Replace The Style: This Leather Jacket

From the Mailbag:  Replacing a stolen leather jacket.

My leather jacket was stolen when someone smashed in my car’s window.  It wasn’t any old jacket, it was my best friend, tailored for me in Istanbul.  Matte black lambskin.  Really subtle.  It didn’t scream “I’m wearing a vintagey leather jacket.” 

The closest thing I can find to replace it is this from J. Crew.  Which is fine if my renter’s insurance covers it completely, but I might be looking more in the $350-$500 range if it doesn’t.  I’ve also looked at the Schott Cafe Racer jacket, which is pretty similar, but might be a bit out of my price range if my insurance doesn’t cover replacement value.

I originally bought the jacket at Pren’s of Istanbul for $350 and the leather quality is excellent.  Part of the reason the prices are so low is that it’s’ common to sacrifice a sheep for Eid al-Adha, the Islamic holiday celebrating Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Ishmael.  In Turkey that means something like 4 million sheep are sacrificed on Eid.  That leads to high-quality, relatively cheap leather jackets.  I’d buy from there again, but I won’t be in Turkey any time soon.  Got any suggestions?

– Ben

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Well hell.  At least the criminals who busted into Ben’s car have good taste.  And kudos to him for having renters insurance.  It’s one of those things that plenty overlook or ignore until it’s too late.  This ain’t going to be easy.  But we do know a few things about Ben’s jacket:

1. It’s Black Lambskin
2. The collar is a taller than average stand up moto style with a band
3. Chest pockets on both sides run horizontal
4. There’s some reinforcing on the shoulders
5. Price range is $350 – $500
6. There appears to be no elastic banding on the cuffs or waist (full shot here)

Got all that?  Interesting stuff about Eid and how it can contribute to the lambskin jacket market.  Here’s a few picks that Ben might potentially take interest in.  But let’s harness the power of the Dappered collective (that’d be you guys).  Make sure to add any suggestions you might have in the comments section down below.
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Andrew Marc Hilltop Lambskin Leather Jacket – $206.99

The Good: Right color, right material, reinforced shoulders, terrific price via overstock, reviews are glowing.
The Bad: Collar could be taller.  Just one vertical chest pocket on the ol’ Y axis.  We need two on the X.
Not really what you’d call an exact match by any stretch, but the price is awfully kind.

 

Andrew Marc Lambskin Moto Club – $347.50 ($695)

The Good: Right color, right material, collar is higher, shoulder seaming/elbow patches give it a reinforced look.
The Bad: Price is creeping up although it’s on sale for half off.
Probably closer than the Hilltop model and has serious potential.

 

Mackage Lambskin Nelson – $390.00 ($780)

The Good: Right color/material, incredible looking, higher collar.
The Bad: Somewhat showy zippers, sizes are limited, it’s a FINAL sale item.
The hell is Mackage?  They’re Canadian, and they’re known for, among other things, trim fitting outerwear.  Could be a winner although not a perfect match.  Final sale is probably too risky.

 

Pelle Studio Lamb Cycle Jacket – $274.99 ($550)

The Good: Right color/material, pockets look right, collar looks decent.  Price is better than most.
The Bad: Shoulders aren’t capped like Ben’s, but there is a little extra going on there.
Pretty basic and the two chest pockets are right on.  The collar doesn’t look razor thin, but is it tall enough?

 

Murano San Carlos Faux Leather Jacket – $99.99 ($170)

The Good: Murano is a brand that fits trimmer overall, nice looking collar, pockets are right.
The Bad: Wrong color, and, uh… it ain’t leather.
Besides the color being wrong and it being made from polyurethane, well it might be perfect (kidding.)

Five jackets, some close, but none of them a dead ringer.  All right fellas.  To the comments section.  Let our powers combine, put your suggestions down there, and together we might be able to help Ben out…