Hello Loungers,
I'm Dan. First-time poster, but I promise I've done lots of reading prior to writing this crazy long post! I'm very keen to buy my first high-quality leather jacket, and I fell in love with the Aero Hooch Hauler's blend of Flight and Rider design elements when I first saw it. I do also love the Indian Ranger's style, but as a 45 year old (divorced) dad who doesn't ride, I'm not sure I can pull off a full-on motorcycle jacket. If I could walk into a store and try each one on I'd already be posting proud pics, but I'm feeling quite gun-shy about making (what is for me) a relatively expensive purchase without any such opportunity. I'm hoping this wise and experienced community might be able to help me out with a number of factors I'm confused about. I'll explain my concerns first and then provide some background. Any and all advice/suggestions appreciated!
My main area of concern is that I have no real idea what the HH or IR would look like on me. I've never worn anything like the HH; I recently tried on a cheap Double Rider at a biker shop and liked the fit/shape. I've obviously scoured FL and the rest of the internet for 'in the wild' photos of each (zipped and unzipped), and that's only left me more confused. I've seen some photos of people in the HH (or others from Aero's Prohibition series) that I've loved, and others that are exactly what I don't want to look like. That's not a criticism, as the fit in all photos was excellent. But I'm looking for a particular effect with my leather jacket - a strong V-shape - and while the HH seems to do that for some people, it doesn't for others. The more aggressive style of the IR seems to work for most people, but, like I said, it may be so aggressive I'll just end up feeling like a poseur in it. So, in theory I love the design of the HH, but am not sure it'll give me the silhouette I want; I think the IR would probably give me the silhouette, but am less sure about its other design elements on me.
Given everyone's extensive experience with leather jackets, can anyone help me figure out if the HH will work for me??
Bit of background: I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Canadian Aero stockist, Bison, doesn't seem to send out fit jackets. While I could get a fit jacket from Thurston in the US, the cost - along with currency conversion - becomes prohibitive. I'd like a spring/summer jacket, which means temperatures between around 5-15 degrees celcius. I don't ride, so this would be strictly a fashion jacket worn casually with jeans and boots. I think I'd want to wear it mainly with just a t-shirt underneath, or maybe a very thin long-sleeve shirt. I'm about 5'9", and the measurements I took of myself are as follows: Chest normal/expanded 38.5/39.5; stomach at largest point 37; waist 35. Obviously I have a relatively small frame and normally wear size S or M.
One final concern relates to Aero's leather. I understand that goat leather may be best for spring jackets, but Aero only seems to offer heavier leather. Are any of the leathers in which the HH and IR are offered suitable for what I want? I particularly want a dark brown and wouldn't buy tan or black.
Thanks everyone!
I'm Dan. First-time poster, but I promise I've done lots of reading prior to writing this crazy long post! I'm very keen to buy my first high-quality leather jacket, and I fell in love with the Aero Hooch Hauler's blend of Flight and Rider design elements when I first saw it. I do also love the Indian Ranger's style, but as a 45 year old (divorced) dad who doesn't ride, I'm not sure I can pull off a full-on motorcycle jacket. If I could walk into a store and try each one on I'd already be posting proud pics, but I'm feeling quite gun-shy about making (what is for me) a relatively expensive purchase without any such opportunity. I'm hoping this wise and experienced community might be able to help me out with a number of factors I'm confused about. I'll explain my concerns first and then provide some background. Any and all advice/suggestions appreciated!
My main area of concern is that I have no real idea what the HH or IR would look like on me. I've never worn anything like the HH; I recently tried on a cheap Double Rider at a biker shop and liked the fit/shape. I've obviously scoured FL and the rest of the internet for 'in the wild' photos of each (zipped and unzipped), and that's only left me more confused. I've seen some photos of people in the HH (or others from Aero's Prohibition series) that I've loved, and others that are exactly what I don't want to look like. That's not a criticism, as the fit in all photos was excellent. But I'm looking for a particular effect with my leather jacket - a strong V-shape - and while the HH seems to do that for some people, it doesn't for others. The more aggressive style of the IR seems to work for most people, but, like I said, it may be so aggressive I'll just end up feeling like a poseur in it. So, in theory I love the design of the HH, but am not sure it'll give me the silhouette I want; I think the IR would probably give me the silhouette, but am less sure about its other design elements on me.
Given everyone's extensive experience with leather jackets, can anyone help me figure out if the HH will work for me??
Bit of background: I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Canadian Aero stockist, Bison, doesn't seem to send out fit jackets. While I could get a fit jacket from Thurston in the US, the cost - along with currency conversion - becomes prohibitive. I'd like a spring/summer jacket, which means temperatures between around 5-15 degrees celcius. I don't ride, so this would be strictly a fashion jacket worn casually with jeans and boots. I think I'd want to wear it mainly with just a t-shirt underneath, or maybe a very thin long-sleeve shirt. I'm about 5'9", and the measurements I took of myself are as follows: Chest normal/expanded 38.5/39.5; stomach at largest point 37; waist 35. Obviously I have a relatively small frame and normally wear size S or M.
One final concern relates to Aero's leather. I understand that goat leather may be best for spring jackets, but Aero only seems to offer heavier leather. Are any of the leathers in which the HH and IR are offered suitable for what I want? I particularly want a dark brown and wouldn't buy tan or black.
Thanks everyone!