Aero Board Racer - fit advice needed!

BassandB3 said:

I’m at my lowest weight in several years and concerned that I may not be able to hold it once restaurants are open again... also keep in mind I’m approaching 50 and am no waif haha.

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I hear you, I am in the same boat. I've kept the weight off for almost a year and am gonna get a new jacket. Always have the fear of regaining the extra pounds. Hopefully a bad ass leather jacket like you are about to get will keep you motivated. I am not sure what a waif is. lol.

BassandB3 said:

Maybe bc it’s tightest around my chest and shoulders? Do you think a 44 on top tapering to 42 below (Carrie said they can do this) would fix it? What about shoulder gussets?

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Shoulder gussets will only complicate the back shoulder area and ruin the clean lines IMO. You might ask for a cafe racer as a try-on jacket as well just to see other cuts.

The fit of the board racer is as a shirt fits, high arm holes, slim fit everywhere. That is part of the appeal in looks, but not everyone enjoys how that fit feels in a leather jacket, especially when they choose a leather that needs break in... It would be normal to only feel comfortable in a T-Shirt with a board racer due to the high arm holes.

I find if I need to be warmer in my BR, I wear a nice sweater vest or a packable down vest underneath. Does not get in the way of the arms and keeps my core warm.

If you want it to fit like a jacket, I suggest a cafe racer. There are CR cuts that can be made to look like a board racer. On a side note, the Aero BR seems to be a straight design from shoulders to waist, with very little taper. The Aero CR designs tend to taper a considerable amount from shoulder to waist. Be aware of the difference in fit and your bodyshape and this will help.

BTW, the fit look great, except those creases in the shoulders. My experience in jacket fitting tells me those creases mean that you need wider shoulders on the jacket. Your arm pit is fighting the width of the shoulder and pulling making those creases, at least in my experience. You probably only need a small increase in your shoulder measurement.

P.S. Keep the main zipper design the way it is. The BR is long and covers the belt. This zipper placement is critical to allow you to sit down comfortably and not have the jacket push up into your chin. The leather below the zipper just folds and parts to the side when you sit.

If you move that zipper down to the hem as you want, you force the jacket to push up when you sit. The zipper is this way for comfort and style.

Of course, this is when the jacket is zipped closed.

P.P.S. The cut of the Ridley and the BR should be similar as they are similar designs with high arm holes and very little taper between shoulders and hem, unless your Ridley was custom modified. The Ridley and BR sizes are different though, just the designs are similar so they are good comparisons of fit.

Thanks! Super helpful. My Ridley is a 42, pretty much stock in terms of sizing—would that be most equivalent to A 44 BR?

How does one just increase shoulder width without changing the entire size of the jacket in terms of chest/back? The creasing is mostly in the photos where I’m wearing a t shirt, button down and thin sweater underneath and then raising my hand to take the cell phone pic.

Here’s my Ridley 42

Another angle of ridley42 and highwayman38 for comparison

Seb Lucas said:

Photos are often a poor indication of fit. I really liked this one. An Iron Heart cafe racer in French goat. Bloody lovely jacket. I was unabel to breathe in it. It had to go. Damn.

View attachment 260647

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I agree it looks like a great fit but if the jacket isn't comfortable to wear, it won't be worn. Damn shame as it's a great looking jacket. I think I've said before, a jacket slightly too small will make you frown but one slightly too big will still bring a smile on your face.

BassandB3 said:

Thanks! Super helpful. My Ridley is a 42, pretty much stock in terms of sizing—would that be most equivalent to A 44 BR?

How does one just increase shoulder width without changing the entire size of the jacket in terms of chest/back? The creasing is mostly in the photos where I’m wearing a t shirt, button down and thin sweater underneath and then raising my hand to take the cell phone pic.

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That is a lot of layers for a BR. The design does not allow for that many layers honestly. Try it with with the T shirt and button down shirt. Use a vest if you need that extra layer. Those high arm holes only have so much room.

I know it is said don't dress for the jacket, but the opposite can be said, it really depends on your perspective. If you must layer, I don't think a jacket with high arm holes is a good fit choice.

Changing measurements changes taper. I can't say what you can and can't change with Aero custom fitting, but if you are dealing with Thurston, they know what they are doing, the fit jacket goes a long way.

As far as Ridley and BR fit, My Ridley is a 40, my BR is a 42.

BassandB3 said:

Maybe bc it’s tightest around my chest and shoulders? Do you think a 44 on top tapering to 42 below (Carrie said they can do this) would fix it? What about shoulder gussets?

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just me guessing, if your shoulder is more droopy than the jacket shoulder then you get that creases from the back of your neck toward the armpit same effect if your neck is too big for the jacket's neck hole, contrary if the your shoulder is too flat for the jacket's shoulder then you get inverted creases from the center of your chest diagonally up to the top of your sleeve post.