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New Aero Sea Biscuit half-belt

Big J

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,961
Location
Japan
I don't think irony is necessary. I think if you suit something and it looks good, the rest is peripheral. If you get something that fits you and is really well-made, it transcends its roots.

Nope, I agree, but what I was trying to say, I guess, is that it's kind of like my B-3 or my fedoras; there are days when I'm feeling 'cool' and haven't got a care in the world, and can take the attention, and then....there are days when I just want to do what I gotta do and go straight home, y'know? And when it comes to that collar style, I'd have to be feeling like a rock star every time otherwise it'd just be in the closet a lot.
 

pauleway

Practically Family
Messages
655
Location
Western NY
I noticed the XL collar on that jacket when I was watched the movie. Thought to myself "nice jacket, bad collar". Aero is spot on with this design though. The good thing is that there are MANY designs that they offer for us jacket addicts. Seems like the vintage designs just had larger collars. I wished Aero would offer (as an option) a smaller collar design (even than their standard collar) if you wanted one, but that just doesn't seem like that is going to happen. Maybe we should just be glad that there are as many choices already, and not be so fanatic and knit picky!!:p
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,779
Location
London, UK
If you wanted this with a smaller collar, you could just order a Dustbowl with a plain front and breast pocket. Shoulddn't be a problem.
 

yakima

One of the Regulars
Messages
136
Location
where it's at
As Butte said earlier, it could just be a question of whether you lived through the 70's or not.

If you didn't, you will have no horrible memories of the fashion disasters of that decade.

If you did, you will never get past your mirror with that collar.

Yes, it is 20's/30's - but it is also seventies disco of the very worst kind.

Over on SJC's site, they are currently intending to dig up fat waistband baggy flared trousers - again, originally 30's, but horribly brought back to life in the 70's.

So I figure all we need now is platform soles.
 

Sloan1874

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,418
Location
Glasgow
True. Actually, I was thinking about this, and I remember there was a very brief moment in the 90s when platforms came back in the UK - not widely, but you could buy 26" bell bottoms at the time, so it was a 'mixed bag' era.:D
My brother, for whatever reason, had a pair, and even though they weren't stacks, within a month or so of buying them, he tripped on the steps at Waverley Station and narrowly avoided breaking his neck. End of experiment with platforms.
 
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pauleway

Practically Family
Messages
655
Location
Western NY
The collar on the Seabiscuit jacket is the Premier collar, the only difference is the positioning of it.

When I was on the Aero site and looking at the Premier jacket I thought it looked the same as the Seabiscuit, but thought it was maybe the way it was photographed. It is just laying differently!
 

pauleway

Practically Family
Messages
655
Location
Western NY
If you wanted this with a smaller collar, you could just order a Dustbowl with a plain front and breast pocket. Shoulddn't be a problem.

Not looking for anything now, but when I ordered my 30's HB I asked if they could make the collar (standard sized) a little smaller and they would not do it. No big deal, though, the standard collar size is fine, I just wanted it to be a 1/2" shorter![huh]
 

Sloan1874

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,418
Location
Glasgow
Sounds simple but I imagine that would involve making a new collar pattern just for you, and also potentially throwing the balance of the jacket out.
 
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Hide'n'seek

One of the Regulars
Messages
262
Location
Scotland
I feel the need to step in here briefly and clear up few collar issues.

Our Red Pollard / Sea Biscuit is a reproduction of the film jacket, the jacket pictured is our first pattern test and although we will be making a couple of tweaks and changes to make it even closer to the film jacket, the collar will not be changing as we feel we nailed it first time.
This type of collar is also unlike most other Aero's in its pattern design and also the way it is attached, the only other Aero it is similar to is our Speedway.

Our premier range collar is different again in both pattern and the way it is attached, if you were to see the pattern along side our regular collars the difference would be very clear but i'm afraid we don't want to post photos of our patterns on a public forum ( our patterns have already been copied enough ! ) The 2 different patterns are simply not compatible, fitting for example a highwayman collar onto a premier jacket involves new patterns for front , back yolk , facings , linings.

With our more traditional collars we can and will make small adjustments to collar size such as slimming it down slightly, but these changes are also within our discretion and if we feel the changes take away from the design or balance of the jacket then we would need to say no.

Contrary to popular believe we are open to design changes and will work with customers to give them what they want, but we will not simply say yes to every request like previous 'management'. Each request is considered on an individual bases and will be approved only if we feel they do not distract from the original design.
 

cordwangler

One of the Regulars
Messages
187
Location
UK
we are open to design changes and will work with customers to give them what they want, but we will not simply say yes to every request like previous 'management'. Each request is considered on an individual bases and will be approved only if we feel they do not distract from the original design.

Yep. Some design elements are integral. There is always the option not to buy :)

And I don't think I've ever heard complaints about the 'Ming the Merciless' look of a B-3 or ANJ-4 collar...or seen one of these with a less flamboyant collar.

I guess contributors occasionally forget this is a Golden Era-oriented forum, eh?
 

Seb Lucas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,562
Location
Australia
I think we need a sticky on period leather jacket collar variations and measurements. It's the bit I least understand.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,779
Location
London, UK
True. Actually, I was thinking about this, and I remember there was a very brief moment in the 90s when platforms came back in the UK - not widely, but you could buy 26" bell bottoms at the time, so it was a 'mixed bag' era.:D
My brother, for whatever reason, had a pair, and even though they weren't stacks, within a month or so of buying them, he tripped on the steps at Waverley Station and narrowly avoided breaking his neck. End of experiment with platforms.

Eeps. I remember that period of fashion... Late 80s / turn of the 90s, when "Baggy" style came in and "Madchester" was the centre of cool, with the Happy Mondays, the Stone Roses and such. I hated it with a passion. I was still a young metalhead in those days, and furious at the "£$%ing spides (neds in your part of the world!) that were the reason I struggled to find jeans that weren't stupid-wide. And flares. Baggy brought back flares, a fashion crime worthy of the severest of punishments. I think that was around the time I made a complete break from mainstream fashion... I remember spending my teens being alternately furious that I couldn't find 'my' clothes anywhere in the shops, and enraged when those £$%^ing spides were 'stealing' our stuff. :lol:

I later came to appreciate the Stone Roses. $%^&ing baggy "style" can still do one, though. I particularly hated those stupid bowl haircuts. Not even Johnny Ramone could pull that off.


Not looking for anything now, but when I ordered my 30's HB I asked if they could make the collar (standard sized) a little smaller and they would not do it. No big deal, though, the standard collar size is fine, I just wanted it to be a 1/2" shorter![huh]

The standard collar is pretty small, though.... Interesting to hear this one is more a matter of perspective than anything. I'm looking forward to seeing one in the flesh, as it were; I've seen the film a couple of times and I really liked the jacket. Be interesting to see it in the wild.

I fully appreciate Denny's comments above. Thing is, whatever goes out into the world from Galashiels is seen as representative of Aero. What other folks won't see is "oh, that's what that individual ordered", but "jinkies, Aero have let their designing strengths waste away..." if they send out a bunch of things like the infamous mandarin collar Windward. With a company reputation to maintain, they'd be mad to not exercise the right to decline any alterations that they feel takes a jacket away from the design intent.

Sounds simple but I imagine that would involve making a new collar pattern just for you, and also potentially throwing the balance of the jacket out.

Aside from design, it would take a lot longer, with implications for costs that would need to be passed on to the buyer... starts to get complicated from a business pov... I like the model Aero have evolved towards, myself, with less emphasis on customisation but much more in the way of breadth of the stock model range.

I guess contributors occasionally forget this is a Golden Era-oriented forum, eh?

I think we do have several different types of jacket buyers these days. There are those of us who want the jackets as part of an overall look, and there are those who are only intersted in the jackets. As Aero's reputation for producing a quality jacket has grown, there's been agrowth in the number of folks who are buying these simply because they're interested in high end jacket,s and don't care so much about the historical provenance / correctness of designs and such. Room for both in the world, I'm sure, but yes I think that does then lead to more variation in opinions. Of course, back in the day I'm sure there were folks who liked some jakets more than others too.
 
Messages
10,181
Location
Pasadena, CA
I think we're in an odd transition here. Was in Old Town Pasadena this weekend and saw women wearing 80's GUESS high-ride washed denims. I think my son thought I was checking out women - I was just taken back that this would make a comeback...

RE the Aero collars. Some guys can pull it off. Some if us lived through certain decades and are emotionally scarred by them. Like every other design, they're there to choose or not. It's not like there's a shortage of designs for us to choose from...
 

Cyber Lip

Practically Family
Messages
739
Location
Seattle
I think only a young guy with a really cool look could pull off that collar. Certainly none of us middle aged dudes
 

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