Advice on Aero Sheene

[ScottyP]

I'm looking at ordering an Aero Sheene as my first decent leather jacket. My questions are manly aesthetic. Would you get black or dark seal, Vincenza or goat? Am I crazy not to order my first Aero in brown FQHH? I was going to go no shoulder gussets, will I regret it? I live in the Southeastern US so I'm going for minimal warmth. I don't ride anymore. Thanks.

 

[pawineguy]

In terms of color, for a first leather, considering you don't ride anymore, I always think brown. Being that you are in Florida, and if you are trying to extend the amount of time you can wear it, I would give goat a long look. It's a little under the Vincenza in terms of weight and the stuff Aero is using right now is really nice. On the other hand, I and others might argue that leather is not that warm in the first place, so the difference you see between FQHH / Vincenza / Goat won't be too great, and that it's more important to choose a light cotton lining.

If you do delete the gusset, just make sure you really nail the sizing. Fanch did it successfully recently so it can be done.

 

[Carlos840]

Color wise it is a very personal thing.
I bought my first jacket in brown and always regretted it. I went for brown because in my mind black was a bad guy thing.
I haven't worn that brown jacket in years and now own 5 black leather jackets, brown just doesn't look good on me.

Leather is also very personal. I have some thick FQHH, i have some thin and smooth cow, i have some thin and grainy horse, all of them are nice.
I love the suit of armor feel you get from super thick Aero style FQHH, but i love the ease of movement and character that my thinner Shinki HH has.
As pawineguy said, leather isn't warm, so pick what you like for the looks of it, and pick the lining for the warmth.
I am always to hot so i usually go for cotton or rayon rather than wool. You can always wear a nice cashmere jumper to add warmth, you can't rip your lining out if it's to warm.

I think first decide if you want heavy or light, then decide if you want black or brown, that's all there is to it.

Shoulder gussets are weird, they can give you better range of motion, but aren't always as good as they can.
For example my Buco J100 has far better freedom of movement than my ELMC Californian even though the Californian has a swing back and the Buco doesn't.
It's not all about shoulder gussets, but also about sleeve diameter and back width.
If you don't like them stylistically just be aware that you can still get great range of motion if not better without them.

 

[jacketjunkie]

I believe the Sheene is very broad in the back, so you should do ok without shoulder gussets for additional reach. It certainly looks smoother and more casual without the gussets, I had them on my first jackets, try to avoid them since.

Leather and colour is a very personal question of taste. Different leathers = different grains, so look at close ups of goat and horse, they look fairly differently. Colorwise, I'd go with brown rather than black in a casual jacket, but as you can see from Carlos post, opinions differ there, too. Imho, best solution is to get both a brown and a black jacket.

 

[tropicalbob]

Being a fellow Floridian, I'd advise, first, that you go with the cotton drill lining. I don't think the leathers you mention will make all that much of a difference, but I'd go with black for the Sheene simply because that style has always seemed to me to be descended from the old gangster jackets of the 1960's and has a sort of hipster vibe. There's a shot of a FL member (from London, as I remember) wearing one in black on the Thurston Bros. site gallery that I think is a pretty good example of what I mean.

 

[Fanch]

Living in the SE I would go with cotton drill lining throughout. My Sheene has no shoulder gussets but does have a back yoke. Color is all about preference. I prefer the seal brown Vicenza over the dark seal. I prefer Vicenza with a smooth finish over grain. I much prefer Vicenza HH over all the others because of a combination of weight, feel, look, and drape. To insure proper fit, consider going through Thurston Bros in Seattle for a fit jacket.

 

[technovox]

I previously owned the Sheene in the Brown FQHH (note pic on left), and although it was a beautiful leather, it was a bit heavy and overkill for this weather. If I were to order a Sheene today, I would definitely go with the Vicenza in black with a Sateen lining. Black just has more attitude and swagger. And I love the weight and feel of the Vicenza.
Another option, if you're on the fence about the color, is the dark seal Vicenza. My dark seal vicenza Dustbowl is so dark it reads like black when I'm wearing it at night.
But, as others have pointed out, it's really a personal choice. You might take a look at your wardrobe and figure out whether brown or black is going to match up the most.

 

[ScottyP]

I previously owned the Sheene in the Brown FQHH (note pic on left), and although it was a beautiful leather, it was a bit heavy and overkill for this weather. If I were to order a Sheene today, I would definitely go with the Vicenza in black with a Sateen lining. Black just has more attitude and swagger. And I love the weight and feel of the Vicenza.
Another option, if you're on the fence about the color, is the dark seal Vicenza. My dark seal vicenza Dustbowl is so dark it reads like black when I'm wearing it at night.
But, as others have pointed out, it's really a personal choice. You might take a look at your wardrobe and figure out whether brown or black is going to match up the most.

Thanks for the responses. I see several recommendations for Vicenza. What do you think of black Vicenza compared to say a tumbled black FQHH?

 

[Sloan1874]

It's lighter for a start, closer to goat-weight. Also, the tumbled FQHH, because of the nature of the top coat, will start to develop more of a patina than the Vicenza.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Leather weights make a huge difference in a warmer climate - they make little difference in the cold. When it is warmer (over 63 degrees) you tend to feel every ounce. The weight of HH may be too warm if you live in a more sultry area. I personally think goat or a light horse (2.2oz) is your best choice.

Where I am it is often warm and I find that any leather over 3oz is not useful. I had a FQHH that I rarely wore. Goat on the other hand I can wear, but even this hide is too warm as soon as the weather goes over 62 degrees.

 

[ScottyP]

Yeah, whatever I get I won't count on wearing it above 60. I'll wear it in the dead of winter here and when I'm traveling to colder climates.

 

[kronos77]

Just a note about color. Do you favor one color over another and are just trying to consider all options or are you really pulled equally in each direction? I suggest that if you have had a lifelong preference for one color, say black, and the brown is something that just recently seemed attractive, then go with black. There is a good chance your fancy for the new color will die out soon.

These mistakes often happen when people feels they need to change something in their life. The change is not natural for them and they end up with a closet full of clothes they don't like. I think that might be what happened to our friend Carlos in trying to avoid a badboy look.

Go with what got you there.

 

[Sloan1874]

Yeah, whatever I get I won't count on wearing it above 60. I'll wear it in the dead of winter here and when I'm traveling to colder climates.

I'm trying to picture what the dead of winter looks like in Florida, and I just can't conjure it: cardigan weather?

 

[Otter]

19 centigrade, low humidity, you wouldn't like it.

 

[Sloan1874]

Ah: "Glasgow in June".

 

[Peacoat]

My Sheene doesn't have the action back, and I don't need it. Makes for a cleaner look. The brown FQHH is a beautiful hide. It really isn't that heavy, only about 3 oz. in the current offering. Call Insurrection (Wade and Carrie) and get them involved in the process. You will want to go through them as the fit jacket they will send takes most of the guesswork out of the equation. Doesn't cost anything extra, and you will remove most of the anxiety in wondering if you will get the right fit. Plus, they are a real pleasure to work with. PC.

 

[tropicalbob]

Ah: "Glasgow in June".

That's about right. Normally, mid-November through March is jacket-wearing weather, usually in the evenings. It depends where you are in Florida, though, as it's about 500 miles from one end to the other.

 

[Sloan1874]

To think I almost pulled my Irvin on this chilly morning.

 

[ButteMT61]

To think I almost pulled my Irvin on this chilly morning.

Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of Elderberry! :rofl:

 

[ProteinNerd]

Either colour looks great in a Sheene, its not like you will come out with a jacket that doesnt look great whatever you decide on.

All this talk of how Vicenza is lighter, I think is very misleading for someone new to the whole HH jacket scene. Yes Vicenza is marginally lighter than FQHH but its still going to be be significantly heavier than any mall jacket you have ever tried on or owned. Its not by any means a light option.