Aero Cafe Racer in brown oil pull horse hide

[Gancho]

Hello loungers,

I often promised to show you my new Aero Cafe Racer. Here it is!

The jacket has ordered in Februar 2011 and has been delivered after a endless waiting time of more than 12 months. there were a lot of things that differs from the original Aero Cafe Racer. I had have already a few Cafe Racer and been never totally satisfied. I started with a 44 and now I ended with a 40. I tried the 4 pocket version, had one only with handwarmer pockets, and so one.

For me the breast pockets have been useless, but to use the inside pockets it is always nessesary to open the jacket.
I never like the kidney panel, for me it ist too small so that the proportion of the back look bad for me. My one has a bigger kidney panel.
The underarm zippers are on the outside, I saw this on an Aero that is sold by a french dealer.
The sleeves are made from two pieces and the jacket has a two way zipper. it is the same zipper used for the iron heart jackets, without the heart.

The jacket is made from the new oil pull leather. The hide is very thick but not so heavy as the "normal" front quarter horsehide.

Here are some pictures of MY Cafe Racer:

The fit is perfect, really trim but still very comfortable. With the long sleeves, it is ideal for motorcycling.

It will need some wear, in a few month it will be much nicer. It was worth to wait such a long time and it will be my last Cafe Racer, when I can stay as slim as i am.

Thank you for looking,

Olli

 

[Cole]

The leather looks amazing and the jacket suites you very well. :eusa_clap0

I just can't understand the sizing mess at Aero Leathers. I mean you are about 1,90 meters tall with a biger cheast meassurement then 40", still the size 40 is what fits perfectly. It's like with my A2. I started out at size 46 (and I said I want a slim fit) and have a size 44 now that I am comfortable with, but could easyly size down to a 42 or even maybe a 40 when the sleeve and body length stays as long as it is.

 

[too much coffee]

Looks good on you Ollie.
Great job on the customization mods.

coffee

 

[Gancho]

thx for your kind words.

@Cole: Yes, i have also that problem with the sizing of Aero. I also started with 46 a long time ago. Now all my jackets are 42, only the cafe racer is 40. My old 38-1711 was also a 40, but that was definitely too uncomfortable. Sizing is also a question of fashion. At the moment slim is in.

Cheers

Olli

 

[HorseHide]

The jacket looks outstanding - nice job!

Sizing is also a question of fashion. At the moment slim is in.

But an inch is still an inch, regardless of what is fashionable at the moment. I too share your frustration with the tendency of Aero to cut a jacket that is too big.

 

[Mojo1975]

I too share your frustration with the tendency of Aero to cut a jacket that is too big.

Aero doesn't cut a jacket that's too big, it's just that most of their styles are "full cut" styles...

Now, with that said, you can impose a slimfit pattern on each and every jacket pattern... You have to keep the jackets such that they're historically accurate, which, to come right back around, is to impose the slimfit pattern on every Aero jacket style...

The cafe' racer, as shown above, is a great fit and one of the slimest fits of the entire Aero product line...

 

[Mojo1975]

Hello loungers,

I had have already a few Cafe Racer and been never totally satisfied. I started with a 44 and now I ended with a 40.

The fit is perfect, really trim but still very comfortable. With the long sleeves, it is ideal for motorcycling.

Different people like different fits and different companies size differently as well. We (Insurrection) have many customers who begin in fullcut 42s and 44s when they should be in, for a historically accurate fit, slimfit 38s and 40s (what we fit them in). The jacket looks great on you and exemplifies the benefits (if such benefits are desired) of getting a slimmer, more fitted horsehide jacket.

 

[sshack]

Looks very nice-- I really like the fit. I see so many jackets on this forum where the shoulders are too loose-- the shoulder hem slopes or hangs off of the shoulders and makes a very expensive jacket look unflattering. A jacket where the shoulder hem is below the shoulder by two or three inches isn't a "boxy" cut, it's just ill-fitting, imho. This jacket fits the shoulders spot on and still looks like there's room to layer, if desired.

BTW-- why did this jacket take approx 1 YEAR to make??!!

 

[mattp]

Looks great, good modifications - I especially like the zip placement on the sleeves and the longer cut works well with the slim fit. Interesting to see a larger kidney panel, I've thought about requesting no kidney panel to go with a biswing back for a cleaner, less biker look.
Is the lining olive drab drill, or gabardine?
Cheers,
Matt

 

[coloradorider]

Aero doesn't cut a jacket that's too big, it's just that most of their styles are "full cut" styles...

Great fit on the jacket! The napolean pockets are a nice touch that make it very unique. What lining did you get? Could you give us your measurements and the jackets so we can get a feel for how Aero's Cafe sizing works on a real person.

FWIW - Aero's tagged sizing isn't gospel. I've fit in everything from tagged size 42-48 in their Highwayman style alone and I wear a size 46R suit or occasionally 46L. Every Highwayman that fit had a 25.5"-26" pit-to-pit so tagged sizing is almost irrelevant except to get you in the ballpark. I've shared your frustration trying to get a good fitting Aero buying used until I got somewhat of an idea what pit-to-pit measurement fits in the different styles. I ordered from Aero and they sent me a size 44 that fits very well. I ordered a size 44 off the Bay with the same pit-to-pit, neglected to get the waist measurement, and it was 6 inches bigger in the waist than my Aero ordered Highwayman and I was forced to return it because it was so ill fitting. The quest for a used black Highwayman for <$500 goes on

 

[ChristianM.]

@ Gancho. What is the backlenght of your jacket? And do you think there are any advantages for the 2 panel arm construction over the standard 3 panel? (besides cleaner look of course).

Thank you. Need the info for my upcoming order.

 

[schitzo]

Thanks for sharing this great jacket with us.

Your thread is another outstanding example of excellent and efficient German photography! Well played sir

 

[jglf]

Great looking jacket and perfect fit. I really like the two vertical chest pockets.

 

[Gancho]

Nice to hear your kind words about my jacket.

I think the problem with the fitting of these jackets are the armholes. The size of the armhole does not go down by the same proportion as the rest of the jackets. I specially asked for trimmer arms and a higher armhole, but that is a big problem by making these jackets. We ask for thick leather, at the end of the production the whole jackets has to go through one armhole, that is the reason why they can not slim down this area as much as they want. Hopefully my bad english can describe what i want to say.......

Here are picture of my Cafe Racer history.

44

42

The size 40 is 71 cm in the back and 53 cm pit to pit. Shoulder seam to shoulder seam it is 47,5 cm. I asked for 1 inch higher armhole and slim down sleeves. Be carefully with slim down sleeves, because than you can not wear more than a shirt under the jacket. The lining is green garbadine. The garbadine should be available again since Aero offers the B10 again.
The two panel sleeves is only a question of taste. Looks a little bit cleaner from my point of view. Same as the smaller bi swing back.

Regards from Hamburg,

Olli

 

[ChristianM.]

@Gancho

Thank you for the back measurements! The 71cm is without collar, right?

One more thing: Do you like the placement of the underarm-zipper on the outside more than the standard backside zippers on your previous jacket? Would you recommend it?

 

[Asienizen]

That is a nice jacket, I know what you mean about armholes that are too large - I am a thin guy that can never get a slim jacket that fits well.
One year - good things are worth waiting for.

 

[olworthers]

Great looking jacket - fit is now perfect!!


-OW

 

[ForestForTheTrees]

That's a very nice looking jacket. Do you find that the changes you've made improve the functionality when you are riding your motorcycle (do you have your bike set up cafe style calling for a longer reach)?

 

[Sloan1874]

Interesting about the sleeves. I tried a Japanese config long half-belt on, like you I'm looking for a slim fit, while wearing a jumper and it felt fine. I was measured up at Aero, so hopefully that will help in getting the right fit too, but I did write to Holly looking for reassurance on being able to wear jumpers under it. I'm currently waiting for samples of different weights of tartan to be sent so I can see if they're likely to have a demonstrable effect on the fit of the jacket - if ever there was a process that appeals to the control freak in me, this is it!

 

[ButteMT61]

The jacket looks great, but man, tuck that shirt in!
Just kidding of course. I'd have ot liked that jacket on paper. Seeing it in you though makes me realize it's a great riding jacket - assuming you can bend over comfortably?
The pockets and zipped sleeves with the double zipper sure make it appealing for riding. Do you ride?
Well done. Fit is perfect.