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New Aero Premier Highwayman FQHH

mrfoxhunter

Familiar Face
Messages
53
Location
Los Angeles
Hi Fedora Lounge,

I registered on the forum back in 2013, January 2013 to be exact. How time flies. This is my first post here but hardly my first time on the forums. As they say "first time poster, long time lurker". That does sound creepy to me.

Around 2006 I started getting into leather and jumped straight into full custom from a well known at the time but since closed rock n' roll tailor in Los Angeles. First was a deerskin racing shirt (minimalist cafe racer), then a full python version. Let me say, breaking that one in gave me an unsightly elbow crease rash for a couple months. Stubborn scales!

After a good run with those pieces I shifted gears to fashion brands (Dior Homme, YSL) but those never really fit right, and in spite of buttery hides and clean stitching, I knew I was mainly paying for the name. They also wore out faster than expected; a disproportionate cost to lifespan.

For the past 7 or 8 years I gave the leather a rest for the most part. Then something hit me over the pandemic lockdown... I remembered I love leather jackets! I particularly liked the Lewis Leathers offerings (a neighbor wore one for riding) .... the seed was planted but getting a new leather, much less something made for me in the UK was on the back burner.

Fast forward to this past February of 2022. A little further research and a couple keystrokes later I found myself here at the Fedora Lounge reading about Aero, a brand that sounded vaguely familiar (maybe?).

Moments later I had ordered a Cafe Race from Thurston Bros. in Black FQHH as I'd never had a horsehide jacket and the masochist in me looked forward to what I understood to be brutal but rewarding break in period.

I went through the handwringing and wobbly decision making process many of you have posted about here. Like countless of you have stated in posts just like this, Carrie is a blessing with truly endless patience.

A Cafe Racer fit jacket in 38 arrived shortly after placing my order and that didn't work for me. I decided to go for a Highwayman style and settled on a Premier version to keep a lean silhouette. A 42 fit jacket was sent and that didn't really work either. The process was tiring and I was ready to just submit and hail Mary w the 42. Carrie chimed in with reason and suggested a 40 with a 1" taper would be a great fit and the right way to go.

A few months later here we are and the jacket has arrived. With tempered expectations, I hoped for a B+ at best on the fit. I figured I could live with that and was convincing myself maybe it would break in and fit a little better. Worst case scenario... you know the drill: off to the sales listings it would go.

In reality this is a solid A or A+. I couldn't ask for more. To me the hide has so much character. It's a bad ass piece of horse. I don't have any knowledge of the batches of hides as some of you do, but this was just made this past May of 2022. Carrie at Thurston has confirmed this is a mid-weight hide. The jacket feels 75% broken in already and dons/doffs with ease. It also doesn't "stand up" on its own. It seems much more pliable than many new FQHH's posted here. I've been told this is most likely from the current warm weather. But I do think it's a more broken in feeling hide than the fit jackets regardless.

All I can say is I'm very pleased with the finished product and give credit to both guidance of Carrie at Thurston and to Julie Leitch for crafting this piece in Galashiels!

Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, without the knowledge readily found here on The Fedora Lounge I'd probably not have a beautiful Aero, or anything at all. The fit pics, specs, options, opinions, and accounts of trial and error posted here made the process possible. Thank you for that and I look forward to sticking around ... maybe more posting and less "lurking" - still sounds creepy!

My specs:

Premier Highwayman in black CXL FQHH with matching black stitching
Size 40 with 1" taper
Cafe Racer zip sleeves
All nickel hardware
Large ball chain on chest pocket
Ring cinches
Standard Highwayman yoke
Black cotton drill body lining with black sateen in sleeves
Old 80's style Aero label
No inside pockets

Specific measurements from Thurston Bros. order form:

SIZE- 40 with .5” removed from each side (this should reduce waist/bottom hem by 1 inch total)
SLEEVE LENGTH- 25.25 inches (fit jacket is 25.75 inches)
BODY LENGTH- 24.75 inches (fit jacket is 25.5 inches)


Additional info: My actual size in general is 40 and the Premier fits great. No sizing up needed for me.

My measurements:
5'8
160-165 lbs
40 inch chest
Body length (top of collar to bottom of belt line)-20.5”
Size 29 jeans (501's)

I'll get someone to snap some fit pics soon but until then here's the jacket by itself. And one pic with some Scottish friends. I'm a whisky guy and those are a few fresh bottles of my favorites. Can't wait to enjoy with new Aero!

C565C2E3-4825-4E4D-92D0-A1468D2E151A_1_105_c.jpeg E35B39B4-6B9D-4741-AD2E-950E3354A060_1_105_c.jpeg 891ABF95-DB6B-4EED-8BDD-200A01E95123_1_105_c.jpeg C6133A80-F511-4420-89FB-91C9884E9F2C_1_105_c.jpeg 5036CA41-EEE5-4AB8-B309-E02BF065A730_1_105_c.jpeg 8584AE25-0EA7-4C54-89C2-63027B2E842F_1_105_c.jpeg 851C1660-4449-49C3-B065-F3F63486064D_1_105_c.jpeg E86D0B95-4530-45BB-90AC-A76E6F4A8929_1_105_c.jpeg
 
Last edited:

mrfoxhunter

Familiar Face
Messages
53
Location
Los Angeles
Thank you! That Laphroaig CS batch 13 is pretty great! Have one open now and savoring it. A little more mellowed out and mature than the previous batches. There's a #14 out now for '22 I'd like to try at some point as well. Thank you for the kind comment!
 

mrfoxhunter

Familiar Face
Messages
53
Location
Los Angeles
Very nice! Love that new CXL shine.

About the python jacket: How did the scale hold up in wears?
Thank you! The CXL shine is beautiful.

For the python: Scales held up 100%. Nothing peeled off. Over time the scales ended up becoming more individually articulated. When it was new, it was like plate armor with broad patches of scales kind of clumped and moving as a unit. Once fully broken in (about 1.5 year of heavy use I'd say), it was like chainmail. Each scale had independent movement and became buttery soft.

Interestingly enough, when new and stiff the hide was a matte black, almost like rubber tires. After it was broken in it took on a slick sheen like a live snake (but not quite as shiny as the new CXL).

I wore that jacket mercilessly. There are a couple other guys in town that have been wearing the same python jackets for 20 years and they still look good though the black has faded a little.. The lining did give out though wear and tear and I outgrew the jacket so no longer wear it.

Another tidbit: So when the lining started to give out, I got to take a peak at the construction of the jacket. There was some sort of silk like backing adhered to the underside of python skin to give it support. Not sure if that's standard practice but I'd imagine it is for durability's sake. And it worked.
 
Last edited:

born113

One of the Regulars
Messages
270
My specs:

Premier Highwayman in black CXL FQHH with matching black stitching
Size 40 with 1" taper
Cafe Racer zip sleeves
All nickel hardware
Large ball chain on chest pocket
Ring cinches
Standard Highwayman yoke
Black cotton drill body lining with black sateen in sleeves
Old 80's style Aero label
No inside pockets

Specific measurements from Thurston Bros. order form:

SIZE- 40 with .5” removed from each side (this should reduce waist/bottom hem by 1 inch total)
SLEEVE LENGTH- 25.25 inches (fit jacket is 25.75 inches)
BODY LENGTH- 24.75 inches (fit jacket is 25.5 inches)


Additional info: My actual size in general is 40 and the Premier fits great. No sizing up needed for me.
Valuable information is your body measurements. Please write if possible.
The final jacket looks very attractive. Congratulations.
 

mrfoxhunter

Familiar Face
Messages
53
Location
Los Angeles
Valuable information is your body measurements. Please write if possible.
The final jacket looks very attractive. Congratulations.
Hi sure here are my measurements. I will edit the original post to include this as well. When I get a chance I can try to take exact measurements of the actual jacket too.

5'8
160-165 lbs
40 inch chest
Body length (top of collar to bottom of belt line)-20.5”
Size 29 jeans (501's)
 
Messages
16,402
Lol Scrolled down to the pics prior to reading the post & thought the bottles were some fancy leather conditioners at the first glance.

The jacket is very nice.
 

Dbrn

One of the Regulars
Messages
151
If you can get your hands on it, you should try the Peat Monster Arcana. It was a limited run last year, but it's a real masterpiece!
 

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