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My New AERO 1930s Halfbelt (goat)..now w/ PICTURES!

holdencain

One of the Regulars
Messages
113
Location
Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA
Dear Friends,

My first AERO (1930s Halfbelt) arrived just after Christmas:

Order placed Oct 18th 2010
Shipped Dec 22nd 2010

This jacket is a "JanSolo redux". I chose to go with most of his specifications from his recent jacket.

- Size 42 1930s Halfbelt in seal goatskin.
- 26 inch sleeves
- 27 inch body length. front and back the same length.
- Double leather (leather lined) button cuffs
- All pockets lined with heavy brown corduroy
- Left breast pocket with nickel ball and chain zip
-G1/ M422a style inside pockets in the facing with stud closures.
-Jacket lined with olive Gabardine (B10 cloth).
-“Hangar and two Airmen” label
- 2 inch leather facing on the inside bottom hem.
-Nickel AERO zip and nickel side buckles.
- jacket top stitched with olive drab thread for all seams
-Jacket made by Vicki

The final cost was 580 GBP (550 plus 30 shipping). Plus I was hit w/ another $30 US at my doorstep by the UPS guy!

I have been wearing the jacket almost daily over the last few weeks. It is quite warm. The temps here have gone down into the 20's F and I have been comfortable w/ a light sweater.
Initially the Goat leather was quite stiff, but after only 2 wks you can see that it is conforming nicely to arms. I added 1inch to arms and 2inch to body as JanSolo advised. I think this was a great idea.

The size is a 42. I am 6'1 and 190#. I wear a 43 suit jacket and was a little worried this would be too *slim fit* for me. Thus, I asked Amanda/Vickie to "take tighter turns" in the body to perhaps make it more like a 43. I do not know how much difference this had made, but the jacket certainly is not too tight. I wonder if a 42 would have been? Another forum member had a 42 and was a little lighter than me but said it was a "tight fit", so that is why I made the request.

The only thing I *might* have done differently would be to line the interior pockets w/ a lighter cloth than the corduroy. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the corduroy in the handwarmer pockets! But having internal G1/gun pockets on both sides *plus* handwarmer pockets all lined in corduroy, I can feel a good bit of bulk between the leather and the liner in the front chest/midsection. That said, I think it actually adds INSULATION in that area, and maybe that is why it seems nicely warm??

Here are some pictures:

IMG_3767.jpg

IMG_3771.jpg

IMG_3776.jpg

IMG_3774.jpg

IMG_3773.jpg


Thanks for looking,
HC
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,736
Location
London, UK
Of all Aero's civilian designs, I think the Thirties halfbelt is one of the sharpest. I have one in brown FQHH. I'd love a black one; if they do goat in black, it'll be that.
 

holdencain

One of the Regulars
Messages
113
Location
Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA
Very nice jacket!
Interesting that the goat is so warm in cold temperatures. My G-1 is cold this time of year.
How easy is it to slip the jacket on and off with the gabardine sleeves?

Super easy to slip on/off w/ the gabardine. Again, this is a JanSolo tip. I can't say enough good things about him. He was so helpful during the process of ordering this jacket. And I was equally as annoying I am sure!! I am a bit OCD about things, and he has handled me gracefully!
HC
 

Philalethes

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Southern New Jersey, on a Farm
Super easy to slip on/off w/ the gabardine.
Thanks! I think I may get the same in my sleeves.

Again, this is a JanSolo tip. I can't say enough good things about him. He was so helpful during the process of ordering this jacket.
That is great. He certainly had many good ideas.

And I was equally as annoying I am sure!! I am a bit OCD about things, and he has handled me gracefully!
HC

Ha ha! I am the same way: I knew I had a problem when my wife asked me to not talk about a jacket for one day - and I couldn't do it!
 

holdencain

One of the Regulars
Messages
113
Location
Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA
Just wanted to clarify that the entire jacket is lined w/ the Gabardine, not just sleeves.

I have had a couple questions about "what would you do differently if you ordered again..". Truly, Jan has this down to a science so all his ideas were spot on. The only thing I think I would do differently is line the interior pockets w/ a lighter weight fabric, like moleskin (i assume that is lighter/thinner than corduroy?...). It just seems like the corduroy adds a good bit of bulk in there! But maybe that is how it should be? Does anyone else have handwarmer and interior pockets lined w/ corduroy that can comment. But other than *maybe* that issue, the rest is perfect.
I would add the length to the arms and body. I may have been able to go a 1/2 inch shorter on body....but with the goat taking on some nice wrinkling maybe not.
HC
HC
 

Windward

Practically Family
Messages
556
Location
Europe
Great jacket - like the pebble grain of goat and the colour - looking also forward to see how the jacket fits you. Thanks for sharing!
 

GriffDeLaGriff

One Too Many
Messages
1,203
Location
Sweden
Great jacket.

If its possible i would love to see fit pics from behind.
I think I have only seen 1 picture ever of a halfbelt from the back.
 

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