TOJ - updates on the debacle, complaints, news about other ventures, whatever.

[Nereis]

Perhaps a button in wool liner for the bomber jackets?

 

[vaalbara]

 

[mike1445]

my first post here, signed up after purchasing a baseball jacket...that bomber is just unreal tho. That's the limited run whiskey, correct? perfect.

 

[impolyt_one]



No I understand. I agree it makes no sense. I didn't realize the material was that expensive given all the reasonably priced but horribly styled shearling jackets out there. Even the basic white sheep shearling is that pricey ? It's just wool... :/

I'm not sure, I've seen other shearling leather hides there but the backside finish (the 'leather') left a lot to be desired... and that's the part I like.

A real-deal shearling jacket is the same animal, inside and out; it's one piece of leather hide-out and hair-in. That is a sign of quality if both sides are nice - the hides for that are quite expensive, as said. Well over a hundred dollars a piece for me, and you need at least 6 to make the basic panels of a jacket - that doesn't include the trim leather, or other parts.

The downsides would be -

in a real shearling, a hand pocket or something from the outside becomes a little pocketbag inside that just 'floats' as a shearling is essentially an unlined jacket. As you are familiar with the way a pocketbag in an unlined tailored jacket looks, that's how it is basically in a shearling too. You can't exactly insert it between the hair and the hide....
You could cover it up with a piece of cloth or something so that the pocket bag doesn't flap around inside, but there would be a stitched box around the pocket that you would see on the leather, it's just something that'd have to be taken into account I guess.

The real shearling and the leather side of it rarely has an accompanying matching leather that looks the same but has no fur; that means the trim leather that goes up and down the placket to hide seams, you basically have to 'tape' over the shearling seams with more leather, since the seams are reversed on a shearling - that leather would be a contrast leather.
Again, not a factor that would kill the project, that could be done in an aesthetically pleasing way...

Stylistically - and this goes for all leather jackets in general, but I feel the shearling may be the strongest example of it - I think that you (that means me) either choose to go with a classical basis and tailor it, re-detail it to your tastes - and so the basis in the case of the shearling would be a B-15 or a RAF style shearling Bomber... or you can do an unexpected mix or hybrid of things, and you see this a lot with trendy Japanese clothes - these become junk eventually and look unwearable after a year, and maybe on the successful end that could refer to that $8,000 Balmain shearling that was done in A-2 styling... and I guess the third category of design is abstract, relatively clean slate design, which you see in high fashion/mode - that is the realm of like, Rick Owens or something. That last category is not really my area, because I prefer classical things and hope to surprise people by how long they keep wearing something from me.
So in consideration of that huge paragraph above, I would be most inclined to 'TOJ' a B-15/RAF style jacket... which is the same direction a lot of other brands have chosen to go in; problem being - they're using that poly flock backing with cheap leather on front, they're using cheap shearling, or something on that level to make their shearlings, and they get to come in under $2K. The point I always wanted to make was that TOJ can make something interesting with some definite virtues for less than the mainstream cost, while giving more - and that just can't happen with real shearling. Fake shearling, yes, I could make those all day and they'd not be expensive, they'd look alright from 10 foot away... but I shudder at the idea of putting polyester fake flocking inside such nice leather. That just doesn't do it for me, it'd be cheese, and incongruent with the way every TOJ previous has been made.

Anyway, yada, yada, yada, yada - I view it as an impossibility.

 

[Grug]



 

[obiter dictum]



My gateway Jawnz arrived a few weeks ago. I love it. Planning which leather to get now! Many thanks guys.

Surprised nobody commented on this, looks fantastic. Is that the navy/beige or the black/white?

 

[ceoceo]



What in the world.....

 

[wj4]

What was the price on the chesterfield last year? I'm still mad I didn't get in. Gonna go buy a DeLorean now.

 

[vaalbara]

trying to take some better pictures but my camera sucks donkey penis

 

[RFX45]



My gateway Jawnz arrived a few weeks ago. I love it. Planning which leather to get now! Many thanks guys.

Is this the blue(navy?) and cream? It looks black from the pics but it's making me want to pull the trigger on one.

 

[impolyt_one]

I have not bothered to pull my little Canon point and shoot out since getting the iPhone 4S(teve) - the camera is really that good. It ain't a 5D mk II but it'll improve your fit pic game. recommended cop.

 

[Islander]

vaalbara's whiskey calf is kind of how I envision the VTG looking after a few years, except a lot less uniform in colour.

 

[brad-t]



I have not bothered to pull my little Canon point and shoot out since getting the iPhone 4S(teve) - the camera is really that good. It ain't a 5D mk II but it'll improve your fit pic game. recommended cop.

this is my plan after having my canon stolen. seems good enough

 

[Islander]

I am in line to upgrade from 3G to 4S. Yes in Canada we have a wait list.

 

[RFX45]



I have not bothered to pull my little Canon point and shoot out since getting the iPhone 4S(teve) - the camera is really that good. It ain't a 5D mk II but it'll improve your fit pic game. recommended cop.

I've heard great things about the 4S camera but unless it provided significantly longer battery life than the 4, I'd really rather wait for the 5. How useful has Siri been for you?