FiveStar Leather Concept Suggestion: Air Luxe!

[automatic]

Hello, new here! Pretty much new to leather jackets as well. I have a Wilsons I got as a gift a few years ago, which made me want to learn more about what else is out there and led me to VLJ and TFL.

Anyway, I've been reading threads about FiveStar on here and TFL, and think that the company has a lot going for it. It is just so unique in this space, in terms of value, customer satisfaction, and willingness to try to build new jacket styles or replicate 'extinct' styles. While I don't have the cash right now to order a jacket, I wanted to share my concept for one in the hopes that someone here likes the idea and orders one so I can see how it turns out. It would be especially cool to see it become a new addition to the FiveStar catalog.

Alright, so here's my thoughts (please excuse incorrect lingo, I am still learning!):
I think the Eastman Air Comfort is really cool because of its 'extra deep' mouton collar, pictured below (Link to original pics). I also like that it has slit pockets, instead of the usual big button/snap pockets on similar jackets.

FiveStar has a similar jacket, their Wind Breaker, but it just has a regular mouton collar. A member here, Fulcanelli, got a FiveStar G1 with a special, extra large collar, pictured below (Link to original pic).

The collar Fulcanelli got is not as deep as the one on the Eastman, but proves that FiveStar has the means to make something like that happen.
My idea is to create another jacket based on the FiveStar Wind Breaker, called the Air Luxe, with an extra deep collar like on the Eastman. To differentiate it from the Eastman, a chest pocket can be added (horizonal or tilted, open or zipped).

I know this one is basically a copy of the Eastman Air comfort, but I think it is a justified homage. Plenty of jackets are copied among brands. Besides, people like me can't afford an Eastman anyway, so its not like its stealing their business. If any of you are into watches, it's like the difference between an Invicta 8926 vs a Rolex Submariner.

I would get it with a 'light reddish brown' mouton collar, wine red quilted lining, seal brown goat leather (premium, veg-tanned, 1 or 1.2 thickness), seal brown knits and stitching. I don't know if nickel or brass zips would be best. I would get it slim fit, almost like the fit of the Eastman pictured above but with a little bit slimmer arms.

I also think FiveStar needs to work on their tags. List the specific leather, not just 'genuine leather', and hire a designer to make high-quality vintage-style graphics for their tags. It is a small detail, but one that would make a big difference in terms of perceived quality.

Thoughts!? I have a few other ideas for jackets if you guys want to hear!

 

[ausreenactor]

That Air Luxe looks like it would provide a lot of 'Comfort' for the price.

 

[Nnatalie]

It would be a nice jacket! But personally, why get a reproduction of the Eastman jacket when you could reproduce one of the many originals of this style?

 

[mulceber]

It would be a nice jacket! But personally, why get a reproduction of the Eastman jacket when you could reproduce one of the many originals of this style?

For example...

Vintage 50s Penny's Brown Horsehide Mouton Bomber Jacket Talon Zip Sz S 38 USA | eBay

Length from bottom of collar: 23 1/4". Pit to pit: 21".

www.ebay.com

 

[automatic]

A fair point, Nnatalie! I haven't really looked into similar originals, only the catalogs of the popular–and usually expensive–modern companies, so the Eastman is the only jacket in this style I have for reference. I'm going through old threads to learn more the originals though (I saw one sweet 'extinct' jacket in particular that I also think is worth a FiveStar repro. I'll post a thread about that tomorrow).

That jacket you linked to is really nice, mulceber! If I had the cash, I would scoop it up, as it looks to be about my size. Noob question: are measurements like p2p and length relatively comparable between a jacket like the one mulceber shared and a light cotton hoodie, give or take like an inch, or are they too different to use as a reference? I ask because I do not have a well-fitting leather jacket to take measurements from when thinking about a purchase.

 

[mulceber]

Honestly, I'd go for this one if it will fit you - it's actually a bit cheaper than most of Five Star's jackets. Make sure you nail the sizing though. If you don't have a jacket to measure from, I wouldn't use a sweatshirt. Instead, take a string (or a tailor's tape, if you have one), and measure the circumference of your chest at the armpit. Make sure it's not loose, but still leaves you breathing room. Whatever that measurement is is your jacket size (or thereabouts - jacket makers are all over the place in terms of fit). So, if that measurement is 36, 37, or 38 inches, the jacket I posted above would probably fit you okay.

The actual measurements of the jacket itself is a whole different kettle of fish. You'll notice the size 38 jacket I posted above has a pit-to-pit of 21 inches, meaning it's circumference is actually 42 inches. That's because a jacket that has a chest circumference that's the same as your chest measurement (or a pit-to-pit that's 50% of your chest measurement, which amounts to the same thing) won't fit you, because it would be skin tight. For a basic leather jacket with a thin cotton/rayon/silk liner, you want the circumference of the jacket to be 2-5 inches larger than your chest circumference. For a jacket with a quilted lining, like this one, you'd want it to be on the upper end of that range, maybe as much as 6 inches larger than your chest measurement.

The chest measurement is basically your starting point and is your most reliable indicator of the way a jacket will fit, since all the other measurements can vary depending on the cut of the jacket. If you're particularly tall, or just really lanky, you might need a tall size, but unless you regularly have trouble finding clothing that fits, your best bet when buying your first jacket is to go by chest measurement and trust that the other measurements will be okay. Once you have that jacket, you'll be able to use its measurements as a guide to your second jacket (spoiler alert: there will almost certainly be a second jacket).

 

[automatic]

Honestly, I'd go for this one if it will fit you - it's actually a bit cheaper than most of Five Star's jackets. Make sure you nail the sizing though. If you don't have a jacket to measure from, I wouldn't use a sweatshirt. Instead, take a string (or a tailor's tape, if you have one), and measure the circumference of your chest at the armpit. Make sure it's not loose, but still leaves you breathing room. Whatever that measurement is is your jacket size (or thereabouts - jacket makers are all over the place in terms of fit). So, if that measurement is 36, 37, or 38 inches, the jacket I posted above would probably fit you okay.

The actual measurements of the jacket itself is a whole different kettle of fish. You'll notice the size 38 jacket I posted above has a pit-to-pit of 21 inches, meaning it's circumference is actually 42 inches. That's because a jacket that has a chest circumference that's the same as your chest measurement (or a pit-to-pit that's 50% of your chest measurement, which amounts to the same thing) won't fit you, because it would be skin tight. For a basic leather jacket with a thin cotton/rayon/silk liner, you want the circumference of the jacket to be 2-5 inches larger than your chest circumference. For a jacket with a quilted lining, like this one, you'd want it to be on the upper end of that range, maybe as much as 6 inches larger than your chest measurement.

The chest measurement is basically your starting point and is your most reliable indicator of the way a jacket will fit, since all the other measurements can vary depending on the cut of the jacket. If you're particularly tall, or just really lanky, you might need a tall size, but unless you regularly have trouble finding clothing that fits, your best bet when buying your first jacket is to go by chest measurement and trust that the other measurements will be okay. Once you have that jacket, you'll be able to use its measurements as a guide to your second jacket (spoiler alert: there will almost certainly be a second jacket).

Thanks for that great explanation and advice, I really appreciate it!

 

[Fulcanelli]

Hello, new here! Pretty much new to leather jackets as well. I have a Wilsons I got as a gift a few years ago, which made me want to learn more about what else is out there and led me to VLJ and TFL.

Anyway, I've been reading threads about FiveStar on here and TFL, and think that the company has a lot going for it. It is just so unique in this space, in terms of value, customer satisfaction, and willingness to try to build new jacket styles or replicate 'extinct' styles. While I don't have the cash right now to order a jacket, I wanted to share my concept for one in the hopes that someone here likes the idea and orders one so I can see how it turns out. It would be especially cool to see it become a new addition to the FiveStar catalog.

Alright, so here's my thoughts (please excuse incorrect lingo, I am still learning!):
I think the Eastman Air Comfort is really cool because of its 'extra deep' mouton collar, pictured below (Link to original pics). I also like that it has slit pockets, instead of the usual big button/snap pockets on similar jackets.
View attachment 46747View attachment 46748

FiveStar has a similar jacket, their Wind Breaker, but it just has a regular mouton collar. A member here, Fulcanelli, got a FiveStar G1 with a special, extra large collar, pictured below (Link to original pic).

View attachment 46749
The collar Fulcanelli got is not as deep as the one on the Eastman, but proves that FiveStar has the means to make something like that happen.
My idea is to create another jacket based on the FiveStar Wind Breaker, called the Air Luxe, with an extra deep collar like on the Eastman. To differentiate it from the Eastman, a chest pocket can be added (horizonal or tilted, open or zipped).

I know this one is basically a copy of the Eastman Air comfort, but I think it is a justified homage. Plenty of jackets are copied among brands. Besides, people like me can't afford an Eastman anyway, so its not like its stealing their business. If any of you are into watches, it's like the difference between an Invicta 8926 vs a Rolex Submariner.

I would get it with a 'light reddish brown' mouton collar, wine red quilted lining, seal brown goat leather (premium, veg-tanned, 1 or 1.2 thickness), seal brown knits and stitching. I don't know if nickel or brass zips would be best. I would get it slim fit, almost like the fit of the Eastman pictured above but with a little bit slimmer arms.

I also think FiveStar needs to work on their tags. List the specific leather, not just 'genuine leather', and hire a designer to make high-quality vintage-style graphics for their tags. It is a small detail, but one that would make a big difference in terms of perceived quality.

Thoughts!? I have a few other ideas for jackets if you guys want to hear!

Interesting. The wind breaker was the jacket that inspired me to go for a bigger collar. Shawn was very helpful and enlarged the collar by 2cm in all dimensions. If I was going for it again i’d go even further away from the G1 and get rid of the all the knits. But I’ll think I’ll just get one of those awesome B3’s instead.

 

[Shawn Ali]

Hi Dear @Fulcanelli

Thanks for making our attention towards this, but we already build a similar bigger Collar Wind Breaker for some of our VLJ friends, You can find some of its images below, its based on our Same Wind Breaker Jackets patterns the only difference is this jacket have a Bigger Collar and instead of Goatskin Leather we made that in our Steer hide leather and name this "Sky King" Jacket.

Best Regards

Shawn

 

[petermack09]

& then there’s this,the devil is in the detail

 

[mulceber]

Well I guess the cat’s out of the bag now. A few of us were working on this project with Shawn for a while now, with most of that time spent just considering different options for hides, trying to nail the collar, etc. We just finished a couple weeks ago, and @Nnatalie and I have SkyKings (SkyQueen in her case?) in the mail. They should be delivered today or tomorrow, and we’ll post photos and a review then.

Edit: according to DHL, it's today.

 

[Bombing IP]

Well that's very good news to hear that Natalie is getting another jacket . More important Mulceber when are you going to get more dresses ,I mean lets even out the playing field .

Jeff

 

[Bombing IP]

Shawn is the man modeling the jacket is that you Shawn nice to put a name to a face . Good work on the jacket ,also love how the Dubow came out its a mirror image of an original . Got to say well done your sincere commitment to the jackets you are making is most appreciated by all even the dissenters have gone quiet .This Five Star project series is the most interesting series of posts on the forum for me and I enjoy every post .I would like to know in the not to distant future would you be up to make me a Cycliste jacket ,I have been running a posting on the VLJ myself and have all the pieces .I just need to work on the dimensions and design details then I will send you a package and we can discuss leather options ..

 

[automatic]

Wow, it looks great, thanks for the pics Shawn! I can't wait for Mulceber and Nnatalie's photos/reviews!

 

[leper-colony]

Wow, Shawn, that's out of the park! Is that the 6-ply cognac thread?

 

[busdrivermike]

Oh man @Shawn Ali that sky king is absolutely gorgeous
I’ve loved that style ever since I saw them in old 50s/60s movies
Alot of the motorcycle police and tough guys wore jackets like this
Especially with the zippered chest pocket, and epaulets like this :
I’ve always thought about one in heavy black or brown leather with all heavy brass zippers including exterior pockets
To keep things secure when riding a motorcycle

 

[ausreenactor]

Pretty impressive when we factor in the developmental timeline here. And with the concurrent revision work on the Dubow reproduction steaming ahead. No wonder there are dozens of happy customers on the Facebook page! Well done!

 

[mulceber]

Well, the DHL man dropped off a couple of jackets for us today:

Here's a comparison shot next to Bill Kelso's Liberty Seal HH, to give a sense of the color:

Almost all of the work in bringing this project together went into the collar. Shawn's wind breaker as it was looked all right, but we really wanted a bigger, flashier collar. Ultimately we ended up taking measurements from a B-15A, and using that as our starting point. There was another hurdle though: when Shawn sent me Mouton samples, none of us could agree on a color. So instead, we went on eBay, and almost immediately found a mouton fur coat from the '60s in the perfect shade. We were able to buy it for $40 shipped, and sent pieces of it to Shawn to make into collars.

Here are the results:

 

[ausreenactor]

They look great.

(Minutiae warning) The only negative I can see is the label. Larger font to fill the space or a tad smaller perhaps...

Well done once again.

 

[mulceber]

Hey, this is a board almost dedicated to minutiae, so fair dos. That's a good point - a lot of white space on the label.