Readers of my blog know that I look at how people find this blog, and I often comment on some of the more interesting search results — some of them are serious, and some are downright silly.  Here is an example of the latter:

Yep, you read it right — the inquiry was, “how many pairs of jeans does a cow make?

I just about died laughing when I read this. Man, I wish we could train cows to make clothing. Just think about it, if we could train cows to make boots from their hides, we could cut out a lot of the middlemen. LOL!

I dunno — how many pairs of jeans can a cow make? I guess it depends on how well the cow is trained.

Okay, okay, perhaps the inquiry was more serious, but left out a word. “How many pairs of leather jeans can be made from one cow?” — perhaps that was the real question. That answer: it varies. One large hide from a side of a cow can be used to make a pair of jeans, with pieces left over for other, smaller garments. But I do not know for certain. I have not learned enough about the process to obtain hides from cows to make leather gear.

Life is short: wear leather, whether garments from it are made by cows or their trained people.

They always say to look for sales in the off-season. Such advice led me to find a sale on a pair of perforated leather jeans that go well with a perforated leather shirt (photo left) that I bought via eBay from NCBootdude in early 2011. I bought a pair of perforated leather jeans from CJ’s Leather in Denver, Colorado in September and received them, custom tailored to my size, in October.

What is perforated leather?

It is just what it sounds like — a leather garment that has small holes in it. The holes are in a pattern, spaced evenly, and not located anywhere near stress points so the garment will not tear during normal use (and the stretching stresses sometimes placed upon a garment when operating a motorcycle.)

When worn without underclothing (except briefs), air will blow through as you ride down the road, keep you cool on a warm day, and keep the sun from causing a sunburn, as well. At least that is how my perforated leather shirt performed this past riding season. I will have to wait until next May (or later) to see how the new perforated leather jeans feel.

Unfortunately, late autumn has already brought our first frost and some wet flakes of snow; not really suitable for trying out the perforated leather jeans outdoors (LOL!) I will, instead, be wearing warmer, thicker, leathers as I continue to ride through the autumn and winter, weather permitting.

If you’re interested, check out CJ’s Leather in Denver, Colorado. While CJ’s has a limited number of leather items, what they make is very good. Among the fetish leather vendors out there, they are among the most reasonable in pricing for quality custom gear.

Life is short: wear leather every day all-year through!

A few guys have written to me asking me about my leather gear along with questions such as where I bought it. Some have commented that they admired the gear and wanted to get leathers like it, but have not saved up enough money yet. Recently, someone asked me to make a video about “leather on a budget” like I did recently on “Biker Boots on a Budget.”

While it may take me longer to think about what I might put into a video on “buying leather on a budget,” let me address the question in a blog post. I’ll get around to doing a video sometime later.

First very important point: do not buy cheap leather from on-line retailers that sell gear made in Pakistan or China. You’ll be very disappointed. The leather is all shiny and smells great when you get it, but soon enough, the garment starts to fall apart at the seams. The leather discolors. Hardware rusts. Leather stretches. Blemishes become obvious. So by all means, before you buy leather (especially from on-line vendors), ask about the origin of the leather and where the product is made. If the leather is from Pakistan or China, then forget about it.

The good stuff uses leather made in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Germany, Mexico, or South America (to name most, but not all countries that produce quality leather).

You can usually tell quality leather origin in two ways: vendors of the good stuff will tell you on their website and on a label in the garment what the source of the leather was. You can also make a good guess by the price. If a price seems too good to be true, such as a pair of chaps or leather jeans for about US$100, then run! Something’s wrong — usually with the leather, but also with the construction.

Usually, leather garments sized in off-the-shelf sizes will fit “okay” but usually will hang funny on regular people who are not built like buff models used in photos on websites. The gear may sag or pucker in the wrong places — such as off-the-shelf chaps may pucker around the crotch. The gear may be cut to fit men of different heights, and close with snaps along the bottom (many off-the-shelf chaps come that way.) The trouble is, chaps that are not hemmed, but rather are cut, eventually fray at the bottom and don’t look right. Or the snap closures are bulky and they eventually oxidize, too, so they will not close correctly in a year or two.

The difference in cost between quality off-the-shelf, sized-for-the-masses leather and custom leather gear really isn’t that much. But the fit is astronomically different. A good pair of quality chaps from any of the vendors listed on my website links page can make you great stuff for market prices. Yes, some of those market prices may seem very high. Shop around. Wait for sales. Usually leather vendors offer sales in advance of the holidays.

Oh, one other thing: don’t buy a license. Huh? What I mean is, don’t buy leather that has a Harley-Davidson logo on it and think you have a high-quality product because you were charged an arm and a leg for it. Check the label in the garment — you may see a label indicating country of origin as being China, Indonesia, or Pakistan. You see, when a company that has a well-recognized brand name allows its name to be used in a line of related products (such as H-D branded leathers), the Motor Company is licensing the use of its name for that purpose. So what you’re doing is buying a license rather than getting even better quality gear for the price. That’s why you see me — a Harley-riding guy — with “non-label” gear and no H-D brand on it. I have the brand on my bike, and that’s where it should be. Not on my lapel.

Back to the subject — interested in leather gear on a budget? Save your money. Shop around. Use the vendors listed on the links page on my website. Wait for sales.

It is better to wait and buy the good stuff than go for the cheap and have it fall apart soon and look like a sack of potatoes when wearing it.

I wish I could offer some better news on how to buy leather, but the moral of the story is to buy the good stuff, and wait if you have to so you can afford to get quality gear that will last a long time.

Life is short: wear quality gear!

Woo-hoo! It’s finally here! My new custom-made motorcycle riding gear made especially for me by Johnson Leather of San Francisco, California, USA!

Gray leather, not black??? Am I committing sacrilege to the Biker Lords who establish norms for biker leathers?

While I’m sure that some guys wouldn’t find this color of leather all that interesting, and even some may say that it is over-the-top — to me, as a secure, leather-oriented biker, it’s perfect! Stand out from the crowd of boring black leather-clad bikers in ill-fitting gear. I’ve long been all about being my own guy, and this is a way I can express my independence and freedom from the shackles of conformity.

Here’s the story on the gear: in late March, while on a business trip to San Francisco, my friend Mike took me to Johnson Leather where I discussed my interests and specifications, and my measurements were taken for a cop-style leather jacket and a pair of leather riding pants to match.

In May, I received a canvas mock-up of the jacket and pants. Johnson Leather asked me to have pictures taken of me wearing the mock-up, both in a standing and sitting-on-my-Harley position. I sent the pictures to them, and they used what they saw to make adjustments to the fitting before cutting the leather to make the garments.

In late June, I received my new custom gray leather jacket and matching custom pants.

Wow! This outfit fits perfectly and is (to me) really cool-looking! The leather from which it is made is thick — I estimate 7-8 oz. thickness, so the gear provides both warmth as well as protection.

The jacket is cut in a traditional biker/motorcycle cop style. It has three zipped outer pockets and one deep inner pocket. It is lined with silk. The jacket is cut to allow freedom of movement, required when I wear it while riding my Harley.

A particular custom-specified feature with which I am especially pleased is an added leather back panel made for the jacket. Here’s the reason why I had that done: I ride with a motorcycle club, and while I would like to have the club’s patches (colors) added to the jacket to wear when I ride with them, I didn’t want to damage the jacket with permanent additions. Who knows? I may have to change patches for some reason in the future, or I may want to wear the jacket to locations where wearing club colors isn’t something I would want to do, or the club wouldn’t want the colors shown. (That club would get upset if I wore its colors into a gay venue, because the club’s national leadership is homophobic.)

The pants are made with lots of room in the seat and thigh, so my hips and legs move freely as I swing my leg over the saddle of my Harley or require maneuverability when I walk the bike into a tight parking spot. The pants have a zip fly which is much better when leathers will actually be worn while riding a motorcycle. The room around the hips and crotch provide for maneuverability, too — unlike some leathers made for fetish-wear.

The only down-side, if there is a down-side, is that these new leathers are designed for warmth, so I cannot test them out on a ride on my Harley until our local temperatures cool off significantly.

Life is short: know what you want, how to specify it, and be your own man by choosing to wear leathers in colors other than black!

Once again, here are links to more photos of the custom gray leather jacket and matching custom pants.

A leather vest is probably the most ubiquitous piece of gear for a lot of guys — gay or straight, bikers or not. A leather vest contributes to a casual and comfortable appearance, as well as provides a little bit of warmth in coolish environments. As I say in my Guide to Leather Gear, “a good leather vest is a fundamental leather item that you should own.”

There are three types of leather vests. One of them I will not discuss here, as I don’t own any: that is, a dress vest worn with a three-piece suit. Most of those types of vests are made of cloth, anyway.

I will go into some detail about the two remaining styles of leather vests: 1) a bar vest, and 2) a biker vest. Each of these vests can have “colors” applied to them. And by that I mean patches, not dye. Any time patches representing membership or affiliation with a club, motorcycle riding chapter, or similar organization are applied (with glue and/or sewn on) to the back and/or front of a vest — that’s what’s called “club colors.” The vest is worn to illustrate affiliation with the group.

A “bar vest” gets its name because it is usually worn by guys who go to bars — that simple. It is usually rather plain and made of 2-3oz leather (rather thin.) Most bar vests do not have outside pockets, but may have a pocket on the inside flaps.

The front and back panels of a bar vest may be sewn together at a seam, or have adjustable lacing, or be connected with chains. It varies, and the choices are more stylistic preferences of the man wearing it than anything else. For example, just because a guy is wearing a vest that has front and back panels connected with silver chains doesn’t mean he wants to pick a fight. (This symbolism continues today from images held over from old “biker movies”).

Personally, I recommend getting a bar vest that has a way to adjust the fit at the side seams. Laces allow a little more room to be provided perhaps around the tummy area, get be tighter up closer to the arm pits. Chains allow that type of fit to occur naturally, where the chain may be extended at the bottom but hang in a loose u-shape at the top.

Bar vests do not have closures like snaps or buttons on the front. These vests are designed to hang open, revealing the chest. They look great on men who are in good physical shape. Bearish figures look, well — “bearish” — if a bar vest is worn alone. Often bar vests on bearish bodies hang funny and reveal a lot of the tummy, drawing attention to physical attributes that some guys would rather not have so accentuated.

Bar vests are often worn alone, but may also be worn over a t-shirt or a leather shirt. However, real bikers do not wear bar vests while operating a motorcycle, or risk being flogged by flapping leather.

Biker vests are usually made of thicker leather — 4-5oz is common, 6-7oz is better. That’s because most bikers actually use these vests as protective wear while operating a motorcycle. Thicker leather will resist rocks or other debris that may be kicked up by a tire of a vehicle in front of you. Think of it, in a way, as added “body armor.”

Biker vests also usually have rather thick seams across the back yoke — though it is possible (and preferable) to get a “plain back” biker vest if you wish to have patches (colors) applied. Often the patches on the back are large and cover a big area, and a large seam makes it difficult to apply a patch smoothly over the back. (the patches had to be blurred due to homophobia from the license holder of the patches.)

Biker vests also usually have pockets. Bikers like pockets. Outside pockets are great for keys, ride route maps, coins or bills for toll payments, and other light stuff that need to be reached quickly. Inside pockets — particularly deeper “gun pockets” — are terrific to hold a wallet, cell phone, and other bulkier items. Some vests have snap or zipper closures for inside pockets, which are a great feature to help hold valuables securely.

Biker vests also have various ways to deal with side seams like bar vests: some have lace fittings, which make it easy to adjust the fit to the body of the man wearing it. Some have chains, which work the same way that they do on bar vests, described above.

Finally, a major difference between a bar vest and biker vest is that biker vests have front closures. Some have buttons (bad, because buttons often get strained and pop off), or zippers (not so good, because a zip-closed vest restricts movement), or snaps. Most bikers choose vests with snaps on the front. He can snap the top two or three snaps to keep the vest from flying open in the wind while riding. However, closing a vest can restrict freedom of movement, particularly if the vest is tight on the body when closed.

To deal with that, many bikers choose vest extenders, which are usually 2″ to 3″ chains or leather straps that connect to the vest’s snaps on each side. A vest extender on the middle snap(s) may draw across tightly, while a vest extender on the top and bottom snaps may hang in a loose u-shape. That’s common, and actually preferable because as a biker moves his arms while operating a motorcycle, the vest will allow movement since it’s not physically drawn tight across the chest.

Vest extenders are easy to find at most motorcycle shops, leather stores, and on-line — even at places where you might not think of looking, such as auto parts dealers. They are inexpensive — usually US$2 – $6 for a set of two.

I have a variety of vest extenders. Some are chains. Some are plain leather. Some are made of leather and have a decoration, such as a Maltese Cross on the front.

By the way, I learned a lesson once. I was riding with a biker vest held closed in the front with vest extenders when I got caught in the rain. When the vest dried, the snap closures rusted. I was able to clean up the rust, but the snaps didn’t work well again. They became more loose and the vest extenders disconnected when I was riding my Harley. Thus, the lesson I learned is not to get the vest wet. If a rainstorm catches me by surprise again, I take the vest off and put on rain gear that I keep in my saddlebag.

I also want to point out that not all vests are cut to the same pattern. Some fit well and others do not — they “hang funny,” pucker at the shoulders, do not reach the waist, or have too much leather in front and not enough in back. It is important to try a vest on — try on several of them, actually. Some will fit better than others. If you’re buying on-line, then check the return and exchange policy of the vendor before shelling out the money to buy it. If it doesn’t fit or looks bad on you, you will need to be able to exchange it or return it.

Further: caveat emptor! Inexpensive leather vests are cheap for a reason. Often they are made from inferior hides and are not assembled well. I cannot recommend vests made in Pakistan. Every vest I have seen that is made in that country is cheap and of inferior quality. So watch what you may consider buying from the cheap on-line biker leather vendors.

I recommend Fox Creek Leather for the best USA-made vests and other motorcycle leather gear.

I hope you find this information helpful as you consider your next purchase of a leather vest.

Life is short: wear leather!

Man, these guys won’t give up!  They barrage me with email begging me to buy their stuff, or serve as a U.S. reseller for their junk.  Another one has been creative, and has attempted to leave comments on this blog that has an embedded link back to a company’s website — the company being a cheap leather vendor in Pakistan.

I do not recommend cheap leather goods from Pakistan because the quality is poor, the leather is blemished, and the construction is bad.  At least that has been my observation for any leather gear I have seen from there.  That’s why I don’t recommend leather vendors like leatherup.com and jammin leather, whose products (most of them, anyway) originate from there.

If you want the good stuff, invest in quality gear from reputable vendors in the U.S., Canada, and Germany, for example.

‘nuf said… I have much to catch up on upon my return from business travel.

Life is short:  don’t bother with cheap leather goods from Pakistan.

Someone from Russia sent me an email recently telling me that he had decided to purchase a pair of leather jeans from Northbound Leather of Toronto, Ontario, Canada after reading this blog and how I have complimented the store’s quality and service.  However, he was confused by the sizing chart on Northbound’s website.

Here are my thoughts about how to determine if you should order a stock size of a pair of leather jeans or breeches, or order them custom — and how to determine the proper sizing.  (Note, I refer to U.S. measurements.  Use a conversion chart if you do not use U.S. measurements in archaic inches.)

1.  Well-constructed garments made of high-quality leather do not stretch at the waist very much, such as a pair of cloth jeans.  The leather used for the waist, as well as double-stitching with thick thread, makes the waistband much less “stretchable” than other parts of a leather garment, such as the seat and thighs.  So if you are torn between two stock sizes, such as 34″ and 36″, go with the larger size.

2.  The older you get, the easier it is to put on weight in the middle.  If you get leather pants that fit tightly now, you may not be able to fit into them in a few years.  It is easier to reduce the size of the waist by using a belt (or by having the pants altered professionally) but you cannot add more to the size if it is not there in the first place.  Again: go with a larger size if you’re choosing between two sizes.

3.  My experience with custom-made leather garments from Northbound has been that their products are a bit more tight than leather garments I have had custom-made from U.S. vendors such as Mr. S or 665 Leather.  I have kidded Northbound about Canadians measuring things differently. (Only a joke!)

4.  Do NOT use the measurements from a regular pair of blue jeans!  Sizes and people change.  In fact, Consumer Reports did some testing last year and indicated that men’s jean sizes can vary as much as two inches in the waist.  You cannot use a pair of jeans that fit you to determine the proper size of a pair of leather pants.

How do you determine if you can purchase at stock sizes or require custom work? It is simple: have your measurements taken, and determine if your measurements at critical areas (waist and inseam) are the same as the measurements to which stock garments are made. If the measurements are the same, then buy pre-made, stock jeans or breeches. If not, then you will have to buy custom.

5.  Even if you can wear stock sizes, I still think the best way to go is to have leather breeches or jeans made custom to your measurements.  That way, you know that you will have garments that will fit you perfectly.  I have said this before, such as in my “Complete Guide to Leather Gear,” but I should emphasize once again:  do NOT measure yourself!  Have a friend use a tailor’s tape to measure you.  Use the form in my Leather Gear Guide to note your specific measurements.  Not only is it impossible to get accurate measurements yourself, you have to realize that you’re human, and may not want to accept the results that the tape shows.  You may pull the tape a bit tighter on your waist to get the results you want — and then end up ordering a pair of leather jeans that are too small and will not stretch to accommodate you.  Believe me, quality leather garment vendors like Northbound want to get it right the first time, and they’ve seen it all.  They don’t care if your jeans are a size 36, but the tape shows a waist size of 39.  They will make what fits you best, so get the measurements done correctly with a friend’s help.

Well-fitting leather jeans will last a long time.  I have worn leather jeans and breeches regularly for decades.  I admit, though, that leather jeans that I bought in the 1980s would not fit me today, 30+ years later.  Those garments are gone.  But once I got past age 40 or so, where my “middle-age spread” settled, I ordered some leather garments that still fit me well today — and I wear them often.  (Though I must admit, I appreciate that with a recent 40-pound weight-loss, I have lost three inches at the waist, so now I have to wear a tighter belt than before — and, I don’t feel squeezed such that my gut rises up above the waist of the pants and hangs out prominently.)

In summary, my recommendation is to consider your age and lifestyle, as well as how often you plan to wear the leather.  If you are like me and want to get a good return on your investment by wearing leather regularly — not just to a once-a-year fashion show & gathering of the leather clan — then choose to have custom gear made to your actual measurements.  If, however, you may wear the leather jeans less often, then go with stock sizes, but if you have to make a choice between two sizes, go with the larger of the two.

Gear in the photos:
1) Leather shirt and breeches with LAPD markings from 665 Leather of West Hollywood, California, USA.
2) “Sailor Leather” pants from Northbound Leather of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
3)  Hunter green leather shirt from Mr. S. of San Francisco, California, USA.  (Pants are the “sailor leather” shown in #2)
4)  Blue-striped leather jeans from Northbound.

Life is short:  wear leather!

Black leather is quite common, as it is easiest for leather crafters to dye and work with. But it is possible, and much easier now to find, leather that is dyed in other colors. Natural leather is light brown, so whatever finished products made from leather — jacket, pants, shirt, etc. — are dyed anyway.

It used to be that finding quality leather in an alternate color than black was hard to do, especially finding leather that is drum-dyed. That is, the dye saturates the entire hide, so over time as blemishes or scars occur during wear, the color remains the same.

The image of the black-clad leathered biker or the Gay Leatherman is a relic of the past, but remains omnipresent today. Yeah, I have a LOT of black leather. But I also have blue, grey, brown, and dark blue leather garments, too.  I even have one pair of cheap leather breeches dyed in “Silvertan” with blue and gold braiding (stripes) — like a CHP uniform.

I once tried on a red leather shirt, but it looked awful on me. Some young, lithe, trim guys can pull that off. Not me.

Anyway, leather does not “have” to be black.  It can be any color of the rainbow.  A good leathercrafter such as 665 Leather, Mr. S Leather, Northbound Leather have hides (or can get them) in various colors. You can specify a garment you want, such as breeches, shirts, jackets, pants, or even ties, to custom-fit you and be in the color you want. Mixing up the colors of a shirt, jacket, and pants makes things interesting, and gets more useful life from leatherwear.

Life is short: avoid being so monochromatic!

I saw an entry into Google that got directed to my website. It was, “Gay Leather Breeches.”

Sheesh… here we go again…. Breeches as worn by motor officers, for example, aren’t gay. Men who wear them may be gay or not. There are large number of cops who wear breeches every day, and the majority of them are not gay.

But I know that there are a lot of gay dudes who like to wear leather, and look for breeches to complete the full “BLUF” uniform (BLUF means “breeches and leather uniform fanclub”). So yeah, there are gay men who wear leather breeches, as shown here. But the breeches themselves aren’t gay.

What’s the difference between a pair of breeches and a pair of pants? Breeches are usually form-fitting to the person wearing them. They may have “balloons” which were built into riding breeches to give the rider (of a horse) ample maneuverability as he rode his horse. These days, most breeches do not have balloons. However, they will be form-fitted at the ankle, designed to taper close to the leg and close with snaps or (better yet) a zipper. That way, tall boots will fit over them well and the leather won’t bind or bunch up around the knee.

If you’re looking for a pair of leather breeches to wear as BLUF gear, consider a quality leather crafter as I mentioned yesterday, such as 665 Leather, Mr. S Leather, or Northbound Leather.

Leather breeches are comfortable and when fitted well (as in custom), they allow movement while operating a motorcycle, and look great when fitted with a tall pair of patrol boots.

Life is short: wear leather!