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

[patrick_b]

FCL arrived yesterday.. Really nothing left to say that hasn't been said. ticks off all the boxes in terms of fit and construction.
special thanks to @sinnedk for sizing help as well as for the hot tip that Rivet and Hide was stocking them. Thanks bud

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Holy crap that is nice. Looking forward to your personal brand story, creased elbows, etc.

 

[Arizor]

Just received the Flat Head rider jacket. Awesome quality as ever, just need to soften up the shoulders to deal with the usual quirky shoulder-chest ratio of FH stuff.

With the zip up a few days later, shoulder softening.

 

[FrankCowperwood]

Darn @Arizor that’s spectacular. Like the fit right off and like where it seems to be headed.

 

[sinnedk]

@Arizor very nice man, i've been eying that thing for a long time.

Several questions, did you get this from Rivet and Hide? What size are you and how did you size it?

 

[Nader393]

Oooh, a leather jacket thread. Being an avid motorcyclist, I have a number of jackets to show off.

First is a custom Vanson "Manx" for which I was measured at Ride West BMW in Seattle, about 15 years ago. Has soft armor in the shoulders and elbows. Have the matching leather sport riding pants that zip into the jacket. Still fits! I wanted yellow and red because I already had yellow BMW R100S (airhead), and was shopping for a Ducati, and wasn't decided on a red or yellow one yet, as those were the only two color choices for the bikes back then. Ultimately, I got a yellow Ducati 748S a few weeks later. About a couple years after that, I low-sided it doing a track day while wearing this jacket. Hardly shows, just a few scuffs on the shoulder.

Now that I was a Vanson fan, I started shopping eBay for others. I got lucky and found this pristine Vanson Model A with custom added extra zippered pocket on the right breast (usually only a left breast pocket). Not even broken in, and stiff as hell, which is why I suspect it was being sold. Also has the fleece liner for it. This sucker is over 6 lbs, like the armored jacket above! Kinda impractical for street wear. Still, I wore this jacket while wooing a girlfriend who was clearly out of my league, and thanks to this jacket (in my mind), she succumbed and I married her.

Coming of age in the '80's, when "Top Gun" was huge, and everyone was wearing bomber jackets in highschool, I wanted one for my grown up self. So I found another Vanson, built to exact specs of the original WW2 standard. This one still needs to be broken in, even over 10 years later (Vansons are HEAVY).

Being on roll, I started collecting more Vansons, whether I really planned on wearing them or not. Which included these next two examples. The green one I wore from Seattle to Chicago (on a plane), so that I could wear it while riding my college buddy's motorcycles around the unexciting country roads up around there. Those roads are so flat and straight! But the jacket matched his pale green Guzzi Sport nicely. When he reciprocated by coming to visit me and ride my bikes out here, he kinda freaked out on the fairly benign mountain roads I showed him. Hah!

This red jacket that came next has hardly been worn. I think I wore it once on a short trip to Jack in the Box, of all places. It's just a nice, vintage, unarmored Vanson. At this point, I might have more jackets than I can reasonably use.

But that really won't stop the collecting hobby, will it? I stumbled into this jacket from I guess the late '70's or early '80's. Based on the collar size and kinda baggy fit. Screaming deal, like $50, but when I got it, it stank of cigarette smoke. I mean, even the professional cleaners commented on how bad it was, but they worked a minor miracle in deodorizing it. It became my knock-around jacket for a while. Those silver stains on the left shoulder and sleeve? That's anti-seize from when I wore this jacket while working on my vintage race car in the middle of winter. That anti-seize is a stubborn grease that won't come off!

These jackets have been posted in mostly chronological order over the 15 years or so that I've been collecting them. This next one is a more practical choice I bought about five or six years ago, a Vanson "Breeze." Because perforations. So many perforations. Wearing this in the summer is like wearing nothing at all; the wind whips right through it. Which I've regretted a time or two when going out for a ride in the warm summer late afternoon, then freezing while riding home in the cool evening.

I mentioned coming of age in the '80's when bomber jackets were huge. Well, so were the biker jackets like the Schott Perfecto. Back in the day, I had a cheap version from one of those mall shops like Wilson's Leathers. Wore it with engineer's boots and thought I was tough. I don't know why, probably because I was inspired by Neegan on "Walking Dead," I decided I needed another one. Preferably Vanson. So eBay to the rescue. This one is oppressively heavy as usual, but at least broken in. Sure enough, I've only worn this jacket while dressing up as Neegan for the last two Halloweens. Yes, I still have engineer's boots, and I even made a "Lucille" out of a plastic bat and fake barbed wire.

And finally, I want to backtrack a bit for a non-Vanson jacket. I got this one about 13 years ago, a Langlitz. It's a custom jacket, in goat skin. The quilting is a give away to those in the know.

So, that's pretty much it. Oh, I've got a couple more miscellaneous jackets I'll save for later. Thanks for viewing the show. I'm glad to have a place to show this stuff.

 

[Arizor]

Thanks gents!

@Arizor very nice man, i've been eying that thing for a long time.

Several questions, did you get this from Rivet and Hide? What size are you and how did you size it?

Got it from DC4, Berlin; Rivet and Hide were sold out (as was everrrrrywhere outside of FH Japan).

Size is XXL. I normally wear a 44 in FH shirts, and wear shirts from 44.5-46” chest. I’m 6’2 190lbs, if that helps more.

 

[RXS09]

it's a 42, went with the 2.0 leather, and removed the epaulets and belt. Off to replace the main zipper for a two-way..

(self edge was out of stock in the 42). Thanks for the heads up about Rivet and Hide. My wallet hates you though.

What size do you normally wear?

 

[sinnedk]

Thanks gents!



Got it from DC4, Berlin; Rivet and Hide were sold out (as was everrrrrywhere outside of FH Japan).

Size is XXL. I normally wear a 44 in FH shirts, and wear shirts from 44.5-46” chest. I’m 6’2 190lbs, if that helps more.

Cool man, never heard of dc4 Berlin will take a look.

 

[Valfunde]

Anyone have the previous Nine Lives indigo gusset rider jacket? The sizing on it is different from the current rider's jacket, yeah?

Thinking of picking up the previous rider jacket but shoulders, from SE, looked like it was particularly small.

 

[rnguy001]

In outerwear Im usually a L, or 42. Im 5'11 175lb if that helps.

What size do you normally wear?

 

[#dadcore]

I know @dieworkwear has expressed distaste at dark brown 5 zips but I really like this waxed suede version (FW 08)

 

[steveoffice]

i dont like brown leather jackets in general but brown/tan suede is a different story.

your 5 zips looks awesome. waxed suede = more water resistant?

 

[sinnedk]

@#dadcore that looks good, also my hair looks very similar when it grows out a bit

 

[sinnedk]

Just received the Flat Head rider jacket. Awesome quality as ever, just need to soften up the shoulders to deal with the usual quirky shoulder-chest ratio of FH stuff.

With the zip up a few days later, shoulder softening.

If anyone has a lead on where to find this exact jacket in a medium, I would appreciate it.

 

[#dadcore]

i dont like brown leather jackets in general but brown/tan suede is a different story.

your 5 zips looks awesome. waxed suede = more water resistant?

Maybe, not really sure. Gives it more of a roughout feel as opposed to a “buttery” type suede.