Category Archives: leather gear information

Cop Uniform Halloween Legal?

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Phrases like, “is it legal to wear a cop uniform on Halloween?” are pouring in lately from search engine to this blog. I understand why. When I posted “You Want To Wear A Cop Uniform on Halloween?” on this blog last year, that post continues to draw a lot of visitors with questions like that.

Visit that post or check out the complete instructions on how to assemble a uniform on my website if you want to know how to assemble a cop costume for Halloween. I also address the issue about whether it is legal to do so, but I’ll repeat that info here for convenience.

Yes… it is legal to assemble and wear a cop uniform (if you’re not a cop) with some provisos:

1. Don’t wear the uniform representing an agency that has jurisdiction where you are. For example, if you want to wear a California Highway Patrol (CHP) motor officer uniform, don’t wear it in the State of California. That’s illegal as noted in California state law. I live in a county in Maryland. I would not wear a uniform that looks like the same uniform my county officers wear. Even if I do not wear the insignia of my local police department — it’s “too close for comfort” and technically, while it’s not illegal to wear a uniform of the same color and appearance as a local PD as long as it doesn’t have that PD’s insignia on it, the “second rule” of making a choice to wear a uniform comes into play.

2. That “second rule” is a question: “could a real cop think I am trying to impersonate an officer?”  Impersonation of an officer is a civil crime, punishable by fines and/or a jail sentence.

You can wear a replica police officer uniform as a costume. Just don’t go around acting like a cop. Impersonation is measured both by what you are wearing, but also by what you do — how you act and behave. Do not try to pull someone over, write a citation (a ticket), handcuff someone in public, or do other things that you see actors-as-cops on TV do.

If you keep the uniform appearance to look like a uniform that is not worn by real cops in your area (town, city, county, or state), and if you keep the cop-acting behavior behind closed doors, then you will be okay — and probably have a lot of fun, too!

Straight guys as well as gay guys like to wear a uniform — and Halloween is a fun “excuse” to wear one. Just be cool, and think before you act. It is dumb actions that get you in trouble. Don’t be stupid — like wear a uniform that has the same insignia of your local or state cops, or carry a gun, billy club, baton, or other weapon, and don’t say foolish things (like you might hear on some TV shows) and you’ll be fine.

Life is short: have fun, but be safe, sane, and sensible.

DISCLAIMER: All the information and photos contained in this post are provided solely for the benefit of those who wish to assemble and wear a replica cop costume. In no way is it intended for use in any attempt to impersonate any law enforcement officer.

Riveted

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I really like my new Retro Biker Chaps that I received recently, which were custom-made by 665 Leather of West Hollywood, California, USA.

The chaps came with four types of closures: a belt with a “665” buckle, a belt with a traditional D-ring buckle, a plain black band, and four snap-on D-rings that are closed with a long leather lace. Each of these closures snap onto the inside of each side of the upper part of the chaps at the waist onto two small snaps.

I guess that type of variable closure system is great for guys who wear the chaps to pose in. However, if you will wear them which actually riding a motorcycle, then the snaps that hold the front closures on are poorly made. The closure unsnaps much too easily. Swing your leg over the saddle of the bike, and you hear, “click,” which is a snap unsnapping. Walk 20 paces and hear “click” again. Sit down or stand up… “click” … “click”. Before you know it, the front closure has come undone and the chaps open up/fall down.

I thought of returning the chaps to request better quality snaps. However, it took so long to get them in the first place, I was worried that it would take months again to get them fixed right. I thought of taking them to my favorite leather repair guy to request better snaps, but re-thought the whole matter.

How will I wear these chaps? With a belt. Will I wear any other of the closure options? No, not really. So I fixed the problem myself.

I permanently attached the belt closure ends onto each side of the front of the chaps with rivets. Yes: plain, ordinary, rivets. They work great. I rode my Harley with the chaps on and closed with the riveted belt, and they felt fine. Better yet, they didn’t open as I swung my leg over the saddle, while I was riding, or when I dismounted.

Life is short: make adjustments that work for you and your style.

Wear Whatever You Like

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My fellow blogger, Straight Jacketed, amused me yesterday when he closed a post on his blog with a line, “To adapt a catchphrase from the indefatigable BHD, life is short: wear whatever you damn well like.”

You know, he’s right. He’s damn well right. The other day when I went with my partner to a trolley museum, I knew that it was likely that I would see neighbors and even some local elected leaders there. Regardless, I chose to wear a pair of comfortable lightweight leather jeans and my Wesco combat boots with the jeans bloused into them. (That is, the ends of the leather jeans tucked a little bit into the top of the boots, and then the remaining leather bloused over them so they have a sharp appearance.)

For me, it was comfortable. I also like the masculine appearance of the boots and leather. Funny, I noticed when I processed the picture for this blog that I have grass stains on the boots. Yep, I have been mowing the lawn while wearing them, and it shows. At the stage of recovery from my broken leg, the lace-up, taller combat style boots give the support I require, as well as are comfortable for all-day wear.

One of the museum visitors looked at me and said, “you look like a ‘storm trooper’.” Ha! I got a big laugh out of that. The other people I knew, including community leaders, didn’t bat an eye. They talked to me, looked at my face, and not at what I was wearing.

I am comfortable in my own skin, and comfortable in a cow’s skin, too. Nobody cares what I have on my feet or legs. Seriously. For those who obsess about what other people think about what you’re wearing: forget it.    N-o    o-n-e    c-a-r-e-s!

Life is short: wear whatever you damn well please.

P.S.: I am highly honoured to be labeled “indefatigable.” Thanks, man. I get fatigued. I just hide it well (giggle.)

Shopping for Leather Jeans or Chaps

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I received a comment on a blog post the other day from the guy who owns Eastern Oregon Leather and who made those really cool wrist cuffs for me and my partner.

He said: “the pair of [leather] jeans I got is turning out to be really cheap. They are off the shelf from the net and the seat is already stretching out. They fit fine the first time I wore them but now it looks like I have a load of crap in my seat .. Lol! Live and learn. I am now looking for a custom shop to get a good pair.”

I also received an email from a guy in Germany who said: “Your leather gear looks great on you. You said that some of your gear is more than 20 years old, yet it looks new. It isn’t like the gear I ordered by the internet. Where did you get it?”

I learned the hard way about buying leather gear and perhaps I can share some information with guys who are interested in getting a pair of leather jeans, chaps, or even a leather shirt so the gear will fit them well and remain good-looking as it is worn for years to come.

Here is what I have learned:

  • Leather gear designed for the masses, such as sold on some straight biker-oriented websites (leatherup.com and Jamin’ Leather are prime examples), looks good on guys who model it for photos on their website, and appears good the first time you open the box. But as Shane said, when you wear it a few times, it begins to stretch, sag, and get baggy in the wrong places. If you want to continue to wear it, you will have to have it professionally altered, often at a cost that is more than what you paid for it originally (unless you have the skills and equipment to do alterations yourself.)
  • There is a reason why leather gear that has prices significantly lower than gear sold by leather-oriented retailers is cheap: the quality of the hides is usually poor. It is probably made of splits, not top grain leather, but is polished, buffed, and the leather is stamped to appear as if it is top grain. But it doesn’t behave as top-grain leather when you wear it. It usually squeaks, stretches, and can tear easily. It may discolor when exposed to water, rain, or heat from a motorcycle engine. The chemicals used to make it shiny wear off quickly, and then it looks dull, or develops discoloured patches ranging from gray to black. Sometimes it can look like it has “leather pox.” (Not a real disease, but you get the point.)
  • Construction of a leather garment is important! Cheap gear shows short-cuts in manufacture — anything from single-stitched seams to x-pattern stitches where rivets would work better (corners, pockets — like on Levis) or a shortage of pockets to (my pet peeve) cheap snaps in the fly so when you swing your leg over the saddle of a motorcycle, your fly pops open.
  • Sizes S-M-L-XL are attempts to fit everyone, and usually don’t (fit everyone).

  • “Cut-to-length” jeans or chaps are a sign of cheaply made-for-the-masses gear. Leather jeans or chaps should be hemmed, not cut, to the right length. Hemming requires the use of a sewing machine and needle strong enough to work on leather. If you simply cut off the bottom of a pair of jeans to fit the length of your legs, then the ends of the legs will fray and the seams will come loose.
  • Be very careful about using eBay, Craigslist, or other on-line auction sites. Remember: used gear fits someone else. No two people are exactly the same. The previous owner may have caused the leather to stretch in the seat or knees. If you wear size 34 denim jeans and see a size 34 pair of leather jeans, it is NOT likely the fit will be the same. You may end up with something that doesn’t fit you, and that you cannot return. Don’t use on-line auction sites to buy leather unless you really know what you’re doing and have experience with choosing gear that will fit you.

Good quality leather gear will outlive the person wearing it if you care for it by conditioning it from time to time and hanging it up when you are not wearing it. Leather is a long-term investment. As such, here are my tips for shopping for leather gear:

  • Make a decision on how often you will wear the garment. If you will wear it more than once-a-year to a leather fashion show or gathering of The Great Leather Clan, then get quality, custom-made gear. It will fit you better, look better, and be made better. If, however, you are unwilling to wear leather pants, chaps, or a shirt more than once or twice a year, then you probably can get by with the cheap stuff, as a long-term investment isn’t worth it.

  • Don’t be intimidated or afraid of shopping at a leather-oriented retailer like 665 Leather, Mr. S., Northbound, or equivalent. While these retailers may have images on their website that may be frightening or cause eyebrows to raise among the straight guys, these businesses are in business for a reason: they craft quality leather garments and they know what they’re doing. They have measured and made leather gear for all sorts of people — big, small, tall, short, black, white, Asian, male, female, transgendered, and people with physical disabilities. They don’t care what you look like; they’re not looking for the next sexy model for their website. They want you to be happy with quality gear that you will wear. (Which brings me back to point 1: get over your own hang-ups about wearing leather.)

  • Use the retailers website to gather information and to determine what turns your crank, but especially for the first few forays into purchase of leather gear: visit the store in person or call them on the phone. Don’t order based on an image and fill-in-boxes on a website alone! When you visit or call a leather retailer, they can discuss with you many options that may not appear on their website. Options may include:
    • different colour of leather other than black.
    • a zip fly instead of snaps.
    • a zipper all the way around from front to back.
    • measurements they need so they can create gear thats fits all parts of your body: ankles, calf, lower leg, upper leg, thigh, hips, butt, waist, abdomen, tummy, chest, arms, neck.

    • hidden zipper front closure of a leather shirt (very functional!)
    • number, size, and placement of pockets.
    • piping (colored strips that define pockets and seams).
    • striping down the outside of each leg.
    • color combinations, such as for pocket flaps, epaulettes, or yoke.
    • Closure for chaps, such as a belt or snaps.
    • Bottom leg closure, such as zippers to make a tapered end so the leather will fit into tall boots smoothly.

    • Lots of other stuff, too. The point is, unless you actually speak with someone who is making leather gear for you, then you may miss out on getting options for leather gear that makes it “uniquely YOU!”

Custom gear made to your specific measurements may cost two to four times as much as off-the-‘net stuff will cost, BUT buying one item that you will wear for years is a better investment than two or three items that may quickly stretch, bulge, discolor, or rip and that you will not be able or interested in wearing for more than a few times, or that you would need to have repaired or altered by a professional.

When I consider buying leather jeans, chaps or shirts, I consider these retailers:

665 Leather of North Hollywood, California.
Mr. S Leather of San Francisco, California.
Northbound Leather of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

I have purchased many leather items from these retailers, and have been very pleased with the quality of the garments and their construction. The choices of leather they use is superb. Craftsmanship is excellent. Customer service is also very good.

In summary, when it comes to buying new leather jeans, chaps, shirts, jackets, vests, or the like, you get what you pay for. Buy cheap, get cheap. Make an investment in the good stuff, and it will last a lifetime. You will enjoy wearing it, and perhaps become like me: wear it often, with pride.

For more information, read my Complete Guide to Leather Gear. I hope it helps you make wise decisions for long-term investments in quality and gear you will enjoy for a long time.

Life is short: wear your leather!

Cuffed

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This is a really cool, stylish, and exceptionally well-made wrist cuff that I just received. My partner also received one. When he’s feeling better, we both will “model” our cuffs together.

The wrist cuff is made by Eastern Oregon Leather Factory. The guy who owns the business and makes this gear is obviously very talented.

I received an email from the company owner last week, asking for permission to reprint a portion of my Complete Guide to Leather Gear which appears on my website. I responded, giving my permission. Now part of my Guide appears on the Eastern Oregon Leather Factory’s Website, here. I appreciate that he asked me, and honored my copyright. I am happy to share if I am asked. I commend the owner for doing the right thing and for his honesty.

Hey, leatherguys, or someone looking for something different, hand-made, and special. You should check out the products available from Eastern Oregon Leather Factory and get something. Great watchbands, cuffs, and bracelets, with more to come, I’m sure. The prices are very reasonable.

My partner and I are now the “best cuffed men” here in Maryland! (Smile — go tell that to my bike cop tenant. He will have a big laugh out of that!)

Life is short: share your work and enjoy the recognition of being published!

Top 10 Countdown: 6 – 10

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It has been interesting blogging for my second year, with posts appearing every day about various things in my life and about my interests in boots, leather, motorcycling, and caring for people.

I keep stats on which of my posts throughout the whole year are most viewed. The posts come up — even the older ones — from Google searches, mostly, since Google owns Blogger, which is where this blog is hosted.

So here goes …. the following are the most popular posts on my blog this year:

#10: (tie) Best Value Motorcycle Boots

Lots of people search for information and end up on my website and this blog while looking for insights on the best value for [quality] motorcycle boots. This post was written in response to seeing all of those searches end up on my website.

#10: (tie) Leather Repair and Alteration

This post was written in response to a number of email messages that I have received this year.

#9: Rules for Cowboy Boots

It never ceases to amaze me how many people use the Internet to search for the mystical “rules” for wearing cowboy boots. Here they are.

#8: Rules for Wearing Fetish Uniforms

Searching for “rules” about whether it is legal to wear a uniform if you are not a law enforcement officer results in many hits on this blog and my website. Here are “the rules” for those who have a uniform fetish.

#7: The Masculine Gay Man

As I said in the opening of that post, a LOT of people use search engines to look up information about gay men and masculinity. This is one of the two most popular posts on this blog that gives my opinions on the matter.

#6: Wesco Boots — Gay?

An attempted blog comment on a previous (and still very popular) blog post resulted in my developing another post about Wesco boots and gay culture. It seems that YouTube videos about Wesco boots by gay guys has caused misperceptions by some straight guys.

——————-
Check back for my next post tomorrow when I reveal #1 – #5!

Leather Repair and Alteration

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Owning a wearing a vast assortment of leather gear, which I use for motorcycling, comfy gear to wear after work and on weekends, as well as for fetish interests, I am sometimes asked about suggestions on having leather altered or repaired.

Recently I had a zipper installed in my blue leather cop-style shirt and my CHP leather breeches. The shirt fits great, but the snaps over the years became loose and would unsnap all by themselves when I moved while riding my Harley. The CHP breeches, which were a gift, came with the cheapest snaps at the fly, and they always would unsnap (often when I swung my leg over the saddle of my bike.) Not a good thing…

I brought these items to a luggage repair shop. Think about it — most luggage repairs are of zippers on leather. Who better to be able to install a zipper on leather than someone with experience?

Now these items fit great and remain closed where they’re supposed to, and give me flexibility to move without worrying about an indecent exposure arrest (LOL!) The cost was $40 for each item, and I consider it a good investment as I will get much more use out of these pieces of leather gear for years to come.

I have not had many situations where leather has had to be repaired. I take good care of my gear. However, once I got a tear on the side of a pair of leather jeans when the leg got caught on a sharp-edged bolt on my bike. Once again, the luggage repair shop was able to fix it and the results were great.

Some guys require leather to be altered. Hemming to a shorter length is simple. Re-sizing to a larger waist is possible, and sometimes necessary as one ages and gets that “over-30” spread. It is a wise investment to have leather resized if indeed you will get many more years of enjoyment from the initial investment you made in it.

I have tried to have leather alterations done by a tailor, without much success. Tailors are accustomed to doing work on suits and cloth items, not on leather. A luggage repair shop has the equipment and experience to alter leather correctly. Consider it next time you may need work done on leather gear.

Life is short: enjoy it in leather!

Turning Fetish Gear to Functional Gear

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Sometimes there are differences between men’s leather gear designed specifically for function — such as for warmth and protection for a motorcyclist — compared with fetish leather designed to have a certain sexual appeal, but not necessarily serve a functional purpose.

Most of the time, the differences in leather gear designed for function vs. fetish are minimal. If you buy quality leather garments made custom to fit by a reputable leather crafter, such as Mr. S., 665Leather, Northbound, or similar — then you will find double-stitched and reinforced seams, thick thread used throughout, and quality hardware (such as on waist closures or buttons.)

However, one of the biggest differences on leather gear made for function vs. fetish is snaps. That is, on leather gear that I have bought from fetish gear retailers, they seem to go overboard on the snaps for shirt closures and (IMHO – worse) on the fly of leather jeans or breeches.

Snaps are designed to … um… “unsnap” rather quickly. For a leatherman who meets the right guy … well, he wants that to happen. And the guy wearing such fetish gear probably wears it only to those events held a few times each year, and otherwise, leaves it in his closet or trunk.

For me, on the other hand, I wear my leather gear almost every day. I wear it when I get home from work and on weekends. I wear it when I ride my Harley, and I wear it even when the weather is not suitable to ride my bike. I just like to wear it. I have made a rather large investment in my gear, so I choose to wear it often. I have long gotten over worrying about what other people might say or think. They don’t (say anything) and if they think something, at least where I live, they keep it to themselves.

Back to the topic: leather gear with snaps is not very functional. When worn while operating a motorcycle, stresses are placed on the fly when one swings his leg over the saddle to get on or off the bike. Stresses are placed on the front of a shirt when turning a motorcycle or man-handling it into a tight parking space. Snaps do what they do — they unsnap. Sometimes in the most embarrassing of places and at the wrong times.

When I was confined at home due to the flu recently, I spent some time conditioning all of my leather gear and organizing it. I looked carefully at each garment. I decided that there were three items of leather gear that I very much would like to wear while riding my Harley, but because of the leather-fetish-snap issue, I have not been able to do so. Turning, bending, or twisting as one naturally does while operating a bike would cause the snaps on the pants or shirt to pop open. Not good….

I took those items — my blue leather short-sleeved shirt, my naked leather jeans, and my cheap CHP leather breeches — to a luggage/leather repair shop to ask that zippers be installed to replace all those snaps. When this work is done, I will be able to wear these garments again without concern about them popping open at the wrong time in the wrong place.

This is a word to bikers who like leather: it is a good idea to have custom leather gear made. Some of the best leather crafters serve the leather fetish market. But if you are arranging to have leathers made custom anyway, press further as you create your order to ask about closures at the fly and on the front of a shirt. Ask for zippers instead. I think you will be happier with the end results. Also, it is less expensive to have zippers installed when a garment is made than having them retrofitted later.

Life is short: wear your leather!

You Want A Cop Uniform for Halloween?

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It is inevitable at this time of year that a number of internet seaches for “Cop Uniform for Halloween” or “Police Costume” are ending up on my website, especially on my page related to how to assemble a CHP uniform.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) uniform is the classic, most sought-after cop uniform in existence, made popular by the TV show, “CHiPs” which was broadcast on American television from 1977 to 1983. I tell ‘ya, a LOT of people are looking for that uniform — and not all of them are gay uniform fetish guys, either. Lots of straight guys like to wear a uniform for Halloween, or dress their kids in one.

For those who thought it might be easy to find a source of a complete CHP (or other law enforcement) uniform via the web, I am sorry to disappoint you. It is not possible to buy an authentic, complete California Highway Patrol (or other) uniform. In fact, it is illegal even to sell such a uniform to someone who is not authorized by the CHP to buy one. (This is due primarily to laws that went into effect after the U.S. terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. They don’t want the bad guys to have easy access to a uniform that they could use for nefarious purposes.)

However… it is possible, and legal, to put together a replica CHP uniform yourself, as long as you do not wear it anywhere within the State of California, USA, OR assume behavior while wearing a uniform that implies you are a cop. Impersonation is evaluated on two factors: how you look and what you do. If you try to act like a cop in public, such as by pulling someone over, frisking or handcuffing a “suspect,” interrogating someone, etc., then a real cop may think you are trying to impersonate an officer and take you in for questioning and possibly place you under arrest on criminal charges.

Keep the cop-acting behavior behind closed doors, and don’t wear a uniform in the city, county, or state where cops in that uniform have jurisdiction, and be cool. You will be okay.

It is not hard to assemble and create a CHP (or other agency) uniform, but it takes some advanced planning. Considering that this post is first appearing on this blog on October 20, 2009, you may not be able to pull this off for Halloween 2009, but here goes:

1. Get a uniform shirt (any shirt supplier can sell it) in the color “silvertan”

2. Get breeches (if you want to go with the look of a motorcycle officer). You can have the gold/blue “braiding” (stripes) applied from your supplier. Intapol is one source of breeches; there may be others.

3. Get Dehner Patrol Boots (or a similar-looking pair. For a halloween costume, no one will notice if you have cheap knock-off imitations.)

4. The insignia (patches) are worn on both the right and left sleeves up high near the shoulder. They are a bit harder to find, but it is possible to find them at leather fetish shops (choose your favorite) or on eBay. Sew them on.

5. You probably can not find a real CHP badge. And it’s probably not a good idea. You can find a replica badge on eBay, but try to avoid getting one that says “security officer” or something generic like that. IMHO, badges like that are cheesy and make you appear like Deputy Dawg.

6. Get a regular belt (to serve as an underbelt) and a Duty Belt (called a Sam Brown Belt), attached with keepers. Get a few doo-dads to hang onto it — see my duty belt description on my website for ideas. Here is a source.

7. By all means, do NOT wear a weapon (gun, baton, billy club.) Such devices are illegal for an unauthorized, unlicensed individual to wear on the street of most cities and towns in the United States, Australia, and probably many other countries.

8. Optional Damascus cop search gloves set an interesting “tone.”

9. Go hatless or if you wear a hat, choose as authentic a ballcap as you can find. A motorcycle helmet with CHP colors is good, but likely not easy to find. If you choose to wear a ballcap, avoid a generic “security” hat. Remember the “Deputy Dawg” warning above?

That’s about it. It isn’t hard, but takes planning. Go get ’em (at home, privately!) Have fun!

DISCLAIMER: All the information contained in this post is provided solely for the benefit of collectors and fans of the show “CHiPs” to assist them in constructing a “CHiPs” replica costume. In no way is it intended for use in any attempt to impersonate any law enforcement officer.

Leather, Breeches, Boots, Bike

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My partner took this photo of me at my request on Monday when I decided not to go on a motorcycle ride, and we decided to “play” instead. You saw the results of some of this “play” in my last blog post.

I really liked this photo and the image portrayed, so I thought I would post this one, as well.

Life is short: Say, “grrrrrrrr!”

Gear description

Disclaimer: I (the “officer” in this image) am not a sworn law enforcement officer. Nothing in this image should be considered anything other than demonstration of my “avocation” and interests. I had to put this disclaimer here because there are some people who just don’t understand….