That is cool... thanks for sharing! Lets see if Aero can be convinced to have a go at putting the piping around the sleeve zip...This is the earliest, I believe, Jay One Hundred. It's the one Himel does in any case. This one's got both sleeve zip welt and center zip welt. Cool stuff!
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Advice needed on new Aero Cafe Racer jacket
- Thread starter Rich22
- Start date
I'll have a fit jacket to play with soon, and I'll likely visit, so I can get a feel for the product personally. Ideally I'll find the hand warmer pockets acceptably comfy with the zips still attached.
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Fit jacket and factory visit... Nothing should go wrong now.
Thanks for the suggestions; already re-uploaded the images earlier today.
That's good, I'll go and check out your old thread later.
I figured I'd still get the fit jacket, as I can't confirm when I'll be able to go up to the factory, and it does get the ball rolling.
Edgar Laurel
One of the Regulars
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Have FQHH jackets years old and they are well broken in and draping nicely at least for my taste.
Aero FQHH is not as stiff as your mind is picturing. In fact it rapidly catches the warmth of your body and softens with ease.
The leather samples are all arriving this week, so that should help me too. It's funny how divided the forum is on the CXL leather.
I received my fit jacket, which looks fantastic but doesn't fit me quite perfectly. It came in black CXL Steerhide, and man is it heavy! Smelt great too, by the way. Here's my thoughts/fit issues this lunchtime:
1, The jacket when zipped falls just above my belt buckle, with mid-rise jeans. It's 25.75 long in the back.
2, The arms are restrictive- I couldn't scratch my nose when I had an itch! Is that just the thickness of the leather? It's THICK!
3, This 44 inch jacket was a bit tight around the chest. I was wearing a western shirt over a thin t shirt and I had to remove the shirt. It's not entirely too small, but it's bloody snug.
4, The zipped hand warmers. Between their high position, the restrictive sleeves and the fair tightness across my chest, I couldn't get anywhere near putting a hand in one when the jacket was zipped. With great difficulty I managed to get one hand in when unzipped and using the other hand for assistance. If *that* is normal, then I need not worry about whether the zips are scratchy or not! haha.
5, The arm length was spot on perfect for me. The cuffs were pretty scratchy, though, unpleasantly so.
6, The kidney panel on the exterior actually looked better than I expected. This jacket featured a yoke and a kidney panel.
7, The gussets around the shoulders- what is the point? Aside from visually? I couldn't get movement from them when trying.
8, The shape of the jacket, specifically the taper from chest to waist, worked well for me.
9, No mandarin collar with this one, sadly. I'd been curios to see how one looked on me.
10, None of the zips have smooth travel- is this a by product of any zip manly enough to work with material of this weight?
11, The zip zipped up the opposite way to every other zip I've used in my life... is this a lady's zip? Do women's clothes have zips the other way around? I'd have to raid my girlfriend's wardrobe to find out.
1, The jacket when zipped falls just above my belt buckle, with mid-rise jeans. It's 25.75 long in the back.
2, The arms are restrictive- I couldn't scratch my nose when I had an itch! Is that just the thickness of the leather? It's THICK!
3, This 44 inch jacket was a bit tight around the chest. I was wearing a western shirt over a thin t shirt and I had to remove the shirt. It's not entirely too small, but it's bloody snug.
4, The zipped hand warmers. Between their high position, the restrictive sleeves and the fair tightness across my chest, I couldn't get anywhere near putting a hand in one when the jacket was zipped. With great difficulty I managed to get one hand in when unzipped and using the other hand for assistance. If *that* is normal, then I need not worry about whether the zips are scratchy or not! haha.
5, The arm length was spot on perfect for me. The cuffs were pretty scratchy, though, unpleasantly so.
6, The kidney panel on the exterior actually looked better than I expected. This jacket featured a yoke and a kidney panel.
7, The gussets around the shoulders- what is the point? Aside from visually? I couldn't get movement from them when trying.
8, The shape of the jacket, specifically the taper from chest to waist, worked well for me.
9, No mandarin collar with this one, sadly. I'd been curios to see how one looked on me.
10, None of the zips have smooth travel- is this a by product of any zip manly enough to work with material of this weight?
11, The zip zipped up the opposite way to every other zip I've used in my life... is this a lady's zip? Do women's clothes have zips the other way around? I'd have to raid my girlfriend's wardrobe to find out.
nick123
I'll Lock Up
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^The first day (or in your case try- on for a new heavy jacket) is the worst day, visually and comfort-wise. A few years ago I had a new FQHH Highwayman that looked embarrassingly stiffly silly when I got it. I thought I'd made a big mistake. But after a few days, it took form and started looking like a jacket. A lot of the inititial stiffness will dissipate in due time. There's a "break in" and a "true break in" time; the later taking months/years to get fully pliable. Weight will always be there though.
We need pics to help you if you can get them up! Aero/Thurston can get you to a good place but the collective 2 cents here also acts as some revision guidance.
We need pics to help you if you can get them up! Aero/Thurston can get you to a good place but the collective 2 cents here also acts as some revision guidance.
So the arm thing, the inability to reach your head or into any pocket of the jacket, that's pretty normal at first?^The first day (or in your case try- on for a new heavy jacket) is the worst day, visually and comfort-wise. A few years ago I had a new FQHH Highwayman that looked embarrassingly stiffly silly when I got it. I thought I'd made a big mistake. But after a few days, it took form and started looking like a jacket. A lot of the inititial stiffness will dissipate in due time. There's a "break in" and a "true break in" time; the later taking months/years to get fully pliable. Weight will always be there though.
We need pics to help you if you can get them up! Aero/Thurston can get you to a good place but the collective 2 cents here also acts as some revision guidance.
I'll need the assistance of my other half for some fit pics, which I think will have to be tomorrow. I don't think selfies in the bedroom mirror is the way to go! haha!
Oh, and Google revealed that Americans tend to zip up on the 'wrong' side. Who'd a thunk it... But anyway, it seems to be something you can specify with Aero, to go with your continent's norms.
My favourite jacket I measure 27.5 length in the back. I measured the position of the hand warmers on that one, which begin 3.5-4 inches lower on the torso. They're narrower, though, and end 1.5 inches closer to the hem. I guess if this Cafe Racer was longer to match my own proportions, it'd bring the hand warmer position down a bit, making them more functional.
Edit: While the photos above make the jacket look like it flares out at the hem, it does not. It measures approximately 40.5inches around the hem.
Edit: While the photos above make the jacket look like it flares out at the hem, it does not. It measures approximately 40.5inches around the hem.
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On inspection the cuffs felt scratchy due to the way the stiff cotton lining had puckered around the hem, in the way that the hem of a pair of chain sticked jeans do. I wonder if they could finish the cuff like this:
You are presenting a jacket that appears to me to be one size too small and 2" too short in the body for you. Don't underrate the ability to breathe with the jacket zipped up. If you are right handed, it is easier to engage the zipper with the male part on the left side. The zip sleeves in the front of your fit jacket appear significantly shorter than my Sheene zippers in the back that might be part of your problem with tight sleeves. FQHH CXL is very thick, and at least initially very stiff. My solution: One size larger in Vicenza horsehide with a 27.5" to 28" back length. OR maybe consider a 1930's Halfbelt rather than a Cafe Racer or Board Racer as both the CR and BR have very narrow tolerances of fit and are less forgiving than the HB designs.
If you are right handed, it is easier to engage the zipper with the male part on the left side. The zip sleeves in the front of your fit jacket appear significantly shorter than my Sheene zippers in the back that might be part of your problem with tight sleeves. FQHH CXL is very thick, and at least initially very stiff. My solution: One size larger in Vicenza horsehide with a 27.5" to 28" back length. OR maybe consider a 1930's Halfbelt rather than a Cafe Racer or Board Racer as both the CR and BR have very narrow tolerances of fit and are less forgiving than the HB designs.I almost don't want it to be a size too small because it looks pretty sharp, tight as it isYou are presenting a jacket that appears to me to be one size too small and 2" too short in the body for you. Don't underrate the ability to breathe with the jacket zipped up.
It's only snug in he chest/underarms area, shoulders are perfect and waist could even come in an inch or so. But yes, I need the extra 2inches, I can't have a jacket floating above my belt, that's silly. For whatever reasons it looks shorter in the front than the back (my large chest? large arse? perhaps cut shorter? all of the above? who knows). I like halfbelts too, so were that to be a better cut for me I wouldn't be losing sleep over it. Oh, and the sleeves were mainly tight at the elbow, it was not tight at the wrists or the sleeve opening as I could wiggle my hand out even with the zips done up. It is a lovely looking thing by the way, I've lost part of my afternoon marvelling at it...Just tried the jacket on for a second time, with it having spent the afternoon in my centrally heated house, and it was definitely more pliable than when I received it, ice cold out of the delivery van. I think the chest fit is snug but fine, and the jacket seemed to sit just on my belt than just over, so perhaps 1.5inches extra would be fine. It felt like cardboard earlier, slightly less so now, though it's only been on for a total of about 4 minutes. The arms are pretty tight, and on checking its the bicep/elbow/top of forearm specifically.
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2. Usually a good sign that the jacket's too small. It takes a bit to get into a brand new Aero but it usually isn't that restrictive and even wearing the jacket straight out of the box, you still should be able to move relatively freely. If it's as bad as you say, you're going to have to send it back. You may like the way it fits (looks) now but you're gonna be sick of it in two weeks time.
3. CR is a super slim fitting jacket. Not made with layering in mind but you should still be able to fit a T-shirt and a lighter shirt or a hoddie or something underneath...
4. Shouldn't be so. No jacket should be this restrictive.
5. That's normal. Takes a while for such a heavy leather to become comfortable.
7. Yeah, sadly, they don't do a whole lot...
10. Also perfectly normal. These jackets are made from a very heavy and very stiff leather so zipper has to struggle with it. Things won't go as smoothly as with your average mall jackets right away.
11. UK/European made jackets have a center zipper mechanism pull on a different side than the jackets made in the US. On an European jacket, the slider is usually on the left hand side while on an American one, it's on the right.
^^^ @Monitor is the voice of reason. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize this fit jacket is one size too small; anything uncomfortable will rarely be worn, and I'll bet dollars to doughnuts this one will be on the used jacket block if bought in this size. I had to pass on a pre-owned seal Vicenza Premier Highwayman that was too tight in the chest awhile back that almost broke my heart to let go. Anyhow, post a couple of fit pictures front and back, zipped and unzipped if you get a chance.
@Monitor @Fanch Thanks for the replies. The sleeves definitely are too tight on this jacket, which is maybe why it got sent back to sit on the rejects pile? The chest is fine, if snug, it's all down to the arms when I think of it. My arms are hardly huge, but I do lift weights and play a lot of sport (when I'm not injured!), so I mentioned this when I first contacted Aero, as I've had issues with fitted shirts/jackets. They said Cafe Racer sleeves are looser fitting compared with others. (By the way, biceps 15", forearm 12.5".) Fit pics to be on here tomorrow.
Luckily this is just a fit jacket, it was always getting sent back. With this being my very first wear of any jacket of comparable weight I was genuinely wondering if if was just the leather causing the arm movement issues, and wanted to check with you lot that this is abnormal.
The leather was smooth and comfortable against the skin, it was the puckered cotton lining that was scratchy.
I got over my initial surprise... the zips are fine, just heavy. Luckily I'm strong!
I felt like an invalid trying to do the zipper up in reverse
You need to work on that, train your left brain to function better.I felt like an invalid trying to do the zipper up in reverse
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