i shrunk my cooper g-1 (on purpose)

[xt40]

thought id share this here.
About 8 years ago, i bought a cooper g-1 (milspec/real mouton collar). i ordered and received a size 42r to fit my 44 in chest. i liked the jacket but it was massively oversized. perhaps it was mislabeled but id say id say it was at least 3 sizes too big (50) and unwearable. it sat in the wardrobe for a long time and i periodically thought about selling it and rebuying a smaller size or trying to find a swap somewhere.
at the weekend i had a brainwave and decided to try and shrink it.
i decided from the outset that if i destroyed the jacket, i would be no worse off than i was having an unwearable jacket and would live with it.
i zipped it up and closed all the buttons.
i then threw it into the electric shower and soaked it thoroughly inside and out at the hottest setting.

i then threw it into the tumble dryer (leather out) for a half an hour at the hot setting.
after 30 mins the face of the leather was fairly dry but the inside was still quite wet.
i then turned it inside out and blasted it for another 45 minutes.

THE RESULT: 100% Success
it now fits perfectly and is probably 3-4 sizes smaller.
i mighta measured wrong but it seems to be 10cm narrower pit to pit across the front when flat, and about 8cm shorter.
the arms feel tighter (good) but dont seen to have lost much length (also good)
An unexpected bonus is that the pebbled effect of the goatskin has been amplified as the leather contracted and now looks much better.
unfortunately, i didnt take any pictures before but will try and put some afters up later.

 

[Parkpiper]

Good stuff, glad it worked out. Can't wait to see some photos!

 

[green papaya]

hows it look? did it have any effect on the mouton collar?

it could probably use some leather conditioner

 

[xt40]

hows it look? did it have any effect on the mouton collar?

it could probably use some leather conditioner

it looks great. the mouton is perfect.
you are probably correct about the conditioner. its a little stiff kinda like a new un broken-in jacket.
ill try to take pix in daylight tomorrow

 

[shortbow]

Good job. My thinking would be the same as yours in a similar situation. No guts, no glory.:eusa_clap

 

[BellyTank]

...the electric shower...

...would that be an Irish invention..?


B
T

 

[The Good]

So, are there any pictures of your jacket?

I know this is an old thread, but I was almost thinking of trying to find a way to shrink my own G-1 a bit. Not as drastically as you did, but would putting it in the dryer after it had got wet (with cold water) a bit work, or would I risk destroying my jacket?

 

[ButteMT61]

Ttiwwp!!!

 

[xt40]

Ttiwwp!!!

huh!
i never got around to taking pictures but will try and do so in the next couple of days.
i wore this jacket today for the first time in a good while. shrinking it was a great idea. it now fits and the goat has some nice pebble grain which it previously didnt have

 

[ButteMT61]

huh!
i never got around to taking pictures but will try and do so in the next couple of days.
i wore this jacket today for the first time in a good while. shrinking it was a great idea. it now fits and the goat has some nice pebble grain which it previously didnt have

Reiterating the need for pix! Pease post

 

[xt40]

here is a link to some pictures, close ups of the leather and a couple of fit pictures. The ones of me wearing it are not great as the only camera i could find was an iphone with no flash but they do give an idea of the fit.
It worked better outdoors for the leather closeups which give a good idea of the grain. when i got the jacket, i thought it was plasticky and lifeless. it is much better now.
The shrinking process did not cause any problems with the knits, but did cause a tiny bit of dye loss around the perimeters of the pockets which i actually think looks good. This is slightly visible in one of the pictures. Apart from that, the jacket still feels quite new.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59330822@N04/

 

[xt40]

...would that be an Irish invention..?


B
T

no, we invented the rain shower (or so it seems)

 

[ButteMT61]

Well, I cringe when I hear these stories, but it seems it came out really nice. Hmmm. Maybe I'll try it n my USWings G1. Not an expensive acquisition, so let me ask this...did it shrink at all? If it did, I can't do it as my G1 is just perfect as is.

 

[apba1166]

I did this to a jacket some years ago and it worked great. Only thing was--the jacket had a synthetic lining, so that doesn't shrink. The lining therefore was a bit baggy in spots--still better that way than the whole thing being fall-off-my-shoulders big.

 

[xt40]

did it shrink at all?

yes, shrinking was the goal.

 

[The Good]

I wear size medium jackets, and my jacket is one (size 40-42r fit). If it feels a little baggy on me, especially the sleeves and sides, would it be a bad idea to try doing what you did, but maybe not soaking it as much, then put it in the dryer? Would you say the difference in size on your jacket, was really 3 sizes?

Thanks, I'd appreciate some help, as you seem to have some pretty good experience with this, even you too Apba. I'd like to see your jacket as well if you wouldn't mind.

 

[xt40]

Different leathers might behave differently and I don't know what kind yours is. I also did this to an aero b3. I only soaked the body as the sleeves were fine and it also worked perfectly. In both cases I kept taking the jackets out of the drier every 5 mins or so and tried them on. When I was happy with the fit I just let them dry naturally.
I am fairly sure that the g1 did drop a few sizes but unfortunately did not take exact measurements beforehand. If anyone has got one, we could compare measurements. It is actually a 44r not 42 as I originally wrote.

 

[The Good]

Just for your information, the leather on my jacket is marked as goat skin, and was made in Pakistan. It's a G-1 jacket by Sporty's Pilot Shop. I think it's of relatively lower end quality, in no way an Aero, Eastman, or anything like that.

 

[xt40]

Just for your information, the leather on my jacket is marked as goat skin, and was made in Pakistan. It's a G-1 jacket by Sporty's Pilot Shop. I think it's of relatively lower end quality, in no way an Aero, Eastman, or anything like that.

Mine is goat too and probably similar Origin and quality. You should go for it.
Perhaps you could first lay it flat and trace out the shape on something Then as you dry it, you can measure it against the outline.