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

[reallypeacedoff]

As I said before, got my DR (lamb) a few weeks ago and have been wearing it non-stop on nights I go out. Wearing her in is making it drape even better now. Been doing well with the ladies as of late, coincidence?

 

[LPatterson]

If yall do the chesterfield, I'm in.

 

[LA Guy]

Yeah, as I said Drew didn't invent DRs. And Mercedes didn't invent cars. But most of the people in this thread will agree most of the DRs from different makers don't look alike that much. Who can't tell Vanson's DR from TOJ's, for example.

But also, I guess you're all thiking of the "typical" black DR or moto. But I ordered this jacket:



I'm not aware of any other maker doing that same configuration and in that leather. Maybe it's some particular design that already existed, don't know, but to me it looks quite unique. What if Luxire offered a 5-zip clone as a standard option? Would that be ok too?

If Charly and Dan did really design several or all the jackets with Drew and not just gave a bit of input here and there, then fine. They'll know which designs they feel entitled to use, pretty much like when a band breaks up and only whoever wrote the song keeps singing it at concerts.

But Luxire has no business with Drew's designs, and although Fok's message sounded to me as if they were going to do TOJ clones, I'll wait and see how similar they are.

Finally, I couldn't care less about legal stuff. That only concerns lawyers and people involved. Yes I was talking about ethics. Someone's wrongdoing doesn't entitle others to do the same.

And this is coming from someone who is superpissed that the jacket he ordered in Feb 2014 is still far, far a way if it ever comes.

I wish that you wouldn't jump to conclusions, or make unsubstantiated claims about what I am or am not planning.

But let's look at that specific jacket. That is a very common configuration found on European racing jackets. Lewis Leathers actually copies that style for their Super Monza style:


It's actually more similar to the regular Monza style, but I couldn't find any pictures. The Super Monza is a jacket that I used to see a lot of vintage copies of from the 70s, but it's hard to find them now. And they were done in all sorts of colors. Lewis Leathers in the 70s did some amazing colors. I've never seen it in suede, but is that so far of a stretch. It frustrates me when people with limited experience and knowledge of garments jumps to conclusions based on essentially nothing.

 

[LA Guy]

tldr; but:

There are many more companies than Schott, Lewis Leathers, Aero, Vanson, and the handful of "household" names. Some of these companies are now defunct, some are still toiling away. Between them, there are some great ideas, and some that are not so great. ToJ did what every other leather jacket company in the world has done, for over a century, which is to take a garment, and say "That's nice, but I don't like this, that, and the other thing" and make their own version, which often ends up a mishmash of influences. Sometimes that process is very deliberate, and sometimes it's less studied, but it amounts to the same thing.

I was brought on by Luxire because I have both a good sense of the contemporary fashion market, and also a pretty decent amount of knowledge from years of working with vintage jackets and a lot of study. I'm not like the Himel Bros guy, who is apparently an encyclopedia,

Will the jackets that I design look similar to ToJ designs? Sure. We are starting with a cafe racer and a double breasted motorcycle jacket, and I'm building them the way that I like them, with a more streamlined design and longer length, since the jackets will be used primarily for being cool, though hopefully, they will be ride-worthy as well. But I'm not going to tolerate any comments that a similar jacket is "a ripoff". That is just not a fair characterization.

Also:


is a nearly straight copy of the Lewis Leather Bronx, which is, in turn, a version of the Schott Leather's Perfecto. The difference is in the materials, the trims, the workmanship, very slight differences in the cuts. That's what distinguishes one company's jackets from another.

 

[LA Guy]

P.S. Fringe on the sleeves will be extra.

So, nearly none of that was funny, but I do think that fringe (well, suede fringe) can be sorta cool. I have a bunch of jackets (mostly women's) fromthe 70s with fringe. A lot of them were from fashion brands of the time, but a fair number of them were very obviously artisan made, and the amount of time to make the jackets would have been quite high. No, not going to offer fringe for me right now, even though it was a mini-trend in women's not so long ago, but I sorta like it, and definitely like braided leather seams.

 

[LA Guy]

btw, not even thinking of offering a banded or mandarin collar double rider right now, but that claim sorta pissed me off, and I felt like I needed to set the record straight.

And there are only so many styles of quilting as well...

 

[Potsnu]

Haven't checked in awhile.

Excited to hear about the coup d'etat by Charly and Dan.

Will definitely pick up more jackets in the future once they get things set up.

 

[shadykay sf]

Drew in the shadows, thankful all this happy and hopeful talk is going on.

 

[LA Guy]

Drew in the shadows, thankful all this happy and hopeful talk is going on.

lol. Very possibly true though. "Thank you higher power for Charly and Dan and Fok and Luxire and Thurston and Vanson".

 

[Gruff]

As I said before, got my DR (lamb) a few weeks ago and have been wearing it non-stop on nights I go out. Wearing her in is making it drape even better now. Been doing well with the ladies as of late, coincidence?

Absolutely a coincidence. No woman worth her salt is going to date you just because you own a nice leather jacket. She tends to care about more important things, like whether you're a good man who treats her with respect and consideration.

 

[mrchariybrown]

I see someone mentioned the chesterfield and fishtail (both of which, we may offer a bit down the line).

Anything else on the wish list?

 

[LA Guy]

Absolutely a coincidence. No woman worth her salt is going to date you just because you own a nice leather jacket. She tends to care about more important things, like whether you're a good man who treats her with respect and consideration.

Or if she is attracted to you.

How you dress does say something about how you see yourself and want people to see you though, which is not insignificant. Just to be argumentative, since I've already started down the line already.

 

[Gruff]

I see someone mentioned the chesterfield and fishtail (both of which, we may offer a bit down the line).

Anything else on the wish list?

Might be a little ambitious for what you're planning, but something like an officer's greatcoat would be interesting. I'm thinking WW1 examples. Military influences probably aren't the aesthetic you're going for, though.

 

[nbird]

I see someone mentioned the chesterfield and fishtail (both of which, we may offer a bit down the line).

Anything else on the wish list?

 

[timbermade]

Have you all forgotten about the helmet bag? I want that. If I can't have that, I'd throw my money at the baseball jacket or a girlfriend jacket for my girlfriend. She was saddened when I received my jacket and the orders were stopped.