Subjective personal opinions can be difficult to reconcile, and sometimes downright bewildering

The breadth and diversity of subjective, personal opinions and preferences shared daily on this forum is, in many respects, one of the great benefits of this forum. Forum participants have access to a multitude of subjective input and experience on the gamut of issues relating to outwear. The comprehensive exchange of this information serves to educate members, broaden our horizons, clarify issues, and focus our pursuits.

Notwithstanding the tremendous benefits, the deluge of subjective information shared on TFL can also cause less desirable ramifications. In particular, as one attempts to navigate, digest and reconcile the overwhelming volume of subjective input and personal opinions, one can either over-analyze and/or become paralyzed with indecision. There is no clear or objectively correct path, and the diverse opinions are impossible to unify. What is the preferable/desirable fit, style, leather, length, width, thickness, finish, cut, weight, manufacturer, pocket, liner, collar, zipper, stitching, etc. etc, etc. Ask any two TFL members for their opinion on any of the foregoing, and you will receive five incredibly thoughtful and persuasive opinions. Open the discussion up to the entire community, and you will quickly be inundated with a bewildering onslaught of insight. The examples of this play out here on a regular basis.

I, personally, am currently experiencing a crisis of conscience that is derived largely from input received from TFL. While I continue to enjoy my GW Imperial, I have had a lingering concern that it is too long. As I continually read and assimilate the daily TFL dialogue regarding jacket length, and the endless array of subjective opinions, my lingering concern has evolved into a full-fledged internal angst that currently has me on the precipice of selling the jacket. Being a glutton for punishment, I privately asked several TFL friends for their private opinions on the subject. I was rewarded with wildly divergent input that further exacerbated my uncertainty and disorientation. I am now paralyzed with indecision, firmly undecided about how to proceed. Left to my own devices, the decision would have been exponentially easier. The purpose of this thread is not to discuss my Imperial (my own experience is merely a personal example of a larger, pervasive issue).

As I said upfront, the expansive exchange of personal opinions and subjective preferences is one of the great attributes of TFL, and the benefits are overwhelming (and far outweigh any associated detriments). That said, this beneficial exchange can also be bewildering and cause considerable turmoil.

Well. I guess, ultimately, there is no right or wrong. You must go with what makes you feel good about yourself. That said, I’ve heard it said that shorter gentlemen should go with an “above the knee” length coat so that they do not look like they are swimming in it, and taller gents should go with just below the knee so that they don’t look like they are too big for their coat. All subjective. Go with what strikes you as bringing out your best side.

When it comes to jacket length, there's no right or wrong. Regardless of what anyone tells you. They're wrong. Plain and simple.

I feel good in short jackets. I feel cool. But I won't ever say that's how everyone should wear their jackets! That's stupid.

And yeah, I still do strongly believe that certain jacket styles look like crap when spec'd too long. Cross zips, for example. Sure, wear 'em any way you like but stretched over 27" or more, they look really dumb which is something that's further evidenced by how most makers struggle to make these jackets look presentable at such lengths. D-pockets turn out especially heinous.

But anyway, there's no benefit that comes with a long or short jacket. Again, some people will claim otherwise and they're dead wrong - like for example, when I hear such nonsense as how short jackets don't cover your kidneys on a motorcycle but that's bs because a) sure, on a crap jacket but it never happens with a proper motorcycle jacket, the kind that's rarely over 23" in length and b) any jacket that entirely covers your back on a bike is too long at the front and will balloon once you lean over for the handles. Except if you're on a chopper. But chances are, you're not.

So yeah, half the info shared here is entirely subjective and shouldn't be taken as anything other than an opinion of someone else (except what I'm saying right now XD ). One look at the Styleforum.com and you'll discover that it has become a polar opposite of TFL and they are the "it" crowd.

So SF, if you're happy with the length of your GW, you're good. And you better be, if you don't have another five years to spare.

Your first mistake was asking for someone else's opinion I say this b/c it's 100% less valuable than your own. I've always found that if there's even a shadow of a doubt about the fit...it won't magically go away. Additionally, a slew of reassurances and kind words will have no effect on easing that uneasy feeling.

Monitor said:

So yeah, half the info shared here is entirely subjective and shouldn't be taken as anything other than an opinion of someone else (except what I'm saying right now XD ).

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ton312 said:

Your first mistake was asking for someone else's opinion I say this b/c it's 100% less valuable than your own. I've always found that if there's even a shadow of a doubt about the fit...it won't magically go away. Additionally, a slew of reassurances and kind words will have no effect on easing that uneasy feeling.

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Superfluous said:

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To add to the conundrum I think your GW looks to be a perfect fit and I would be very tempted indeed if it were my size. And if it were said size I would petition strongly for you to sell it.

Careful whose advice you take

I like this post, you are discussing something in more profound sense.....

since most of your leather jacket are center zip with collar, you can easily compare them and come into decision. to me if you can't sit with the jacket zipped then it is too long or the zip installed too low. as for the proportion itself if the jacket body is the same length or longer than the sleeve then it is too long to be a leather jacket with zipper.

As you’ve said @Superfluous it’s entirely subjective so ultimately it’s up to you.

My attempt at being profound is, you can’t un-sell it. Take your time with this decision. I’m guessing you don’t “need” the few hundred dollars you would get for selling it so why rush it?

Why not jump in the queue for another GW with the idea to spec it slightly shorter and then you’ll have a few years to decide.

It’s a gorgeous jacket and by no way shape or means looks “bad” or “wrong”.

I value all (jacket) opinions, but mostly those from my age or experience level.

I bought a L.W. TEST. Since it will probably my one and only, I hope some of you Guys like it.
But you (guys) don't sleep in my bed or pay my bills. I've learned to walk my own path a long time ago. steve

I feel relatively fortunate that I don't worry about these issues very much at all. After I've worn something for a week, it's permanent. I'll sell things I've bored of, but not because of what people think. If the body of a jacket is an inch too long, a) it's preferable to it being too short (even then, Who Gives a Fiddlestick, honestly?) and b) it seems very much that 'too long' depends on weight at the time, what else you're wearing, etc. I can get neurotic about some things, but jackets are not one of those things. Let's give ourselves a Rock n' Rolla slap when we whittle our confidence down about things we shouldn't waste more than a minute's thought on.

I know how I like my leather jackets. I will never wear my leather jackets how others want to wear theirs, makes no sense.

In general I like my jackets short and snug for certain designs and for others they can be a bit longer. It doesn't mean that you should wear yours shorter if you don't like it or don't feel comfortable in them.

The thing is that some of us prefer and push shorter lenghts (depends on the style obviously) because we do wear proper high rise trousers and certain styles look funny and out of proportion with the extra lenght.

We shouldn't disappear down the subjectivity rabbit hole and say there's no such thing as a bad or good fit. If I (on average a size 40-42) wore a size 50 Highwayman by Aero and asked how it fits - unless you were being excruciatingly polite, you'd have to say - "That looks bloody crazy and is most definitely NOT a good fit."

Fit is really about a range of plausible options within a largely agreed upon framework. There are variations but only small ones.

Superfluous points to the fact that when one starts to look too closely at anything you can lose your way. It's the old analysis paralysis phenomenon. And if we have any self-doubt about our own tastes and abilities we can easily become obsessed. If we want to appear younger or hipper or cool in some way we tend to start making adjustments - in my younger days this dangerous quest for relevance often resulted in middle aged men wearing polyester disco suits, open shirts and gold chains..

Those of us with jacket perfection issues can end up with a kind of jacket dysmorphia (I'm only being partly ironic here) wherein we start to obsess needlessly over half an inch or a colour, or a texture that suddenly seems wildly unsuitable. I've been here too. "God, it's too short/it's too long/it's perfect- does that look perfect?/what if it shrinks?/what if it gets wet?/Is that black too shiny, etc, etc.

In fit generally we tend to follow the role models of other guys in jackets we've seen here and align ourselves with people of similar ages or styles or sizes and formulate our own taste based on this input. I generally find it easier to wear a tweed jacket and not think about jacket styles at all.

It' a matter of perspective..

I haven't always made the wisest decisions.

But I've learned to live with them.

That phrase “a customer who receives stellar customer service will tell five people; the customer who receives awful service will tell 50” or however it goes applies here. You can post jacket fit pics and it only takes one critical comment to set you off into doubt; one negative cancels out much of the praise.

It happens. I know that if you post something and you get like 3 pages of “sleeves too short” comments you will be hard pressed to find anyone who is comfortable enough in their jacket to not mind, but these things get into our soul. My litmus test is to ask myself “do I look like a total doofus in this jacket?” and let that be my guidance in deciding on how to proceed. This forum knows you do not look remotely close to looking silly or ill-fitted in any of your jacket posts. I’d leave it as “sure, maybe not perfection, but still a helluva jacket I own”.

ProteinNerd said:

As you’ve said @Superfluous it’s entirely subjective so ultimately it’s up to you.

My attempt at being profound is, you can’t un-sell it. Take your time with this decision. I’m guessing you don’t “need” the few hundred dollars you would get for selling it so why rush it

Why not jump in the queue for another GW with the idea to spec it slightly shorter and then you’ll have a few years to decide.

It’s a gorgeous jacket and by no way shape or means looks “bad” or “wrong”.

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Both a very serious consideration of subjectivity and personal opinion (contradictory terms?) and, you guys really crack me up!

I think that GW Imperial looks great on you Superfluous, but what do I know. I am trying to talk myself into buying it and wearing it very tight and very short. Yes all the guys on TFL think that that is the way to go.

OK, now seriously, get another one made only really big and long because that is how all the guys on TFL think you should wear them, then sell it to me!



I think that no matter what you decide it will be more than fine. You have impeccable taste in jackets and you look pretty sharp in everything I have seen you wear. You wear your jackets, they don't wear you!

Peace!

When I started out buying vintage repros my tendency was to look to impose my personal subjective opinion onto the maker, and to invariably ask for more length. This could be justified by my height (taller than average) and my perpensity for cladding myself in awful modern low rise trousers, which I now realise are the natural enemy of the golden era jackets that we on here acclaim.

In time I figured out that actually all those great jacket makers of yesteryear did in fact know all about correct lengths, and that it was me who did not. Figuring out that high rise trousers are better all round definitely helped the pieces fall into place for me.

In conclusion those jackets that we all agree are great, are great as they are. The way that they fit, including of course the length, is a big part of their greatness and should not be messed with

nick123 said:

My litmus test is to ask myself “do I look like a total doofus in this jacket?” and let that be my guidance in deciding on how to proceed.

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It's important for every man who cares about clothes to learn how to judge himself, not rely on others. Nearly all of the "rules" about clothes which get bandied around on the men's clothing forums are mostly personal biases pumped up into universal rules, in other words, they're b.s. Most of us can recognize a well-dressed man when we are walking down the street but when we look at ourselves we let our biases and fantasies get in the way. Get a full-length mirror and look at yourself in it while going through your wardrobe and use a clear eye and be tough on yourself. I've learned over time that some things that I really really like just don't work on me.

A lot of the rules for dressing are based on normalising your body's proportions.

For jacket length, the recommendation is to go shorter if you've got a long back and short legs, and longer if your proportions are the other way round.

I've got long legs and a short back, and think that hip length jackets look better on me. It visually stretches my body, and so balances things.

My brother has the opposite proportions, and thus looks better in shorter jackets.