Chasing perfection

[greenc]

Hi all,

The week is mercifully winding down, hope you're all well. @Monitor said something interesting the other day in response to @TartuWolf and his post on his jacket journey.

Paraphrasing, Monitor said that part of the problem was that Tartu was chasing perfection, which is a comment that has stayed with me since then.

And now I'm wondering if we're all chasing perfection in the jacket world to some degree.

I have jackets that I can fuss over a 1/4" in the shoulder, or imagine it being 1" shorter - minute stuff that means nothing to anyone else looking at it. My fiancé will look at something I'm fidgeting with and tell me it looks terrific. The challenge of course is that because I'm wearing it my perception is based on feel as much as looks. But am I feeling it too much?

I can't be the only one who feels this way - tell me I'm not the only one.

 

[BarryMcCockiner_PhD]

 

[MrProper]

And now I'm wondering if we're all chasing perfection in the jacket world to some degree.

Not me.
Apart from wanting perfect leather, a perfect fit and workmanship, I am completely undemanding

Joking aside... hardly any of my jackets are perfect, and I still like them. I prefer character to perfection.

 

[jchance]

I can assure you that people are not going to notice that extra 1/4 inch in the shoulder. People don’t study your jacket as much as you do, they don’t even have the requisite knowledge to judge whether a leather jacket even fits well or not. It’s like you look in the mirror and notice a pimple on your face, you go outside and feel conscious about it, but I can assure you that people don’t even notice it because they don’t even spend enough time and attention to inspect your face like you do to yourself in the mirror. You’d only come off insecure about your looks.

I get that good is the enemy of great/perfect, but there’s such a thing called good enough. Your outfit generally gets 1/2 second of people’s glance, if even that. Pursuing perfection in the leather-jacket game is a trivial treadmill that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. If you wear a leather jacket that fits and flatters your body type and your outfit is well coordinated and on point, you look good. It’s that simple.

Looking good in an outfit is half style (how to coordinate different clothing pieces) and half confidence. Wearing a—mostly—well-fitted leather jacket that you’re still self-conscious about is actually not a good look.

 

[Edward]

I like stuff that fits me well, but I've never obsessed about half an inch here and there - I've never thought that was realistic. I did make the mistake early on of buying a few jackets here and there which were really just too tight. My wife puts it well when she says "Just because you can do it up doesn't mean it fits." I think though I've kept it in check by never getting into the whole rigmarole of obsessing over specific measurements to the degree that is possible. I also don't care for "t-shirt fit" in jacket, where I think it's easier to fall into these obsessive traps.

 

[Edward]

I can assure you that people are not going to notice that extra 1/4 inch in the shoulder. People don’t study your jacket as much as you do, they don’t even have the requisite knowledge to judge whether a leather jacket even fits well or not. It’s like you look in the mirror and notice a pimple on your face, you go outside and feel conscious about it, but I can assure you that people don’t even notice it because they don’t even spend enough time and attention to inspect your face like you do to yourself in the mirror. You’d only come off insecure.

I get that good is the enemy of great/perfect, but there’s such a thing called good enough. Your outfit generally gets 1/2 second of people’s glance, if even that. Pursuing perfection in the leather-jacket game is a trivial treadmill that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. If you wear a leather jacket that fits and flatters your body type and your outfit is well coordinated and on point, you look good. It’s that simple.

Looking good in an outfit is half style (how to coordinate different clothing pieces) and half confidence. Wearing a—mostly—well-fitted leather jacket that you’re still self-conscious about is actually not a good look.

Yip. most other people don't notice.... Most people I know don't notice any difference between my Aeros, a Schott, and a Wested Indy. The only time I ever received a comment about "Indy gear" I was wearing a pork pie and a G1....

 

[jchance]

Let me reason with you for a bit in the following thought experiment. Whom exactly are you trying to impress? You have a fiancé so obviously it’s not her. Most, if not all, people don’t even notice you or your clothes.

Let’s say your target audience is some imaginary TFL member with the requisite leather-jacket knowledge, which is extremely rare. (Why do you think we have a thread called “what leather jacket you’re wearing today?”? To impress internet strangers, of course.) Let’s take me, for example. If I see you on the street, I’d notice your leather jacket, but the leather jacket is being worn and you’re moving, not static. It’s not a “fit check for leather jacket” thread, where I’d have time to study the snapshot photos of your leather jacket from different angles. Plus, I’m not going to be too critical of another person’s outfit unless asked. (Why? Because most people are too busy thinking about themselves and their own issues / outfits.) If anything, the thoughts that run through my head are that you’re wearing a leather jacket, that you may have good taste if I like the style of that leather jacket, and that you get a nod from me for being my kind of people (the ones into leather jackets). That’s it.

If I have successfully exhausted everyone as your potential target audience—except yourself as someone you’re trying to please / impress—your chase of perfection is actually just an exercise of vanity in disguise. If you are able to be honest with yourself, you are on your way to get off the chasing-perfection treadmill.

Chasing perfection is often said a futile exercise that perfectionists have yet to realize. Don’t just take my words for it, google it. (That comes from a former perfectionist.)

 

[TLW '90]

I do sometimes , but ultimately I don't know enough to be bothered by as many details as some here.

 

[tuanhng614]

I don’t chase. I explore.

Different leathers, different styles, different designs, different colors, and different brands. Do a factorials of that.

 

[Pandemic]

Let me reason with you for a bit in the following thought experiment. Whom exactly are you trying to impress? You have a fiancé so obviously it’s not her. Most, if not all, people don’t even notice you or your clothes.

Let’s say your target audience is some imaginary TFL member with the requisite leather-jacket knowledge, which is extremely rare. (Why do you think we have a thread called “what leather jacket you’re wearing today?”? To impress internet strangers, of course.) Let’s take me, for example. If I see you on the street, I’d notice your leather jacket, but the leather jacket is being worn and you’re moving, not static. It’s not a “fit check for leather jacket” thread, where I’d have time to study the snapshot photos of your leather jacket from different angles. Plus, I’m not going to be too critical of another person’s outfit unless asked. (Why? Because most people are too busy thinking about themselves and their own issues / outfits.) If anything, the thoughts that run through my head are that you’re wearing a leather jacket, that you may have good taste if I like the style of that leather jacket, and that you get a nod from me for being my kind of people (the ones into leather jackets). That’s it.

If I have successfully exhausted everyone as your potential target audience—except yourself as someone you’re trying to please / impress—your chase of perfection is actually just an exercise of vanity in disguise. If you are able to be honest with yourself, you are on your way to get off the chasing-perfection treadmill.

Chasing perfection is often said a futile exercise that perfectionists have yet to realize. Don’t just take my words for it, google it. (That comes from a former perfectionist.)

Definitely a thought experiment we should all do occasionally. I want to look my best to strangers, even though I know they won’t notice the minutiae of leather jacket details. And my wife - just because you are married, the courtship doesn’t really end. But it’s good to remind myself of all this before I spiral into jacket OCD.

I don’t chase. I explore.

Different leathers, different styles, different designs, different colors, and different brands. Do a factorials of that.

Same. I hold myself to one or two leather jackets. So sometimes when I get the itch to try something new, I will try to justify it to myself as being ‘better’ not just ‘different’.

 

[Pandemic]

But, ultimately, this is just a dumpster fire of middle age mental illness and a support group for single dads with confidence issues hahahahahah

 

[jchance]

But, ultimately, this is just a dumpster fire of middle age mental illness and a support group for single dads with confidence issues hahahahahah

Most men deal with their midlife crisis by paying for a red convertible, a young arm candy, and a hair transplant (if necessary). Some, like the folks here, go on a leather-jacket binge. What’s the point of having all that money for—if not to distinguish yourself from the (peasant) mass with luxury markers like a fur-collar leather jacket?

 

[Pandemic]

I believe that life is absurd and we are all just pushing that damn rock up the hill. If having a silly clothing hobby bring a little joy to the absurdity then that’s wonderful. The trick is to know that it is an ultimately pointless and silly distraction in a pointless existence. But if you can say you left the world just a tiny bit better for having been here, that’s all that should matter. Be the Lost Worlds, in a sea of Five Stars heheh

 

[jchance]

Be the Lost Worlds, in a sea of Five Stars heheh

If I were Stu reading this line, it would be the highest compliment I (Stu) have ever received! If I were you, I would have used Goodwear, Regius, or Fields Leather.

 

[greenc]

Let me reason with you for a bit in the following thought experiment. Whom exactly are you trying to impress? You have a fiancé so obviously it’s not her. Most, if not all, people don’t even notice you or your clothes.

Let’s say your target audience is some imaginary TFL member with the requisite leather-jacket knowledge, which is extremely rare. (Why do you think we have a thread called “what leather jacket you’re wearing today?”? To impress internet strangers, of course.) Let’s take me, for example. If I see you on the street, I’d notice your leather jacket, but the leather jacket is being worn and you’re moving, not static. It’s not a “fit check for leather jacket” thread, where I’d have time to study the snapshot photos of your leather jacket from different angles. Plus, I’m not going to be too critical of another person’s outfit unless asked. (Why? Because most people are too busy thinking about themselves and their own issues / outfits.) If anything, the thoughts that run through my head are that you’re wearing a leather jacket, that you may have good taste if I like the style of that leather jacket, and that you get a nod from me for being my kind of people (the ones into leather jackets). That’s it.

If I have successfully exhausted everyone as your potential target audience—except yourself as someone you’re trying to please / impress—your chase of perfection is actually just an exercise of vanity in disguise. If you are able to be honest with yourself, you are on your way to get off the chasing-perfection treadmill.

Chasing perfection is often said a futile exercise that perfectionists have yet to realize. Don’t just take my words for it, google it. (That comes from a former perfectionist.)

@jchance I've never really thought of it as vanity, I believe my issue has to do more with feel. I'm a size 36 almost across the board with everything so if something is a bit big on me I feel like I'm swimming in it, even though from someone else's perspective it probably looks fine.

For example, I know a lot of guys like their jacket sleeves to land across the back of their hand, which for me just wouldn't work - I'd rather it be a bit high-water on the wrist than too low. And that's because that feeling of it being too big outweighs the rational notion that it looks fine.

I agree that there's no perfect fit, but I'm always looking for that familiar comfort with a jacket that feels the way I want it to fit even if other people wouldn't be able to see it by looking at me wearing it.

 

[tuanhng614]

Pushing pass a certain threshold and the “better” won’t hold any more though. I accept that fact and just bit the ****** to have “different”

 

[greenc]

@tuanhng614 I do love me some different - that's always what I'm looking for as well

 

[jchance]

@jchance I've never really thought of it as vanity, I believe my issue has to do more with feel. I'm a size 36 almost across the board with everything so if something is a bit big on me I feel like I'm swimming in it, even though from someone else's perspective it probably looks fine.

For example, I know a lot of guys like their jacket sleeves to land across the back of their hand, which for me just wouldn't work - I'd rather it be a bit high-water on the wrist than too low. And that's because that feeling of it being too big outweighs the rational notion that it looks fine.

I agree that there's no perfect fit, but I'm always looking for that familiar comfort with a jacket that feels the way I want it to fit even if other people wouldn't be able to see it by looking at me wearing it.

If the "perfect fit" is what you're after, you must be able to try on a lot of leather jackets in-person. I have reserved the "perfect fit" comment on a leather jacket for when I actually saw it on a forum member. And people here sometimes nailed it really well, it's not that rare. If you search this site for "perfect fit," you'd see what I mean. The easiest and quickest way for you to get a subjective "perfect fit" at size 36 is to book a trip to Japan, and be ready to spend retail price. Buying online then reselling is a waste of money and time in the long run.

Perfect fit is a lot narrower (in scope) than chasing perfection.

 

[Aloysius]

Hilariously (to me anyway) the workwear crowd seems much more obsessed with "perfection" than the bespoke tailoring crowd.

 

[jchance]

Hilariously (to me anyway) the workwear crowd seems much more obsessed with "perfection" than the bespoke tailoring crowd.

Isn’t it easy to nail perfection with bespoke tailoring? 2-3 attempts with the same tailor—done. The chase is not worth the high, as the young kids like to put it.

With workwear, perfection is a lot harder and rarer to achieve. When you see it, whether it be online or in the wild, it captures your attention immediately and wows you, as if it was done effortlessly—“I woke up like this”. Hard things are worth doing—or that’s what they like to thoughtlessly believe.