Aero for cold winters

[El Marro]

Late to the party, that one has come and gone. Purchased in person from TFL Powersci. I liked it, but was always hung up that it was a little big and I just felt a tad self conscious in it. I just feel better in my deck jacket which covers the same temp range. I regularly spend time wanting an Eastman B6 but try and remind myself of the lesson of the pictured Aero.

Man it looks alright to me (looks great actually) but I know that what really counts is how you feel when you’re wearing it.

 

[JacketFit08]

...like this...good for around 0°C

With Troyer even lower but that get´s already a little "spack" around the shoulders...

This is stellar jacket. I love the shine and thickness of that leather! I need this with warmth.

 

[JacketFit08]

What's your size?? I have an Aero Longshoreman FQHH Shearling lined I've picked up in the last couple of years and never worn. I need to list it soon.

I’m a 38” chest so pretty slim. But could do a 40. Got some pics?

 

[AeroFan_07]

Shearling linings are an option. However as others have indicated, I find no joy in wearing a leather jacket under around 25F/-5 C so wool, Down, or Carhartt's are my choices then. Most of my Aero's were CXL Horse or Steer and get Very stiff in the cold. If anything, if I needed the wind protection, I would wear a leather under my larger wool coat which would keep the stiff CXL leather warmer and softer, while keeping the wind out. Just my $.02

 

[Claybertrand]

I’m a 38” chest so pretty slim. But could do a 40. Got some pics?

Sorry man. Mine is a size 44---this would be way too big for you I'm afraid and that's before the "Aero sizing factor" and the shearling lining which requires a little bigger jacket body to accommodate.

 

[willyto]

If its for cold weather I think that a 3/4 leather coat is the way to go personally. Although the Shearling jackets are the warmest they are short and I really find it strange when people go with Shearling but then wear thin trousers/denim and get their legs and feet cold!

What temperatures are we talking about?

 

[Cornelius]

Again, the answer here is dependent upon exactly what kind of winter climate to which you are subject most often - are we talking 30-45°F / -1-7°C or 15-30°F / -9 - -1°C?

I'll assume the latter for now, as that is the general winter temperature range for which I have to be prepared myself.

Given that, what does the audience say to an Aero Long Half Belt, in goat hide with a shearling lining in the body, melton wool in the sleeves*, storm cuffs, and a mouton collar that can be turned up & fastened closed? No fussing with a belt, handwarmers, a chest pocket for your phone, and cargo pockets to stash your hat & gloves when indoors.

The goat hide would be lighter weight than horse or steer while still resistant to water & abrasion, and not have the problem of stiffening in the cold like CXL. Goat is not on Aero's drop down options menu for this model, but surely that would be possible?

 

[Goel]

Goat with shearling sounds the best, only thing I'd add would be quilted lining in the arms. Warm and easy to slip on. I have a similar jacket in cowhide (if I did it again I would do goat) and it's easily warmer than any of my wool jackets.

 

[Worf]

For my money unless you go Army Air Corps or R.A.F the Thunder Bay can't be beat. Leather, shearling, killer style you name it. Only downside is eventually you'll have to get a heavier zipper put in it like I did at Johnson Leather. Perhaps Aero is more accommodating now but I don't.

Worf

 

[Cyber Lip]

Besides the warm lining the best thing to do is size up for layering. I've got a couple nice jackets with warm linings that look great on me but that I can't layer under or wear anything heavier than a t-shirt lol. So they're perfect for the very specific situation of wearing on a cold day where I'm driving around in my car (not walking around for extended periods out in the cold), and not going anywhere indoors where it's too warm inside to wear the coat, but too cool to only be wearing a t-shirt. These particular jackets aren't very practical because they only work in this very specific situation. I would have sold them on, but man, they look too good on me!

 

[JacketFit08]

View attachment 295004

Great looking shearling here mate. How did you go with sizing on this one? Any changes made from a regular leather jacket? Sleeve length or back length? The trick is I want something reasonably fitted, not large and boxy!

 

[Bfd70]

Thanks. I had it easy. The original owner lives a few miles away. We met at a bar and I tried it on. I think a good source for sizing tips is the history preservation sales site.
Fwiw these jackets are cut to be boxy.
This allowed for layering and for the issued military jackets to fit a broad swath of soldiers.

 

[Edward]

Probably too late now for OP, but some general thoughts seeing this has come up again...

For cold winters? Shearling lined Thunderbay, of course...

Or B-3 or Irvin. No other way around it.

Definitely the obvious options. Aero will, I believe, do a shearling lining in a wide range of jackets, but there's two things to think about: length and fit.

Length: as @willyto pointed out way back, some of these styles are short - what my parents called a 'bum freezer' (I found longjohns the easy answer to that if I needed them, though some folks don't feel the cold lower down). In which case a longer style like the Barnstormer or the Hudson would be your birdy.

Fit: I don't much see the point in getting a super-warm liner in a jacket that you can't layer underneath; if it's too near for more than a light shirt, the danger is it won't be warm enough for the very depths of Winter - and too warm for the rest of the year. A bit of layering room is a plus here. Course, a lot also depends on what suits you and whether you run hot or cold.

Shearling jackets are great for warmth; one with a shearling liner and a leather shell (like the Thunder Bay or a shearling lined Barnstormer) will combine the warmth of the shearling with the wind-breaking properties of the leather. Also, if it's likely to be wet much of the time when you are wearing a jacket, the only real downside of shearling that way is that a wet shearling collar can feel a bit icky. In very wet climates, a chrome-tanned leather with a shearling liner but plain leather collar is a good practical option imo.

 

[Jules Myers]

I don’t want to hijack this thead, but does anyone have any experience with Aero late model RAF?

 

[Edward]

I don’t want to hijack this thead, but does anyone have any experience with Aero late model RAF?

I believe @Sloan1874 picked one up a couple of years ago. The quality was always good on them, but the 'old' Aero ones had tubular arms which were the wrong shape, too thin and stovepipe looking. Ken totally reworked the pattern after he came back in the wake of the Lauder fallout in 2012, and they are right now. Nothing wrong with the earlier ones as garments, but they just had the wrong shape in the sleeve. That's now been corrected. I've still got my eye on the CC version; Aero were the first repop company I'm aware of who reproduced this. (I know they're not alone on that front now, though the other one from a different manufacturer I've seen still has the wrong sleeve shape.)

 

[Jules Myers]

I believe @Sloan1874 picked one up a couple of years ago. The quality was always good on them, but the 'old' Aero ones had tubular arms which were the wrong shape, too thin and stovepipe looking. Ken totally reworked the pattern after he came back in the wake of the Lauder fallout in 2012, and they are right now. Nothing wrong with the earlier ones as garments, but they just had the wrong shape in the sleeve. That's now been corrected. I've still got my eye on the CC version; Aero were the first repop company I'm aware of who reproduced this. (I know they're not alone on that front now, though the other one from a different manufacturer I've seen still has the wrong sleeve shape.)

CC, meaning Coastal Command? Beautiful jacket, just unsure as to my feelings about the hood. I understand the historical significance, just not clear how much I personally like the yellow top.

 

[MrProper]

I like the yellow hood

 

[Jules Myers]

I like the yellow hood
View attachment 340940

And I've spent a bunch of time looking at your photos. Gorgeous, as all your pics are. It looks damn good on you. Not convinced I could pull it off. My I ask your decision process when you went for the CC versus some of the other RAF fare?

 

[MrProper]

And I've spent a bunch of time looking at your photos. Gorgeous, as all your pics are. It looks damn good on you. Not convinced I could pull it off. My I ask your decision process when you went for the CC versus some of the other RAF fare?

Many Thanks
In the end, it was the yellow hood that I chose. It was so special and individual that I couldn't resist. But I can also imagine another RAF without a hood and in seal color.

 

[Edward]

CC, meaning Coastal Command? Beautiful jacket, just unsure as to my feelings about the hood. I understand the historical significance, just not clear how much I personally like the yellow top.

I like the yellow hood
View attachment 340940

I like it too - for me it's a big part of the significance of that model. I have seen them worn with the hood flipped inside out and bunched like a high collar. If you wanted a plain one, though, I imagine it wouldn't be a problem to craft. Worth asking. I know a lot of folks do fine the yellow a little 'much'.