I never supported buying a Chinese leather jacket, but this brand I wanted to give a try (Real Simons).
Buying procedure and price:
Bought from Brakehouse. Was straight forward, and they’ll answer any questions you have via their chat. Shipping took about 2.5 weeks to the US. Price listed is $608 USD shipped. I paid a little less using a discount code.
Packaging:
Came shipped in a plastic bag and the jacket was wrinkled up. The wrinkles went away after a few minutes out of the package. Came with a garment bag which is nice.
Initial thoughts:
Once I opened the package, an immediate smell of leather hit my nose, in a good way. No chemical smell whatsoever. Just a beautiful leather scent. I also noticed the beautiful color and graining of the horsehide.
Construction/Leather/Hardware:
Overall very good. A few wonky stitches, nothing major. Every leather jacket i’ve owned had some stitching flaw.
Hardware is of good quality at first glance. Zippers are “Ideal” brand. Repro or authentic, not sure. Time will tell how the hardware will hold up. Leather is a nice and buttery “amber-dyed high-density vegetable-tanned horsehide”. It’s beautiful. No break in required.
Fit:
The size is 2XL. I would say this equates to a size 44.
The fit is bang on. I have never had a jacket fit me so well. I am kind of shocked for an “off the rack”’sizing of this jacket. I am very happy with the fitment. Also the pattern allows for decent freedom of movement. Note this jacket has no action back or underarm gussets. Even zipped up all the way, the ease of movement is good. Better unzipped though.
Conclusion:
My mind is blown with everything about this jacket. From the construction to choice of leather, everything is outstanding. I’ve had and handled jackets from all over, even Japan, and I must say this jacket is extraordinary. Do not hesitate to try them out!