Leather jackets that don’t quite fit

[Aloysius]

A self-deprecating topic—sort of!

I imagine at least a few of us own some leather jackets that don’t quite fit as well as they could, because some other aspect of them like the hide or history keeps it hanging in the closet. Or perhaps the jacket was a deal you just couldn’t pass up, with the thought of passing it on to a Lounger when you’ve had your fill of looking at it.

I couldn’t imagine doing this with other clothes but leather jackets are enough of a durable good that it seems different.

Post yours!

I’ll lead with one of mine. It’s a one off sample in a unique hide, which led me to pick it up in the factory clearance. Its measurements line up with a slim size 38 and I’m a true 40L as tailoring sizes go.

Perhaps I’ll move it on someday, but for now it’ll sit on a hanger or chair near me and get worn on occasion as our friend @Will Zach saw.

 

[El Marro]

Great idea for a thread! Here is my Aero Teamster that I ordered new from Thurston in 2016.

Carrie advised me that I needed a size 44 but I insisted on a 46…
It was an expensive lesson and I never wear it but I hold onto it because it was my first custom Aero.

 

[Aloysius]

Great idea for a thread! Here is my Aero Teamster that I ordered new from Thurston in 2016.
View attachment 494506 Carrie advised me that I needed a size 44 but I insisted on a 46…
It was an expensive lesson and I never wear it but I hold onto it because it was my first custom Aero.

I totally get what you mean and yet something about this particular design works pretty well as a drop shoulder, oversized look. Doesn't fit our style but you'd fit right in among the youth! (It's also possible that that look calls for a lighter hide or at least tumbling the heavy hide so that it drapes better.)

 

[Will Zach]

A self-deprecating topic—sort of!

I imagine at least a few of us own some leather jackets that don’t quite fit as well as they could, because some other aspect of them like the hide or history keeps it hanging in the closet. Or perhaps the jacket was a deal you just couldn’t pass up, with the thought of passing it on to a Lounger when you’ve had your fill of looking at it.

I couldn’t imagine doing this with other clothes but leather jackets are enough of a durable good that it seems different.

Post yours!

I’ll lead with one of mine. It’s a one off sample in a unique hide, which led me to pick it up in the factory clearance. Its measurements line up with a slim size 38 and I’m a true 40L as tailoring sizes go.
View attachment 494503
Perhaps I’ll move it on someday, but for now it’ll sit on a hanger or chair near me and get worn on occasion as our friend @Will Zach saw.

I thought it fit you well! And the shoulder chain is exactly like the one Johnny Ramone wore. I should have had my wife take us a pic together for TFL.

 

[Aloysius]

I thought it fit you well! And the shoulder chain is exactly like the one Johnny Ramone wore. I should have had my wife take us a pic together for TFL.

I think at a static level it's not too bad but combined with the extra thick (I measured it at 1.6mm, so 4 oz) leather you definitely feel it. Still, it's the only casual jacket I brought on this trip so it's getting extra break in I hope.

 

[AeroFan_07]

Good golly, how many examples of this could I provide. Worse, some of these were quite recent, enough to make me scratch my head on occasion - as exampled below with this Vanson Star --

Next up, I could not get this Cafe Racer listed quickly enough...

This Nate's Leather wound up being a major mistake - and a bit difficult to sell, somewhere around 29" back length --

Just to keep a hopeful & positive take on this topic, here is one I let go of, and regretted it. So I bought it back. This is a Lost Worlds J23, to date, my best fitting Cross-zip. Very thankful it returned.

 

[Aloysius]

I don't think the Vanson Star counts! It definitely looks a bit odd but it's supposed to be the top half of a racing suit, right? The fit is okay; it's the genre of the jacket that doesn't work for normal use.

That cafe racer is an interesting jacket.

The Nate's, though, just confuses me!

And that J-23 is fantastic.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

Great idea for a thread! Here is my Aero Teamster that I ordered new from Thurston in 2016.
View attachment 494506 Carrie advised me that I needed a size 44 but I insisted on a 46…
It was an expensive lesson and I never wear it but I hold onto it because it was my first custom Aero.

Get it wet and hang it in the hot sun (once summer comes along). You'll get at least half size shrink and because of the buttons, you don't have to worry about wavy zipper.

 

[Jon Crow]

I don't think the Vanson Star counts! It definitely looks a bit odd but it's supposed to be the top half of a racing suit, right? The fit is okay; it's the genre of the jacket that doesn't work for normal use.

That cafe racer is an interesting jacket.

The Nate's, though, just confuses me!

And that J-23 is fantastic.

That's Nate's, oh lord what's happening there haha

 

[Tom71]

I don't think the Vanson Star counts! It definitely looks a bit odd but it's supposed to be the top half of a racing suit, right? The fit is okay; it's the genre of the jacket that doesn't work for normal use.

That cafe racer is an interesting jacket.

The Nate's, though, just confuses me!

And that J-23 is fantastic.

Seconded on the Vaneon. It’s not you, it’s the jacket. It’s perhaps the best jacket ever that is at the same time unwearable with the measurements you posted some time ago. Really a shame!

 

[ton312]

Oh man. I could add pages to this thread! Here’s a few.
Old Herc:

Alber Richard:

This Blue brooks was a bummer:

 

[barnabus]

That blue Brooks remains awesome.

 

[handymike]

My Aero 30s Half-belt

 

[Brandrea33]

Being relatively new to this, I’ve made several blunders. Fortunately I’ve been able to return most of them for refund, save for my Imperial, which went to a class act here.

I‘ll probably continue down my path of buying jackets that don’t fit properly. It’s kind of a challenging when you buy anything on line, but especially leather jackets as they aren’t as forgiving as a sweater or such.

That said, I don’t think of my purchases as mistakes, just part of the learning curve for me. It gets frustrating at times, but the anticipation of the next one, always keeps me hopeful lol

 

[ton312]

Being relatively new to this, I’ve made several blunders. Fortunately I’ve been able to return most of them for refund, save for my Imperial, which went to a class act here.

I‘ll probably continue down my path of buying jackets that don’t fit properly. It’s kind of a challenging when you buy anything on line, but especially leather jackets as they aren’t as forgiving as a sweater or such.

That said, I don’t think of my purchases as mistakes, just part of the learning curve for me. It gets frustrating at times, but the anticipation of the next one, always keeps me hopeful lol

Indeed, my thought has always been that you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs!

 

[Aloysius]

I’m loving the thread but I should clarify that I don’t mean ill fits in general (which we’ve all had). I mean ill fitting jackets that we still keep for some reason or other.

 

[ton312]

I’m loving the thread but I should clarify that I don’t mean ill fits in general (which we’ve all had). I mean ill fitting jackets that we still keep for some reason or other.

For me, no matter how nice the jacket is otherwise, if the fit is off, there is no possible way I’ll keep it. In under 30 seconds I know if I am keeping a jacket forever, for awhile or if it’s going right out the door. Maybe under 10 seconds actually. It’s gotten to where I don’t even need to try it on. I can tell just by holding it in front of my face.

 

[JMax]

For me, no matter how nice the jacket is otherwise, if the fit is off, there is no possible way I’ll keep it. In under 30 seconds I know if I am keeping a jacket forever, for awhile or if it’s going right out the door. Maybe under 10 seconds actually. It’s gotten to where I don’t even need to try it on. I can tell just by holding it in front of my face.

Nothing worse than unpacking a jacket, lifting it up and realizing failure has arrived. I do always try to put it on to double down on the pain.

Edit:: Actually, worse is perfection that smells like compost or has undisclosed problems. Like a 50s Harley jacket that arrived with a damn hole in the bottom of the back panel.

 

[Jasonissm]

Oh man. I could add pages to this thread! Here’s a few.
Old Herc:
View attachment 494665
Alber Richard:
View attachment 494666
This Blue brooks was a bummer:
View attachment 494680

Blue cafe racers are maybe the coolest colour they come in (after black maybe), I am still hunting on a blue Brooks Cafe Racer in my size, because they are just undeniably cool. I don't wear too many bright colours, but a blue cafe racer is a very welcome exception to that.

 

[Jasonissm]

For me, it is this Vanson Model E, although it doesnt fit my personal stylistic preferences of shorter torso length, it fits me well other than that. I will still be holding it for the time being, although got my eyes peeled for an older Model C2 which probably fits my preferences for torso length better.