Pride & Dignity

At Bread & Butter Berlin…

Pride & Dignity is a new German brand making some damn fine looking outerwear in the heritage vein of things. Inspired by iconic pieces culled from military, aviation, and outdoor history, their jackets and vests mix traditional inspiration with modern updates. Something I always appreciate.

Amongst those modern updates: Amenities like cotton-lined handwarmer pockets on the A2, and a removable sheepskin collar on a G1 (so the jacket can get some use in the early Fall and late Spring). And Lampo zippers. Despite my affection for the likes of Talon, I’ve got to admit that I dig the smooth feel you get with the polished teeth on the more modern iterations.

Looks like they’ve slimmed down the fits, as well. Also quite welcome in my book.

The updated A2, made from vegetable tanned Italian horsehide. The pockets are slightly larger and higher than the mil-spec version, and then there’s those crucial handwarmers…

The family behind the label has been in the garment business for three generations, but the Pride & Dignity brand itself is a new thing. It debuted with a very limited run last Fall, but this Spring marks the big, 100%-for-real launch.

And a solid one it is. They’ve got a full run of outerwear options ranging from the already-discussed military leathers to parkas, pea coats, and even a puffer vest. They also partnered with Field Notes for the Spring collection–every garment comes with a notebook attached to a lanyard with a hook closure. It’s an interesting–and probably very useful–bonus.

Another shot of the A2. Lined in Italian moleskin with sateen sleeves. You can see the hook where the Field Notes notebook would attach…

The G1, with a removable sheepskin collar and done up in washed and wax ironed cow nappa…

Another look, from Bread & Butter Berlin…

Lampo zippers…

The label on the G1. Check out the button–real horn with a laser-etched anchor image…

From B&B…

Some more styles:

Pride & Dignity is currently sold in Germany, Switzerland, the UK, Italy, and France. I’m hoping they cross the pond sometime soon, and I’m excited to see what they come up with next.

—Jonathan

(Images courtesy of Pride & Dignity)

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(capsule) NY: Perfecto by Schott NYC

Updated One-Star Perfectos and a vintaged horsehide Cafe Racer. Mmmmmm….

Schott NYC absolutely nailed it with the new Perfecto by Schott line that showed this past Monday/Tuesday at (capsule) NY.

Designed by Greg Chapman (who, aside from being talented as hell, is a genuinely nice guy) the line draws on Schott NYC’s venerable heritage with updated takes on classic pieces. Lines are slimmed down, fabrics and leathers are played with a bit, and it all comes together into a collection that certainly vies for my personal “best in show” award for (capsule) NY as a whole.

Among the collection you’ll find takes on a number of leather jacket styles, including the double riders jacket (made famous by the original Perfecto), the A2 bomber, and the racer jacket in both cafe and spread-collar. In terms of materials, you’ve got a bunch of options: Horsehide, cowhide, a goddamn beautiful suede (it’s soft as hell, but heavy and sturdy at the same time), waxcloth, and heavy twill.

There’s also a good deal of variety when it comes to vintage effects on the leather. I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m generally weary of this practice, but if you take a look at that black/brown marbling effect on a couple of the jackets below, I think you’ll come to the same conclusion I did. In this instance, it works.

The waxcloth on this jacket is light and pliable, but still very clearly durable. A perfect jacket for spring weather… Perfecto in a lightweight cowhide. I could see this becoming a standby in my own collection…

The marbled black/brown vintaging I mentioned earlier. Clearly, I was fascinated with this…

Talon zips on some of the models. Old skool for the win…

There’s that fantastic suede…

I think the far right is actually a ladies’ model. Very cool…

There’s also a very strong portion of the collection that draws on the other end of Schott’s expertise, with mountain parkas, pea coats and toggle coats. These pieces are done in deadstock nylon/poplin from the company’s storerooms, selvage raw denim from Cone Mills White Oak, and some impressively sturdy cotton duck in a few different colors (eye-searing orange among them).

Also: I really dig the linings they used in this collection in general. Tartan, gingham, and plaid galore. Icing on the cake.

Actually not sure if this was just a fabric sample for linings or if they’re offering a scarf, and neglected to ask. If it’s just a sample, I humbly suggest they offer a scarf. If it’s a scarf, I want one…

Cone Mills White Oak. Quality, American-made fabrics…

Geeked out on the selvage detailing. I’m glad they had the good sense to keep it subtle…

I didn’t think I’d like this when I first saw preview shots last week. I was oh so wrong. I want one for myself. Like, yesterday…

Many of the components like the toggles here were actually sourced from deadstock within Schott’s factory in Elizabeth, NJ…

The line arrives for real in Spring 2011. Prices will land between $400 and $1,000. When you’re talking about the top end of that range representing the cost of an American-made horsehide jacket, it’s really damn reasonable bang for your buck.

Start saving them ducats, kids. If you’re anything like me, you’re gonna want more than one of these pieces.

—Jonathan

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Eye Candy: Lewis Leathers x Garbstore Flying Dominator Preview

I’ve been excited about the Lewis Leathers x Garbstore Flying Dominator jacket for a while now, and these preview shots from Epaulet are just making it even harder to wait for September when it actually drops.

Take a look:

Price should come in around $850. Not cheap, but from the looks of it, well worth it.

—Jonathan

(Images courtesy of Epaulet)

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Initial Thoughts: Lewis Leathers for Garbstore Flying Dominator

I’ve been waiting for ages to post a preview shot and give my intial take on the Flying Dominator by Lewis Leathers for Garbstore. I was waiting on the actual release of the FW 2010 lookbook to drop it, though (I came by advance knowledge of the piece through personal channels and didn’t want to step on any toes).

Now that it’s out though? Fuck it. Fair game! So feast your eyes, try to ignore the styling in the shot (which ain’t doing it for me) and read on for my take on the piece.

One note before I continue on to my thoughts: please keep in mind that there are some aspects of my description you can’t see in the above shot, so you’ll have to take my word. I assure you, I’m doing my level best to be 100% accurate.

On to the Flying Dominator!

To my eye, the look of the jacket as a whole is a modernized and pared-down take on the classic A2. You can see the knit cuffs, and the hem is done in a rib knit as well. Pair that with the brown leather, the shirt collar, and the “Flying” moniker, and it’s a pretty short leap to flight jacket associations.

There’s definitely a solid list of changes, though. First, it’s now slash handwarmer pockets instead of the traditional patch pockets with top entry flaps. There’s also no storm flap, epaulets, or snap-down closure on the collar. And obviously, the bright red quilted lining is all Lewis Leathers and zero military in terms of influence. One of the biggest differences is the slimmed down fit all around (trimmer body, higher armholes, etc). That lean silhouette is probably not great if you’re actually flying a plane, but I love it.

The Flying Dominator is sort of a highly civilianized hybrid piece. Perfect for someone with an appreciation for the general A2 vibe, but whose wardrobe doesn’t have the requisite “heritage” feel to work an actual reproduction or vintage piece into the works.

All in all, I think it’s a win. Very wearable and modern, but with the appropriate homage paid to it’s sartorial forbears.

It’s all made in the UK of British-tanned sheep nappa that’s been treated for a vintage look. Hopefully it holds up in person. From the shots I’ve seen, I’m thinking it’s gonna be a beauty.

The price should come in around the mid $800′s when it hits store in September. I’ll be saving my dollars for that very day.

—Jonathan

(Image courtesy of Garbstore)

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Eye Candy: Eastman Leather Clothing – Cable Raincoat Reproduction

I’m not really a stickler for authenticity when it comes to military reproduction jackets. In fact, the one jacket I currently own that owes anything to mil-spec garments is a vintage Sears Leather Shop A2-style bomber with so many incorrect styling cues it would make a real repro enthusiast weep. That said, I do appreciate the care and thought that go into some of the projects that companies like Eastman Leather Clothing undertake.

So, for your late-Sunday viewing pleasure, some shots of one of their reproduction A2 jackets (in this case, not rife with errors). These are based on a vintage Cable Raincoat Company jacket, and it’s astounding how much effort they’ve put into making a jacket that’s as close as possible to the original.

One of the most interesting parts of the following set of images is the comparison of the Eastman version and the original Cable Raincoat Company version. If it weren’t for the wear on the vintage specimen, I’d be hard pressed to differentiate the original from the reproduction:

Those vintage zips and hardware are just gorgeous.

And one final thing: Horsehide. Holy shit. Just look at how the aging process has brought out all the character in the grain. It keeps getting better the older it gets.

—Jonathan

(All images courtesy of Eastman Leather Clothing)

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