Aero Sheene/ Café Racer Length

[XOX]

Hi Guys,
I'm thinking about buying an Aero Sheene/ Café Racer in FQHH. I've had the chance to try the jacket in size 40 and 42. I'm quite sure I have to go for size 42. In size 40 I can not even bend my arms to 90° and hardly get out of the jacket without help. I'm 180cm (5 feet 11 inches) tall and my weight is 81kg (178 pounds) with a rather muscular shape. I rather wear my jeans a bit low fit, so the jacket shouldn't be to short. What do you think, would a length of 26,5" or 27" be ok?
Thanks for your help
Greetings from Germany
Philipp

 

[jacketjunkie]

That depends on just how low you wear your jeans. If you have the chance to try on the jacket, why don't you see how they fit length-wise and then make your call on (extra-) length.

 

[wdw]

I'm the same height and 25.5" is the max I'd go for a short jacket like that, with anything from 24-25.5" being OK depending on the look.

I would think 26.5" and up is mid-length territory and a different look.

 

[Seb Lucas]

There's not enough difference between 26.5 and 27 inches to worry about. Your question might be better if it were - 25.5 or 27.5? A lot of this will depend on your torso length. I like a longer jacket in those patterns, for me at 6ft 2 - 26 to 27 is fine.

You can't get too specific about tiny differences in length (like half an inch) in such a hand made item. If you ask for 26 you may well get 25.5 or 26.5 such is the nature of hand made goods. At your hight anything from 25.5 to 26.5 should fit well.

Maybe you should try a range of short fabric/denim jackets you like the length of and measure them from the base of the collar to the hem. That'll tell you your best measurement.

 

[Carlos840]

With your height 26.5 or 27" seems like a lot.
A cafe racer is a short jacket and IMO should reach your belt, not much longer than that.
I am 6'2" and my Cafe Racers are usually between 25.5 and 26.5"

This one is 26.5 and i do find it a bit long, would probably go for 26 or 25.5 if i had to do it again.

Q50190533703

 

[Peacoat]

I am 6' with your same weight and an athletic build. I just measured my Sheene, and it is 24.5". I wear my jeans at the regular height, and wouldn't want my Sheene to be any longer. It ends just above the pockets. It bothers me when the jacket ends right below the pockets of my trousers as access to the pockets is more difficult.

 

[Seb Lucas]

XOX you'll soon see how much of this is personal taste - Carlos' jacket looks too short to me but he reckons it's too long.

I also think the front length is important I have short jackets 25 inches that look okay because the front is almost 24 inches long. Mostly you find that the front is 22.5 if the back is 25.

Best you chose a look you want to emulate and then you're in a better place to choose.

 

[wdw]

Carlos's looks in the right ballpark for me. Just above the pockets seems the right length for a short jacket, with the belt covered at the front.

 

[pawineguy]

Here's mine in a 27" length. I'm 6'2", 185, and with fairly long legs so my torso, if anything, is on the shorter side for someone of my height. It all comes down to personal preference as to where you want the jacket to hit.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Interesting I'm the same height as you P but 27 inches ends up half way down my back pocket so it looks longer on me.

 

[pawineguy]

Interesting I'm the same height as you P but 27 inches ends up half way down my back pocket so it looks longer on me.

I think I could wear a 26" without a huge difference in look as the jacket above is catching a bit on my hip area, which is another variable that affects the look of a jacket when being worn. (Hips, butt, etc... all affect how a jacket fits in terms of length, as do the size of someone's shoulders)

 

[Fanch]

Unlike Aero's halfbelts, it is my strong impression that the Sheene/Café Racer designs are more exacting in fit requirements as there are no cinch straps with the latter. There are several anatomic factors in determining where the hem will hit in relation to the belt, including torso length, as pointed out by Seb, and also anatomic shape of the shoulders. Maybe your best bet is to have one of Aero's size 42 Café Racers listed in their "Café Racers Stock Jackets" sent to you as a test jacket? Who knows - the test jacket might fit you so well you decide to keep it. [huh]

 

[Peacoat]

Maybe your best bet is to have one of Aero's size 42 Café Racers listed in their "Café Racers Stock Jackets" sent to you as a test jacket? Who knows - the test jacket might fit you so well you decide to keep it. [huh]

Now wouldn't that be the business! Good idea, Fanch. Didn't know Aero would do that.

 

[Fanch]

Now wouldn't that be the business! Good idea, Fanch. Didn't know Aero would do that.

I am unaware that Aero does send a test jacket and doubt that to be the case. I did see that Aero had more than one size 42 Café Racer listed under their current stock at the top of the page 2nd from the left. If I were in the OP's shoes and considering a CR style of jacket, I would strongly consider ordering a CR from the stock list and then keep it if the fit was good; otherwise I would return it in the same condition that I received it and request Aero to fine tune a new one based on fit issues with the CR received. In this instance communication with aero would be critical from the onset, with serious input from the horse's mouth (Aero) rather than from the other end (mine).

http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/products.php?cat=salerv

 

[XOX]

Thank you for all your answers! I've had the chance to do a photo with an Aero 1930s half belt in size 42 with 26.5" back length (Aero says it's 27, but it's rather 26.5). Sorry for the poor quality and the odd angle What do you think?

 

[jacketjunkie]

A Cafe Racer should definitely not sit any longer on you, rather shorter. So if that is 26.5", you shouldnt go any longer imo.

 

[Fanch]

I would think a back of 26" to 27" would be OK, so maybe consider a 26.5" back.

 

[handymike]

Agreed. If that is 26.5 and you wear your jeans low, you may consider 26".
I'm 5'11" and my goto length is 25"-ish.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Thank you for all your answers! I've had the chance to do a photo with an Aero 1930s half belt in size 42 with 26.5" back length (Aero says it's 27, but it's rather 26.5).

As i said earlier 26.5 and 27 is effectively the same length as far as a hand made object is concerned - you'll often get a variations (plus or minus) half an inch. You are not going to notice the difference in look of 12 millimetres, to use the metric equivalent.

Remember too that depending on the cafe racer some are generally worn long, like the Buco J100 which is similar to the Aero Board Recer is some of it's incarnations. If you are around 6 ft tall a back length of 27-28 inches in a Buco is common. Same with the classic Brimaco cafe racer style , it's a longer look too. Same with the classic Brooks cafe racer.

 

[Insomnia]

I woud choose a 26" length. The half belt in my opinion often apears a little shorter because you lost a 1/2 inch in the bulky part above the belt especially with a new stiff FQHH jacket.