Determining the hem size or "drop" on vintage leather jackets?

[OldManFung]

One thing I found odd when ordering leather jackets online is that most places don't supply the bottom or "hem" size.

For example, I just purchased 1950's Windward jacket based on the P2P size of 21". My chest is 20" so I thought it would be fine.

However, upon receiving it, the bottom of hem size was only 18"! That's a drop of 3"!

I have a number of modern reproductions and the most drop I ever saw was 1.5".

As a lesson learned in regards to purchasing vintage leather motorcycle jackets, should I assume a 3" drop? Was that the "normal" measurement when they created jackets back then?

 

[jchance]

I don’t think 3” is a high number when it comes to pit-to-waist drop. My Kit Karson from 1940s comes with an attached belt, no side adjuster, has a 4-4.5” drop from 20.5” chest to 16-16.5” waist. (My jeans waist measurement is literally at 16”!) My other CHP jackets from the same era come with side adjusters, so waist measurements are less of an issue. The waist measurement doesn’t matter to me because I mostly wear my jackets unzipped. If it matters to you, before you buy online, you can ask for photo of waist measurement of the jacket zipped up.

 

[Bfd70]

Varies greatly in vintage and modern jackets.
Definitely a number you should ask for. Also, drop with leather jackets often refers to how much longer the front is than the rear.

 

[OldManFung]

If it matters to you, before you buy online, you can ask for photo of waist measurement when the jacket is zipped up.

Yeah, that's probably what I'm going to be doing moving forward. I got too excited when I saw the jacket that I didn't do my due diligence .

 

[jchance]

Are you good with needle and thread? I was able to add another 1-1.5” to the waist and 0.5” to the pit-to-pit by moving the dotted stitching line (shown by arrows pointing to it) as far as possible from the underneath leather panel with the folded wool lining. I had to undo that stitching line (with the pointing arrows) to replace the main zipper and realized that I could add more room to the waist (and pit+shoulder if you undo+move the entire stitching all the way to the neck).

What it does is moving the dotted stitching line (with pointing arrows) more left by utilizing the extra leather from the underneath leather panel (with the folded wool lining). That gives the jacket more room in the waist when zipped up.

 

[Edward]

No standard I'm aware of. I once bought a crosszip that fitted me over the shoulders, but had a drop chest to waist of nearly ten inches, something I've not had in thirty years. I would always ask for that measurement, to be sure - whether buying new or used.