Of all the different wearable items that can be embroidered,Custom Letterman Jacket would appear to be the easiest. When most of think of jackets in terms of embroidery, large areas for full back and left chest designs come to mind. What many of us often forget are the little curveballs apparel manufacturers are adding into their designs such as box pleats and seams down the back.
Without a doubt, the most elegant item of clothing in a man’s wardrobe is the suit jacket. It comes as part of a set with matching trousers and sometimes with a vest in the same or contrasting fabric.
There are two main types of suit jackets – the single-breasted jacket, usually with notch lapels and the double-breasted jacket, strictly with peak lapels. Occasionally, you may find a suit with a mandarin collar but it’s not mainstream. Shawl lapels are commonly use in a tuxedo jacket.
Single-breasted jackets have a single row of buttons down the front, usually two or three; there may be an occasional four, commonly for very tall men. The jacket’s front sides only overlap enough to permit buttoning.
When selecting a motorcycle jacket, even before you begin comparing the many jacket styles and features available to you, it’s a good idea to first consider which jacket material best suits you and the way you ride.
You have three motorcycle jacket materials to choose from…
- Leather…
- High-tech synthetics…
- Cotton/denim…
The material you choose should suit the…
- Type of riding you enjoy most…
- Type of motorcycle you ride…
- Typical daily biking miles you travel…
- Weather conditions in which you ride…
- Seasons when you like to ride…
- Types of roads or trails you enjoy most…
Here’s info to help you compare each jacket material’s qualities and features and its ability to…
- Protect you in an accident…
- Keep you comfortable…
- Fit your riding style…
Leather
Leather jackets come in many styles to suit the types of riding you enjoy and the seasons when you ride.
Also, leather jackets look good.
A leather jacket will keep you safe and comfortable for many years if you occasionally apply a cleaner/preservative to keep it clean and soft and prevent it from becoming dry and brittle.
You can rely on a leather to give you great abrasion protection if you have an accident.
But leather alone won’t absorb hard falls onto your shoulder or elbow if you have an accident. To gain the advantage, you need strategically placed armor or padding on these impact-prone areas.
Leather will block cold winds and keep out mild rain and damp weather.
But, unless your jacket is lined with a waterproof material such as Gore-Tex, or the leather has been specially treated to make it water resistant, you must wear a rain jacket over your leather jacket to keep it dry and prevent water from seeping through.
On hot days, your leather jacket — especially a black jacket — that isn’t well-ventilated and exposed to a direct breeze when you ride can become very hot and uncomfortable.
Leather jackets tend to be snug and form-fitting. This keeps out drafts and prevents the material from flapping in the wind. But it also restricts your ability to wear extra layers underneath on cold days.
High-tech synthetics
A motorcycle jacket made of synthetic textiles such as nylon, polyester or Kevlar can be thinner, cooler, lighter, more flexible and more comfortable than a leather jacket.
Such benefits are important if you prefer a and — to some degree — if you’re concerned about riding in hot weather.
However, when it’s cold outside, you need an insulating layer underneath your synthetic textile jacket to keep you warm. Most synthetic jackets come with such a layer that you can remove in hot weather.
Synthetic materials resist mildew and are easy to wash and keep clean.
But they’re not waterproof. So when riding in the rain, you need a jacket with a waterproof lining — such as Gore-Tex. Otherwise, you can cover up with a rain jacket.
Nylon and polyester won’t protect you from abrasions if you hit the ground. Both materials will tear or wear through when scraped against a rough road surface.
But jackets made entirely of Kevlar can prevent road rash, especially on your elbows, shoulders and other abrasion-prone areas.
But, just like leather, synthetic textiles won’t absorb the impact if you hit the ground hard. That’s why most synthetic jackets have armor padding on elbows and shoulders. Many have built-in spine protectors.
Jackets made of synthetic fibers tend to fit loosely. But most have well-placed tabs and straps that let you tighten things down and customize the fit. This capability enables you to wear extra clothing underneath — or not — according to the weather.
Cotton/denim fibers
Cotton/denim motorcycle jackets tend to be airy, comfortable and will keep you cooler than leather or synthetic textile jackets.
Motorcycle jackets made of these materials give you lots of value and many nice features.
But because these natural materials by themselves give you virtually no abrasion or impact protection, such protection must be built in.
You can find cotton/denim jackets that have impact-absorbing padding or armor on the elbows and shoulders and protecting your spine.
But even with such protection, well-built leather and synthetic fiber jackets have the edge over cotton/denim when it comes to abrasion prevention.
Cotton/denim fibers are not waterproof. So, if you ride in all sorts of weather, you’ll need a rain jacket.
When you start trying on different types of motorcycle jackets, it’s good to know what each material offers. This awareness make selecting the right jacket for you that much easier.
A double-breasted jacket has two rows of buttons, and the front overlaps enough to allow both front sides to be attached to the opposite row of buttons. These jackets were all the rage in the 80s and seem to be going through a revival of sorts with some recent high-profile adopters in David Beckham, Jake Gyllenhaal and even Prince Charles.
The current double-breasted jackets though are only remnants of their former selves – gone are the big shoulder pads, they are cut shorter and the bulk factor is removed altogether allowing shorter men the opportunity to don one without looking all swamped up.
Jacket Fit. The fit is the most important part of the jacket and I can’t stress that enough. People have different comfort levels with how tapered they wear their jackets. This is usually done at the waist to allow the jacket to closely follow the contours of the body. It all depends on how comfortable you feel in the look. You may have noticed men who power-dress, bankers and management consultants for instance all wear tapered jackets as it is what basically creates the image.
To look good in a suit, you need not have your jackets fitted to that level unless you like it that way. Although be careful that it’s not too loose either as that creates the opposite effect of a shabby image. Make sure it’s shaped well on you and the fabric does not pinch at some corners and hang loose at others.
Here are a few things other you will want to look at to ensure the rest of your jacket fits well. The waist button should rest just below the natural waist of the wearer. The length of the jacket should be in line with the middle knuckle of the thumb and the back should rest just a little below the bottom. The cuffs should rest just a little above where the wrists. This leaves room for the shirt cuffs to be seen, usually around half an inch.
Jacket Shoulders. Jackets are usually built around the shoulders, and this structure is essential to the fit of the garment. The most important function of the jacket shoulders is to create symmetry. People come in different shapes and sizes and that is true of their shoulders too. Some men have extremely broad shoulders, others drooping and some will even have shoulders of different heights. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and a well-stitched bespoke jacket will easily help to create symmetry.
The padding of the shoulders is the place to start. Make sure the shoulder lines are well-defined but not exaggerated. For most people excessively large shoulder pads, for instance those that extend beyond the natural shoulder line creates a disproportionate look. On the other hand, if you naturally have small shoulders, having the shoulder pads very slightly extend beyond your shoulder line, will correct the look for you. It’s all down to your body type.
The thickness of the padding is the next thing to look at. If you naturally have shoulders of different heights, you can use the padding of varying thickness to easily correct that for you. As a general rule with shoulder padding, gone are the days when bulky shoulder pads were in trend. Today’s jackets largely have a thin padding with a slightly downward natural slant.
Over-padding causes the neck and head to be engulfed by the jacket, and too thin padding does not allow the jacket to have the formal look that a suit jacket is supposed to create. What a bespoke jacket does is to create evenness and symmetry no matter what your natural shoulders are like.
Jacket Lapels. Lapels are the folded flaps of cloth on the front side of the jacket; a continuation of the jacket collar that stretches down to where the buttons begin. Lapels come in different styles and options. The most common variance of the lapels is the width. For a classic look, a moderate-width lapel is best and it works well on most occasions.
