Looking for a clean winter leather jacket

[Rjpietraszewski]

Looking for a simple but stylish leather jacket than can be worn casual or semi formal. I absolutely love the one below but $2k seems a bit excessive.

https://www.overland.com/products/romano-lambskin-leather-jacket-25411?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=referral&pp=1&epik=dj0yJnU9dU81aER5bGNNRld3bDVtaURHRTRwalNoVHRuSDEzZGkmcD0wJm49VjNZdmJaMm9aZ2xTSjlNaHg0Nnd0QSZ0PUFBQUFBR0dWWWpj

 

[maxalex]

Your link won’t open outside of the US, it would be better to post a photo. We would also need to know your climate (define “winter” where you live) and how you dress. Some shearling-lined leather jackets are warm enough for Arctic regions; many unlined fashion-brand jackets wouldn’t keep you warm after sunset in southern California. The term “semi-formal” has no specific meaning so it makes more sense to describe what exactly you would be wearing the coat with.

As a start you might check out Aero Leathers, they make a wide range of styles from military repros to “commuter” coats. They cost under $2k but are not cheap. In general with leather I would avoid the extremes of cheap Chinese crap and overpriced designer brands. The middle ground (Aero, Schott) is where you find honest, well made coats using top quality hides.

 

[johng70]

Agree. Aero makes a fantastic range of products. Thurston brothers in US will send you jackets to try on. It's a nice service because aero will allow you to specify alterations at same cost since most coats are MTO anyway. Skip the designer garbage

 

[dieworkwear]

Aero makes very heavy workwear-styled jackets. The jacket in your link looks lighter and dressier.

You may want to look at Italian lines such as Cucinelli, Borrelli, and Enrico Mandelli. Mandelli's designs are hit and miss, but when they're good, they come together in the way you described in your post. Some photos below.

Alternatively, try Valstar. They have a jacket called the Valstarino that works for these purposes.

 

[maxalex]

Aero makes very heavy workwear-styled jackets. The jacket in your link looks lighter and dressier.

You may want to look at Italian lines such as Cucinelli, Borrelli, and Enrico Mandelli. Mandelli's designs are hit and miss, but when they're good, they come together in the way you described in your post. Some photos below.

View attachment 1706955 View attachment 1706956 View attachment 1706957 View attachment 1706958 View attachment 1706959




Alternatively, try Valstar. They have a jacket called the Valstarino that works for these purposes.


View attachment 1706961 View attachment 1706962 View attachment 1706963

A Cucinelli leather jacket would cost well north of $2k (maybe triple that?) which was deemed too high for OP. The Valstarino suede comes in around Aero price point and might be a good, dressier choice although the request was for “winter” wear. As I noted above, it depends on your definition of winter.

 

[dieworkwear]

A Cucinelli leather jacket would cost well north of $2k (maybe triple that?) which was deemed too high for OP. The Valstarino suede comes in around Aero price point and might be a good, dressier choice although the request was for “winter” wear. As I noted above, it depends on your definition of winter.

I paid $150 for my first Mandelli jacket. Bought it on eBay. Subsequent ones were $300 to $500. Purchased three in total, and then decided I don't really like this smart-casual Italian stuff so eventually moved on. One of them is lined in cashmere and insulation, so it works well in the wintertime. I have a heavy cowhide Schott DR that doesn't wear as warm. There are deals to be had if the poster searches. I would just warn against the idea that heavier is necessarily better.

Stylistically, I also think that Aero sometimes makes guys look like those people who post at Fedora Lounge.

 

[johng70]

Aero makes very heavy workwear-styled jackets. The jacket in your link looks lighter and dressier.

You may want to look at Ita

Stylistically, I also think that Aero sometimes makes guys look like those people who post at Fedora Lounge.

Understood. A masculine jacket can be intimidating for some. With about 40 different styles Aero has a lot to offer. But you do have to have masculine self comfidence to wear a classic leather jacket

 

[maxalex]

I paid $150 for my first Mandelli jacket. Bought it on eBay. Subsequent ones were $300 to $500. Purchased three in total, and then decided I don't really like this smart-casual Italian stuff so eventually moved on. One of them is lined in cashmere and insulation, so it works well in the wintertime. I have a heavy cowhide Schott DR that doesn't wear as warm. There are deals to be had if the poster searches. I would just warn against the idea that heavier is necessarily better.

Stylistically, I also think that Aero sometimes makes guys look like those people who post at Fedora Lounge.

Lotsa cosplay on Fedora Lounge! In truth no leather jacket short of shearling is really warm—they excel at windbreaking and, if you ride a moto, preventing skin removal.

 

[dieworkwear]

Understood. A masculine jacket can be intimidating for some. With about 40 different styles Aero has a lot to offer. But you do have to have masculine self comfidence to wear a classic leather jacket

I think of it as less "masculine" and more "historical cosplay."

 

[dieworkwear]

Lotsa cosplay on Fedora Lounge! In truth no leather jacket short of shearling is really warm—they excel at windbreaking and, if you ride a moto, preventing skin removal.

Aero is also repped by Thurston Brothers in the US, and I was disappointed in how Thurston dismissed a collar gap issue on the forum about six years ago. The whole controversy started here:

Vanson/Styleforum/Thurston Bros slim fit Japanese double rider MTO

how much is the upgrade for comp weight leather? That would be $75.00.

www.styleforum.net

You can still see this issue on their website. This is the model they tried selling on StyleForum. The collar hovers awkwardly away from the neck.

Vanson Daredevil – Thurston Bros Rough Wear LLC

The Vanson Daredevil is a jacket design available exclusively through Thurston Bros. The style has its roots in the British cafe' racer scene of the 1960s, with some style from the American biker look of the 1950s. The standard version is made with Vanson's Z150 leather, which has a finish...

www.thurston-bros.com

 

[maxalex]

Aero is also repped by Thurston Brothers in the US, and I was disappointed in how Thurston dismissed a collar gap issue on the forum about six years ago. The whole controversy started here:

Vanson/Styleforum/Thurston Bros slim fit Japanese double rider MTO

how much is the upgrade for comp weight leather? That would be $75.00.

www.styleforum.net

You can still see this issue on their website. This is the model they tried selling on StyleForum. The collar hovers awkwardly away from the neck.

Vanson Daredevil – Thurston Bros Rough Wear LLC

The Vanson Daredevil is a jacket design available exclusively through Thurston Bros. The style has its roots in the British cafe' racer scene of the 1960s, with some style from the American biker look of the 1950s. The standard version is made with Vanson's Z150 leather, which has a finish...

www.thurston-bros.com

I’ve been to Thurston Bros in Seattle and the Aero factory in Scotland. Only problem I had over many years was when they tried to charge me something like £100 to replace a broken zipper on a jacket that was only a couple of years old—plus shipping both ways (the jacket is horsehide and weighs approximately a billion pounds). I still haven’t fixed it but my tailor here in Rome says he knows someone who can do it within walking distance from my home.

 

[johng70]

I agree leather is a poir choice for cold without sheerling... It is also possible for a person to make bad style choices with how they put an outfit together. But i fail to see how the jackets Aero makes are for cosplay but the images here are not. Aero offers different leather options but as said a cafe racer or highwayman style jacket is a masculine style. And yes if you get front quarter hirse hide it's heavy. I've had no QC issues but don't discount others that do. But no different than lots of hand made leather goods. Alleb Edmonds, Alden, Carmina are all shoes i own and love. But you'll see complaints about QC in those threads too

 

[dieworkwear]

I agree that Aero has some nice models. I like their Board Racer. I was only saying that some of their models are a bit old-fashioned and can result in a certain type of outfit. If someone likes that type of style and wishes to dress that way, of course, there are more styles in Aero's catalog that will appeal to them.

I don't care for the leather jacket in the OP's link, but that style feels closer to that sort of Italian styling I discussed earlier, rather than Aero's styling.

 

[maxalex]

I agree that Aero has some nice models. I like their Board Racer. I was only saying that some of their models are a bit old-fashioned and can result in a certain type of outfit. If someone likes that type of style and wishes to dress that way, of course, there are more styles in Aero's catalog that will appeal to them.

I don't care for the leather jacket in the OP's link, but that style feels closer to that sort of Italian styling I discussed earlier, rather than Aero's styling.

Aero is definitely a time-warp company, right down to their charmingly funky website (not phone optimized) and their grimy factory which looks straight out of Dickens. But some of their longer models feel more suited to “civilian” wear with tailored clothing, such as the Mariner, a Navy peacoat design with alpaca lining. It’s still Horween horsehide and will never be as light as that buttery soft lamb skin, which we used to call lady leather. Their suede 1950s college jacket looks to rival the Valstarino at a lower price but I’ve never seen it in person.

 

[Casaubon]

He Spoke Style just put this out yesterday, so you might be able to find some ideas or inspiration: