Aero Price Increase! and other mishaps on my Aero experence!

[Edward]

I saw the photo on the Aero site of their original prototype. It sure does wear well. I look forward to mine maturing gracefully over many years.

I've just submitted my order for a Waterfront... wish I'd moved before Christmas and got in before the price increase, but hey ho. Still worth it at the price they're charging now, IMO. No idea how long it'll be before I get it - hopefully in time for Spring weather when it's still cool enough.

 

[Mad w/o power]

Hey guys, new guy here. I want to thank all of you for helping me make the final decision on getting an Aero jacket, as just a few pictures for a several hundred dollar jacket made over-seas can be an exceedingly risky affair. It was the testimonials and nit-picky conversations here that really allowed me to feel safe ordering my jacket from Aero ...which brings me to the topic at hand - here's the breakdown for my jacket/experience:

The biggest problem was the aforementioned lack of an inner leather panel on the bottom. I've only had my Stuart a month and it is torn through, around nearly the entire jacket. I do wear the jacket tightly, with the side belts cinched a fair amount, which of course accelerates the lining wear but I will be sending it back to have 4" leather added, which I'm hoping will also help with the integrity of the bottom front of the jacket, which seems to create a bit of a 'gut' from the bottom folding up (from sitting with it closed) and the pockets bulging slightly from the extra material.

The tartan lining I chose from Locharron looks very, very different from what ended up in the jacket but I know that's the fault of Locharron's site's horrible pictures, and I'm just trying to live with it.

It's got the 30's fit, with the front being longer than the back but by a good 3 inches as opposed to the 1.5" - 2" I was told it would be. So I'll be getting the front shortened by 1.5" and I'm hoping it wont look odd with that much less jacket under the bottom button...

The end of the sleeve, before the button cuff, was also left without a top stitch which I will have fixed.

And finally, they didn't rollover stitch the arms and shoulders but that was something I wasn't entirely set on in the first place so I might let that slide as well.

I'll also add that out of the box, I thought the thing was the wrong fit until, I wore it out for about two weeks solid - now it's perfect.

Though, after all that, I still must say that for what it is, it's absolutely the best deal out there by far. I owned a $900 Lost worlds jacket and hated it. It looked like some cheap, thin thing from the 70's with the plastic-looking finish, the unsightly flat color, and the giant pimp collar on the thing.

 

[feltfan]

I'll also add that out of the box, I thought the thing was the wrong fit until, I wore it out for about two weeks solid - now it's perfect.

Love the Stuart. Sorry to hear about the quality control issues.

Given that you had a hard time telling if the fit was right for two weeks,
I wonder if you can tell those of us waiting for our jackets how to tell
the difference between a jacket that isn't broken in and a jacket that
actually doesn't fit?

 

[blethook]

check the actual measurements

against what you asked for...and look in the mirror as well...

Sleeves might be a tad too long initially, but normally they will sort themselves out once the leather is broken in. If a jacket is too large/small you should know it right away by just wearing it (fit of the shoulder, tummy/waist area should give you a hint).

Love the Stuart. Sorry to hear about the quality control issues.

Given that you had a hard time telling if the fit was right for two weeks,
I wonder if you can tell those of us waiting for our jackets how to tell
the difference between a jacket that isn't broken in and a jacket that
actually doesn't fit?

 

[Creeping Past]

against what you asked for...and look in the mirror as well...

Sleeves might be a tad too long initially, but normally they will sort themselves out once the leather is broken in. If a jacket is too large/small you should know it right away by just wearing it (fit of the shoulder, tummy/waist area should give you a hint).

+1 on that.

I'd advise against doing what I did, which was to lose weight between measuring/ordering and receiving the jacket. By then I'd gone down a size.

 

[P5640blouson]

Interesting tradeoff between looks and practicality

Interesting tradeoff between looks and practicality when it comes to lining design. The Aero's standard configured lining looks nice, simple, and clean all the way up to the edge where they are sewn. Contrast this with Lewis Leather's body lining which is quilted sailcloth that is lightly interlined. A satin / rayon/ bemberg (not sure which is used in the sleeves for easy donning and luxurious feel when worn. The interesting thing about the Lewis lining is that it is nicely sewn in with a two inch leather section at the bottom where the friction occurs naturally during wear. Furthermore, the quilted sailcloth is nicely laid over where it is sewn down to create about a half inch of slack (overturned and flattened lining) during movement and flex at the bottom edge of the jacket. The whole design is also very fine and literally plays the part to extend the life of the liner during heavy use. No cost cutting measures with the Lewis jackets, that's for sure. I guess that is why they say it is "Yours For Years!" I feel lucky that my fitment was without fuss and that their stuff is tailored for fit physiques. Nevertheless, my jackets have slightly long sleeves which are great for the operating positions of driving, however the tradeoff is that they are less comfortable when simply standing. Then again, these jackets are made for function and durability (and I chose to have the sleeves that way), and not designed for those wanting a generic easy going but non durable garment that can be found at your local strip mall. Being on the border between two base sizes, I may consider having one made for summer use with a simple T-shirt (my next project) and with non moto length sleeves. If you like the look of Lewis Leathers, I, like many others can attest to a genuinely good experience for your money spent. Lewis Leathers, interesting enough to desire a spare one or two. JMO

 

[tonypaj]

Interesting tradeoff between looks and practicality when it comes to lining design. The Aero's standard configured lining looks nice, simple, and clean all the way up to the edge where they are sewn. Contrast this with Lewis Leather's body lining which is quilted sailcloth that is lightly interlined. A satin / rayon/ bemberg (not sure which is used in the sleeves for easy donning and luxurious feel when worn. The interesting thing about the Lewis lining is that it is nicely sewn in with a two inch leather section at the bottom where the friction occurs naturally during wear. Furthermore, the quilted sailcloth is nicely laid over where it is sewn down to create about a half inch of slack (overturned and flattened lining) during movement and flex at the bottom edge of the jacket. The whole design is also very fine and literally plays the part to extend the life of the liner during heavy use. No cost cutting measures with the Lewis jackets, that's for sure. I guess that is why they say it is "Yours For Years!" I feel lucky that my fitment was without fuss and that their stuff is tailored for fit physiques. Nevertheless, my jackets have slightly long sleeves which are great for the operating positions of driving, however the tradeoff is that they are less comfortable when simply standing. Then again, these jackets are made for function and durability (and I chose to have the sleeves that way), and not designed for those wanting a generic easy going but non durable garment that can be found at your local strip mall. Being on the border between two base sizes, I may consider having one made for summer use with a simple T-shirt (my next project) and with non moto length sleeves. If you like the look of Lewis Leathers, I, like many others can attest to a genuinely good experience for your money spent. Lewis Leathers, interesting enough to desire a spare one or two. JMO

I was happy to read that all, it is informative, thank you, but what does it have to do with Aero price increase or other issues with Aero jackets?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

..That's what I was thinking. Perhaps more deserving of a LewisLeathers thread...
HD

 

[GriffDeLaGriff]

Maybe its about price/quality.

I get the feeling P5640blouson thinks Lewis is a better choice
now since Aeros prices have gone up, but I might be mistaken.

Personally I would go for the company that has the best leather
and stitching for the price. (and offcourse a model that you want)

 

[crismans]

Well, the price increase is certainly sad news. Not that I don't think the quality is worth it but it appears that the jacket I had my eye on has gone up around $150. Quite a steep jump imo.

Of course, I should have gotten it last year, but there were other things to be attended to and I didn't have the extra money to drop.

Oh well.

 

[1911 Man]

When I ordered my Barnstormer in 08, it was $875 USD. It hurt to pay that, but I thought it was worth it. Then the global economy crashed just later that year, and within 6 months of takking receipt of my jacket, the price was down to $725. That hurt even more. Now the price increase brought it back up to what I paid in the first place.

 

[P5640blouson]

lining issues

Elaborating on lining and fit issues mentioned previously about Aero. Perhaps I got carried away...

Previously posted
"The biggest problem was the aforementioned lack of an inner leather panel on the bottom. I've only had my Stuart a month and it is torn through, around nearly the entire jacket. I do wear the jacket tightly, with the side belts cinched a fair amount, which of course accelerates the lining wear but I will be sending it back to have 4" leather added, which I'm hoping will also help with the integrity of the bottom front of the jacket, which seems to create a bit of a 'gut' from the bottom folding up (from sitting with it closed) and the pockets bulging slightly from the extra material."

 

[Mad w/o power]

Love the Stuart. Sorry to hear about the quality control issues.

Given that you had a hard time telling if the fit was right for two weeks,
I wonder if you can tell those of us waiting for our jackets how to tell
the difference between a jacket that isn't broken in and a jacket that
actually doesn't fit?

It's not something that can be ascertained by a quick look in the mirror; that will will work for checking the shoulder seams fall in the right spot or generally checking if it looks okay but when I first had my jacket on, I could not move - and this was after the 20min total it took to unbutton, then button back up on me.
It's just simply a matter of how stiff the leather is, so when you've got it on for the first time and you can hardly move, or perform simply tasks like tying your shoes or buttoning the thing up without the help of a friend, you start wondering if the thing is the right size. Anyway, what I was ultimately getting at was that the thing is going to feel awkward or a while, much longer than any other item of clothing you've ever had to break in - raw 16oz denim included.
So yes, they may get the size wrong, and I can't speak for getting a fit too large, but if the fit feels too tight, I can advise you to give it 2 weeks of daily wear before sending it back. There's obviously no harm in giving it a good, long test run before getting back in the the hassle that is international shipping... uh, if you're in the states that is.