Introduction and a question on Aero Leather sizing

[sw83]

Hello all! I've lurked for a while and drooled jealously over many of the items mentioned and have finally registered! My name is Mike and I'm currently enjoying what passes for Spring in Michigan.

I'm hoping I could bother you all with a question: I'm planning on ordering an Aero Leather long half belt soon (word from Amanda is that they have a 10-12 week backlog right now). There's a lot of great info here about the various options but I was hoping to get some feedback on sizing.

Given my chest measurements, Amanda at Aero says I measure about a 40", perhaps a 40" with an inch or so extra length. This raised red flags with me because I have a couple of size 40" sport jackets that I've had to have let out because they were too small. Amanda gave me the shoulder pit-to-pit measurement of the jacket which is apparently 19.5". That measurement is pretty close to a sport jacket I have that fits reasonably well, except that I'm not really happy with how much the sleeves pull when I move my arms (something I was hoping Aero's bi-swing back might help). I also have an overcoat in size 42 with about a 21" shoulder measurement that I'm happy with.

I found some comments by jamespibworth here where he talks about his size 40 fitting more like a size 42, which supports Amanda's recommendations.

Then looking online a bit I found this size chart (which is just approximate, I'm sure) which points towards a 19.5" shoulder measurement being on a 44" jacket size.

My feeling is that I probably need a 42 based on experience and suit jacket sizing but I'm thoroughly confused at this point. Can anyone offer any advice? Do my ramblings and numbers above make any sense at all?

Thanks!
Mike

 

[blethook]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

Yes, Aero's sizing (for their utility, non-military jackets) is rather generous. The sizing would also depend on how you want the jacket to fit & what you're going to wear underneath the jacket, etc.

In my case, I normally wear a size 40 (e.g., the A-2 jackets), but with Aero's utility jackets, to obtain the same kind of fit, I'd have to go with size 37 (basically a 36 with smaller turnings).

Some of their jackets are already trim to start with: e.g., their G-1, & the 1930 slim half belt.

You need to give Aero as much info as you can, including the sort of fit you want, what you plan to wear underneath the jacket, etc.

Hope that helps

 

[Dav]

Hi sw83 welcome to the Lounge
I think you may be mixing the shoulder measurement with the pit to pit measurement, the shoulders on the size 40 Cheyenne in my avatar measure approx 19.5 where as a size 42 Highwayman is around 20.5. The front pit to pit seam measurement of the Highwayman is 21 but when flat on the floor is more than 23 taking into account the side panels. A LHB would be a slimmer fit than that though so not sure if any of that helps, you could do with someone who actually owns one to step in.

 

[Southernwayfare]

Welcome, Mike. The one things I would suggest is to provide a full set of tailors measurements to Aero as well as all particulars about how you would like the jacket to fit. Then, take their advice. They know what they're doing. That's the approach I took for my Cheyenne and it was spot on. I have to say I was very nervous about spending so much money on something that I'd never tried on but in the end it worked out perfectly.

If it's helpful, you can take a look at the measurements I sent for my Cheyenne. It's marked as a size 40. I posted the exact details of what I provide Aero and what I received in this thread. I asked for a slightly shorter (by about 2-3 inches as I recall) and slimmer fitting coat than the standard Cheyenne.

That being said, I'm sure the half-belt owners here can give you the best advice on the fit of that model and any other details you may want to consider.

 

[Splitcoil]

I've been a 40 for a long time, and have both an LHB and a Stockman in size 40. My shoulders got a bit bigger while I was away for a while, and I noted that while all my size 40 sport coats are noticeably tight in the shoulders now, my Aeros are not. Not very scientific, I grant you, but it would seem they're a bit bigger than the size number would suggest.