My Fidelity Cafe Racer: quality and fit wth photos

[Oakbark]

Hi all,
I've just received a Fidelity cafe racer jacket, it should be a 70s' piece in steerhide.
I know it's a Fidelity jacket even if as you can see it doesn't have that typical Fidelity chain above the inner label at the collar's height.
If my understanding is correct there are different Fidelity cafe racer models depending on the period, cause I saw online other Fidelities with a single back panel and with a shirting cut, meaning overall longer and with elonged front part belove the zipper, while this one has a cropped style: even the chest zippers differ.
I'd say the jacket it's quite heavy and has a winter liner but it's in a very good conditions, so it stays in its place saving the trim fit the jacket should have.
But I've a big concern about this jacket for what concern the sleeve which are really too wide for my liking.
I was instintively worried about them looking at the pictures before of buying, but I wanted to think it was my impression due to the pics taken with the jacket laid flat.
Well, I don't know if you will agree with me, but I think the jacket does not have the right proportions looking at the body of it and the sleeves: sleeves are as almost larger as half jacket it.
I'm not skinny at all, I'm quite muscled and the sleeves are too large at my biceps also and as you can see even at the wrist part where it should be extra trim.
I don't know what to think, even because I saw other vintage cafe racer jackets worn by other dudes and I didn't see that problem with the sleeves.
Sleeves like that remind me some brand new Schott or Vanson that still have to break in and have that stiff look, while this jacket has wrinkles and everything, but as you can see the sleeves are fuller in comparison with the body that is extra trim, I mean, no doubts it's my size:
-shoulders are just fine
-chest, room enough to wear a light sweater too
-body lenght, just perfect as I was hoping to
-sleeves lenght are fine too.

I'd like to know your opinions especially about the sleeves look which I consider an issue that compromises the entire silhouette.

Now, first the pics of the jacket:

 

[Oakbark]

Pics of the fit, sorry for the horrible light:

 

[ton312]

The sleeves don't appear overly baggy to me at all. I mean I can see from the clothes line pic that you certainly have room but that said I don't they look baggy. I get why this is bothersome so. Sleeve diameter is a tricky thing to get just right.

 

[Oakbark]

This jacket would be my every day jacket except for the sleeves, so I wondering if there's a change to narrow them up and reading on google and on this board I came across 2 ways:
- a professional alteration by a leather tailor
- shirking method.

-About the tailoring alteration, I don't know if it's a common thing to take the sleeves in talking about leather sleeves; said that, I'd like to give a try even knowing would be quite expensive, but let's say that I could easily put around 120$ on the table to get my jacket back with trimmed sleeves.

-About the shrinking method, I've read a lot in the last 2 days: opinions differs and experiences too, but taking just the positive examples, I know I should soak the jacket in hot water and then put it in the dryer.
I also read steerhide is not as easy to shrink as horsehide and goatskin are, and I know I should pay attention to the liner that will react differently than the leather.

I'm mentioning this method, cause in my case, just the sleeves are large, while the rest is just perfect, so I was thinking to soak just the sleeves in a bowl of hot water and then to dry them with a hair dryer.

All of your feedbacks and suggestions will be appreciated and I'll wait for them to extend my thoughts on the topic.
Thanks everybody

 

[Oakbark]

@ton312 I'd probably say the same, cause looking at those pics, it does not seem so bad, that's why I took many pics, but is not easy to see the girth.
You can have a cleared idea looking at the full pic of me standing: the sleeve is as large as the leg is....and well, I'm not tall at all, but I've large legs.
I saw the best cafe racers jackets are very narrow at the sleeves zippers at least: here not even that past is narrow

 

[nick123]

It looks nice, but where are the jacket's stripes!

 

[Oakbark]

 

[Oakbark]

What stripes @nick123 ?

 

[Seb Lucas]

The sleeves look fine - that's the period pattern and although they seem wide to you, no one's going to notice.

 

[Monitor]

Yeah, it's great! Excellent jacket. I love the sleeves. Seb Lucas is correct, mostly all the CR's of the past had roomier sleeves. The jacket fits you really well! As good as it gets, I'd say.

BTW, are those leather pants??

 

[opiusmaximus]

Don't waste money altering the sleeves. It will cost more than a replacement is worth. It looks fine but if you don't want it your best bet is to resell the jacket here and buy something else.

 

[nick123]

What stripes @nick123 ?

Tiger stripes!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Looks good enough to me. I'm with the others who say not to alter. Hot water may not only shrink the sleeve widthwise..but possibly lengthwise as well. Re-sell it if it bothers you so much is my advice too.
HD

 

[Oakbark]

Thanks for all your feedbacks, really appreciated; Yes I also had the clue that these roomier sleeves were the common ones in those years.

@BobJ I see on the example pic what you mean, and yes that's too tight in that part, btw I guess that guy has some layers under, shirt and sweater, but definitely the sleeve is too tight, can't zip it down and you're also right when you say I've a definite look in mind, but I'm that kind of person that can also change his mind, that's why I really appreaciated your opinions.
I've to say that how I'd like the jacket to fit depends both on my ideal look and on my build and my height, so talking about clothing I always focus on proportions clothing/body.

In this case I see the sleeve so fuller that make shorter and my leg look as large as the sleeve is:

Here a comparison

I'm sure that if I had been taller I would not pay attention to the width of these sleeves and I'm going to explain why in the next post/reply.

But first, regarding the question of @Monitor about the pants: no, are not leather pants, simply well worn and distressed jeans blackgreysh ones: the quality of this pics suck, sorry for that

 

[Superfluous]

^ Leave the sleeves as they are, and use the money you saved on alterations to buy wider jeans.

 

[Oakbark]

I was mentioning the height of a person and the sleeves width.
Here an example of what I mean:

the sleeve, the upper part is quite roomy and he's a big guy, 6.4 feet with muscles.
The forearm part is very tight, but well the point is that, being so tall, that sleeve even if wide does look fine, very fine, perfect for that shabby look.
I'm my case I'm 5,72 tall and with an overall wider sleeve.
It's look even fuller cause my jacket is steerhide with winter liner, while the jacket on the pic above is horsehide with a lightweight liner :/

Despite the sleeves of my jacket, the rest is simply perfect and I can't complain at all. It's an online purchase and my first cafe racer jacket, so I was quite surprised to find out that shoulders, chest and lenght and body width were so fine on me and that's why I would consider worthy to make some attempts to modify somehow the sleeves in order to get the one that would be my best jacket

 

[Oakbark]

Now an example of how I'd like the sleeves to look ( generally speaking )

This guy is around my height

Of course I can't get on my jacket the same sleeves width of this jacket, it's a different cut, different kind of leather, pre washed goatskin, so even smoother than my steerhide jacket, but well that jacket is not lamb, so not so fragile.
But well, talking just about the fit of this jacket and my jacket and considering for instance that I won't take in my own sleeves, I think this jacket looks much better on a person that is as tall as me

 

[ton312]

Sell this jacket and buy a Brooks 2 pocket CR. It's a trim pattern, not too far off from what you have here and you'll probably manage a damn near dollar for donuts swap on one. I think it'll get you closer to what you want. I've owned dozens of them and they are great jackets. Simple eBay search and a week or two and you'll be set.

 

[Oakbark]

Thanks @HoosierDaddy for your feedback. I was thinking to just soak the sleeves in hot water cause as you mentioned I don't want the other parts of the jacket shrink too.
Half of inch on the sleeves would be enough for me to be satisfied.
I don't have in plan to re sell it cause I generally like the overall fit: I'd prefer tighter sleeves to make it perfect and I already know that I won't find another cafe racer with those measurements, especially the lenght; this one it's a rare case of 23,6 inches for the back lenght, so buying another jacket would need shortening the lenght and hoping the other measurements to be as good as this one.

@nick123 I was looking for a transparent file to apply to my photos and I firslty found an elephant and a tiger: the tiger had a more rounded face: it was an easy choice

@ton312 For what I saw, Brooks gold label jacket in size 40 are at least 25 inches long.
in my case means passing from a jacket that get at the waist line to on that cover my jeans front pockets fully it changes all the look unluckily, btw I thought a to buy a Brooks and to shorten it

 

[ton312]

I was mentioning the height of a person and the sleeves width.
Here an example of what I mean:
View attachment 94371

the sleeve, the upper part is quite roomy and he's a big guy, 6.4 feet with muscles.
The forearm part is very tight, but well the point is that, being so tall, that sleeve even if wide does look fine, very fine, perfect for that shabby look.
I'm my case I'm 5,72 tall and with an overall wider sleeve.
It's look even fuller cause my jacket is steerhide with winter liner, while the jacket on the pic above is horsehide with a lightweight liner :/

Despite the sleeves of my jacket, the rest is simply perfect and I can't complain at all. It's an online purchase and my first cafe racer jacket, so I was quite surprised to find out that shoulders, chest and lenght and body width were so fine on me and that's why I would consider worthy to make some attempts to modify somehow the sleeves in order to get the one that would be my best jacket

To my eye this jacket on Aquaman looks like garbage. Looks like a leather bra. It's not good.