We asked Jakewood's owner and designer Jacob for some tips that customers could use when choosing a leather jacket. Below are his responses:

What should a customer watch for when buying a custom leather jacket?

Customers should make sure to take the effort to check their custom jacket for uneven or mis-stitchings, loose seams, faulty, snaps, zippers, and buttons. Especially over time, a custom leather jacket can grow to be a reliable piece of clothing, if you remember to take care of it. Checking for these types of small imperfections now will save you big money on repairs in the long term.

What might a customer not know about buying a leather jacket that’s important?

People can often overlook the fact that the size of a jacket can vary depending on the style. Specific styles, and even materials, can drastically alter the fit of a jacket due to the way each specific material is handled and cut. Always remember to try on any custom jacket before buying. Don't be afraid to try before you buy. It's your right as a consumer.

What information that a customer could give would make the buying/customizing process easier?

Measurements and detail. The more overall detail, the more refined and nuanced the jacket can be. These details are usually things like leather color, lining color, type of fabric, snaps or buttons, zipper material etc.

What constitutes a good fit for a leather jacket?

At the shoulders, there shouldn't be any buckling or leather bunching up. Sleeves should end at the wrist and be tapered at the waist.

What qualities make a great leather jacket, as opposed to a good leather jacket?

A great leather jacket is made of high quality leather skin. The details on a jacket should all be of high quality. From the buttons and snaps to the zippers and stitching. If any of these elements are out of place, that's a good sign someone has been cutting corners.

What makes Jakewood’s products better than everyone else’s?

The quality and craftsmanship of out custom leather jackets are what make them truly stand out. All of the fine details and the fact that so much of our process is centered around making the custom leather jacket process a singular experience, so that there is constant quality oversight.

How can a custom leather jacket better suit a buyer than a leather jacket off the rack? What are the benefits?

The benefits of buying a custom leather jacket are getting a fit designed just for you and having the convenience of designing a jacket that is unique to your own style and tastes. With Jakewood, you already know you are getting the highest quality materials. But what puts us over the top is the fact that we can provide you with a custom leather jacket that is a reflection of everything that makes you unique. Jackets straight off the store rack can only do so much.

Which details are important to keep in mind when designing your custom leather jacket?

When designing your custom leather jacket, you should always make sure to pay attention to the stitching & zipper colors as well as making sure to go for buttons instead of snaps. You want to make sure that the colors on the jacket's details do not detract from the overall look and design of the jacket proper.

Why is a quality lining so important?

Quality linings are important because they are the heart of the jacket and will be the first part of the jacket to be affected by basic wear and tear. If the lining is not up to standard, it will fray easily and, quite literally, make the entire jacket come undone. While quality lining will help to ensure that your custom leather jacket stays intact and wearable for many years to come.

 

About Jakewood Custom Leather Jackets

For over 20 years, Jakewood has been producing handmade authentic leather garments, fur, sheepskin, and exotic skin apparel with the highest quality materials and a level of care that only comes with years of expertise. Every Jakewood product, from our alligator skin jackets and python skin jackets to our shearling bomber jackets or leather baseball jackets is exclusively manufactured by American craftsmen and women in Brooklyn, New York. Whether you’re shopping for a new authentic leather coat, a stylish shearling jacket, or some other type of exotic skin apparel, you can count on Jakewood for the highest quality products and service.

There are many things to look out for when purchasing a custom leather jacket. Some of these are related to keeping wary of the cosmetic condition of the jacket itself, while others are tips for getting the most style and flair for your money. With that, here are seven tips for purchasing a custom leather jacket:

1. Checking Your Jacket For Quality

Many people will simply take one look at their leather jacket of choice, see that the body of it seems fine, and call it a day. But you really need to pay attention to the finer details like zippers, linings, and stitchings. If the stitching is not smooth, the jacket will feel cheaper and have a coarse feeling to it. If the jacket has only a single lining instead of a double, that can also be a good indicator of sub-par quality. Lastly, if items like zippers and larger buttons and studs are made from a cheaper material or you can tell they are from a low-quality brand, that is a good reason to question the quality of the jacket. It is a sign that the people making the jacket might have been looking to cut corners and not put the top of the line resources onto a cheaper jacket.

2. Dress for Success

There are a wide range of leather jacket types out there, but you should definitely be leaning towards certain styles when thinking about which types of situations you will most commonly find yourself in. For example, fencing and avant-garde style jackets are great for more casual wear and events where you want to go a little off the beaten path by showcasing your creativity. Bomber style leather jackets are a perfect blend of casual and formal for most serious occasions and modern workplaces.

3. Fit Like a Glove

When picking out a leather jacket, you always want to make sure that it fits well. That is it isn't too tight or too loose. A good way to measure this is by basing your preferred jacket specifications off an existing jacket that you wear all of the time so that you know exactly what fits comfortably on you. Jakewood allows and encourages you to send your favorite jacket into our shop, so we can measure it and make your new jacket fit exactly the same as the one you already know and love.

4. Don't Be Afraid To Try Before You Buy

Sometimes people buy clothing at face value or snatch it up very quickly so that they don't come off as too snobbish. You should always remember to never take your money or time for granted. Do not be afraid to feel and try on the jacket. Yes, it may sound silly and obvious. But you would be surprised how many people can be bashful right at the point of sale. We accept appointments at our Brooklyn, New York location where you can choose and feel your own fabrics/skins.

5. Versatility in Color

If you are looking for an everyday kind of jacket, you would be best to go with a standard black or brown leather. Stay away from colored leathers unless you are trying to be bold and make a statement with your jacket. You can wear a nice, classic black leather jacket every day of the week. But wear a red leather jacket and it stands out more. People might start to wonder why you are wearing the same bold colored jacket every day.

But, of course, these tips are all subjective. There are truly no wrong answers to how you go about selecting your next leather jacket. But Jakewood Exotic Leather & Apparel are here to help you by providing the largest selection of customizable options for your leather jacket to ensure it is up to your own style and standards. So contact us today and let us help you with your custom leather jacket needs.

Custom Varsity Jackets have become a pretty big trend in pop culture as of late. But this trend is nothing new. Outerwear such as baseball and varsity jackets have always been a certain type of symbol. One of sportiness and sophistication. While the baseball jacket is more likely to evoke a more common-man aesthetic of blue-collar workers heading off to catch a game on a Saturday afternoon, the varsity jacket reads as more sophisticated.

A Varsity jacket evokes images of college students and big men on campus. It provides a certain touch of assertiveness to an ensemble. When you are wearing a varsity jacket, you feel like a big deal; like you could lead a group of friends on a night out or be the one in charge of confidently making important plans for a date.

Much like baseball jackets, the varsity jacket got it's start at Harvard University in the mid 19th century. Students would take "H" insignia and sew it on to traditional letterman jackets. Teams would be full of players wearing these outfits. But only those who were captains or star players would get to continue wearing them when not in-season. This is how the varsity jacket initially gained its prestige. Only a select few were allowed to be seen wearing a varsity jacket and if you were one of those people, you knew you had arrived at the upper levels of the local social hierarchy.

By the time that the 1980s and 1990s rolled around, varsity jackets had been co-opted by the big leagues and sports teams of all stripes and colors were adopting fan-wear that would mimic and capitalize on the sporty style and high class of those early university outfits. The stars of those teams became pop culture icons in their own right and, so to, did the varsity jacket.

Nowadays, anyone can buy a varsity jacket and call it their own. But that's kind-of like saying anyone can go cook a meal or play football. Sure, everyone can. But how many can do it well? How many people can wear a varsity jacket that draws the eye to them and makes them the center of attention or gets people to take notice of their style?

Jakewood Custom Leather & Exotic Apparel has you covered, because we have an infinite amount of options for your custom varsity jacket so that you can wear a style that not only fits you, not only looks sharp but compliments your existing style and wardrobe so that you can really feel like your varsity jacket is a part of you. An extension of your personality, instead of just another jacket.

We have a wide range of dyes and leather material to create your custom varsity jacket with. Go for a classic black leather sleeve look, a more rugged all-over dyed brown leather jacket, or even something more thrilling like snake or gator skin?

All of our leather and fabric materials are handled by our very own tailors and seamstresses. Our leather specialists work in-house in conjunction with our designers and have years of experience working with leather and exotic materials. The designers and tailors work together to make sure that we maintain a single cohesive oversight of your custom leather varsity jacket.

After all the work is completed and the custom varsity jacket is done, we have a thorough quality assurance process in place to make sure that there are zero errors or omissions. From there, we ship it out to you from our Brooklyn, NY location to anywhere in the United States.

So visit our custom orders page and let us help you create a custom varsity jacket today.

There are many reasons why you should wear a Custom Leather Biker Jacket. Most of those reasons don't even require you to be a biker. Like a lot of the custom leather and fur clothing Jakewood Leather & Exotic Skin Apparel offers, the joy of this kind of attire is all in the style, durability, and comfort.

First, there is the style that a Custom Leather Biker jacket affords. A sharp leather biker jacket is something that has been in style since the 1950s up through to the modern day; changing and evolving throughout representations in popular culture and being reimagined at every stage from the Greaser movies of the 50s and 60s to the seedy New York City street films of the 70s and all the way up to modern films that choose to use leather biker outfits to add a unique style to their wardrobe. Biker jackets are a solid mix of traditional leather jackets and more flamboyant touches like metal studs, spikes, and buckles.

We allow you to design your own custom leather biker jacket with a limitless amount of detail that truly allows your personality to shine and your imagination to run wild. We only work with industry-standard leather materials like sheepskin & lambskin, as well as more rare and exotic material such as python and alligator. Choose from our seemingly endless range of colors and dyes. Perfect for any personality or style. We offer complete customization on pocket types, zippers, fabric patches, collar types, and other accessories. Absolutely nothing is too demanding or taxing for us. We are here to serve you and your custom leather biker jacket needs.

The hallmark of a great leather biker jacket is of a jacket that provides a certain level of assertiveness and confidence. The modern leather biker jacket is great for all genders. In the past, one might have made the case that the leather biker jacket was too masculine. That the dominant motif has been the rough and tumble male archetype. But as times have changed, so to has the perception of the leather biker jacket and today, more than ever, it is the perfect look for men looking to compliment an assertive look just as much as it is for women, or anyone, looking to add a sharp or sleek layer of classic cool to their attire.

Leather biker jackets are also extremely durable. So on top of looking stylish, you will be able to keep that look for years to come. Even so far as being able to pass your custom leather biker jacket down to family members. Leather, as a material, also does not retain heat and can be designed and crafted to have a light fit that is perfect for spring and summer. But also just as perfect for fall weather, as leather is also a great insulator.

So with a durable style that is as timeless as it is modern, it is time to think about getting yourself a Custom Leather Biker Jacket today.

View our Custom Orders Page for more information.

There are many different reasons to wear your own custom leather jacket with fur. With Jakewood Leather and Exotic Skin Apparel, we've got a wide range of customizable options and choices for leather jackets with fur trim and lining, including fox, coyote, raccoon, chinchilla, and rabbit.

One of the main reasons for wearing exotic fur trim or lining with your custom leather jacket is that it is more practical than most people think. Many people have the idea that if something looks too good to be true, than it must not be. That if a leather jacket with fur trim looks stylish, it must be sacrificing in other areas like practicality or insulation. When in fact, this is the opposite.

Our leather is sourced from the finest sheepskin and lambskin as well as more exotic fare such as alligator and python, our fur from animals such as chinchilla and coyote. It is guaranteed to last for many years and withstand the rigors of day to day usage and the outdoor and weather elements, while keeping in body heat, without absorbing it into the material. This makes a nice leather and fur jacket perfect for cold weather, allowing you to keep warm, while also making a nice trim leather and fur jacket equally as perfect for warmer weather, with its ability to keep heat out.

While some people may want to go right to faux furs when thinking about durability, this is actually a fallacy. many faux furs, with their synthetic materials and chemicals, do not last nearly as long as real furs and wear out much faster. Meanwhile, the genuine articles get passed down between family members generation to generation all the time.

Another fallacy is the idea that real fur absorbs moisture. This is actually true of fake furs, where the material can weaken quicker, but real furs are actually able to shake off water and dry much quicker because of their finer, natural material. Mixing the thin, natural material of fur with the durability of leather is a winning combination for any situation.

The other huge benefit is style. We've already discussed how durable real fur and leather can be, so there is no need to sacrifice style over substance. With Jakewood, you can customize your leather jacket with fur any way you want to. You can pick from our seemingly endless range of color and dye options for your leather, as well as type of exotic fur trim. Perfect for fully customizable pockets, fur patches, collar types, and more. Nothing is too demanding or taxing for us. We are here to serve you and your custom leather and fur coat needs.

We know that working with furs of all kinds should be an exacting, careful process, which is why we have access to local craftsmen who cut all of our fabric and materials in-house. Then, the materials are handed to our tailors and seamstresses. Our leather and fur specialists work hand-in-hand with our designers and have years of experience working with various rare and difficult materials like leather and fur. The designers and tailors work together to make sure that we maintain a single cohesive oversight of your custom leather and fur jacket.

After your custom leather and fur jacket is completed, we have a thorough quality assurance process in place to make sure that there are no errors or omissions on your custom leather and fur jacket. From there, we ship it out to you from our Brooklyn, NY location to anywhere in the United States.

With leather and fur jackets being perennially in-style and with their durability at a level that you will be passing your custom leather and fur jacket down through future generations, it's time to contact Jakewood today to discuss your next custom leather and fur jacket.

View our Custom Orders Page for more information.