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Just ordered my first Aero!!!

oldcrow82

One of the Regulars
Messages
193
Location
Northern California
Now you guys are making me nervous about my sleeve length. I'm at week 15, and no jacket yet, so it might be too late to make an adjustment!

It is probably not to late. My order went past the scheduled finish date. When I acquired as to how much longer it would be Amanda told me they were waiting on the particular hide I asked for to arrive from America. I then changed the order to something Aero had instock. 1 day later the order was completed and shipped. The time it takes to make one of the jackets is about a day. The 85 days before that is all o the people in que ahead of you!
With all of that said, I wouldn't second guess yourself . Amanda is sharp. If you've done your homework Aero will produce what you have discussed.
 
I

Ian

Guest
Well, I've just received my Half Belt Deluxe from Aero....

Out of the box I was presented with an amazing looking jacket and was hit with the awesome new leather smell that's now permeated throughout my house..:D

I really can't believe how sturdy and stiff this leather feels brand new and I struggled to get it on due to this, but I've been wearing it now for a few days and it's definitely beginning to soften up.....it feels and looks a little boxy in the shoulders....I don't know if this is the style or just the fact that the leather is very stiff....See what you guys think...

P1010826-1.jpg


Ian
 
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Ace Rimmer

One of the Regulars
Messages
185
Location
Philadelphia, PA
^^ Ian, that jacket looks great. Boxy and stiff leather is par for the course on a new Aero; your jacket should soften with use and the drape will improve as a result.
 

zaman fu

Familiar Face
Messages
76
Location
San Francisco, CA
I think the fit is perfect. Great looking jacket. As the others have said, as it breaks in, the shoulders will look less stiff. I think you would have this issue initially with any quality horsehide leather jacket. It's the reason they tend to dress actors in sh_tty, thin leather jackets on all the TV shows and movies.
 
Messages
10,181
Location
Pasadena, CA
It looks great, but do the sleeves really have that look after just opening it? Wow, that's crazy! The fit is great. I just ordered one myself. I'd love to see more pix if you could - there's not a lot of those here. Congrat's!
 

Jack Burton

One of the Regulars
Messages
165
Location
Earth
Ian, that looks good man. I think you were very wise to foresee the sleeve length issue and yours look like they came out perfect. Sleeves that are too short annoy the hell out of me. As previously mentioned, the shoulder seam to cuff measurement can be a shot in the dark but if you measure from the center of the neck to the cuff (like a dress shirt) than that's pretty concrete.

How tall are you? Also, how much leeway is there in the stormcuff for the sleeve to slide about?
 
I

Ian

Guest
Ian, that looks good man. I think you were very wise to foresee the sleeve length issue and yours look like they came out perfect. Sleeves that are too short annoy the hell out of me. As previously mentioned, the shoulder seam to cuff measurement can be a shot in the dark but if you measure from the center of the neck to the cuff (like a dress shirt) than that's pretty concrete.

How tall are you? Also, how much leeway is there in the stormcuff for the sleeve to slide about?

Thanks Jack!...I'm 5' 11", but I've got short legs and a long body.....There's no storm cuffs on this....I didn't ask for them to be left off, so I'm assuming that this just doesn't come with them....I should ask about it....The sleeves are quite snug though, so I'm glad that there are no storm cuffs....

Ian
 
Messages
10,181
Location
Pasadena, CA
Ian, that looks good man. I think you were very wise to foresee the sleeve length issue and yours look like they came out perfect. Sleeves that are too short annoy the hell out of me. As previously mentioned, the shoulder seam to cuff measurement can be a shot in the dark but if you measure from the center of the neck to the cuff (like a dress shirt) than that's pretty concrete.

How tall are you? Also, how much leeway is there in the stormcuff for the sleeve to slide about?

Yes, thanks for asking this Jack. I am curious too about how he measured the arms and what/if he added length to the order?
 
I

Ian

Guest
I cheated for the arm length measurement...I asked to be sent a 48" highwayman from Aero to try on as a gauge for what I would order...If you go back to the first page you'll see a pic of the jacket.....Looking at the highwayman I reckoned it needed an extra 1 1/2" in the sleeve length...I'd also asked how much the sleeves would ride up (see earlier in this thread)

:)

Ian
 

blethook

One of the Regulars
Messages
214
Location
Dorset, England
Well, I've just received my Half Belt Deluxe from Aero....

Out of the box I was presented with an amazing looking jacket and was hit with the awesome new leather smell that's now permeated throughout my house..:D

I really can't believe how sturdy and stiff this leather feels brand new and I struggled to get it on due to this, but I've been wearing it now for a few days and it's definitely beginning to soften up.....it feels and looks a little boxy in the shoulders....I don't know if this is the style or just the fact that the leather is very stiff....See what you guys think...

P1010826-1.jpg


Ian

Ian,
The boxy shoulders I think are due to the stiff leather... I have the same jacket in mid-weight horsehide & it's doesn't look boxy at all... Should be ok once the leather breaks in...

Great looking jacket!
 
Messages
10,181
Location
Pasadena, CA
I cheated for the arm length measurement...I asked to be sent a 48" highwayman from Aero to try on as a gauge for what I would order...If you go back to the first page you'll see a pic of the jacket.....Looking at the highwayman I reckoned it needed an extra 1 1/2" in the sleeve length...I'd also asked how much the sleeves would ride up (see earlier in this thread)

:)

Ian

Thanks Ian. Question. How does the size you ordered match other items you own like shirts, jackets, etc? I'm worried stiff that I am not going to get the size right. Are you normally a 48 and you got a 48? I have horrible luck with jackets, and I'm "this close" to just canceling it altogether.
 

Jack Burton

One of the Regulars
Messages
165
Location
Earth
Thanks Jack!...I'm 5' 11", but I've got short legs and a long body.....There's no storm cuffs on this....I didn't ask for them to be left off, so I'm assuming that this just doesn't come with them....I should ask about it....The sleeves are quite snug though, so I'm glad that there are no storm cuffs....

Ian

I left the storm cuffs off my Cheyenne for fear they might cause the extra sleeve length to bunch up in the forearm rather than cover my upper hand. In other words, I don't know for sure but I think the storm cuffs might counteract the extra sleeve length to some degree.

Another thing I don't think a lot of people realize is that people who have large hands (which you appear to) need to be more conscientious about their sleeve lengths than people with small hands. Large hands and sleeves that are too short really stick out, IMO. Once your jacket wrinkles up in a bit, I think it will be perfect.
 
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Messages
10,181
Location
Pasadena, CA
The FHBD doesn't come with storm cuffs as standard.
See this image from AEROUSA.
At least that's how it looks...
Another point on storm cuffs: If you wear watches - especially big watches, those are a PITA.

200781703.jpg
 

Windward

Practically Family
Messages
558
Location
Europe
Congrat Ian - you see: Good things come to those who wait ... you've planned your jacket very well and the result is a perfect fit jacket!:eusa_clap
If you haven't mentioned that the shoulders looks boxy - I had presumed that you are a broad shouldered man, aren't you!?
Your Jacket is best in body lenght - and If you wear it a lot - the shoulder of the jacket will melt to your body and bring out the best of you.
Also owned two Half Belt Deluxe jackets in the past - and as ButteMT61 mentioned the standard HBD cuffs are made of double leather with stud down - did you get them with your jacket?
Enjoy the breaking in...
 
Messages
15,563
Location
East Central Indiana
That's another feature that I always liked about an Aero jacket. The slightly exaggerated squared up shoulder on an Aero utility jacket. Although after break-in it won't be so pronounced...it helps avoid 'shoulder' overhang or the rounded shoulder appearance of some jackets. It is a plus for me and adds a more tailored upscale look..in my view.
Looks like a good fit to me...!
HD
 

Cooperson

One Too Many
Messages
1,165
Location
Midlands UK
Great looking leather Ian. There's nothing quite like a new Aero in the house - the smell really does permeate the whole place! It might feel like you are wearing suitcase at the moment but, when it eventually breaks in, it should feel quite supple particularly when your body heat warms it up a bit - still heavy yes, but much easier to wear. As for the shoulders, they don't look boxy at all to me, in fact it looks like you fill them out right to seams! Great fit all round and a nice even brown color throughout all the panels - I like it!

Don't forget to post some more pics when you've tamed it.

Cheers and enjoy!
 
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