Process · Jackets
From Sketch to Shipment: How a Custom Leather Jacket Is Made
LeatherVibeCo Studio · 9 September 2026 · 1 min read
Pattern cutting, hide selection, sampling and 80+ production steps — a behind-the-scenes look at how we build a custom leather jacket at scale.
A leather jacket might look simple, but a well-built biker jacket passes through more than 80 hands-on operations before it is ready to ship.
1. Tech pack and pattern
Everything begins with your tech pack — or even just a sketch and a reference photo. Our pattern masters digitise the design, grade it across your size range and plan the cutting layout.
2. Hide selection
Leather is a natural material, so every hide is inspected on a light table. Panels are allocated by quality zone: the firmest leather goes to the back and front panels, softer areas to sleeves and facings.
3. Sampling
A pre-production sample is built in 7–10 days. You review fit, finish and branding, and we lock a golden sample that every bulk piece is measured against.
4. Cutting, skiving and stitching
Panels are hand-cut with clicking knives, edges are skived for flat seams and then assembled by specialist machinists using bonded nylon thread.
5. Hardware, lining and finishing
Zips, snaps and buckles are fitted, linings and insulation are attached, and the jacket is conditioned, pressed and inspected.
6. QC and packing
Each jacket is checked against the golden sample, tagged, bagged and packed for export. Tracking and full documentation follow within 24 hours of dispatch.
