B3 Fit Check

[Johnny Deadlifts]

Good morning. Was hoping to get a "Fit Check" for this Eastman B3. It's a 44, and I'm any were between a 40 and a 44 with my limited experience thus far. I'm 5'9" and 185lbs. I feel it fits well on the arms and shoulders but a bit loose in the mid section. I've set the adjusters midway and it improved the fit some what. I thought if it was a 42 it would fit my mid section better but be too tight up top. It's already a bold statement piece and I don't want to look overly bold if it's an improper fit. Thank you in advance.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

B3 is a tricky fit. There's just so much bulk in the arms from the thick shearling.

I'd say your fit is more than acceptable, but yeah, it is wider in the body for sure.

I have an Aero B3 which was size 42. I needed the length and sleeves. But my tailor took out a good 3 inches from the arm pits down. It fits as much form fitting as you can get with that kind of jacket, but there's times now where I wish I wouldn't have been so aggressive with it because it's pretty much tshirt only.

If you want a more flattering jacket, you need to either go with a D1 or B6 (if you still want some military authenticity) or you need to buy one of the fashion brand versions. The other option is the Toys McCoy and Real McCoy B3 use a thinner shearling. So you get the pocket configuration and neck strap lay out of a b3 if that's what you really want, but a slimmer fit lik a D1.

It's a killer jacket though. ELMC has one called "concho" I think that's more biker inspired. It has thinner shearling and a slimmer fit. That could be another option.

 

[MrProper]

from the style it certainly fits wonderfully. Doesn't look wrong. If you look at typical B-3 photos, this is what the jacket looks like on most. Personally, it would be too wide around the belly.
So as usual, it's just a matter of taste.

 

[Carlos840]

Don't forget the B-3 was designed to fit with these trousers:

Eastman® :: A-3 Trousers

A-3s were actually ordered by the Army Air Force along with the B-3 jacket, as a suit, not as a separate item; for every B-3 jacket that was made, there was a respective pair of A-3 trousers.

www.eastmanleather.com

Because of that they usually have a straight drop from the pits down without any tapering, all you can do is use the side adjusters to tighten the bottom.

It's a war jacket, not a fashion one...

Here is mine, bit big, bit wide at the bottom, but it keeps me warm.

 

[photo2u]

Excellent fit. This was a tool in the Army Air Force Unit. I love mine. It is small for me, and my only option is to wear it with a T-shirt. It works for my environment of Southern Cal.

 

[Gav]

Agreed. B3 can be worn bigger but I think a size smaller would look much better on you.

 

[powersci]

The B-3 is a very bulky jacket. I think your fit is fine. Here are some of my fit pics.

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

Thank you gentlemen for your honest, informative and tasteful replies. It's a "Magnificent Beast" of a jacket, but I'm starting to realize from reading many posts on the forum that there's a difference between owning a jacket you love wearing and owning a jacket you love but seldom wear. I read the idea of a "thought of doubt" that may linger and tarnish the pleasure of wearing the jacket in public. One has to weigh out cost and practicality; not a cheap jacket but I assume many of you have jackets that are collected but not really worn? Does a B3 fit in that category or do you gents wear them regularly? I'm not a slave to the opinion of on lookers but how do people respond when you're out and about wearing it? Thanks again in advance

 

[MrProper]

I don't have a B3, but I do have an Irvin Coastal Command and two of my own creations. And I wear them almost exclusively in the winter.

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

Your build appears well suited for a more fitted look that the Irvin has as far as I can tell, any pics of the jackets you made for reference?

 

[powersci]

Thank you gentlemen for your honest, informative and tasteful replies. It's a "Magnificent Beast" of a jacket, but I'm starting to realize from reading many posts on the forum that there's a difference between owning a jacket you love wearing and owning a jacket you love but seldom wear. I read the idea of a "thought of doubt" that may linger and tarnish the pleasure of wearing the jacket in public. One has to weigh out cost and practicality; not a cheap jacket but I assume many of you have jackets that are collected but not really worn? Does a B3 fit in that category or do you gents wear them regularly? I'm not a slave to the opinion of on lookers but how do people respond when you're out and about wearing it? Thanks again in advance

My B3 gets pretty decent wear during winter. Some of my other jackets, like the ANJ4, not so much. I’ll be honest that when I first got a B3 I was self-conscious about wearing it. But I’m long over that and appreciate it’s incredible warmth, uniqueness, and craftsmanship.

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

My B3 gets pretty decent wear during winter. Some of my other jackets, like the ANJ4, not so much. I’ll be honest that when I first got a B3 I was self-conscious about wearing it. But I’m long over that and appreciate it’s incredible warmth, uniqueness, and craftsmanship.

Thanks, yours fits great, the craftsmanship, history and feel of the B3 is undeniable.

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

I don't have a B3, but I do have an Irvin Coastal Command and two of my own creations. And I wear them almost exclusively in the winter.

I don't have a B3, but I do have an Irvin Coastal Command and two of my own creations. And I wear them almost exclusively in the winter.

Your build appears well suited for the more fitted look that the Irvin has as far as I can tell, any pics of the jackets you made for reference?

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

B3 is a tricky fit. There's just so much bulk in the arms from the thick shearling.

I'd say your fit is more than acceptable, but yeah, it is wider in the body for sure.

I have an Aero B3 which was size 42. I needed the length and sleeves. But my tailor took out a good 3 inches from the arm pits down. It fits as much form fitting as you can get with that kind of jacket, but there's times now where I wish I wouldn't have been so aggressive with it because it's pretty much tshirt only.

If you want a more flattering jacket, you need to either go with a D1 or B6 (if you still want some military authenticity) or you need to buy one of the fashion brand versions. The other option is the Toys McCoy and Real McCoy B3 use a thinner shearling. So you get the pocket configuration and neck strap lay out of a b3 if that's what you really want, but a slimmer fit lik a D1.

It's a killer jacket though. ELMC has one called "concho" I think that's more biker inspired. It has thinner shearling and a slimmer fit. That could be another option.

Thanks, I guess one has to really think about modifying a jacket like that, hard to undue what's been done

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

Don't forget the B-3 was designed to fit with these trousers:

Eastman® :: A-3 Trousers

A-3s were actually ordered by the Army Air Force along with the B-3 jacket, as a suit, not as a separate item; for every B-3 jacket that was made, there was a respective pair of A-3 trousers.

www.eastmanleather.com

Because of that they usually have a straight drop from the pits down without any tapering, all you can do is use the side adjusters to tighten the bottom.

It's a war jacket, not a fashion one...

Here is mine, bit big, bit wide at the bottom, but it keeps me warm.

Thanks, the black on black is a great look

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

Excellent fit. This was a tool in the Army Air Force Unit. I love mine. It is small for me, and my only option is to wear it with a T-shirt. It works for my environment of Southern Cal.

Thanks

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

Agreed. B3 can be worn bigger but I think a size smaller would look much better on you.

Thanks

 

[MrProper]

Your build appears well suited for a more fitted look that the Irvin has as far as I can tell, any pics of the jackets you made for reference?

Here is my shearling stuff. All of them I wear.

 

[Gav]

I found a Eastman B3 a bit too much bulk and the fleece too warm for most of the UK winter. Especially commuting into London and sitting on heated trains etc. I sold mine and got a D1 which has thinner fleece and is far more practical for me. I wear that one a lot.

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

I found a Eastman B3 a bit too much bulk and the fleece too warm for most of the UK winter. Especially commuting into London and sitting on heated trains etc. I sold mine and got a D1 which has thinner fleece and is far more practical for me. I wear that one a lot.

Thanks, the D1 has been suggested a couple of times now, will check it out.