Aero long half belt - goat skin and shearling

[JohnS33931]

My Aero Long Half Belt came in yesterday.

QUOTE="JohnS33931, post: 2806764, member: 44866"]I put my order in after reading all I could find and thank you to Harris HTM !!
I ordered the long half belt with black shearling, black goatskin, 1/2 “ longer back than standard but cut the sleeves back 1/2” as I have a half belt deluxe and the sleeves are about an inch too long for me.
I did ask for the shearling to go as low to the hem as possible and ordered it with black moleskin sleeves. I think it will come in mid summer, so it won’t see any use for a while, but I will post pics when it arrives.
Thank you Harris!![/QUOTE]

It does feel a little tight in the chest - I'm hoping that the shearling will lay a little flatter with use.

 

[JohnS33931]

I didn't do too well with the pics, kept getting error messages - I'll have to learn the right way to post pics. I was trying to post them with my face cropped out, but gave up.

 

[JohnS33931]

Couple more pics

 

[jonbuilder]

@John very interesting jacket I like your style

 

[ton312]

I absolutely love this style, perhaps the most functional winter jacket in Aeros catalog and it keeps a smart look. Well done. Certainly doesn’t look too tight but I k ow that thick mouton eats up interior room. You could likely strut around in a t shirt all winter with that on your back!

 

[JohnS33931]

Thanks - I am hoping to go with just a t -shirt for winter. It sure seems like it will be warm enough!

 

[ton312]

Thanks - I am hoping to go with just a t -shirt for winter. It sure seems like it will be warm enough!

I had a bootlegger lined in shearling, bought from a member here. It was an absolute tank.

 

[Salmosalar]

My Aero Long Half Belt came in yesterday.

QUOTE="JohnS33931, post: 2806764, member: 44866"]I put my order in after reading all I could find and thank you to Harris HTM !!
I ordered the long half belt with black shearling, black goatskin, 1/2 “ longer back than standard but cut the sleeves back 1/2” as I have a half belt deluxe and the sleeves are about an inch too long for me.
I did ask for the shearling to go as low to the hem as possible and ordered it with black moleskin sleeves. I think it will come in mid summer, so it won’t see any use for a while, but I will post pics when it arrives.
Thank you Harris!!

It does feel a little tight in the chest - I'm hoping that the shearling will lay a little flatter with use.
View attachment 352279 View attachment 352280 View attachment 352281 View attachment 352282 View attachment 352283 [/QUOTE]
Lovely jacket! I have undertaken a similar experiment with the Long HB's cousin, the Wayfarer - soon to go into production as a custom order in black badalassi with dark brown shearling lining and mouton collar - seems a bit weird to be thinking now of heavy duty jackets in our current temperatures, but hopefully it will land as things start to cool off for autumn. I had originally also ordered it in black goat, but switched to badalassi after receiving my MC jacket in the latter. I hope it turns out as well for me as it did for you - bring on the long nights!

 

[JohnS33931]

I have undertaken a similar experiment with the Long HB's cousin, the Wayfarer - soon to go into production as a custom order in black badalassi with dark brown shearling lining and mouton collar - seems a bit weird to be thinking now of heavy duty jackets in our current temperatures, but hopefully it will land as things start to cool off for autumn. I had originally also ordered it in black goat, but switched to badalassi after receiving my MC jacket in the latter. I hope it turns out as well for me as it did for you - bring on the long nights!

Looking forward to seeing pics of it!
I feel kinda bad wishing away the summer, but yeah - I’m looking forward to wearing it too!

 

[Peter Mackin]

I really like the idea of your shearing lining & love the goatskin. Are the front creases from shipping? One of the reasons I sold my fqhh highwayman was the strange creases that developed even though the jacket was a perfect fit, hanging on the correct shape/size hanger from new made no difference.

 

[Harris HTM]

Nice jacket John, congratulations!
Hows does the weight feel?
The shearling lining will flatten a bit with use, it happened to me as well.

Are the front creases from shipping?

I think that the vertical creases you see are the shearling lining edges from the inside. I can also see something similar in my shearling lined LHB (FQHH).

 

[Edward]

Very nice. I have my eye on one of the Belted styles. IMO, leather and shearling are a great combination: all the durability, wind-cutting, and - with a chrome tanned hide - rain-roll-off, of leather on the outside, warmth of the shearling on the inside. Much as I love the traditional, shorter-cut flying jackets, there's a lot to be said for a shearling that isn't a bum-freezer when it gets cold and wet!

 

[Salmosalar]

Very nice. I have my eye on one of the Belted styles. IMO, leather and shearling are a great combination: all the durability, wind-cutting, and - with a chrome tanned hide - rain-roll-off, of leather on the outside, warmth of the shearling on the inside. Much as I love the traditional, shorter-cut flying jackets, there's a lot to be said for a shearling that isn't a bum-freezer when it gets cold and wet!

I also really like the Wayfarer and hope this experiment works - I have one in the cordovan CXL FQHH and there is enough room in the same size to fit the shearling in (with the rayon padded wool in the sleeves). I originally went with goat but my recent black badalassi Aero was just so nice I had to switch it out - so maybe not at tough and waterproof as what I had in mind originally, but it should still be pretty robust and really warm and the hide is amazing. Fingers crossed! This hopefully fills a gap in the seasons - I have a decent range for the autumn, spring and summer without layering but for winter I rely on my Eastman ANJ4 which is amazing but best when it gets to really brass monkeys conditions or when I am off doing Arctic fieldwork - so the plan is this new Wayfarer will be a nice alternative and also for less extreme conditions….we shall see - it should be going to production soon so I will update the FL asap….

 

[Salmosalar]

Couple more pics View attachment 352286 View attachment 352287 View attachment 352289

Hi John
I was just wondering how you found the Aero zip given the real heft of this jacket? I heard on FL somewhere that now they offer a more meaty YKK alternative to the Talons they use by default, so was wondering if I should try to get that switched while it is in “exchange” before heading to production - or do you think the standard zips are fine? I am a bit wary of them on these heavier jackets, although I have not actually had a breakage so far - touch wood - so I have been thinking of asking for a YKK instead for this next one….any advice you have would be very welcome!

 

[Edward]

I also really like the Wayfarer and hope this experiment works - I have one in the cordovan CXL FQHH and there is enough room in the same size to fit the shearling in (with the rayon padded wool in the sleeves). I originally went with goat but my recent black badalassi Aero was just so nice I had to switch it out - so maybe not at tough and waterproof as what I had in mind originally, but it should still be pretty robust and really warm and the hide is amazing. Fingers crossed! This hopefully fills a gap in the seasons - I have a decent range for the autumn, spring and summer without layering but for winter I rely on my Eastman ANJ4 which is amazing but best when it gets to really brass monkeys conditions or when I am off doing Arctic fieldwork - so the plan is this new Wayfarer will be a nice alternative and also for less extreme conditions….we shall see - it should be going to production soon so I will update the FL asap….

I get you. I have my eye on the Aero Wilderness for similar "in-betweeny but still Winter" service.

 

[Salmosalar]

I get you. I have my eye on the Aero Wilderness for similar "in-betweeny but still Winter" service.

I was toying with that one too - it came down to a shoot out between that and the Wayfarer in the end - a decider for me was the pattern, as the Wilderness is close to Everyman block and I have the latter but its not the best fit for me, being a bit tight in the shoulders but loose in the waist, whereas my Wayfarer seemed a better bet for coping with the heavier lining but without being too tight or loose in the wrong places for me. I have also not seen the Wilderness in the wild (pun intended!) and was worried it might look a bit on the feminine side too, given the bottom flare - hard to judge, so I went with the Wayfarer in the end….I am still also thinking about a longer jacket in the goat and shearling combo given the former’s ability to shed water….but will reassess those options when the current experiment has been roadtested - I would be v interested to hear how John gets on with his too as the weather starts to turn…

 

[JohnS33931]

Exactly - the vertical creases are where the shearling lining meets the leather. I did ask Carrie about it and she thought they would smooth down with wear.

I really like the idea of your shearing lining & love the goatskin. Are the front creases from shipping? One of the reasons I sold my fqhh highwayman was the strange creases that developed even though the jacket was a perfect fit, hanging on the correct shape/size hanger from new made no difference.

Nice jacket John, congratulations!
Hows does the weight feel?
The shearling lining will flatten a bit with use, it happened to me as well.


I think that the vertical creases you see are the shearling lining edges from the inside. I can also see something similar in my shearling lined LHB (FQHH).

 

[Edward]

I was toying with that one too - it came down to a shoot out between that and the Wayfarer in the end - a decider for me was the pattern, as the Wilderness is close to Everyman block and I have the latter but its not the best fit for me, being a bit tight in the shoulders but loose in the waist, whereas my Wayfarer seemed a better bet for coping with the heavier lining but without being too tight or loose in the wrong places for me. I have also not seen the Wilderness in the wild (pun intended!) and was worried it might look a bit on the feminine side too, given the bottom flare - hard to judge, so I went with the Wayfarer in the end….I am still also thinking about a longer jacket in the goat and shearling combo given the former’s ability to shed water….but will reassess those options when the current experiment has been roadtested - I would be v interested to hear how John gets on with his too as the weather starts to turn…

I've always wanted a trenchcoat in goat, though I suspect we'll have to wait for a genetically engineered goat the size of a cow before that's practical...

 

[JohnS33931]

The jacket feels about the same weight as my half belt deluxe which is the CHFQHH and light wool tartan liner - UPS shipping info said 9 Lbs. I think that the half belt deluxe shipping info said 8 Lbs.

The YKK zipper may be a good idea. Mine is kind of small (fine), but works very smoothly.
Being small it is a little difficult to get started due to the jacket being new and my fat fingers.
Some of my other jackets with YKK zippers don't work as smoothly as this one does - especially when first purchased.

 

[Salmosalar]

The jacket feels about the same weight as my half belt deluxe which is the CHFQHH and light wool tartan liner - UPS shipping info said 9 Lbs. I think that the half belt deluxe shipping info said 8 Lbs.

The YKK zipper may be a good idea. Mine is kind of small (fine), but works very smoothly.
Being small it is a little difficult to get started due to the jacket being new and my fat fingers.
Some of my other jackets with YKK zippers don't work as smoothly as this one does - especially when first purchased.

Many thanks John! I will drop Aero a line to see what they recommend - I have a CXL Wayfarer with the small zip like the one you have and its very fiddly in cold weather when in a hurry so will ask if they think YKK might be worth a punt for this one. Cheers!