Jacket sizing-LW and others

[Bern1]

Hi all, back here after about 10 years away. Fun as always! My return is prompted by (of course) a new jacket. I had sworn it all off, but I always wanted a Lost Worlds Ryder, but hadn't seen one in my size....admittedly I didn't look very hard. A few months ago I found a size 42 and bought it. Not end of story.

When I first got into this, I had talked to Stuart at LW, not about jackets. (I didn't even know about this part of the world.) Then the bug hit and when I talked to him about jackets, he told me to get size 42, based on my weight and height. Well the first one I bought was an A2 and it seemed really small. I guess I was used to oversize mall jackets! So I got a 44 instead. Then I got another few in that size. Big mistake. I wound up selling them all off at a loss of course and buying some back in 42. A couple new, one traded, a couple of others used. Some of the 42 jackets I thought were too big as well. Eventually I made peace with what I had. Some fit better than others.

So this Ryder I bought, in what is normally my size (42), seemed a little big. I have actually lost weight compared to 15 years ago, but this 42 seemed really large. It may be that I'm a size 40 now in reality. Of course jacket fit depends on a lot of things. So I started looking at other LW Ryders in size 42 and 40, which seemed a logical step. I keep a spreadsheet of jackets that I have and have had. This time, I started cataloguing sizes of these 42's and 40's for sale. I have found quite a bit of variation in the dimensions of these jackets. Some of the 40's had some of the same measurements as my 42, some even larger. I did find a 40 that I think might have fit me better, except it had a bottom hem measurement of 38! Smaller by 2" than anything I had, so I wasn't willing to roll the dice.

I get it that stock items may have a pattern but that there are variations. Is what I'm finding normal? It is maddening! In a world where we can't really try everything on it is daunting!

 

[jacketjunkie]

Hi all, back here after about 10 years away. Fun as always! My return is prompted by (of course) a new jacket. I had sworn it all off, but I always wanted a Lost Worlds Ryder, but hadn't seen one in my size....admittedly I didn't look very hard. A few months ago I found a size 42 and bought it. Not end of story.

When I first got into this, I had talked to Stuart at LW, not about jackets. (I didn't even know about this part of the world.) Then the bug hit and when I talked to him about jackets, he told me to get size 42, based on my weight and height. Well the first one I bought was an A2 and it seemed really small. I guess I was used to oversize mall jackets! So I got a 44 instead. Then I got another few in that size. Big mistake. I wound up selling them all off at a loss of course and buying some back in 42. A couple new, one traded, a couple of others used. Some of the 42 jackets I thought were too big as well. Eventually I made peace with what I had. Some fit better than others.

So this Ryder I bought, in what is normally my size (42), seemed a little big. I have actually lost weight compared to 15 years ago, but this 42 seemed really large. It may be that I'm a size 40 now in reality. Of course jacket fit depends on a lot of things. So I started looking at other LW Ryders in size 42 and 40, which seemed a logical step. I keep a spreadsheet of jackets that I have and have had. This time, I started cataloguing sizes of these 42's and 40's for sale. I have found quite a bit of variation in the dimensions of these jackets. Some of the 40's had some of the same measurements as my 42, some even larger. I did find a 40 that I think might have fit me better, except it had a bottom hem measurement of 38! Smaller by 2" than anything I had, so I wasn't willing to roll the dice.

I get it that stock items may have a pattern but that there are variations. Is what I'm finding normal? It is maddening! In a world where we can't really try everything on it is daunting!

I own a Pre Owned Lost Worlds Test in Site 42. I wanted another one in a different colour. I consulted with Stu and he said the pattern hadnt changed, so I ordered another size 42. Measurements are literally identical down to a fraction of an inch. My best take on your observation is that some patterns were changed over the course of your time buying and selling them, I don't think they produce big variances from factory side unintendedly based on how precisely identical my two Tests fit.

Edit: Also, Lost Worlds supplied a lot to Japan in its early days and I believe Stu said these Japan jackets were of inferior quality (and I guess different patterns that have since changed..). So maybe some of the used jackets you find are from these early Japan times and should probably be considered apart from regular sizing. For example there recently was a Pea coat for sale in size Large... Stu sells them in regular chest sizes, so definitely good example of out of line sizing for Japan products..

 

[bobjones]

Hi all, back here after about 10 years away. Fun as always! My return is prompted by (of course) a new jacket. I had sworn it all off, but I always wanted a Lost Worlds Ryder, but hadn't seen one in my size....admittedly I didn't look very hard. A few months ago I found a size 42 and bought it. Not end of story.

When I first got into this, I had talked to Stuart at LW, not about jackets. (I didn't even know about this part of the world.) Then the bug hit and when I talked to him about jackets, he told me to get size 42, based on my weight and height. Well the first one I bought was an A2 and it seemed really small. I guess I was used to oversize mall jackets! So I got a 44 instead. Then I got another few in that size. Big mistake. I wound up selling them all off at a loss of course and buying some back in 42. A couple new, one traded, a couple of others used. Some of the 42 jackets I thought were too big as well. Eventually I made peace with what I had. Some fit better than others.

So this Ryder I bought, in what is normally my size (42), seemed a little big. I have actually lost weight compared to 15 years ago, but this 42 seemed really large. It may be that I'm a size 40 now in reality. Of course jacket fit depends on a lot of things. So I started looking at other LW Ryders in size 42 and 40, which seemed a logical step. I keep a spreadsheet of jackets that I have and have had. This time, I started cataloguing sizes of these 42's and 40's for sale. I have found quite a bit of variation in the dimensions of these jackets. Some of the 40's had some of the same measurements as my 42, some even larger. I did find a 40 that I think might have fit me better, except it had a bottom hem measurement of 38! Smaller by 2" than anything I had, so I wasn't willing to roll the dice.

I get it that stock items may have a pattern but that there are variations. Is what I'm finding normal? It is maddening! In a world where we can't really try everything on it is daunting!

This is one of the primary reasons why I don't pursue the Japanese/overseas market any longer, and only buy from my local manufacturer, Schott. If I cannot try the item on first, it is a non-option. There are simply too many variations on patterns and sizing not to see how the jacket will sit on you, like how a 4 lb jacket can feel lighter than a 3.5lb one if it is properly situated on your shoulders.

I am sort of in your camp, where some of my recent Schotts are SLIGHTLY larger than some of the other OTR size large pieces, but I'm fine with it because having some room to layer (plus having orangutuan arms) situates me in the size "large" camp. Could I wear a medium? Sure, if I didn't plan on zipping the jacket and wearing it with only a tshirt at most, but I prefer having the flexibility to be able to wear most of them with a sweater so I can get more months of use out of them.

My roughtout has no lining, so that jacket has a more limited window of wear than the others, but that's to be expected. If I was going to push squeezing into a medium in any of them, that might have been the one but the large still looks like a very good fit.

 

[Bern1]

Thanks for the feedback. I think I started buying jackets after the LW Japan adventure, though I do own one I believe. A green canvas Raider like jacket that fits like a tent with ridiculous long sleeves and was not very expensive. It is labeled 42. I like it a lot, as I don’t worry about it at all! The sleeves stay permanently rolled up. So it is possible that I picked a leather one up as well, anything is possible.

I’m going to post my experience buying two Downtowns, each a different size, from Stuart in an upcoming for sale post, with the measurements for each.

I own a Pre Owned Lost Worlds Test in Site 42. I wanted another one in a different colour. I consulted with Stu and he said the pattern hadnt changed, so I ordered another size 42. Measurements are literally identical down to a fraction of an inch. My best take on your observation is that some patterns were changed over the course of your time buying and selling them, I don't think they produce big variances from factory side unintendedly based on how precisely identical my two Tests fit.

Edit: Also, Lost Worlds supplied a lot to Japan in its early days and I believe Stu said these Japan jackets were of inferior quality (and I guess different patterns that have since changed..). So maybe some of the used jackets you find are from these early Japan times and should probably be considered apart from regular sizing. For example there recently was a Pea coat for sale in size Large... Stu sells them in regular chest sizes, so definitely good example of out of line sizing for Japan products..