Leather Jacket "fits like" explanation

When shopping I'm seeing new jackets that say ones size, but "fit" like another? Just wondering how this works. When I googled it, was told it's about leather stretching over time. Bit these are new jackets. Just curious! Thanks

Tag sizes may or may not reflect the sizing based on actual measurements.

So for e.g. when people say tagged 40 but fits like 42 - they're saying this brand tagged their jacket with a label that says size 40, but based on primarily the p2p measurement fits more like a 42.

I sort of get it. My Hooch Hauler is tagged a 48 but the p2p is very close to 24.5" so it fits like a 44?

Yup I think for a jacket like the Hooch Hauler that runs slim, that's the idea.

Jedi0077 said:

I sort of get it. My Hooch Hauler is tagged a 48 but the p2p is very close to 24.5" so it fits like a 44?

Click to expand...

I think you get it perfectly based on your example.
Thurston Brothers does this on almost all of their Aero listings because they are believers in a slim trim fit. Aero, the company that actually makes the jackets, would say that they are tag sized correctly based on the style and the time period fit they are going for.

AFAIK, the traditional understanding of "size 42" would be that it "fit a person with a chest of 42"".

Now, that cannot mean that the jacket has a chest of 42" as this would be a second skin. Most western makers therefore produce a jacket with a chest of 42" PLUS the additional space deamed appropriate to fit comfortably (for a contemporary look that would be 45"-46").

Things get complicated when you go to manufacturers like Aero who calculate the allowance according to the fit preferences of the period their models take their inspiration from (i.e. a size 42 from a jacket inspired by a 1950´s cut will easily have an allowance of 2" more than a model from a 1930´s model).

Modern makers have deviated from the concept of "actual chest plus allowance" but not consistently. For many Japanese makers a "size 44" translates into, "will fit an average person with a 42" chest".

Complicated enough?

Sometimes a jacket is the actual chest measurement. For example a Levis trucker jacket in a size 36 measures 18 across. Same thing with a Brooks cafe racer. So someone would describe a size 40 fitting like a 36, giving you a bit of space between the body and the jacket. A Filson jacket in a 40 may give you 10 extra inchess of room, so it may say fits like a size 46. you never know so always get a P2P measurement before buying any jacket.