Custom Aero, the trigger has been pulled

[Fonzie]

G'Day fellow loungers,

I finally sucumbed to temptation and ordered my first custom Aero jacket.
This is my first custom order so I am very excited.
I have another Aero that I bought from the sales page last year and I love it, but after visiting this forum for years and gotten enough info on models and specifications I felt ready to order one with all my favourite bits and pieces that I have been admiring from the jackets that you fellow loungers post in this great forum.

This is how my ultimate (for the moment) jacket sounds like:

- Aero Cafe Racer size 38

- Back length 25.5".

- Sleeves 25.5"- 26".

- Chrome Excel Front Quarter Horse Hide in Black (Black on brown over dye or "Tea Core")

- Brown thread stitching to contrast the black leather.

- "Highwayman" type collar, Sheene style, narrowed a little.

- No shoulder gussets, single point top yoke instead.

- Antique Brass hardware with brown tape to contrast the leather.

-Three pocket design: two hand warmer pockets, one left side outside chest.

- No zippers on hand warmer pockets.

- Left side outside chest pocket with ball and chain type pull.

- Left side inside chest pocket with stud closure.

- No Kidney back panel. Corduroy hem protector (black) in lining instead.

- Olive drab cotton drill lining in body and sleeves.

- Moleskin lining on pockets.

Nothing too extravagant, a simple timeless design but hopefully a jacket for many years to come if the fit is good.

I'll keep you posted when it arrives in a few months... wish me luck!!
Cheers guys.

 

[Peacoat]

Sounds good. I especially like putting a collar on that Cafe Racer and turning it into a Sheene. Monitor calls it "killing" a Cafe Racer.

 

[K-Pants]

Doesn't it feel good to know you are gonna get exactly what you want? Well done, buddy! Sounds great.

 

[RJR]

Doesn't it feel good to know you are gonna get exactly what you want? Well done, buddy! Sounds great.

+1

 

[Monitor]

- "Highwayman" type collar, Sheene style, narrowed a little.

R.I.P. cafe racer...

 

[rocketeer]

Sounds nice.
Bet all those little custom options cost, some nice little changes there especially the Highwayman style collar. I am sure Aero will do it nicely for you.
With no zips on the pockets though, they may 'pop' open if you plan to ride. I rode my Busa in a Highwayman and lost my wallet

 

[El Marro]

Sounds like it will be a very nice jacket. I especially like the way the teacore leather evolves as it ages. Well done!

 

[Edward]

With no zips on the pockets though, they may 'pop' open if you plan to ride. I rode my Busa in a Highwayman and lost my wallet

I never use handwarmer pockets for anything, in part for that reason. (Though, tbh, I don't evne use them for my paws - mostly, I justl ike them for decoration!)

 

[Harris HTM]

Ahhh, the first custom order... the countdown to the second one just begun.
Great choice for the collar. If I my old car didn't decide it was time for a new one then I would exactly the same as your in black steer.
Enjoy the waiting now!

 

[handymike]

Cobgrats!.... but...Tea core CXL?
When did this happen?

 

[ton312]

Cobgrats!.... but...Tea core CXL?
When did this happen?

It didn't.

 

[Carlos840]

It didn't.

Isn't CXL always black on brown?

 

[ton312]

Isn't CXL always black on brown?

It is but I wouldn't describe it as tea core. After 5 years of use my CR barely showed even a hint of brown...where @A-1 has the full tea core in max effect.

 

[Carlos840]

It is but I wouldn't describe it as tea core. After 5 years of use my CR barely showed even a hint of brown...where @A-1 has the full tea core in max effect.

Depends how you see it i guess.
I always thought tea core just meant the hide was brown before the top coat was applied, as opposed to blue (the normal colour for chrome tanned hides) or black.
But it is true that the term tea core is most often used with regards to the Shinki leather that is designed to lose its top coat faster than average.

I guess i would call black CXL "black on brown" rather than tea core... Either way, very good choice!

 

[ton312]

Depends how you see it i guess.
I always thought tea core just meant the hide was brown before the top coat was applied, as opposed to blue (the normal colour for chrome tanned hides) or black.
But it is true that the term tea core is most often used with regards to the Shinki leather that is designed to lose its top coat faster than average.

I guess i would call black CXL "black on brown" rather than tea core...

Yes that's what I tend to believe. The tea core has been tanned with that intention built in, where the CXL takes some hella work to achieve even half of that. Both marvelous leathers.

 

[ton312]

R.I.P. cafe racer...

LOL. Ever the purist.

 

[rocketeer]

LOL. Ever the purist.

if you wish to be pedantic(which I can be rather harsh at sometimes )A Cafe racer, as in a teenage tearaway motorcyclist from the Ton Up era, would more than likely wear the standard 'W' collared lancer style jacket with the cross over zip. The mandarin style on the so called Cafe Racer jackets was more often fitted to racing suits the likes of professional motorcycle racers such as Mike Hailwood, John Cooper, and George Shuttleworth(TT Rider) would use. Or of course us modern race rep Power Ranger types.
When I was riding with the retro Rockers of the early 1980s I did have a mandarin style jacket though most of my friends wore the standard Lancer jacket. And they were easier to put studs and pin badges on.

 

[technovox]

I never use handwarmer pockets for anything, in part for that reason. (Though, tbh, I don't evne use them for my paws - mostly, I justl ike them for decoration!)

I agree- I've seen too many vintage jackets ruined by bulges and stress points from the owner using the hand warmer pockets over the years. Better to leave them for light occasional duty at best.

 

[technovox]

Sounds good. I especially like putting a collar on that Cafe Racer and turning it into a Sheene. Monitor calls it "killing" a Cafe Racer.

My theory is that if a jacket has two chest pockets only, then it's really meant to be a cafe racer and best to leave it with the mandarin collar. But adding hand warmer pockets really changes the design and all bets are off...just my personal take.

 

[ProteinNerd]

Sounds great, looking forward to the pics when it arrives