Fit Check Thread for Jackets

[MrProper]

Fresh out of the box and just looking for a second opinion before I remove the tags. I was tired of jackets that looked good in pics but after an hour I was itching to take them off - especially while driving. Since I’m between sizes I went up for a more relaxed, comfort fit (which goes against the grain of the last few decades of chasing slim fits).

View attachment 770696 View attachment 770697 View attachment 770698 View attachment 770699 View attachment 770700

Side note: the leather on this smells divine. The unlined inside is soft like suede. Buttons are sewn on well and the pockets are plenty wide to stuff a hand in (but not deep enough that I’d trust them for storage).

I think you can remove the tags.

 

[Pandemic]

I think it looks good overall, even if in the second to last pic you look extremely unamused!

Vintage RBF

 

[WolfofStateSt]

I think it looks good overall, even if in the second to last pic you look extremely unamused!

Agreed. I’d say if you like, keep it.

 

[WolfofStateSt]

Yeah! I've found that too with a lot of the old Pendleton shirts I've had. The sleeves were all about 2-3" shorter, particularly on the pearl snap versions. I was told it was a "work cut" thing to keep your sleeves out of whatever you were working on, so maybe that's what you ran into with this uniform shirt?

I have noticed these on my vintage Pendletons now that you mention it. I thought that it was just because whoever owned them before was short with broad shoulders.

So do you guys keep them as work shirts or wear them around out on the town? Cause I have been on the fence with old vintage board shorts, whether I should keep them in the big city or up on the farm.

 

[WolfofStateSt]

This is the rest of my vintage Pendleton board and western shirt collection… be interested to know what you guys think and which ones fit and if any don’t. What belongs in the city and what belongs on the farm lol.

 

[Bigsbycallaghan]

If the sleeves are too short on the old Pendletons I have, I wear them rolled up 100% of the time. I do that with most of my old westerns.
"Out on the Town" is in Anchorage, and the dress code is XtraTuf boots and Kuiu camo. Even a rolled up Pendleton puts you in the top 10% best dressed .
Yours don't look too bad though! Most of the shirts are sitting a lot closer to your correct sleeve length, or at least don't look weird from this angle.

 

[Bigsbycallaghan]

Alright, having looked through them again, you should adopt the roll up method with a couple of those. Project that, "I just got done mending fence" energy

 

[WolfofStateSt]

Alright, having looked through them again, you should adopt the roll up method with a couple of those. Project that, "I just got done mending fence" energy

Sure! Any in particular? You can just call out the colors and I’ll know which one you are talking about.

 

[Bigsbycallaghan]

Sure! Any in particular? You can just call out the colors and I’ll know which one you are talking about.

I'd say your dark green/teal and the Black Watch tartan are the ones I'd roll. The others look good! That's a heck of a collection.

 

[WolfofStateSt]

I'd say your dark green/teal and the Black Watch tartan are the ones I'd roll. The others look good! That's a heck of a collection.

Thanks, they belonged to my dad, and he passed them onto me when I became old enough.

 

[WolfofStateSt]

I just bought this CPO shirt from Real McCoys. I want your opinion on the fit. This shirt is based on the U.S. Navy’s WWII CPO Wool Twill shirt issued to Chief Petty Officers. I think it is an iconic flannel design, up there with the western shirt, work shirt, and board shirt. I apologize for the picture quality. This navy color is so dark that it is hard to see on camera. I am torn as to whether this should be worn as a shirt or an overshirt. I heard that historically, in the U.S. Navy, they were treated more like over-shirts or shirt-jackets. It does fit under my Iron Heart N-1 deck jacket, though. Please comment your thoughts!

 

[Ruler1609]

Hi everyone,

I’d really appreciate your thoughts on the fit of my current Buco J‑24.
This one is the old pattern BJ19003 in size 42, which I understand runs significantly smaller than the newer BJ21101.

Here are my measurements:

• Height: 175 cm
• Weight: 85 kg
• Chest: 110 cm relaxed / 113 cm expanded
• Shoulders: 42–43 cm (measured straight across the back)


My BJ19003 (size 42) measures 53.5 cm in the chest laid flat.
When it was new, it felt very tight, but after wearing it regularly the leather has softened and molded to my chest quite well. It’s now comfortable over a T‑shirt or a light layer, but still quite snug if I try to wear anything thicker underneath.

I’ve attached several photos showing the current fit from different angles.
I’d really appreciate your impressions — does this look like an appropriate fit for the old pattern, or is it still on the tight side?
And based on this, what size would you recommend if I move to the newer BJ21101 pattern, which I understand has more room in the chest?

Thanks a lot for your help and expertise!

 

[WolfofStateSt]

Hi everyone,

I’d really appreciate your thoughts on the fit of my current Buco J‑24.
This one is the old pattern BJ19003 in size 42, which I understand runs significantly smaller than the newer BJ21101.

Here are my measurements:

• Height: 175 cm
• Weight: 85 kg
• Chest: 110 cm relaxed / 113 cm expanded
• Shoulders: 42–43 cm (measured straight across the back)


My BJ19003 (size 42) measures 53.5 cm in the chest laid flat.
When it was new, it felt very tight, but after wearing it regularly the leather has softened and molded to my chest quite well. It’s now comfortable over a T‑shirt or a light layer, but still quite snug if I try to wear anything thicker underneath.

I’ve attached several photos showing the current fit from different angles.
I’d really appreciate your impressions — does this look like an appropriate fit for the old pattern, or is it still on the tight side?
And based on this, what size would you recommend if I move to the newer BJ21101 pattern, which I understand has more room in the chest?

Thanks a lot for your help and expertise!

Shoulders and length look good… it fits, but zipped up it looks a little tight. Unzipped, it looks fine. As a general rule I would wear the collar down unless you are in a wind storm or blizzard. It’s a nice jacket. Leather grain looks amazing.

 

[WolfofStateSt]

It's also worth noting that when you get into the world of these higher-end heritage pieces, you need to buy with intention. Basically, leather jackets, especially, have to look sharp and intentional, unlike a North Face or generic jacket where you can go to the mall, get X size, and then you throw whatever underneath, and it's supposed to work.

Leather jackets are cooler but less versatile… You really have to decide if you want it to look right over a thick layer, like a sweater, or just a T-shirt. You can’t really have both in my experience… because when I order one of these Japanese leather jackets from Real McCoys for instance… if I want it to fit my body and not look like a trash bag over a T-shirt, I need a certain size, and if I want to be able to wear a sweater underneath without feeling like the Hulk ripping out of his clothes… I need to size up.

It's weird. Some other types of jackets are more stretchy and forgiving… but leather is stiff and unyielding.

Your leather jacket looks good unzipped, and it fits over a T, fits well in the shoulders, sleeve length is right, it's a biker jacket… that is probably exactly how it should fit.

Not being able to fit a sweater underneath is a function of the jacket type, not a sizing issue, I would say.

Despite being leather, it is a light jacket for a mild climate or wind when biking… not meant to layer like a true heavy jacket like a Deck Jacket or a Parka.

TL;DR: I would say your Buko jacket fits about as well as you can realistically get it without having one custom-made.

 

[Ruler1609]

Shoulders and length look good… it fits, but zipped up it looks a little tight. Unzipped, it looks fine. As a general rule I would wear the collar down unless you are in a wind storm or blizzard. It’s a nice jacket. Leather grain looks amazing.

I’ve had this J‑24 for about a month now, and with each wear it has started to mold to my chest quite nicely. It was much tighter when new, but it’s already opening up a bit. I’m hoping it will continue to break in over time.

 

[Ruler1609]

It's also worth noting that when you get into the world of these higher-end heritage pieces, you need to buy with intention. Basically, leather jackets, especially, have to look sharp and intentional, unlike a North Face or generic jacket where you can go to the mall, get X size, and then you throw whatever underneath, and it's supposed to work.

Leather jackets are cooler but less versatile… You really have to decide if you want it to look right over a thick layer, like a sweater, or just a T-shirt. You can’t really have both in my experience… because when I order one of these Japanese leather jackets from Real McCoys for instance… if I want it to fit my body and not look like a trash bag over a T-shirt, I need a certain size, and if I want to be able to wear a sweater underneath without feeling like the Hulk ripping out of his clothes… I need to size up.

It's weird. Some other types of jackets are more stretchy and forgiving… but leather is stiff and unyielding.

Your leather jacket looks good unzipped, and it fits over a T, fits well in the shoulders, sleeve length is right, it's a biker jacket… that is probably exactly how it should fit.

Not being able to fit a sweater underneath is a function of the jacket type, not a sizing issue, I would say.

Despite being leather, it is a light jacket for a mild climate or wind when biking… not meant to layer like a true heavy jacket like a Deck Jacket or a Parka.

TL;DR: I would say your Buko jacket fits about as well as you can realistically get it without having one custom-made.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to write such a detailed analysis, really appreciate it.
I’m based in Belgium, so trying on these higher‑end Japanese leather jackets before buying is basically impossible for me, as there are no stockists anywhere nearby.
I’ve had this BJ19003 for about a month now, and with each wear it has started to mold to my chest more and more. It was noticeably tighter when new, but I can already feel it opening up and adapting. I’m hoping it will continue to break in over time.
Your explanation about intentional sizing and the limitations of layering with this type of jacket makes perfect sense.

 

[photo2u]

Hi everyone,

I’d really appreciate your thoughts on the fit of my current Buco J‑24.
This one is the old pattern BJ19003 in size 42, which I understand runs significantly smaller than the newer BJ21101.

Here are my measurements:

• Height: 175 cm
• Weight: 85 kg
• Chest: 110 cm relaxed / 113 cm expanded
• Shoulders: 42–43 cm (measured straight across the back)


My BJ19003 (size 42) measures 53.5 cm in the chest laid flat.
When it was new, it felt very tight, but after wearing it regularly the leather has softened and molded to my chest quite well. It’s now comfortable over a T‑shirt or a light layer, but still quite snug if I try to wear anything thicker underneath.

I’ve attached several photos showing the current fit from different angles.
I’d really appreciate your impressions — does this look like an appropriate fit for the old pattern, or is it still on the tight side?
And based on this, what size would you recommend if I move to the newer BJ21101 pattern, which I understand has more room in the chest?

Thanks a lot for your help and expertise!

Nice jacket. However, it looks tight on you. Just my view. I am similar in size to you. In that same jacket, I like a size 46. I am 58/59 around the chest. If any help, I own several LW j23, one in size 44 and two small running size 46 LW j23.
LW size 46
Pit to Pit - 23.5"
Shoulders - 19"
Waist - 21.5"
Back Length - 25"
Sleeve Straight - 25"
Sleeve Around - 27"

 

[Grandville]

Each to it´s own, i like a more tight look better, but absolutely understand people wanting a bit more "room" undeneath for vests etc.

 

[Ruler1609]

Nice jacket. However, it looks tight on you. Just my view. I am similar in size to you. In that same jacket, I like a size 46. I am 58/59 around the chest. If any help, I own several LW j23, one in size 44 and two small running size 46 LW j23.
LW size 46
Pit to Pit - 23.5"
Shoulders - 19"
Waist - 21.5"
Back Length - 25"
Sleeve Straight - 25"
Sleeve Around - 27"

Nice jacket. However, it looks tight on you. Just my view. I am similar in size to you. In that same jacket, I like a size 46. I am 58/59 around the chest. If any help, I own several LW j23, one in size 44 and two small running size 46 LW j23.
LW size 46
Pit to Pit - 23.5"
Shoulders - 19"
Waist - 21.5"
Back Length - 25"
Sleeve Straight - 25"
Sleeve Around - 27"

Thanks for your perspective (I think you're right), that's the initial reason for my post: the feeling of it being a bit tight, and getting an opinion on whether the proportions were okay

 

[WolfofStateSt]

I would say, with a leather jacket like that, the shoulders and sleeves are the most important things to nail. If it is tight to zip, you gotta ask yourself if you're ever really going to wear it zipped. I really only ever zip my raincoats and parkas.

Leather will loosen up slightly, but only slightly.