Independence Brothers is not affiliated with MONT5 and the opinions expressed here are my own.

There are areas all over the world that are known for their leather. Cities such as Florence, Barcelona, Seoul, and Buenos Aires all have famous leather markets. Those who visit these cities are likely to come away with a pair of leather gloves, purse, or jacket.

Pakistan is also one of the largest leather producing leather nations in the world. And it is from Pakistan that MONT5 was born.

MONT5 was created by Zia Ghafoor, a leather enthusiast with a tech background. Ghafoor was in the U.K. completing his higher studies. While there, he observed the leather industry and recalled seeing, “high-end brands selling leather products at crazy retail prices.” He observed that it cost a quarter of what was being charged to create, the craftsmen were paid too little. When he returned to Pakistan, he found his way to Sialkot, which is a city that is globally acclaimed for its leather products. He realized that leather making was dying in Sialkot because the craftsmen could not make ends meet. Ghafoor stated that “The fact that the profit-sharing-ratio with the craftsmen was the lowest, gave me jitters.”

Zia Ghafoor decided to team up with people in the industry and set up a stitching unit in Sialkot. He collaborated with designers and got a Kickstarter platform going to set up a stitching unit. They had 134 backers and raised $42,079. After two years, MONT5 was launched.

The name MONT5 came from the fact that there are 14 peaks in the world that are more than 8000 meters high. Five of those peaks are in Pakistan. Hence, MONT5.

The main purpose and business set up behind MONT5 is that leather enthusiasts are connected directly with the leather craftsmen who create what they love. The middleman is essentially cut out, allowing the business to avoid markups that make the product unaffordable, and putting the money directly into the craftsmen’s pockets. Everything at MONT5 is sourced locally, thereby helping local businesses and the economy as well as decreasing their carbon footprints. In addition to that, MONT5 has long-lasting products and all of their packaging is recycled and reusable, allowing consumers to have to buy less, which also helps the environment. MONT5 spends less on marketing, cutting out that cost as well. Customers can buy handcrafted custom leather products at affordable prices, which is the backbone of MONT5.

If you have read our blog before, you know that we love everything custom here at Independence Brothers, so MONT5 is right up our ally as a leather jacket maker that we want to spend a blog post focusing on.

In so far as making their custom, handcrafted leather products, MONT5 works on classic designs and modernizes them a bit to meet current needs without disturbing the basics. They don’t use large-scale manufacturing processes that create bulk goods because MONT5 believes that doing that takes the love out and the detail that goes into creating a personalized product. Each leather product at MONT5 is created individually with the help of their craftsmen while using traditional processes.

To check for quality, MONT5 tailor stitches the jacket to make sure everything is perfect. Then the jacket gets checked again against all the custom requirements by their assistant before they get dispatched. The company also maintains images of all sent jackets so that they can refer to them in case of any complaint.

MONT5 uses top-grain sheep leather and top grain calf leather.

Independence Brothers cannot speak highly enough about the beauty of customization and bespoke leather jackets. For that reason, it is even more exciting for us to find other companies that feel as strongly about it as we do, whether you end up ordering from them or from us. That’s why we like to dive deep into various aspects of the company and the jacket. So, let’s pause on customization.

We have spoken about it before, and how it adds an extra layer of specialness to your jackets. It allows you to really shine through your outerwear. Not only does it give more of yourself to the outside world versus a ready-to-wear jacket, but it also puts more value in the jacket decision-making process itself. Getting you to choose everything makes it much more personal of a piece.

MONT5 speaks to their love of customization and its necessity for them on their site. “A leather product lasts forever and it’ll live by your side, through your journeys, becoming a part of your story. So, have it personalized, make it yours.” MONT5 believes that because every person is unique as is their look, their jacket should reflect that and be unique as well. That is why each jacket has its own unique pattern and you know it will be to your fit as well instead of a standard size. This is a sentiment we feel so often here at Independence Brothers, which is why we emphasize bespoke jackets often.

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MONT5 does not have any physical stores. Their website states that “Our philosophy revolves around cutting the middleman out, so we can bring down the retail price to the customers and give a bigger share to our craftsmen in sales.” Therefore, they exist only in the online space rather than brick and mortar. If you want to order a MONT5 jacket, you can do so through their site, www.mont5.com. There, go to the jackets section, and you can see what jackets MONT5 offers. MONT5 has a limited collection, but they cover all of the basic styles. They have moto racer, bomber, cafe racer, double rider, flight, and street fashion styles in their collection. These come in traditional colors, such as beige, dark brown, black, and maroon. The price of MONT5 jackets ranges from $300-$400, making it an investment, but an affordable one.

Once you find a jacket that you like, you can customize it before adding it to your cart. MONT5 gives you the option of a monogram up to 8 characters on the inside, sleeve, or chest if you want. You can also get custom label text up to 16 characters and initials on the buttons. You can also personalize other aspects of the jacket, such as zippers, pockets, and lining. All of the customizations come at no additional cost. All of their jackets are made based on your personal size, making it custom and sure to fit, versus a full ready-to-wear jacket.

MONT5 jackets also all come with a free leather wallet and keychain and includes a jacket cover. In addition to that, there is a $50 gift card and $20 cashback. Note to shoppers: The cashback offer is not automatic. Rather, you have to email their team at team@mont5.com should that you fulfilled the requirements to receive the offer. In order to qualify, you have to:

1. Upload a photo or video onto your social media account and use the hashtag #MONT5
2. Email the MONT5 team with both a link to the social post as well as the photo or video that you used.

MONT5 gives you $20 cashback to your account, and the photo or video you posted and sent them is agreed to be able to be used as part of the company’s marketing material.

There is free shipping worldwide for MONT5 products. Once you place your order, they will keep you in the look the entire process via step-by-step notification emails. As soon as your jacket is shipped, they email you the tracking number of their courier, which is either DH or Dpex, and you can track your order on their website. If you still are facing issues, you can send an email at orders@mont5.com. Something important for shoppers to note is that you are able to change your shipping address up to seven days after you place your order. Another important note is that while you do not have to pay to ship, you may have to pay customs and import duties. Customs and import duties might apply once the package reaches its destination country. These charges are beyond MONT5’s control. As a result, they are unable to determine the cost as import duties vary from country to country. The company advises shoppers to contact their local customs office before ordering, as the recipient of the package must pay these charges, and you want to be prepared if it applies to you.

Most orders should arrive absolutely no later than three weeks, and MONT5 urges shoppers to contact them at support@mont5.com if it has not.

MONT5 jackets come with a perfect fit guarantee, as well as a lifetime warranty. Their Perfect Fit Guarantee states that “It is simply impossible that jacket made for you, doesn't fit you.” Their Lifetime Warranty is essentially forever, with the instructions that if the jacket EVER breaks down, they will fix it for you free of cost.

In so far as returns, MONT5 has a 30-day return policy. If your jacket is damaged, contact their support team at support@mont5.com, and they have a representative who will help you sort out the issue as soon as possible. If you are not happy with the product, MONT5 asks customers to get in touch with them so they can help sort everything out. If after all of that, you still want to return the product, you can as long as it is within 30 days. The shopper must pay for return shipping, and the product must be unused with its original tags still intact.

All MONT5 jackets come with Jacket Care instructions. These can be found on the inner left side of the jacket that you purchased. MONT5 states that if you do need to wash your jacket, it should be taken to a leather expert. However, they also offer helpful do’s and do not’s for the care of your MONT5 leather jacket.

• Take it to a leather expert for cleaning
• Hang your jacket in a shady, airy place if wet
• Use a wide hanger to hang your jacket
• Use leather protector, stain-proof spray
• Use leather conditioners once in a while
• Read care labels & care booklet

• Machine wash your jacket
• Hang your jacket in direct sunlight when wet
• Fold your jacket in offseason
• Use products made for materials other than leather
• Oil your jacket too often
• Try homemade chemicals

If you have a nubuck leather jacket, MONT5 has specific instructions for them. Nubuck is a special type of leather and it requires special care since it is prone to absorb dust particles extremely easily - MONT5 used the term “like a sponge” to describe it. They advise to protect your nubuck jacket with waterproofing and stain-proofing sprays, which are easily available in the market under different brands. As long as you select a nubuck specific spray, it works. For maximum protection, it is recommended to treat with spray coats every year. MONT 5 also recommends using leather protectors and leather conditioner. Leather protectors are odorless and colorless liquids that can be sprayed directly onto the jacket. They typically save the jacket from water, oil, dirt and any other such material that can leave stains on your jacket. Leather conditioners are used to keep leather from drying out or cracking. The type of leather jacket you have dictates the type of leather conditioner, so be sure to make sure the two match. If you wanted to go the more natural route, MONT5 states that ingredients like mink oil, neatsfoot oil, and other natural animal oils are ideal conditioners but they tend to darken the leather. Most importantly, MONT5 warned to never use any products that contain mineral oil or petroleum as it will damage your jacket.

After their basic care information, MONT5 answers many FAQs about leather jacket care on their Wash & Care page.

If you have decided that a MONT5 jacket is right for you, then that is wonderful and you would be in the company of others. Customer reviews for MONT5 leather jackets are generally positive. Most speak about how the jacket was made perfect to their liking and it is of great quality. They were also considered as a company that is keeping craftsmanship alive and producing pieces that are well-designed and individually made for each customer. Reviewers say that their products are not fast fashion but last a lifetime and this philosophy is backed up with a lifetime warranty on everything produced.

We feel strongly about leather jackets here and about what they can do for you as a person. We hope this article helped give an overview of MONT5 as a company and what it is like if you choose to shop there for a leather jacket. MONT5 has a strong mission that they stand by -to give quality products for a lower cost and put more money into the pockets of the craftsmen. For the shoppers, it means a piece of customized fashion that is a more affordable reach. At the end of the day, you are the person purchasing this extension of yourself. Do the research and read reviews. Compare styles and cuts and comfort. Find what works best for you, what you can see yourself wearing many days throughout the year. If you want to shop in a place with more options, do it! The world is your oyster when it comes to leather jackets and fashion, as long as you are not extremely attached to the MONT5 brand. Whether you purchase a MONT5 leather jacket or an Independence Brothers leather jacket, you need to make sure it is a jacket and an investment that continues to bring you joy.