Wearing an AERO HIGHWAYMAN in your actual size

[RDS]

It’s clearly all just personal opinion and there isn’t any right or wrong but for me the Aero Leather Highwayman is an all time classic.
I guess like many my first more upmarket or ‘non-mall’ civilian leather jacket was an Aero Highwayman and right from day one never had any issues with fit. And I’m sure like others the Highwayman was also responsible for leading me down the rabbit hole which is the world of more bespoke leather jackets.
Since then I’ve gone on to own a number of Highwaymans of differing sizes, ages and hides (CXLFQHH, CXLSH, HH, Connolly, etc.) and I’ve also had several other styles of Aero jacket such as the Teamster, Board Racer, Veste des Rallye, as well as an A-2 and a G-1.
Of them all I’ve found an Aero Highwayman to be the most versatile and a style that can also suit a wide range of leathers.
It can obviously just be worn true to size and if a slimmer, tighter T-shirt fit is wanted you could go down a size, or possibly two; however it can also easily be layered (and still look good) true to size or even sized up.
I currently have a couple of Highwaymans (one is a size down and brown horsehide, the other true to size thick but soft black cowhide) and with just these two I’ve found I have a leather jacket for most needs, uses and occasions.

 

[Monitor]

I agree. I always loved this jacket but I always thought it's too... Tame and boring while in fact when sized & worn correctly, it's as badass as any cross zip or a trucker.

I owned a few and I hated each one that I had Aero alter to "my specs" precisely because of the stupid modifications I've asked for. On the other hand, that one early OTR Connelly HWM in a size 42 which, looking at the numbers, should've been 3 sizes too large for me, was among my top 3 fitting jackets.

It's supposed to be roomy, comfortable and short because it goes over (all of) your clothes and it's supposed to be short to never get in the way.

I understand now what Ken wanted to do with it and he's invested so much more work into this getting this jacket just right than any of us can imagine which is why I don't understand why then he allowed people to mess it all up. I mean, I do understand, because such a business practice prints money but I believe that in the long run, it did more damage than good.

 

[Herrvallmo]

• "and the wearer can't raise their arms up to surrender so they have to fight till the end."

Haha that one got me

@ton312 Well written mate!

When they make changes of the pattern it makes it harder to buy them second hand, especially if you don't know which measurements works or not for your body(took me a while to really hone in what works for myself for example).

That's why I wouldn't recommend going for a Hwm as a first "real" leather jacket instead I would go for a safer bet in Vanson, Schott or similar which seems to fit a lot more bodies while keeping the same measurements for the most part over the years(all from personal experience but hindsight is 20/20 haha).

Cheers!

 

[Jon Crow]

Not to me it isn't. I had one for years and stupidly sold it, so I just bought another one. Both size 38 (I normally wear a 42). Going back to this style is interesting...I'm so over 'slim fit' T-Shirt only jackets. If I can't at least wear a henley style shirt or track jacket over a t shirt underneath my leather jacket I don't want it. No more Japanese jackets, no more "high arm holes' LOL. I'm a slim guy so yes, I like a "slim-ish' look, but it has to accommodate one reasonable layer without making me feel like a sausage in a corset or it sucks and I don't want it. I'm not really a T-shirt only guy, unless it's summer and it's hot out, in which case the leathers are at home in the closet.

But back to the HWM...it's funny, sizing 2 sizes down and it doesn't look boxy but it's still roomy and comfy when layering

Know where your coming from with that, here in Madrid the winters are cold and the summers so darn hot, leather gets a limited window anyway, 300 days of sunshine, I like a tshirt and a Chambray shirt underneath if I'm honest, I've never had a HWM though, looks good if you get the right one

 

[RDS]

When they make changes of the pattern it makes it harder to buy them second hand, especially if you don't know which measurements works or not for your body(took me a while to really hone in what works for myself for example).

Every single one of my Aero Leather jackets has been bought secondhand. All were in excellent condition and as they were also acquired at very, very reasonable prices I’ve never had any need to buy new. Maybe I was just lucky but I’ve not had any problems with trying to get a good fit.
Depending on their age the Highwaymans had tags which ranged from 40 to 46. The early ones from the mid 80’s/early 90’s seemed to come up on the smaller side, with a 46 being equivalent to a more recent 44 or 42.
This shows the importance of getting various measurements from the seller (and to also know how they were taken) Having said that due to a very low price and not wanting to miss out I did take a chance on two of the jackets based on just the stated tag size. Fortunately the gamble paid off but I knew the worse case scenario was that I could always move them on for more than what was paid.

 

[TartuWolf]

I'd say @Mrfrown has one of the best looking and fitting HWM jackets I've ever seen.
A few examples:

Del on Instagram: "Out for a stroll with the family on a crisp, beautiful day. My son helped out and took these photos. They turned out so well I’ll certainly be asking him to be my cameraman more often! #menstyle #ootdmen #ruggedstyle #vintages

615 likes, 42 comments - dudsbydel on December 2, 2024: "Out for a stroll with the family on a crisp, beautiful day. My son helped out and took these photos. They turned out so well I’ll certainly be asking him to be my cameraman more often! #menstyle #ootdmen #ruggedstyle #vintagestyle...

www.instagram.com

Del on Instagram: "Stopped by an excellent market / restaurant yesterday and snapped these Later in the evening captured this wildly pinkish purple sky. What a day! #menstyle #weekendvibes #leatherjacket #aeroleather #vintagestyle #ruggedstyle"

498 likes, 51 comments - dudsbydel on November 24, 2024: "Stopped by an excellent market / restaurant yesterday and snapped these Later in the evening captured this wildly pinkish purple sky. What a day! #menstyle #weekendvibes #leatherjacket #aeroleather #vintagestyle #ruggedstyle".

www.instagram.com

Del on Instagram: "What do you think of the cuffs here? I don’t normally keep em, but I’m thinking about it. #menstyle #leatherjacket #ruggedstyle #vintagestyle #classicstyle #aeroleatherclothing #freenotecloth #selvedgedenim #whitesboots"

361 likes, 37 comments - dudsbydel on November 12, 2024: "What do you think of the cuffs here? I don’t normally keep em, but I’m thinking about it. #menstyle #leatherjacket #ruggedstyle #vintagestyle #classicstyle #aeroleatherclothing #freenotecloth #selvedgedenim #whitesboots".

www.instagram.com

Del on Instagram: "So, what’s on your Not-to-Do List today? #ootdmen #mensfashion #vintagestyle #leatherjacket #aeroleather #selvedgedenim #freenotecloth #mensboots #botas #whitesboots #lederjacke #workwearstyle #ruggedworkwear"

209 likes, 35 comments - dudsbydel on September 9, 2024: "So, what’s on your Not-to-Do List today? #ootdmen #mensfashion #vintagestyle #leatherjacket #aeroleather #selvedgedenim #freenotecloth #mensboots #botas #whitesboots #lederjacke #workwearstyle #ruggedworkwear".

www.instagram.com

Up to a point where I wonder why does he even wear any of his other jackets haha.

 

[Herrvallmo]

Every single one of my Aero Leather jackets has been bought secondhand. All were in excellent condition and as they were also acquired at very, very reasonable prices I’ve never had any need to buy new. Maybe I was just lucky but I’ve not had any problems with trying to get a good fit.
Depending on their age the Highwaymans had tags which ranged from 40 to 46. The early ones from the mid 80’s/early 90’s seemed to come up on the smaller side, with a 46 being equivalent to a more recent 44 or 42.
This shows the importance of getting various measurements from the seller (and to also know how they were taken) Having said that due to a very low price and not wanting to miss out I did take a chance on two of the jackets based on just the stated tag size. Fortunately the gamble paid off but I knew the worse case scenario was that I could always move them on for more than what was paid.

I only buy leather jackets second hand(all but one Thedi I have in the making) as I now learnt what measurements works for my body, so I very much agree with you mate.

My post was more directed to first time buyers, as I did the same mistake as many new buyers and just went for what size I always go for, and doing that with the Highwayman can be very hard as stated.

But like you also noted, gambling on a second hand Aero with the crazy deals you can get out there is rarely a bad thing. Worst case scenario you just pass it along, heck I even made some money selling my Hwm here in Sweden when the fit wasn't for me, but if you want a jacket with higher probability to work first try I would still recommend going for another maker

Cheers!

 

[Edward]

If you downsize the 50s Highwayman to fit the torso then a lot of other things may not work, sleeve hole, neck hole…etc. the neck hole is small as it is now when compared to other brands.

Exactly so. Many years ago in these parts - pre-2012, in the Lauder "anything goes" era - somebody on TFL specced up and bought a HWM that was recut to be a slimmer fit. It just didn't work. The HWM is what it is. It's designed to be boxier. When I bought mine, it was the same size as the 50s HB pattern through the chest, but obviously less tapered - I could wear a bit of chunky knitwear or a shirt under it without looking odd. Boxy, yes, but not wrong. When my Bootlegger (which is basically a 50s HB with a lancer front) got a bit too tight in the waist (must have shrunk in the wardrobe) the HWM was still fine.

It's not a jacket for everyone - the bottom line is it's a particular cut. If that's not the cut people want, it's a different model they should be looking into, not trying to make a HWM something it isn't.

Not to me it isn't. I had one for years and stupidly sold it, so I just bought another one. Both size 38 (I normally wear a 42). Going back to this style is interesting...I'm so over 'slim fit' T-Shirt only jackets. If I can't at least wear a henley style shirt or track jacket over a t shirt underneath my leather jacket I don't want it. No more Japanese jackets, no more "high arm holes' LOL. I'm a slim guy so yes, I like a "slim-ish' look, but it has to accommodate one reasonable layer without making me feel like a sausage in a corset or it sucks and I don't want it. I'm not really a T-shirt only guy, unless it's summer and it's hot out, in which case the leathers are at home in the closet.

But back to the HWM...it's funny, sizing 2 sizes down and it doesn't look boxy but it's still roomy and comfy when layering

There is a bit of flexibility in the sizing, certainly. I'm the same, though, fit-wise. I think a lot of folks, at least in and around my age (I'm 50 now) have gone through that thing of discovering vintage and ditching oversized jackets for ones that are really just too small, before discovering a suitable fit later. Of course, for those not interested in an accurate mid-century look from the period in which these jacket styles originated, there's also the vagaries of fashion can switch things about too.

As ever, beyond designed look the bottom line I find is that the measurements matter more than the label. I have jackets from a labelled 42 up to a labelled 50 that all fit. Some neater than others, but not the level of variation you'd assume in that five-size range...

Personally I think the secondhand market is driving it for a lot of people(shiteloads of cheap Highwayman out there), at least when they are new to the hobby

Not saying you are wrong! it sure is a really safe model, but sometimes safe is nice

The Highwayman is really where Aero's civil jackets started, so it has the advantage of longevity, though it remains as it long has been Aero's top seller, despite the breadth of their range now (which must be three or more times the extent it was when I discovered Aero in 2007ish). One of the reasons it's one of the few jackets they keep constantly in stock rather than only making to order, of course.

I understand now what Ken wanted to do with it and he's invested so much more work into this getting this jacket just right than any of us can imagine which is why I don't understand why then he allowed people to mess it all up. I mean, I do understand, because such a business practice prints money but I believe that in the long run, it did more damage than good.

Well, it is what it is. During the Lauder years (c. I think 2004 -2012), it was an anything goes approach. That produced its share on monstrosities - including the Mandarin collared Windward, which ended up back at the factory after 2012 and for a time Ken reportedly had it on display in the office labelled "The worst Aero ever". There were folks annoyed and upset when Ken put a firm line on modifications in 2012, but with the greatly expanded range it makes huge sense: choose something tried and tested, by someone who knows about design, from a wide range of stock designs, and be done. I do agree that gives better results. The brand remains strong, but you can't help but wonder if anyone ever saw some of the worst customer-specced options out there and it put them off. The customer may be king in matters of taste, but any brand has to decide what they're happy with being Out There with their name on it, because they're the ones will be associated with it.

 

[MrProper]

somebody on TFL specced up and bought a HWM that was recut to be a slimmer fit. It just didn't work. The HWM is what it is.

Incidentally, this applies not only to the HWM, but also to the Cafe Racer. I tried to make it slim fit and that went down the drain.