Quick question for the experts..

[Gorak]

What exactly are the standards that you look for in a "quality" jacket? I know alot of it is subjective to personal taste and opinion but is there a general consesus? I was playing around with my Wested and was finially looking at all the details and noticed some areas that were double stitched (don`t know if it is suppose to be there), some small threads here and there which don`t really bother or matter to me but it made me think of some of our members seeing something like this and freaking out. So it made me wonder what exactly some of you guys look for when you first get your jacket?
Also, here is thumbs up for my Wested in super thin Lambskin....today the temp was 101 when I went out to eat, and I was wearing my wested zipped up and was totally comfortable!
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I know it is also part of individual ability to withstand the heat I feel so much more like Indy being able to gear out no matter the weather!

[Texan Scott]

I most want a jacket that is faithful to the original, obviously with an eye for details and is well constructed. Fortunately in the forum, there are several jacket vendors to choose from that will meet those needs quite adequately. But for my needs, the G&B goat fills the need quite well. I've had three to date, but this new one is exceptional, really a quality jacket. Todd's is outstanding for the price. Wested has picked up its game, as of late. USW now make accurate jackets, and they have always been well constructed.

[Gorak]

Thanks Scott, but without regards to individual vendors...if I just bought a jacket, brought it home and layed it on the floor, what exactly would I be looking for in terms of what would constitute a "quality" jacket?
Should the seams be perfectly straight or a little crookedness okay? When edges are double stitched, should the stitching be slightly seperate or directly overlay the main stitch?..things of that nature.......

[Texan Scott]

For the most part, you are dealing with a person laboring over an industrial sewing machine, and since it is leather, there really is no doing it again, due to the fact that once the holes are punched by the needle, there is no going back. A little crookedness in the seams is normal. Of course, everyone is different, but I'm more about the details of the Indy jacket, than a stitch nazi, as some would say. I wouldn't get too worked up over two seams being not so perfectly aligned, as I would-is it well made? Will it hold up under normal and sometimes not so ordinary useage? The jacket should be a part of the equasion that says, 'live the big adventure' and 'sieze the day'. Put some character and mileage between you and the shininess of the jacket.

Ultimately, I think the answer to your question is how skilled is the seamstress working for that particular vendor? And are you getting your money's worth given a particular price point. Some put high stock in US made vs. import.

[CM]

It's like anything else you can buy. Look for quality finish and quality materials. It’s only partly subjective.

This means, even stitching. No gaps, no loose seams, no uneven seams. Look at the lining. Is it strong or does it appear flimsy? Is the lining bagging inside the coat or is it nice and tailored. Are the zips and buttons a high quality. The very least is YKK but Talon and other prestige brands are often a sign of quality. Is the leather evenly fininished or rough and uneven. Is the leather heavy and the same grade right across the garment or is the jacket made of lots of different hides. Big pieces of leather are a good sign of poor quality. Too many seams usually mean the jacket is made out of small bits of leather (a cheaper was of doing it). Etc, etc. Indy jackets are seam specific so this one is less significant.

Here we tend to admire distressed or phoney worn jackets and many of the quality items like a thick, heavy hide and general evenness are not desirable so... you can guess the rest..

[gwyddion]

I never lay it flat and look at it myself but I do go over the things already mentioned. The important thing for me is when I put it on though: does it look rigt when wearing it, does it feel like it is built to wistand some rough use, are the measurements correct, do I have enough freedom of movement and that sort of stuff. I know too little about tailoring to discern quality by sight alone, so I have to "feel" it while wearing it. But that's just me

Regards, Geert

[Michaelson]

Me too, Geert! I'm a big believer of 'function over form' anymore.

Regards! Michaelson

[fifthchamber]

I think it should also be noted that good "function" is often synonymous with good "form" in the making...So that if a jacket feels good while being worn, and functions well in the situations you expose it to, chances are often high that it's been made well... (Like most things, the basics really are the final outcome, no matter how complex that outcome is... It all starts from the ground up)...

Which basically means I agree with both Geert and Michaelson ...The way a jacket feels and moves when I'm in it is what I'm basing my judgement of "quality" on..And it just so happens that in (good) clothes, function usually DOES follow form...

As a rough guide, and from someone far from being an "expert" I like clean threads, no loose stitching, nice, tight threadlines and quality thread used to hold it all up...On the leather side I think there's too much opinions to be one "correct" one, and it depends on what you're after..But nice eveness, decent grain and nice tone are always what I look for in that..

Zipper wise, a smooth, even pull...Nothing too light and easy to break, but not too heavy either...The YKK zippers that Wested usually uses are a good example, both the Nickel and the brass coloured ones....

All else aside, I agree with everyone else here...

Warm regards..

[ron521]

I see "quality" as having three parts....good design, good materials, and good workmanship.
Good design means the garment fits well and is therefore comfortable and allows good freedom of motion.
Good materials means it is constructed of materials which are up to the task required of them, and that they won't wear out early or degrade quickly in appearance. Leather is adequate thickness and of sufficient strength, lining materials endure, zippers and snaps don't malfunction.
Good workmanship means that the assembly of the materials is done neatly and securely, that seams won't come undone, leather panels are cut accurately to pattern, leather is carefully chosen and matched for texture.

Most on this forum have owned jackets which failed to meet one or more of these criteria.

[Michaelson]

Well stated, ron!

Regards! Michaelson

[Gorak]

Great answers guys..kinda what I was looking for....not exactly WHO does what but just kinda random personal opinions about what people generally physically look at on a jacket to determine whether they bought a well-made jacket or not. This just emerged from me recently going over my last Wested real close and noticing some very small threads sticking out here and there, very slightly wavy stitching, both of which I just felt was the mark of a handmade jacket but then, reading some of the older post and the complaints in them, I thought," What exactly am I looking for?" Cuz for all the loose threading, I pulled hard on this think with all my might on the collar and it didn`t rip. I was really impressed that it held up to what I did to it in order to stretch that collar longer. My Wested leather pieces all match nicely but I noticed on my Todd`s custom Cow, they don`t. It doesn`t bother me at all but I just really noticed it. On the arm, one side of the seam is grainy while the other side is very smooth. I just assume that means that the individual putting it together didn`t think twice about matching the grain. Again, not a problem as I love this jacket but just .."observations" if you will.
I have two leather jackets from Banana Republic that, for them not catering to leather, these jackets appear to be very well made. Nowhere does it feel weak, the leather pieces and grain all seem to match up very nicely, all edges are clean and straight stitched well.

[Michaelson]

They're all different, my friend.

I've had 'cheap' versions last for years, and high end versions have their sleeves literally fall off after a single event of getting caught in the rain.

All you can do is go for the average.

Regards! Michaelson

[Michaelson]

ISO 9000 check list?

[CM]

Fit is a key aspect. A really good pattern will allow you to raise your arms without the sleeve disapearing up your elbow or your jacket riding up to your chest. G&B do this well (I'm not even thinking of thier Indy) - I also have one of their police bike jackets.

[Michaelson]

ISO 9000 check list?

Lmao - nope... Just a _ brain dump... Sad...

Sad? No. Just means YOU'RE ISO 9000 certified, that's all.

Regard! Michaelson