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Home / Blog / Product Reviews

The Jacket Maker Review 2022: Too Good to Be True?

Published on September 12, 2022 by Brock McGoff · Clothing and Style, Product Reviews May contain affiliate links (what's this?)

In this hands-on review, I’ll share my experience ordering a custom leather jacket from The Jacket Maker.

Table of Contents

  • Quick Take
  • About The Jacket Maker
  • Where Is The Jacket Maker Leather From?
  • Custom Suede Bomber Jacket
  • The Custom Jacket Maker Process
  • The Jacket Maker Fit Check
  • The Jacket Maker Quality Control
  • My Overall Recommendation
  • What does Reddit think about The Jacket Maker?
  • Questions About The Jacket Maker
The Jacket Maker full body fit front zipped
This custom brown suede bomber from The Jacket Maker fits really well (but you should read my full review before buying).

It seems like there’s a new custom suit or shirt brand popping up every week. Heck, you can even buy made-to-measure t-shirts and jeans online these days.

But custom made leather jackets? That’s hard to find, especially without spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars.

The Jacket Maker sells made-to-order leather jackets, which means you get to design your own jacket and input your own measurements for a custom fit.

Here’s the kicker: these jackets start at only $200, which is cheaper than many ready-to-wear leather jackets.

So, what’s the catch? Is The Jacket Maker any good? Are these jackets worth your money?

Let’s find out…

Quick Take

The Jacket Maker offers a great way to get a leather or suede jacket that fits your body perfectly without spending a ton of money.

The Jacket Maker fit open
In terms of fit and value, The Jacket Maker gets TMM’s seal of approval.

Just like with any custom made garment, it’s not easy to get the fit exactly right on the first try (my jacket required one remake).

Because the price is so low, The Jacket Maker jackets aren’t made from premium quality materials, and there may be some small quality control issues.

You’re paying for better fit and custom design, not quality. If you care a lot about fit (or have a a hard to fit build) and are on a budget, I definitely recommend The Jacket Maker.

If you want a premium quality leather jacket and don’t need a custom size, you might want to consider other brands.

About The Jacket Maker

Based in UAE and founded in 2016 by Syed Obaid, The Jacket Maker is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce clothier that sells custom leather jackets for men and women.

The Jacket Maker logo

According to their website, The Jacket Maker uses “the finest raw materials” including “full grain natural leather” and YKK zippers.

Like many online first DTC brands, they claim to offer luxury quality products for a fraction of the price you’d normally pay.

The Jacket Maker sizes
The Jacket Maker offers off the rack sizes and a made-to-measure option for a very reasonable extra fee.

While all of their jackets are made-to-order, The Jacket Maker does offer eight standard sizes (XS to 4XL) and “bespoke” sizing.

Where Is The Jacket Maker Leather From?

I asked The Jacket Maker’s customer service to ask which tanneries their leather and suede is from, and where the jackets are manufactured.

The rep I’d been in touch with, Ali, said:

All our products are made from leather/suede that is especially hand-tanned for us at our production facility in Pakistan under the supervision of our production team.

He said they require their leather to be a by-product of the food industry, and:

Our production team regularly visits the tannery to ensure our leather is of the highest quality and tanned under good working conditions with care and attention to the environment.

So, I know the leather is tanned in Pakistan where (I think) the jackets are made. The Jacket Maker’s website mentions full grain leather, but the clothing label is less specific:

The Jacket Maker label
The Jacket Maker clothing care label…what does ‘real leather’ mean?

Bottom line: given the price, I have a hard time believing that this jacket is made from “the highest quality” leather.

The Jacket Maker back
The Jacket Maker suede…time will tell how it holds up, but you simply cannot get the “highest quality” suede for under $300. It does look nice, though!

I’m glad The Jacket Maker says that they care about working conditions and the environment, but without any third party certifications or details about products (names of tannery and factory), it’s impossible to know if this is true.

Then again, you’re not reading this review because you’re looking for the highest quality, most eco-friendly and ethically-produced jacket in the world.

You’re looking for a custom fit leather jacket that doesn’t break the bank. With that in mind, let’s see if this brand delivers…

Custom Suede Bomber Jacket

I’ve always admired the fitted suede bomber jacket from afar, as I’ve never actually owned one. I decided this was a great opportunity to snag one, and dark brown was the perfect color for my wardrobe.

Blain Mocha Suede Bomber
Blain Mocha Suede Bomber

So I went with the Blain Mocha Suede Bomber Jacket with a couple of design tweaks and, of course, custom sizing.

Specifically, I asked The Jacket Maker to add a double zipper and change the hardware from silver to brass. The double zipper helps loosen up the hips when wearing the jacket zipped up; it’s especially useful when sitting down or driving.

The brass hardware better matches the tone of the dark brown suede (silver is a bit too shiny and contrasty for my taste).

The Custom Jacket Maker Process

I used The Jacket Maker’s self-measuring guide to submit my own measurements. A couple days later, someone from their team emailed me with a few clarifying questions.

The Jacket Maker email
I love that The Jacket Maker team double checks your measurements before production. Of course, you can always double check yourself (don’t just take their word for it).

Basically, if you submit a measurement that seems off, they’ll ask you to remeasure or measure an existing garment for comparison.

This is a really important part of the process, as it’s very easy to mess up your own measurements (even if you have a friend help out).

In my case, we made a slight tweak to my measurement profile, and the jacket was shipped just two weeks later, which is shockingly fast. It arrived about six days after it was shipped (again, really fast).

The Jacket Maker Fit Check

The first jacket fit well in the shoulders, chest and sleeves, but it was too long in the body and too tight around the hips (these issues are directly related).

Jacket Maker first fit
The first jacket I received was too long, which caused it to be too narrow around the hips. If I zipped it up, it was very tight, which caused bunching in the back.

I sent pictures to The Jacket Maker rep I’d been corresponding with, and we decided that shortening the jacket by a couple inches would solve both problems.

Since the jacket was being remade, I requested a couple of other tweaks: double zipper, different color hardware, and slightly longer sleeves.

The remade bomber arrived just as fast as the first one, and I’m happy to report that it fits me perfectly.

The Jacket Maker fit open
The Jacket Maker fit front zipped
The Jacket Maker fit side zipped
The Jacket Maker fit back zipped

The shoulders and sleeves are just right. The new length allows for a snug-but-not-too-snug fit around he hips, and the double zipper helps it wear more naturally when zipped up.

Jacket double zipper
Double zipper > single zipper

The new brass hardware looks much better than the original silver hardware, in my opinion, and the rich brown suede is a pleasing, versatile color.

The Jacket Maker YKK hardware
The Jacket Maker YKK brass hardware (much better than polished silver)

I like the single button sleeves, as opposed to a ribbed cuff, which can interfere with wearing and checking a watch.

Jacket sleeve unbuttoned
Jacket sleeve unbuttoned

All in all, it’s a good looking jacket that fits me really well – maybe better than any other leather jacket I’ve ever tried on.

The Jacket Maker Quality Control

I really only have one gripe about this jacket: the zipper is separating from the jacket at the bottom of each end, which may result in long-term durability issues.

The Jacket Maker glued zipper
The glued zipper track is coming undone at the bottom.

You can see where the glued zipper isn’t totally secure. I imagine this will get worse over time. It’s probably any easy fix at a local tailor or cobbler, but I’d rather not have to deal with this sort of QC issue, even at this affordable price point.

My Overall Recommendation

Despite the issue with the zipper and the fact that my first jacket didn’t fit perfectly, I still recommend The Jacket Maker for certain people.

It’s one of the only ways I know of to get a custom sized leather jacket for $200-300, so if you can’t find jackets that fit off-the-rack, The Jacket Maker is a great choice.

If you want a premium/luxury quality leather or suede jacket (think Schott), The Jacket Maker isn’t for you. You’ll have to pay 2-10x more for All Saints, Schott or Theory, and have a reputable tailor make any necessary alterations.

If you’re a shorter guy and just want a leather jacket that fits properly (for once in your life), definitely give The Jacket Maker a try.

What does Reddit think about The Jacket Maker?

Reddit is a great source for unbiased reviews, but keep in mind: most people who post reviews online are venting about a negative experience.

This is much more common than someone leaving a glowing review on Reddit, with no incentive, just out of the goodness of their heart.

With that in mind, there are a few Reddit posts about The Jacket Maker.

One customer had to wait a long time for a jacket to arrive, only to discover that the quality didn’t meet his expectations (which may have been too high, considering the price). He then had to wait another 30 days for a refund.

The Jacket Maker has 4.5 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot and 3.11 out of 5 stars on BBB.

Other menswear bloggers have generally had good experiences with The Jacket Maker, but I don’t think most of the praise is due to fit and customization options, not quality.

Questions About The Jacket Maker

Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions about The Jacket Maker:

Is The Jacket Maker legit?

Yes, The Jacket Maker is a legitimate company with real people and real products.

Who owns The Jacket Maker?

The Jacket Maker is owned by Syed Obaid (CEO and co-founder).

Where is The Jacker Maker based?

According to their inc.com profile, The Jacket Maker is based in Hayward, CA. But based on what I know, The Jacket Maker is based in UAE with production/manufacturing in Pakistan.

Where are The Jacket Maker jackets made?

The Jacket Maker jackets are made in Pakistan.

How long does The Jacket Maker take to ship?

According to their website, most ready-to-wear order will ship within 10 days, but it can take up to 20 days to ship. Custom (made-to-measure) orders take 5-7 weeks to ship. My jacket arrived much more quickly than I expected.

Does The Jacket Maker use real leather?

Yes, The Jacket Maker uses real leather. I asked the brand for more details about their leather, but all I know is that it’s tanned in Pakistan. Their website mentions full grain leather in some places, but they don’t mention any specific details.

Clothing and Style, Product Reviews bomber jacket, Custom Clothing, leather jacket, suede

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About Brock McGoff

The Modest Man founder, Brock is an aspiring minimalist who enjoys working out, spending time with his family, discovering new brands and creating great content.

Background: Brock McGoff has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a professional background in digital marketing. He believes that men's fashion is just one facet of self-improvement, and he started The Modest Man to help regular guys feel more confident by improving their appearance.

An east coast native, Brock currently lives in Arizona with his wife and daughter. When he's not working, he spends time with family, training BJJ, reading/listening to books and podcasts, and unsuccessfully trying to decide which movie to stream.

Expertise: Brock has built a men's lifestyle YouTube channel with over 400k subscribers. He's also worked as the creative marketing manager in a men's apparel startup. Brock has been quoted in, mentioned by or featured in publications like Esquire, Huff Post, Men's Health, WWD and Forbes.

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Reader Interactions

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    Got questions? Want to share your opinion? Comment below!

  1. Brigid Avery says

    December 19, 2022 at 3:55 pm

    Did you have to pay extra for the remake or pay yo send the first one back? I ordered one for my son and am so nervous it won’t fit correctly.

    Reply
    • Brock says

      December 19, 2022 at 4:02 pm

      I didn’t have to pay extra for the remake OR send the first one back. Granted, I’m not sure if they gave me preferential treatment as a blogger. You might want to ask them first!

      Reply
  2. CJ says

    November 28, 2022 at 9:47 pm

    I ordered from them. I was billed the $50 for made to measure. Then, they emailed me saying they want an additional 50 dollars because I’m over 4XL. Oh…hi random extra 50 dollars you want to tack on. They emailed me saying “click this link to pay the extra amount.” I said–um no way…I’m not interested in paying an extra $100 dollars..just the $50 advertised. Cancel my order ASAP. If it was clearly on their website, I wouldn’t care. But, it seems like awful business practice to just randomly email customers with a link and basically be like “oh hey..we actually want to charge you more.”

    Reply
  3. Eric Wong says

    November 28, 2022 at 12:01 pm

    Brock: Is the color of your brown suede jacket in the photos accurate? It looks like a dark brown color which is what Im looking for. But in a video of the same jacket, Blain Mocha from He Spoke Style, the color looks much lighter. How is the jacket holding up for you? Thanks for the good review of the Jacket Maker.

    Reply
  4. Coy Smith says

    October 28, 2022 at 10:32 am

    I have been waiting 3 weeks now for my order I just want what I purchased.

    Reply
  5. Snoopy says

    July 12, 2022 at 11:32 pm

    I think they are not using full grain leather. The leather looks like “genuine leather” or top grain leather, ie sanded back and thinner than full grain. The graining is not prominent. Overall though I do love the jackets at the price point and agree on great the service.

    Reply

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