Body vs. jacket measurements

[ProteinNerd]

Nothing you could do would make more sense than contacting Thurston Bros to see what they have that suits you and then proceed from there.

I agree, the fit jacket service Carrie and Wade at Thurston offer takes all the guess work out of it AND you are already in Seattle. JACKPOT!

 

[El Marro]

I have to agree with the good things people have said about Thurston Brothers. Carrie is very skilled at helping customers get a perfect fit, and usually she accomplishes this remotely through emails and phone calls back and forth. If you are in Seattle you owe it to yourself to see her and person and try on a selection of available styles. I'm getting jealous just thinking about it...

 

[handymike]

Goodwear is Also in Seattle!

 

[The Hamburger]

JDelage, I think I know exactly, what you want: You know your measurements and now you‘re looking for a jacket (size) that fits you just perfectly, correct ?

Once, I had the same idea – and had to find out that life isn’t as easy when it comes to leather jackets

First of all, and maybe that’s because of translation difficulties (I‘m German), I had to learn the difference of „made to measure“ and „bespoke“. What, as per my understanding, is offered by most (?) makers is, that they offer a standard (torso) size (referring to shoulder width, chest width, hem width) with options to jacket’s (back) length and sleeves length. Imho this will give quite a good fit for most of us as „gorilla arms“ can be covered w/o sizing up by two numbers (resulting in plenty of room in shoulders and chest – what usually is a challenge in my case) or you can get a good fitting jacket around the torso w/o having your sleeves doing the (unwanted) job of gloves. As mentioned before, makers‘ sizes seem to be rather individual and provide only a „rough guideline“, if at all.

An extra challenge is the leather you’re going for. The heavier the leather the bigger the possible deviations in measurements are to be expected (and accepted). 3 oz FQHH or even 4 oz steer hide obviously is more difficult to handle than e.g. 2 or 2.5 oz leathers. It seems that a tolerance of +/- 1“ is common, even if most experienced artisans work on your jacket.

Last, but not least, jacket style matters ! As I’m most "familiar" with Aero’s jackets, I choose examples from their range. If you go for e.g. a Chayenne or a Stockman „a bit more or less" in width shouldn’t make that much of a difference. However, if you go for a Cafe Racer or August, ½“ up or down can make quite a difference. You’ll find dozens of fit examples here at the TFL (jacket introductions and comments on them). Take a bit of time and look for them – it’s absolutely worth it !

And just to add an extra point to consider, your personal preference matters. Actually (and imho), it’s what matters most ! Some here like their jackets really snug, others prefer them more comfortably sized. Some ride motorbikes (and therefore need some extra space in the shoulders), some don’t and are happy with enough space to comfortably raise their glasses at annually (or weekly) "ballroom events".

So, at the end of the day, if I were in your shoes I‘d contact the maker of your choice and check with them directly. If you’re located in the US Thurston Bros seem to be the first address to approach. Their sizing jacket service will make your challenge a lot easier !

Good luck,
Roger

Btw: This is mainly my understanding from reading at TFL plenty of hours, unfortunately I lack own experience. However, a size fitting jacket of the style you want to go for imho is priceless. Maybe some of the old stagers can comment on this.

 

[JDelage]

Reg. Goodwear, I know, but I'm not sure how to leverage that...

 

[handymike]

If you are interested in a GW, send John an email. He's one of the nicest guys you'll meet. The wait for a new one is long, but well worth it IMHO. Thurston is a no brainer. Carrie knows her stuff, and they have a nice inventory for you to try different models (Vanson, Aero, Thedi). You are so lucky to be near such great resources! Good luck.