Great video. About 15 years ago, being a student I saved up for a quality tailor-made biker leather jacket. It wasn't a bespoke jacket, of course, but it was handmade at a local factory which produces high-quality leather goods for bikers and metalheads. This jacket cost me a pretty penny, so I even had to borrow some cash from my elder sister, but is was more than worth its price. It will never go out of fashion and it looks even better after all these years. The factory even offers a lifetime warranty for all the studs and zippers, though I haven't had any problems with them so far. I only wish I won't get fatter with age so I will be able to wear it even when I'm seventy.
I bought my motorcycle jacket from The Alley Chicago in the early 90s. Thirty years on, and after two instances of road rash, it keeps looking better every year.
@@lobo34295 i can look in the morning and see if it says. off the top, i know that it was made in Indonesia, with a quilted, removable liner. technically, it's a scooter jacket. collar-less with no lapels.
@lobo34295 sorry, mate. no info on the tag. other than the manufacturer, Unik, and Made In Pakistan. the leather is quite thick and the jacket is surprisingly heavy, still holding up after 30+ years. the only real wear is the lining, worn out by years of rubbing against 90's era wallet chains and pocket knives.
I live in Belgrade Serbia and here fine leather jackets are a real status symbol. I have several favorites that are a blue leather pilot jacket from the Serbian Air Force. And my next favorite is modern take on a classic motorcycle jacket made using butter soft Italian leather. When I travel to the USA I get compliments on my jackets but here they are normal to see
A nice leather jacket is my next big clothing piece to get. It’s just not in the cards for me at the moment, but sometime in the future I’ll be on the lookout for a nice leather jacket. This video will be a big help.
@@fernandorodriguez876 I think I want to get something for at least $500 and up to about 700-750. I'm not super into motorcycle jacket looks, but bombers and simple racer styles look really nice.
Belstaff jackets whether leather or any other material, are great, design-wise, and yes: I also bought the Indy Jones jacket (from Raiders) by Wested in the late 90s, actually.
I own both cheap and expensive pieces. Some cheap pieces can actually be decent as long as you don't wear them too often. Real quality pieces will last a lifetime of daily wear. that wear will show, but its part of the character of your jacket. Cheap pieces will just tear.
Dainese (Motorcycle gear maker) actually makes surprisingly good jackets on budget. Their lifestyle collection has impeccable quality and 2-3mm of cow or horse.
Like another poster. I got my Schott MC jacket 30 years ago. It's held up and looks great, even after a glorious wipeout! The only maintenance it's needed was a replacement of the pocket linings. It's also a good gage to let me know when I'm getting a little heavy.... most years I can zip it up & still breathe 😂
Good stuff, thanks. The prices noted here make me mourn for the bankrupt store, Syms. Paid $220 during the early 90s for a classic cut long leather coat (above knee but below waist), which sold for $500+ the previous season at other retail chains. Still in fantastic shape post 250+ wears on the streets, subways, and buses of Manhattan :)
remember to condition the leather once in a while and it should last a lifetime! i have a leather jacked i bought in 2010 which i love and only recently conditioned for the first time lol. it's really brought it back to life!
I have two Schott nyc jackets , one black the other tan. Both have minimal hardware making them easy to dress up or down. The tan jacket has a casual look and is mostly worn during the day. Both are unlined and very breathable however in the beginning they were hard to take on and off. Over a short time (about 2 seasons) that became less of an issue. For maintenance I give each a treatment with Bick 4 leather conditioner once a year and they're good to go.
Lewis Leathers in London is a very good place to find a leather jacket to match your lifestyle. I'm not a big fan of leather jackets as it's not my style but they have a great selection of top end leather jackets that will become heirlooms.
I like leather jackets but I don't wanna spend the money on them. In that case, second hand is the way for me. I got this brand new, quality jacket at a rummage sale for 5 DOLLARS! It's not even worn in either it's BRAND NEW. The best thing is, everyone calls me Fonzy because it looks just like the jacket he wears in Happy days.
If you live in Australia, there is really only one place to go, that is Mars Leather in Melbourne. I bought a leather motorcycle jacket there in 2009 & it still looks like new, even after daily use for many many years, including many days riding in the rain. Just rub in the Dubbin once in a while & it's good to go. The leather is the best available & the quality of construction is second to none. And they make any & every type of leather jacket known to mankind, either off the rack or tailor made. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Thanks for an interesting video.
Great video overall, but I'm not sure that some of the terminology was quite right. "Full grain is more consistent in texture than top grain" - I wouldn't think so, as top grain by definition is full grain that has been sanded down to remove imperfections. Certainly still true that high quality full grain is better than top grain, of course. Separately, and this is being pedantic, but shell cordovan is a membrane and not a "hide", right?
What are some good American made brands of leather jackets? I hear a lot about Thursday Boot Co. but it kinda just seems like a “go to” brand. I’m wanting something a little more original yet simple and affordable(nothing crazy like in the $1000s… more mid level $500-$800)
One recurrent question I have is: does the leather jacket should be stored hanged or just folded? If folded, could get some wrinkles but if hung, does not the leather get stretched with time?
Hang it. It will dry quicker (which is important because leather can mold if left damp for extended periods) and it will crease were the folds are Also, the thick and sturdy nature of leather would make it awkward to store folded
I bought a leather jacket from Lula's for $65 Dollars. Field Stream Gordon and Ferguson Company, I think made in St. Paul. It is a great jacket and has served me well so far.
to be perfectly honest. The original Indy jacket from Wested leather is not expensive at all. I picked mine up a few years ago for under 200 Pound Sterling. It's a quality made piece for a reasonable price.
Excellent vid, however you’ve somewhat overlooked the huge difference between chromium tanning & vegetable tanning. Certainly you addressed the difference yet failed to adequately compare & contrast. In saying this… I learned so much from your vid, thank you
Top grain has no imperfections bcs it has been sanded down and has less texture while full grain can have imperfection but more texture and is more durable... U mixed them up in the video
Bought a cheap leather jacket 30 years ago, that lasted 20 years. Got so many compliments about it. Bought an LL Bean flying tiger leather jacket. Had to return it when the liner shredded in less than a year. The replacement lasted a little longer than a year. Last LL Bean product i ever bought.
Its not too hard to find used schott jackets on ebay for a few hundred dollars. Obviously, condition of the jacket will vary, but getting a 1200$ jacket for 250$ in a vg/f condition feels great
These shops and dealers buy them at cost in bulk then jack the cost you buy a 350 jacket they paid 65 to 75 for it its retail mark up i saw a dealer HWK 65 bucks same quality
I'm struggling to find a leather jacket that fits my athletic build. I had to sell my old Schott one because my arms and shoulders won't fit anymore, and can barely zip up to my neck. I don't want to go too large and look like a balloon, I like the fit look. Any thoughts Kyle?
I'm not sure that you should be bigging up Belstaff not after the Ineos takeover, before the takeover they made great quality letter jackets. When I rode motorbikes that's all I would wear, post takeover it's all about fashion and the bottom line over quality. I wouldn't buy another.
I got a nice lamb leather jacket in the same colar as my chesnut darbies from Allen Edmonds. $220 in Morocco! Im happy I stuck to my guns and didn'nt buy from the guy who wanted 4x that....
There's an edginess about the leather jacket that even translates to wearing a leather cap as I note on my AB testing as social categorisation tends to stereotype enabling the wearer to self categorise as a liminal gentlemen with charisma.
@@ahmadayamm4303it works , wear what you want but biker jackets are generally and historically known for being rebellious(since the 1950’s via bikers/greasers) compared to polo shirts and khakis. Polo shirts and khakis are known for being associated to rich and pretentious people.
My problem with most leather jacket is that they use design that are too bold for me with boring leather Most of the quality leather jacket you have shown didn't appeal to me since they had too many shiny buckle paired with shiny black uniform leather. These might be 1k$, but from afar they look like cheap cosplay (from close a leather passionate would get it, but not everyone) Instead I would much rather have fewer (brass) buckle paired with interesting leather. For example, kudu, bison and waxed rough out would make unbelievable jacket... at a quite steep price
Like I always say, I seem to have gotten more compliments for the pleather one than some of the nicer ones, but the cheap leather still looks like painted plastic most of the time.
You folks need to work on your dictionary skills. The difference between a cheap and expensive anything is price. That's it. Both words are measures of relative price. High and low qualities are not necessarily guided by cost.
Other than the tanning process there’s not much different between a cheap and expensive leather jacket. Sure dying is a factor but jackets can be re-dyed for cheap.
I would qualify that, and change the statement to a great cheap full-grain or top-grain leather jacket is just as good as an expensive one. It definitely won't be from a well-known brand, but quality brand elsewhere. As for used, I got a designer leather jacket at 90% of its retail price, in a country that has no cold season. Its previous owner obviously bought only for prestige/show/impulse as he liked stuff from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc., and a lot of cheap like new branded leather jackets, only used by owners for a single trip to a cold country.
Great video. About 15 years ago, being a student I saved up for a quality tailor-made biker leather jacket. It wasn't a bespoke jacket, of course, but it was handmade at a local factory which produces high-quality leather goods for bikers and metalheads. This jacket cost me a pretty penny, so I even had to borrow some cash from my elder sister, but is was more than worth its price. It will never go out of fashion and it looks even better after all these years. The factory even offers a lifetime warranty for all the studs and zippers, though I haven't had any problems with them so far. I only wish I won't get fatter with age so I will be able to wear it even when I'm seventy.
What jacket is it?
@@BrickTamland125 well, a classic metalhead design - something that Ramones would wear
I bought my motorcycle jacket from The Alley Chicago in the early 90s. Thirty years on, and after two instances of road rash, it keeps looking better every year.
What type of leather is The Alley Chicago jacket?
@@lobo34295 i can look in the morning and see if it says. off the top, i know that it was made in Indonesia, with a quilted, removable liner. technically, it's a scooter jacket. collar-less with no lapels.
@lobo34295 sorry, mate. no info on the tag. other than the manufacturer, Unik, and Made In Pakistan. the leather is quite thick and the jacket is surprisingly heavy, still holding up after 30+ years. the only real wear is the lining, worn out by years of rubbing against 90's era wallet chains and pocket knives.
I live in Belgrade Serbia and here fine leather jackets are a real status symbol.
I have several favorites that are a blue leather pilot jacket from the Serbian Air Force. And my next favorite is modern take on a classic motorcycle jacket made using butter soft Italian leather.
When I travel to the USA I get compliments on my jackets but here they are normal to see
U Zagrebu te pitaju koja je prigoda kad traperice obučeš 🤡
A nice leather jacket is my next big clothing piece to get. It’s just not in the cards for me at the moment, but sometime in the future I’ll be on the lookout for a nice leather jacket. This video will be a big help.
What would be your pricetag? What designs catch your eye?
@@fernandorodriguez876 I think I want to get something for at least $500 and up to about 700-750. I'm not super into motorcycle jacket looks, but bombers and simple racer styles look really nice.
Honey, wake up! Gentleman’s Gazette just posted a new video!
Honey, where is my super suit??????
@@rubend5191what
@rubend5191 where is my superover suit?
Belstaff jackets whether leather or any other material, are great, design-wise, and yes: I also bought the Indy Jones jacket (from Raiders) by Wested in the late 90s, actually.
My goat skin Raiders jacket from Wested Leather was $300 custom cut and performs wonderfully. I highly recommend!
I own both cheap and expensive pieces. Some cheap pieces can actually be decent as long as you don't wear them too often. Real quality pieces will last a lifetime of daily wear. that wear will show, but its part of the character of your jacket. Cheap pieces will just tear.
Great vid. I have 3 Schott perf ( two black, One brown) , 2 Aeroleather ( halfbelt and A2), and a Lewis Leather 391 Lightning. Love them all.
Dainese (Motorcycle gear maker) actually makes surprisingly good jackets on budget. Their lifestyle collection has impeccable quality and 2-3mm of cow or horse.
Like another poster. I got my Schott MC jacket 30 years ago. It's held up and looks great, even after a glorious wipeout! The only maintenance it's needed was a replacement of the pocket linings. It's also a good gage to let me know when I'm getting a little heavy.... most years I can zip it up & still breathe 😂
Good stuff, thanks.
The prices noted here make me mourn for the bankrupt store, Syms.
Paid $220 during the early 90s for a classic cut long leather coat (above knee but below waist),
which sold for $500+ the previous season at other retail chains.
Still in fantastic shape post 250+ wears on the streets, subways, and buses of Manhattan :)
remember to condition the leather once in a while and it should last a lifetime! i have a leather jacked i bought in 2010 which i love and only recently conditioned for the first time lol. it's really brought it back to life!
Right you are@@BadMotivator66. Thanks for the reminder.
I have two Schott nyc jackets , one black the other tan.
Both have minimal hardware making them easy to
dress up or down.
The tan jacket has a casual look and is mostly
worn during the day.
Both are unlined and very breathable
however in the beginning they were hard to take on and off.
Over a short time (about 2 seasons)
that became less of an issue.
For maintenance I give each a
treatment with Bick 4 leather conditioner
once a year and they're good to go.
Lewis Leathers in London is a very good place to find a leather jacket to match your lifestyle. I'm not a big fan of leather jackets as it's not my style but they have a great selection of top end leather jackets that will become heirlooms.
Had a very hard day today. So gentlemans gazette uploading a video after my french exam is truly a blessing.
I like leather jackets but I don't wanna spend the money on them. In that case, second hand is the way for me. I got this brand new, quality jacket at a rummage sale for 5 DOLLARS! It's not even worn in either it's BRAND NEW. The best thing is, everyone calls me Fonzy because it looks just like the jacket he wears in Happy days.
I hope you randomly go around strangers and say eyyyy, and give a double thumbs up then
@@BigBadJerryRogers Only with the homies. The few I have.
@@yourlocaldoomer well that's how you make new homies
@@BigBadJerryRogers You're right
same thing happened to me. got a leather coat and everyone in highschool are calling me neo XD
If you live in Australia, there is really only one place to go, that is Mars Leather in Melbourne.
I bought a leather motorcycle jacket there in 2009 & it still looks like new, even after daily use for many many years, including many days riding in the rain. Just rub in the Dubbin once in a while & it's good to go. The leather is the best available & the quality of construction is second to none. And they make any & every type of leather jacket known to mankind, either off the rack or tailor made.
I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Thanks for an interesting video.
Great video overall, but I'm not sure that some of the terminology was quite right. "Full grain is more consistent in texture than top grain" - I wouldn't think so, as top grain by definition is full grain that has been sanded down to remove imperfections. Certainly still true that high quality full grain is better than top grain, of course.
Separately, and this is being pedantic, but shell cordovan is a membrane and not a "hide", right?
Great video. I have a beautiful black leather Celine biker jacket that is very high quality.
Hide and Soul, Deadwood South Dakota...they make amazing leather gear.
A well made video I didn't know that synthetic liners made me sweat so I always thought it was the leather. Bravo sir great video!
I would like to see an update or video on Navy peacoats
Love the smell from a real leather jacket... Intoxicating.
What are some good American made brands of leather jackets? I hear a lot about Thursday Boot Co. but it kinda just seems like a “go to” brand. I’m wanting something a little more original yet simple and affordable(nothing crazy like in the $1000s… more mid level $500-$800)
What an excellent video well done
One recurrent question I have is: does the leather jacket should be stored hanged or just folded? If folded, could get some wrinkles but if hung, does not the leather get stretched with time?
Hang it. It will dry quicker (which is important because leather can mold if left damp for extended periods) and it will crease were the folds are
Also, the thick and sturdy nature of leather would make it awkward to store folded
Ralph Lauren Purple Label leather jacket for me. Fabulous quality.
I bought a leather jacket from Lula's for $65 Dollars. Field Stream Gordon and Ferguson Company, I think made in St. Paul. It is a great jacket and has served me well so far.
to be perfectly honest. The original Indy jacket from Wested leather is not expensive at all. I picked mine up a few years ago for under 200 Pound Sterling. It's a quality made piece for a reasonable price.
Cheap vs. Expensive Overcoat next, please and thanks~!
Great insight, thank you for sharing. I also loved the pop culture references and features through the vid. 😂
Years ago I had a Bates motorcycle Jacket ,wish I still had it .
My title would have been "Inexpensive versus Expensive". "Cheap" sounds coarse and ungentlemanly.
Excellent vid, however you’ve somewhat overlooked the huge difference between chromium tanning & vegetable tanning. Certainly you addressed the difference yet failed to adequately compare & contrast. In saying this… I learned so much from your vid, thank you
I have a leather bomber jacket and a black leather trench coat. I don't think the trench coat is a good idea, but the bomber jacket works for me.
Great work Kyle! Very informative!
Thank you so much!
Lisa
Top grain has no imperfections bcs it has been sanded down and has less texture while full grain can have imperfection but more texture and is more durable... U mixed them up in the video
Thursday makes some quality leather jackets.
Mine was around 300$ with silver metal spikes and as a rocker Goth gent I love it for all the years I’ve had it.🖤💀🦇
3:17 looks like a more plain version of what I bought 3+ years ago
Where can I buy a good one?
Bought a cheap leather jacket 30 years ago, that lasted 20 years. Got so many compliments about it.
Bought an LL Bean flying tiger leather jacket. Had to return it when the liner shredded in less than a year. The replacement lasted a little longer than a year. Last LL Bean product i ever bought.
No one takes pride in their products or designs anymore. Sad.
Its not too hard to find used schott jackets on ebay for a few hundred dollars. Obviously, condition of the jacket will vary, but getting a 1200$ jacket for 250$ in a vg/f condition feels great
Planning to get one soon great to be early
These shops and dealers buy them at cost in bulk then jack the cost you buy a 350 jacket they paid 65 to 75 for it its retail mark up i saw a dealer HWK 65 bucks same quality
What's your take on the Reed leather bomber jacket ??
I realize everyone can afford to fly to Italy but you can get a beautiful leather jacket in Florence for a good price.
Any specific place you recommend?
I'm struggling to find a leather jacket that fits my athletic build. I had to sell my old Schott one because my arms and shoulders won't fit anymore, and can barely zip up to my neck. I don't want to go too large and look like a balloon, I like the fit look. Any thoughts Kyle?
I love this man's voice
Fantastic video. I wear Lucky Brand. But that's because my wife worked there part time. 😅 got them cheap. But I do like them.
I'm not sure that you should be bigging up Belstaff not after the Ineos takeover, before the takeover they made great quality letter jackets. When I rode motorbikes that's all I would wear, post takeover it's all about fashion and the bottom line over quality. I wouldn't buy another.
I got a nice lamb leather jacket in the same colar as my chesnut darbies from Allen Edmonds. $220 in Morocco! Im happy I stuck to my guns and didn'nt buy from the guy who wanted 4x that....
There's an edginess about the leather jacket that even translates to wearing a leather cap as I note on my AB testing as social categorisation tends to stereotype enabling the wearer to self categorise as a liminal gentlemen with charisma.
Oh yeah I got that. Everyone can see it when I am wearing my black and white leather jacket covered with studs and also fringe on the sleeves.
Don't forget to try the AB test for verification too given the problem of other minds in philosophy of mind.
@@BigBadJerryRogers
Belstaff 🙌
Do yourself a favor and do not wear a biker jacket with a polo shirt and khakis.
Why?
@@ahmadayamm4303it works , wear what you want but biker jackets are generally and historically known for being rebellious(since the 1950’s via bikers/greasers) compared to polo shirts and khakis. Polo shirts and khakis are known for being associated to rich and pretentious people.
😂
@@KaemonPan por favor que conceptos más necios... 🙄
My problem with most leather jacket is that they use design that are too bold for me with boring leather
Most of the quality leather jacket you have shown didn't appeal to me since they had too many shiny buckle paired with shiny black uniform leather. These might be 1k$, but from afar they look like cheap cosplay (from close a leather passionate would get it, but not everyone)
Instead I would much rather have fewer (brass) buckle paired with interesting leather. For example, kudu, bison and waxed rough out would make unbelievable jacket... at a quite steep price
I already have too many leather jackets, but at least three still fit me or something?
Like I always say, I seem to have gotten more compliments for the pleather one than some of the nicer ones, but the cheap leather still looks like painted plastic most of the time.
But an expensive lambskin thing will still not be as durable as cow or goat or bison...
I have rarely seen affordable vintage in good condition.
[and usually only in smaller sizes, anyway]
I don't think you saw a lot of guys in WW2 with glossy finish jackets.
Haha. Vegan leather. Tomato skin or cucumber case. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
If you're broke, just get a synthetic one tbh. Don't buy a real cheap leather jacket
13 minutes of good is better than bad.
Nothing worse than cheap leather. Pleather? Lol
Yeah how anyone wears that plastic junk is beyond me, It starts peeling and falling apart and has that weird foam stuff in it.
21등
You folks need to work on your dictionary skills. The difference between a cheap and expensive anything is price. That's it. Both words are measures of relative price.
High and low qualities are not necessarily guided by cost.
Other than the tanning process there’s not much different between a cheap and expensive leather jacket. Sure dying is a factor but jackets can be re-dyed for cheap.
There is a big difference across a wide range of factors.
Design, pattern, construction, quality of the materials, how it is finished, etc.
I would qualify that, and change the statement to a great cheap full-grain or top-grain leather jacket is just as good as an expensive one. It definitely won't be from a well-known brand, but quality brand elsewhere. As for used, I got a designer leather jacket at 90% of its retail price, in a country that has no cold season. Its previous owner obviously bought only for prestige/show/impulse as he liked stuff from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc., and a lot of cheap like new branded leather jackets, only used by owners for a single trip to a cold country.
Vegan leather, for dudes that date dudes.. lol
Thank U 👌🏼
Great info 💯%
Awesome channel for men style and more 🫵🏼