Aero Bronco A2 in Goatskin - Keeper or Catch'n'Release'Er?

Hello ladies and gents!

I have been a long-time user of this forum, lurking creepily in the shadows...
(See? What a creep.)

...and soaking up everyone's knowledge, advice, style pointers - all of it - but I have yet to make even the tiniest contribution to the great body of Jacketology here at the lounge, and it's time for me to try to fix that. So without further ado please allow me to introduce you to one of my prides and joys...my recently unmothballed custom goatskin Bronco A2 by Aero!

(cue "Fanfare For the Common Man" by Aaron Copland)


Sorry for the bad photography. Rest assured it only gets worse!

What you see so poorly represented in the above snapshots is an Aero Bronco A2 (size 44, seal goatskin, OD stitching and liner, with dark berry knits) that I got about 4 years ago through the venerable folks at Thurston Bros in Seattle. Enough great things can never be said about Carrie and Wade at Thurston, try as we all may. The process getting this one sized up and ordered back in 2014 was no exception to their high standard of excellence, and the jacket - hand made by our beloved world class Aero Leathers of Scotland was - and still is - far more captivating in its beauty and attention to detail than any amateur with a smartphone camera could ever reproduce.

Well fast forward a couple months past the autumn of '14. The aforementioned creepy amateur puts on a few pounds in his 40-something stupor. He's also managing a restaurant. There's a lot of effluent junk wafting off the deep fryers, and everything in the kitchen gets coated in a funk so foul that you can hear it...so he leaves his gorgeous jacket safely closeted at home, along with his pre-40-something hopes and dreams. For four long years.

Then, fairly recently, he leaves the restaurant life for better pastures. He gets his ass in gear and gets back to the gym too. Jacket bug hits him and it seems he's got back to his old A2 trim. So here's the dilemma, presented for you in an interpretive dance in front of the jeep's dashcam...




Notice in the next two pics how the big old dufus is constantly performing the "Picard Maneuver" due to the jacket always feeling too short in the front:






So it goes.

I now humbly ask this august body of Jacketologists...shall I embrace my rediscovered passion, hoping to rekindle lost love, even while tugging ungracefully at the front of it? Or should I let bygones pass, whereby some other lucky fella can have a crack at 'er? (assuming he's under 6'2" and in the market) I'm already sized up for a new A2, after all.

I also just got me an amazing steerhide Highwayman that Carrie had up on her site that threatened to beat me up unless I bought it (the jacket, not Carrie), so I bought it. Will have to show off that one if this first post goes well.

Many thanks for your responses,
Your newest, bestest buddy, and big toe,
Saculer

Welcome to the Lounge!

In my opinion, the backlength is perfect, however I feel it is 1-2" too short in the front. It's an issue with most Aero patterns, they are not cut in a way to fit identically long in front and back. My HWM has the same backlength as my Vanson, yet it rises up much further in the front as opposed to the Vanson that looks same length front and back in a side-shot.

Imho, Return. If it bugs you now, that feeling will only get worse, not better.

If it's bugging you, which it seems to be as you're asking about it, then I think you already know the answer. Move it on I say.

Got a big smile out of your writing newest bestest buddy! But I agree with other guys. It's a great-looking jacket and doesn't look too bad from the back but it looks too short in the front and side photos. Set it free.

Your call; I like the length, personally - it looks right to me.

My A-2 is probably as short as that. It doesn’t bother me and I think yours looks great. But it clearly bothers you, so yeah - move it on I guess.

Looks good to me! ( don’t make the mistake of questing for perfection....it’s s waste of time and money ) the jacket you have is just fine

Looks great to me too, i would not want to add any length in sleeves or body.

Great intro. Great jacket. I think it’s a keeper.

breezer said:

Looks good to me! ( don’t make the mistake of questing for perfection....it’s s waste of time and money ) the jacket you have is just fine

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It's true...I constantly catch myself getting caught up in a grail quest, obsessing over little things that don't matter nearly as much as my ninny-brain is telling me they do...when will I learn?

Benny Holiday said:

Got a big smile out of your writing newest bestest buddy! But I agree with other guys. It's a great-looking jacket and doesn't look too bad from the back but it looks too short in the front and side photos. Set it free.

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Thanks Benny.

jacketjunkie said:

Welcome to the Lounge!

In my opinion, the backlength is perfect, however I feel it is 1-2" too short in the front. It's an issue with most Aero patterns, they are not cut in a way to fit identically long in front and back. My HWM has the same backlength as my Vanson, yet it rises up much further in the front as opposed to the Vanson that looks same length front and back in a side-shot.

Imho, Return. If it bugs you now, that feeling will only get worse, not better.

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Now that you point this out, I must say that BOTH of my Aero jackets are strangely longer in back than in front. Hmmm.

It looks fine, but if it feels "off" then let it go.
Sometimes (actually often) I look at a picture of me in a jacket that feels wrong, and I think "this is fine" but I never grab it on a regular basis, or I feel weird or self-conscious wearing it...no joy in that! Let someone else enjoy it, and wear your others.

saculer said:

Now that you point this out, I must say that BOTH of my Aero jackets are strangely longer in back than in front. Hmmm.

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An A2 is cut the same length all around. Thing is, the male body isn't the same shape all around - it tends to stick out at the front (no matter how athletic it is) and this pulls the hem slightly higher. This is why some of the earlier designs, like the 30s HB, have a longer front, so that when worn, it will sit the same length all around. TBh, though, I can't say I've ever found it an issue with any of my jackets, whether v'ed or straight cut all around. There is such a thing as overthinking it.

I think it fits very well, and looks GOOD! The A-2 was not designed as a long jacket, and when cut too long they just don't look right. Your jacket looks fine... keep it!

Liking it & the length..an A-2 for me should be worn quite short..none of that 'down to the ass nonsense'...

It could be more to do with the way the knits sit at the front rather than the length. I'd prefer to see them a bit tighter, rather than sit slightly loose of the waist.

To me this is a total coin toss. I certainly don't think it looks too short. As others have said, the key is how you feel in it. Go with that and that alone. Praise or comments to the contrary won't help that jacket get any additional wear if you aren't all in.

My rule is for minimum acceptable length, a jacket should cover the belt buckle on the trousers that you wear frequently. The one thing about the Bronco, though, is that it is generally considered one of the longer bodied A-2 contracts. Certainly, the originals that I've seen were.

Sloan1874 said:

It could be more to do with the way the knits sit at the front rather than the length. I'd prefer to see them a bit tighter, rather than sit slightly loose of the waist.

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I notice this now too. The jacket is cut pretty square. A little more taper would help me, I think.