to look like "real" boro, but maybe watch out if you're spending a lot of money.

You can also consider other "ethnic" textiles. The Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America are really rich in textile traditions. Some of them would be hard to wear as outer garments, but they're so beautifully done that they'd do well as linings (so long as you can find something thin enough).

Check out African indigo traditions (strip weaves, stitch resist, ikat) and mud cloth. "African Textiles: Color and Creativity Across a Continent" is a good book to flip through. So is Chris Spring's "African Textiles Today"

There's also some great Islamic textile traditions, especially from Turkey. John Gillow's Textiles of the Islamic World is a good reference.

Meisch also has a good book called Traditional Textiles of the Andes if you want to start exploring South American traditions.

Personally, I think African indigo and mud cloth are good starting points. Any of these would look great as a lining

FWIW, the average sport coat requires 2 meters of fabric. Some go up to 2.5 meters, but for a guy with an average build, it's usually 2m. So you imagine a lining will be close to that, but somewhat less.

View attachment 1046370 View attachment 1046371 View attachment 1046372

Great resources, many thanks!

 

[penanceroyaltea]

It was the weirdest thing. I randomly bumped into his nephew on here, which is how I got in touch with him.

Basically, I was on some thread and someone mentioned a pen or tattoo they had (I can't remember exactly). And how they were in a documentary about The Colossus of Roads (may have been a tattoo of The Colossus' artwork).

It was such an obscure reference cause I didn't think many people on here knew about The Colossus. I used to hop trains as a teenager, so I saw The Colossus' graffiti all the time. He was easily the most prolific of all the "hobo artists."

So we got to talking and he said The Colossus is his uncle. I couldn't believe it, so we traded some DMs and I asked if his uncle would sign my leather jacket. Said I grew up admiring his work and he was like an icon to me and my friends. He put me in touch with his uncle, who's basically a retired artist at this point, and his uncle agreed.

I ended up sending him the jacket and he sent it back, autographed. And he included a DIY book of his art (like, after hours Kinkos, photocopy punk style, spiral bound at the edge), along with a silk screened t-shirt. It was like being a teen again, trading CDs and zines with someone across the country.

How do you know about The Colossus? I feel like he's big in a very small sector of the world, but relatively unknown otherwise.

Ever thought about one day writing a book on all your cool jawnz and the stories and inspirations behind them?

Would be a cool read I bet. The Stories and Times of Derek Guy Jawnz (maybe some title not so cheesy)

 

[dieworkwear]

Ever thought about one day writing a book on all your cool jawnz and the stories and inspirations behind them?

Would be a cool read I bet. The Stories and Times of Derek Guy Jawnz (maybe some title not so cheesy)

"Things No One Wanted at Full Price"

 

[Foxhound]

"Things No One Wanted at Full Price"

Too funny.

Real talk, I'd buy a copy if you put out a book.

 

[slappy]

Interesting to hear that people like Johnson Leathers on Polk street.

I’m finally ready to pull the trigger on a high quality brown leather jacket. I wasn’t too into the Levi jacket look of the Fine Creek Leathers jacket at Self Edge. I was about to go to Oakland to check out the Real McCoy brown A-2 bomber at Standard and Strange.

However maybe I’ll pop into Johnson this week to discuss a custom bomber job, especially if I can pick the specific leather. Their website doesn’t make their jackets look too appealing I’ll say.

Edit: No offense to their website or products, I just am looking for sort of a trim modern Japanese style fit for this jacket. I went to Schott recently and their bomber fits like a tent.

 

[FrankCowperwood]

Interesting to hear that people like Johnson Leathers on Polk street.

I’m finally ready to pull the trigger on a high quality brown leather jacket. I wasn’t too into the Levi jacket look of the Fine Creek Leathers jacket at Self Edge. I was about to go to Oakland to check out the Real McCoy brown A-2 bomber at Standard and Strange.

However maybe I’ll pop into Johnson this week to discuss a custom bomber job, especially if I can pick the specific leather. Their website doesn’t make their jackets look too appealing I’ll say.

Edit: No offense to their website or products, I just am looking for sort of a trim modern Japanese style fit for this jacket. I went to Schott recently and their bomber fits like a tent.

Johnson's website is clearly pretty ancient. Maybe that's part of their charm? Would be interested in your thoughts on the outfit if you do visit.

Guys and the goods at S&S are great, which you may already know.

 

[slappy]

Johnson's website is clearly pretty ancient. Maybe that's part of their charm? Would be interested in your thoughts on the outfit if you do visit.

Guys and the goods at S&S are great, which you may already know.

Interestingly enough I’ve never been to S&S and never noticed it until I searched for a local Real McCoy seller (no stranger to that stretch of Telegraph also). If I order a custom Johnson jacket I’ll post some pics

 

[Bragulat]

The Aeroleather premier range looks fantastic.

 

[crazn]

Anybody here has handled brunello cucinelli leather and how would you rate their quality.

 

[bry2000]

Anybody here has handled brunello cucinelli leather and how would you rate their quality.

Excellent. Soft and luxurious.

 

[Distorbiant]

Saw this pic on ebay. As much as I love my Schott, I've been lusting after the horsehide version. I guess I just can't be happy with what I have. There is just something so undeniably beautiful about the way these stiffer leathers break in.