A Greeting and a Question

[Anduril]

Howdy, everyone!

I’m brand new here, though I’ve been a lurker for quite a while.

I finally bought my first “nice” leather jacket off eBay - a practically new Aero Sheene in natural CXL horsehide. I’ve owned a lot of cheaper leather jackets over the years (Wilson’s Leather, Wested, US Wings), but none of them truly scratched the itch for me, so I decided I’d spend a little more money to get what I really wanted.

What do y’all think of the fit? The chest, shoulders and sleeves fit me like I want, but I don’t know about the length and the hem circumference. I’m 6’-3ish” and 195-200 with a 40” chest. The jacket is a size 40, and it’s pretty snug when I zip it up, though I plan to wear it unzipped with a button-down 99% of the time.

I’m on the fence about whether I should keep it and break it in (holy ****, it’s so stiff) or try to sell/trade it here once I’m more established. I really want to have a jacket that I can wear for decades!

 

[Zoro]

There's the fit thread for these questions - https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/fit-check-thread-for-jackets.114927/ - but as long as that's comfortable, I do not think you can ask for a better fit than this. As you say it is quite snug while zipped, does that bother you? If so, you might need to size up... Or you may need to size up if you go up in weight in the future.

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

Welcome to TFL. Fit wise, it looks as good as it can get.

However, you mentioned CXL HH which can be stiff, especially during colder weather when you're very likely to zip up.
If it feels snug and not that comfortable - it's likely not going to get much better with wear. So keep that in mind when you decide if it's worth keeping or not.

 

[Guppy]

Treat it with pecards and it'll soften up the leather considerably. Reassess fit and comfort then. It looks good.

 

[Anduril]

Thanks for the feedback, guys! It’s not uncomfortable, per se, but the stiffness of the leather makes it hard to bend, so it kind of feels like I’m wearing a giant toilet paper tube. I have some Pecard’s, so I may give that a shot! I wish I could exchange it for a 42, but it may not make a huge difference

 

[Bfd70]

Looks too slim for comfort in the waist.

 

[cbez]

Fit looks excellent. Time and body heat will help with the stiffness.

 

[AeroFan_07]

The body heat part is important with anything CXL (Steer or Horse).

That's about the best Aero Sheene fit I have seen, not bad at all for a first go-around as well. Just work with it, break it in slowly, wear it a lot, and I think you will really enjoy it as it develops. Welcome to FL too!

 

[Soulmaker1]

I wish mine fit as well as yours. I tend to like the slim fits.

 

[Bennarion]

Looks great. Increasing the size of this jacket will not improve the fit.

If you decide to get rid of your jacket, experiment with other brands.

 

[Anduril]

The body heat part is important with anything CXL (Steer or Horse).

That's about the best Aero Sheene fit I have seen, not bad at all for a first go-around as well. Just work with it, break it in slowly, wear it a lot, and I think you will really enjoy it as it develops. Welcome to FL too!

Thank you! That’s high praise! I think I’m set on keeping it and wearing the heck out of it now

 

[Tom71]

It looks great.

Which may mean, it’s a bit on the slim side. Only you can know. If you like how it feels, you got yourself an absolute stunner here!

 

[Anduril]

It looks great.

Which may mean, it’s a bit on the slim side. Only you can know. If you like how it feels, you got yourself an absolute stunner here!

Thanks, Tom! I guess it makes for good motivation to lose 10 or 15 lbs.

 

[whitetail_country]

Looks good. Just keep in mind that a jacket should not be so constricting that you can't move. Sometimes this means that there will a little give.

 

[Sockeye]

Thanks for the feedback, guys! It’s not uncomfortable, per se, but the stiffness of the leather makes it hard to bend, so it kind of feels like I’m wearing a giant toilet paper tube. I have some Pecard’s, so I may give that a shot! I wish I could exchange it for a 42, but it may not make a huge difference

The first time I tried on a brand new fqhh jacket zipped up, it nearly popped my head off when I sat down. It will loosen but will take wear. The shoulders are spot on, arguably the most important thing. I wouldn’t size down if I were you. If you need more room trying a different style. And down the rabbit hole you go….

 

[Anduril]

The first time I tried on a brand new fqhh jacket zipped up, it nearly popped my head off when I sat down. It will loosen but will take wear. The shoulders are spot on, arguably the most important thing. I wouldn’t size down if I were you. If you need more room trying a different style. And down the rabbit hole you go….

Yeah, a month or so of consistent wear has made a world of a difference! It still feels like I’m wearing armor, but it’s a lot more supple and doesn’t restrict too much. I’m making it my mission to wear it as much as possible to see just how much it will conform to me

 

[Peacoat]

Yeah, a month or so of consistent wear has made a world of a difference! It still feels like I’m wearing armor, but it’s a lot more supple and doesn’t restrict too much. I’m making it my mission to wear it as much as possible to see just how much it will conform to me

Please report back when the jacket is fully broken in. I'm interested in seeing how comfortable it is.

 

[Anduril]

Please report back when the jacket is fully broken in. I'm interested in seeing how comfortable it is.

Will do! Here’s a current photo to show the progress. I’ve been keeping it on for the better part of the workday for the past 2 weeks, and I can see the drape and general fit improving each day!

 

[MSG13]

Will do! Here’s a current photo to show the progress. I’ve been keeping it on for the better part of the workday for the past 2 weeks, and I can see the drape and general fit improving each day!

Looking good! Any update photos?