Aero-Fit Help-muscular build

[F3Mag]

I am in the process of ordering my first Aero through Thurston and feel like I am struggling to figure out what pattern alterations need to be made. I want the hooch hauler or bootlegger model and so far have tried on a size 40 and size 42 hooch hauler and ridley.

The 40 (HH) fit pretty slim in the chest and waist, but looked pretty good besides the length. But the spots over my deltoids/front shoulders were insanely tight and I couldn't lift my arms at all. It felt like the armholes were just too small. The back of the jacket was also very tight across my shoulder blades and lats.

the 42 (Ridley) fit better on the front of my shoulders, but it was still tight. Too tight for a sweater under the jacket. with my arms at my side, the shoulders and back felt ok, but I still couldn't lift my arms very much. The problem is that the chest and waist became too big, compared to the 40. The shoulder seams also felt like they were preventing some movement; when I slid the shoulder seam inward, I had more range of motion on my arms/shoulders.

The question is, how do I get more space on the front of my shoulder muscles and back muscles without increasing the chest? Can I increase the armhole on the size 42 while simultaneously decreasing the chest and waist to a size 40 (and without decreasing the back width)? Put another way, can I increase the armhole, decrease the pit-to-pit measurement and maintain the same back width?

 

[El Marro]

Since you are working with Thurston I suggest you flip the script completely and order a Vanson through them. You will be amazed how much better the pattern and fit is on a Vanson You will be able to move comfortably in a jacket that fits you trimly. If you stick with Aero, you will probably end up with a pretty jacket that doesn’t fit well.

 

[F3Mag]

Since you are working with Thurston I suggest you flip the script completely and order a Vanson through them. You will be amazed how much better the pattern and fit is on a Vanson You will be able to move comfortably in a jacket that fits you trimly. If you stick with Aero, you will probably end up with a pretty jacket that doesn’t fit well.

Ha. I’ve already got a black Vanson ordered through Hurston. But Vanson doesn’t offer a brown leather I like in something thick enough to wear as moto slide protection.

 

[CliffBar_no9]

It will be hard to help you without comparing body and jacket measurements. Where do you want ease for movement vs. where you want it to be tighter to the body to "look good". Little more detail on what muscular actually means in the the context of your body also is information to have. A lineman and a boxer are both muscular but built very differently.

The Hooch hauler and Ridley are likely the same "Saville Row" size but tagged differently based on the decade they are based on. I would imagine the chest and shoulder size are in the same ballpark, but the waist and hem are where the pattern changes.

Both jackets look too narrow in the shoulder for you. If I had to guess, trying a size up in both jackets would give you more mobility.

Based on what you've written, I do not think you'll like the look of a properly fitting Hooch Hauler or any other 1930's jacket. Adding 2" to the chest will increase mobility but will create a bit of a baggier look in the chest that will taper strongly to the waist. Granted the HHs back will help decrease this effect some.

The Ridley/Vincent is a 1950's pattern which are boxier in general. The benefit to this pattern is you can add an action back. So you can retain a fitted visual with the added mobility. Having a belt added will help shape the jacket too if you have that trapezoidal shaped torso and upper body.

Carrie can provide expected measurements for a certain jacket when asked. I recommend doing that to see what size/models might fit best.

 

[F3Mag]

It will be hard to help you without comparing body and jacket measurements. Where do you want ease for movement vs. where you want it to be tighter to the body to "look good". Little more detail on what muscular actually means in the the context of your body also is information to have. A lineman and a boxer are both muscular but built very differently.

The Hooch hauler and Ridley are likely the same "Saville Row" size but tagged differently based on the decade they are based on. I would imagine the chest and shoulder size are in the same ballpark, but the waist and hem are where the pattern changes.

Both jackets look too narrow in the shoulder for you. If I had to guess, trying a size up in both jackets would give you more mobility.

Based on what you've written, I do not think you'll like the look of a properly fitting Hooch Hauler or any other 1930's jacket. Adding 2" to the chest will increase mobility but will create a bit of a baggier look in the chest that will taper strongly to the waist. Granted the HHs back will help decrease this effect some.

The Ridley/Vincent is a 1950's pattern which are boxier in general. The benefit to this pattern is you can add an action back. So you can retain a fitted visual with the added mobility. Having a belt added will help shape the jacket too if you have that trapezoidal shaped torso and upper body.

Carrie can provide expected measurements for a certain jacket when asked. I recommend doing that to see what size/models might fit best.

Broad shoulders with a very V shape torso and large arms. About a 9 inch drop from chest to waist and about 15.5 inch biceps. I need more space in the bicep, lats, front delts, and rear delts. But I have plenty of space in the chest already. Trick is gettin more room in the back and deltoid/biceps without increasing size of chets or waist.

 

[TartuWolf]

1 . Aero patterns tend not to be very mobility friendly. I highly suggest getting something with an action back or at least some shoulder gussets.
2 . Look into models with a lot of chest to waist drop. For example something like a hooch hauler or a premier highwayman are not good candidates, but something like a cafe racer or an elvis would probably work much better.
3 . If you're already working with Thurston then I think they should be able to consult you.
4 . Vanson does have some fantastic brown leather options. For example the "roma" leathers.
Or some Octagon (no longer offered I think). And those are options what you can get directly from Vanson. If you go for a Vanso trough Thurston then you have many more options like the Bainbridge stuff. You can also consider going through DudsByDel and get a sweet CXL Vanson as well.
Here's my Octagon Vanson B before alteration (shortening), just to show the leather - plenty thick and would work great in a slide situation.

 

[CliffBar_no9]

Broad shoulders with a very V shape torso and large arms. About a 9 inch drop from chest to waist and about 15.5 inch biceps. I need more space in the bicep, lats, front delts, and rear delts. But I have plenty of space in the chest already. Trick is gettin more room in the back and deltoid/biceps without increasing size of chets or waist.

Understood. What is your actual chest size (measured with a tailors tape with the clothes you plan on wearing) vs. the jacket you are trying on P2P? For non action back jackets you will probably want 5-6” of ease if you are choosing a thicker leather.

What we want to establish is that you are actually wearing the correct size first. Before we speak about patterns and alterations.

For example I am built similarly, but quite a bit smaller. Measured chest equals 37”, my Aero 1930s half belt measures 21” p2p. Mobility is good, I can raise my hands above my head, etc.

 

[MrProper]

Broad shoulders with a very V shape torso and large arms. About a 9 inch drop from chest to waist and about 15.5 inch biceps. I need more space in the bicep, lats, front delts, and rear delts. But I have plenty of space in the chest already. Trick is gettin more room in the back and deltoid/biceps without increasing size of chets or waist.

I also have a 9" drop, and both the Vincent/Ridley and Premier Highwayman fit me perfectly. Small armholes on a well-fitting P2P increase mobility rather than restricting it. At least that's how it is for me.
I found the shoulder gussets on the Aero less helpful than I had expected. I didn't like the look of them either.

 

[3.14nche]

A Bootlegger in the same size will give you more room.
Size 38 Bootlegger vs 40 Hooch Hauler, both stock:

I can easily layer in the Bootlegger despite being a size down, the Hooch Hauler is too tight for that.
Can't find a pic of me wearing the Ridley at the moment but it sits somewhere in between.

Measurements in cm

	Size	P2P	Shoulders	Hem
Bootlegger	38	60	49	50
Hooch Hauler	40	56	48	48
Ridley	40	57	49	49

 

[Carlos840]

Broad shoulders with a very V shape torso and large arms. About a 9 inch drop from chest to waist and about 15.5 inch biceps. I need more space in the bicep, lats, front delts, and rear delts. But I have plenty of space in the chest already. Trick is gettin more room in the back and deltoid/biceps without increasing size of chets or waist.

IMO Aero are not great patterns for V shape people.
I have 42" chest and 33" waist and anything that fits me in the shoudlers will be a bag in the waste.
The grizzly has a big drop, but it's not what you are after.

I would also hit Vanson, they can get you a well fitting jacket.

 

[MrProper]

I'll put my Vincent/Ridley with the other pictures. It's a size 44 with an extended body, longer sleeves, and the maximum taper that Aero could make.

 

[F3Mag]

I'll put my Vincent/Ridley with the other pictures. It's a size 44 with an extended body, longer sleeves, and the maximum taper that Aero could make.
View attachment 741908
View attachment 741909

that looks like a great fit. How’s your arm movement? How far can you reach in front of you (e.g. moto handlebars)? Did you make any adjustments to the chest? Or just the waist?

 

[MrProper]

that looks like a great fit. How’s your arm movement? How far can you reach in front of you (e.g. moto handlebars)? Did you make any adjustments to the chest? Or just the waist?

I can move around well in it.
When riding a motorcycle, the jacket might lift up a little. It probably depends on how far forward you have to lean.
To reduce movement of the jacket, it would need to fit a little better.
But I would also say that this jacket is not a motorcycle jacket, even if it looks like one. As others have commented, a Vanson is definitely the better choice when it comes to riding a motorcycle. I only wear it in everyday life and it's great for me. You can also ride a bike in it
Here's a video about the jacket's mobility.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDAFY2moviu/

Here are the details I gave when ordering:
Slim Fit Motorcycle Jacket // Size 44" // Blackened Brown Vicenza // Brass Hardwear // Blackened Studs // Olive Contrast Stitch // J106 style pocket set up // Pocket zips to open upwards // No belt or loops // No side adjusters // Curved rear kidney panel // No shoulder gussets // No epaulets // Sleeves 28-28.5" // Back 26.75-27" // Shoulders Widened to 19.75" // Ideal Pit to Pit 23.5" // Olive Cotton Drill Lining // hip and natural waist are ideally 19.5" and the jacket will tapered in to that measurements.

 

[F3Mag]

I can move around well in it.
When riding a motorcycle, the jacket might lift up a little. It probably depends on how far forward you have to lean.
To reduce movement of the jacket, it would need to fit a little better.
But I would also say that this jacket is not a motorcycle jacket, even if it looks like one. As others have commented, a Vanson is definitely the better choice when it comes to riding a motorcycle. I only wear it in everyday life and it's great for me. You can also ride a bike in it
Here's a video about the jacket's mobility.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDAFY2moviu/

Here are the details I gave when ordering:
Slim Fit Motorcycle Jacket // Size 44" // Blackened Brown Vicenza // Brass Hardwear // Blackened Studs // Olive Contrast Stitch // J106 style pocket set up // Pocket zips to open upwards // No belt or loops // No side adjusters // Curved rear kidney panel // No shoulder gussets // No epaulets // Sleeves 28-28.5" // Back 26.75-27" // Shoulders Widened to 19.75" // Ideal Pit to Pit 23.5" // Olive Cotton Drill Lining // hip and natural waist are ideally 19.5" and the jacket will tapered in to that measurements.

Wow that's WAY more movement than I have. I can only raise my arms about 60 to 70 degrees in front of me.

Interesting that your back is 3 inches wider than your pit to pit. on my test jacket, the back is only an inch wider than the pit to pit. I think that's one of the main issues for me.

Here are more pics. The chest has extra fabric that I've circled. I also have tightness right at the bicep/shoulder (circled) and across the back by the yoke.

 

[MrProper]

Interesting that your back is 3 inches wider than your pit to pit.

I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding. Back refers to the length of the back, not the width.
If it cuts into the front of the arm, then either there is not enough room at the back or the sleeves are too tight and cannot slide up.