Guppy
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,341
- Location
- Cleveland, OH
So far, I've owned three Aero Bootlegger jackets at various points.
My first one was a very heavy black CXL, I forget whether steer or FQHH, but it was massively heavy stuff, 4-5oz, from the era when heavy meant HEAVY. It was a size 36, and I sold it because the previous owner had modified the sleeves slightly to taper the cuffs, and I thought I'd rather get a jacket that wasn't tailored aftermarket, but whoever did that work to it did a great job of it. Being a tagged 36, it was a surprise that it even fit me but you go by the measurements, and they were reasonable. I mean the jacket fit me, and not badly. I probably still have pictures of it somewhere. Maybe even on the forum here.
My second Bootlegger was a size 44, fit a bit looser, of course, but the measurements weren't far off from the 36. It was made from a brown leather that I never properly identified, but might have been the stuff they called "oil pull horsehide" -- which I don't think they offer any longer, but if that's not what it was, I don't know what it could have been. I wore it for a winter, and I liked it, but I convinced myself that I didn't need it, so I sold it on to fund something else I wanted.
I didn't have any Bootlegger for a good three years at least, if not more, and then I saw the one that @jacketjunkie had up for sale on the classifieds. It was a 38, and the measurements seemed like they'd be tight, but I thought I could rock it.
He'd listed it back on my birthday in 2021, and yet somehow I overlooked this sleeper until October of this year. I messaged him on 10/5, and he had it in the mail to me by 10/7. It then disappeared from the shipping tracking, no updates at all for almost two weeks, causing me some anxiety, but then emerged from shipping limbo in the US, and from there proceeded through customs rather quickly and then made its way to me. Delivery occurred very late in the day, almost 9pm, which again gave me another bout of anxiety, as I'd already received mail earlier in the day, including several other packages that I had been expecting. But then finally it arrived.
I got it out of the box, and tried it on, and found that this one does indeed fit on the snug side, but the measurements work for me just about as well as I could hope for. I guess a standard 38 is like a STF 44.
I'll have to look for images of the old ones and take some fit pics of the new one tomorrow.
Of these three, I definitely like this one the best. The mouton collar looks great and compliments the brown leather beautifully. I love the zippered sleeve cuffs, the moleskin lining is awesome, warm, comfortable, and durable, and the two inside pockets. I even like the nickel zipper, even though I'm normally a brass guy.
I don't wear a Bootlegger as well as @ton312 does, but I think I'll be keeping this one longer. It's good to have one back in the closet again. Especially with jacket season upon us. It won't spend a lot of time in the closet, that's for sure.
My first one was a very heavy black CXL, I forget whether steer or FQHH, but it was massively heavy stuff, 4-5oz, from the era when heavy meant HEAVY. It was a size 36, and I sold it because the previous owner had modified the sleeves slightly to taper the cuffs, and I thought I'd rather get a jacket that wasn't tailored aftermarket, but whoever did that work to it did a great job of it. Being a tagged 36, it was a surprise that it even fit me but you go by the measurements, and they were reasonable. I mean the jacket fit me, and not badly. I probably still have pictures of it somewhere. Maybe even on the forum here.
My second Bootlegger was a size 44, fit a bit looser, of course, but the measurements weren't far off from the 36. It was made from a brown leather that I never properly identified, but might have been the stuff they called "oil pull horsehide" -- which I don't think they offer any longer, but if that's not what it was, I don't know what it could have been. I wore it for a winter, and I liked it, but I convinced myself that I didn't need it, so I sold it on to fund something else I wanted.
I didn't have any Bootlegger for a good three years at least, if not more, and then I saw the one that @jacketjunkie had up for sale on the classifieds. It was a 38, and the measurements seemed like they'd be tight, but I thought I could rock it.
He'd listed it back on my birthday in 2021, and yet somehow I overlooked this sleeper until October of this year. I messaged him on 10/5, and he had it in the mail to me by 10/7. It then disappeared from the shipping tracking, no updates at all for almost two weeks, causing me some anxiety, but then emerged from shipping limbo in the US, and from there proceeded through customs rather quickly and then made its way to me. Delivery occurred very late in the day, almost 9pm, which again gave me another bout of anxiety, as I'd already received mail earlier in the day, including several other packages that I had been expecting. But then finally it arrived.
I got it out of the box, and tried it on, and found that this one does indeed fit on the snug side, but the measurements work for me just about as well as I could hope for. I guess a standard 38 is like a STF 44.
I'll have to look for images of the old ones and take some fit pics of the new one tomorrow.
Of these three, I definitely like this one the best. The mouton collar looks great and compliments the brown leather beautifully. I love the zippered sleeve cuffs, the moleskin lining is awesome, warm, comfortable, and durable, and the two inside pockets. I even like the nickel zipper, even though I'm normally a brass guy.
I don't wear a Bootlegger as well as @ton312 does, but I think I'll be keeping this one longer. It's good to have one back in the closet again. Especially with jacket season upon us. It won't spend a lot of time in the closet, that's for sure.
That's a correlating problem of mine 
