Aero Barnstormer (shawl collar) customisation question

[Canuck Panda]

Sorry everyone quick question about this FQHH stiffening up in cold weather.

Is it something you tend to forget about while you are wearing it?

I'm the kind of person who wears a pair of double soled full brogue cordovan shoes and I don't find that too taxing once I wear it so I was wondering if it is like that.

Or is it a completely different kettle of fish?

I'm a mid leather sole brogue guy myself...

The thing is CXL Barnstormer is that the Barnstormer doesn't have the action back. So I am not sure how it will work in CXL.
I've got CXL longer jackets/coats, they can work, but the all have full action back.

CXL is a misunderstood creature. It starts hard, but soften with a bit of warmth, and stiffens again if out in the cold too long. Imagine your Barbour coat but three times thick and ten times cooler (in looks).
It seems like you wear tailored clothing more often so I thought you were into the fancier more polished leather, which is why I suggested the Badalassi. But if you are a double leather sole man, then CXL it is.
Just watch the sizing, you don't want too slim, there isn't much stretch in the FQHH.
There was a Cordovan CXL FQHH Barnstormer on the sale page a while back in my size, but I'd already had too many other jackets coming, so I passed. I still think about it a lot.

 

[kaizo]

Thank you for the reply again everyone.

Sartorially speaking I am a bit of both, I wear:

-[at work] suits with single sole and when the mercury drops I wear a trench coat on top. But on rare occasions that this isn't enough to brave the cold I would like to wear the barnstormer instead of the trench coat.

-[during weekends] barbour bedale with pile lining insert over a sweater and double sole brogues. Recently I found the bedale to not be enough for the winter and that's when I came across the barnstormer. Weekend casual would be the main use of the barnstormer.

Btw here are some photos of the cordovan shoes it was a bit of a pain to break in but it is one of my favourites.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Yeah you'll be fine with CXL Barnstormer. Those double bark soles said it all.

 

[Aloysius]

Thank you for the reply again everyone.

Sartorially speaking I am a bit of both, I wear:

-[at work] suits with single sole and when the mercury drops I wear a trench coat on top. But on rare occasions that this isn't enough to brave the cold I would like to wear the barnstormer instead of the trench coat.

-[during weekends] barbour bedale with pile lining insert over a sweater and double sole brogues. Recently I found the bedale to not be enough for the winter and that's when I came across the barnstormer. Weekend casual would be the main use of the barnstormer.

Btw here are some photos of the cordovan shoes it was a bit of a pain to break in but it is one of my favourites.

We wear the same types of clothes, then.

It is worth asking, then, if despite the shawl collared Barnstormer being shearling lined by default, Aero would do a different body lining for you. The body shearling of the Barnstormer would cause a lot of issues, including (I think) causing just enough distance that your body heat/movement won‘t warm and soften the CXL in wear.

Quilted or alpaca would be ideal. Maybe quilted sleeve lining but I really do think Aero’s cotton sateen is their best sleeve lining (as evidenced by many past threads here over the years, people confuse it with satin but it’s actually just as tough as the cotton drill, merely smoother which is ideal for pulling on a sleeve. It was the material used for US army shells for years, especially during WWII.) Cotton drill is also great, and for a jacket in CXL that fits like this it may be better.

Regarding the sleeve shortening, it strikes me that perhaps you didn’t account for how CXL sleeves ride up, and maybe this is what Aero is getting at. On top of that, when you have layers on underneath (as you would for such a jacket) they will artificially fill in space causing you to need a little bit more length.

That said, you should also look into getting a quilted liner waistcoast for your Bedale. I’ve used one in my Border for over a decade.

EDIT: Just saw you have the pile lining, which is warmer. You might also consider the polarquilt, which is sort of both in one IIRC.

 

[kaizo]

Thank you ever so much everyone these are exactly the first hand experiences that I needed to hear.

I feel much more comfortable about the jacket.

 

[Aloysius]

The worry about CXL becoming frozen up or becoming some sort of stiff plate in cold weather is exaggerated, especially for mild cold conditions of only 30 degrees. That is not nearly cold enough to cause a problem. The vast majority of the movement in the jacket will be at the shoulders and the elbows and they will work fine, the rest of the leather will be over areas of the body that are not supposed to move very much, such as your midsection, so this stiffness is not an issue. Maybe if you were doing cartwheels and somersaults in 10 degrees while wearing a CXL jacket, complaints about stiffness would be justified, but besides that and a few other unlikely scenarios, you won't be having a problem.

I wore this chromexcel jacket in steerhide in lower 20 degree fahrenheit weather and there was absolutely no issue at all. I never felt restricted, as if I was trapped in some stiffening shell of leather. I did touch the sleeve leather a few times, and it was indeed a bit more shellish, however, there was no restriction of movement. Here is a photo of my sleeve. The wrinkles which develop quickly act like joints.

CXL is not that great of an insulator in itself though. This jacket by itself was not fit for 20 degree weather with the thin wool lining, however, I was wearing a dense wool vest on top of a tucked in shirt, so the warming was easily remedied.
The Barnstormer in shearling would absolutely be a cold weather jacket.

Maybe an issue will be the weight, that is a big jacket and CXL might make it too heavy. I would like it, but I can see why others would not. That is probably the biggest risk, the weight, not any type of perceived stiffness in 30 degrees.

Your CXL is not layered over a shearling lining, though. You’ll notice shearling coats usually just have horsehide as reinforcements in high wear areas.

 

[kaizo]

Hi everyone I just wanted to say thank you for all your help.

I ordered the Barnstormer today and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[kaizo]

Hi everyone thank you for your help again, the jacket arrived a few weeks ago and it's everything I wished for and more.

It arrived much earlier than I thought (I was told about the supply shortage of CXLHH and it was originally due later towards autumn/winter).

After actually wearing it I feel that I can wear it in weather that I would wear a down jacket for.

I run colder than most people and I think I would be comfortable wearing this in -5C (23F) to 10C (50F) with a turtleneck/thermal or just a shirt depending on which end of the temperature range I wear it in.

Thank you all very much again.

 

[IrishStu]

That fit looks excellent. Enjoy the jacket.

 

[Edward]

Hi everyone thank you for your help again, the jacket arrived a few weeks ago and it's everything I wished for and more.

It arrived much earlier than I thought (I was told about the supply shortage of CXLHH and it was originally due later towards autumn/winter).

After actually wearing it I feel that I can wear it in weather that I would wear a down jacket for.

I run colder than most people and I think I would be comfortable wearing this in -5C (23F) to 10C (50F) with a turtleneck/thermal or just a shirt depending on which end of the temperature range I wear it in.

Thank you all very much again.
View attachment 440417

Looks fantastic - enjoy!


Aero once sold one of these to a big name rapper (rumoured to be P-Diddy) who was, despite Ken's warning about the warmth, determined to wear it in LA. Probably wanted it to wear *inside*, they like their aircon run hard there....

 

[kaizo]

Thank you very much guys!

 

[dubpynchon]

That looks great, congrats.