Alexander Leathers Roadster fit advice (with pics)

[StichInTime]

Hello

Cross posted from another forum - can I please get opinions on what I need to get altered on this jacket for a tighter more modern (or 30s) fit?

I realise most on here may well think this is 'just right' but for me it's too loose. I have to say the quality and the bruiser steerhide is fantastic, as well as the customer service I have had, the only drawback is that I plan to order a custom jacket and they want to know the exact measurements I want it to change by which is very difficult to judge.

For reference, my chest is 42" and this jacket measures 23" pit to pit at the widest point.

Pics taken with just a shirt under but it was still too big with a tshirt and sweat.

Looks OK from the front, but I'm thinking of adding an inch to the body length.

As you can see from the sides, the arms are pretty baggy down the rear of the sleeve, so think these need slimming down, not sure by how much though? Also can see the back is pretty loose and baggy.

I think the waist is OK, wouldn't want to go slimmer so I can wear longer shirts under. P2P is 23" at the widest point, defo need to reduce this, maybe by 1"? Shoulder top seam also needs some length off, maybe an inch again...

Can see here it looks too wide across chest/back.

Cheers in advance for any comments.

 

[Fanch]

Isn't this jacket designed with somewhat of a boxy fit anyhow? Maybe one size too big for you? With your body build, maybe consider an Aero Premier Highwayman described in the thread below? I dunno [huh]
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?80834-New-Aero-Premier-Highwayman-arrived

 

[StichInTime]

Hi Fanch

The Aero premier is £200 more so not an option for me unfortunately. Fantastic jacket though.

I don't think sizing down (to a 38, this is a 40) will help. As people note in the thread you linked to, this makes it smaller but the same 'boxy' postwar cut. In my pics the waist is fine and a smaller size would be shorter, I favour it being longer.

So the current plan is for AL to make a custom jacket which fits more like the 30s style than the one pictured - so the cut will change. They have said they can make the arms slimmer, take the chest and back in, lengthen etc to my specification. The problem is I don't know the measurements to give them to achieve this. I took this off the shelf 40 to work out what I needed to change!

Cheers

 

[nick123]

The one thing about these boxy jackets I don't care for is the way the front kind of darts out when looking at it from the side, which makes it appear too big, even if it doesn't feel that way. If it were me, I'd bring this to their attention. I've noticed many people with similar jackets from a variety of makers not mind the effect so much (as usually the front and back look pretty good, as yours does). But the side view is where you can really see the "boxiness" of these jackets. If you wear it convincingly and aren't bothered by it, it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[StichInTime]

I agree with your comments about the side view nick123, I thought making it longer would combat that effect?

Again the problem I am having is as a 'lay' person not knowing what to ask the manufacturer to change...

 

[nick123]

I'd just show them the pictures. Maybe going a size smaller would help with it, but it might be the design. I had the same peeve with my Highwayman, but never got around to seeing if going smaller would alleviate it. Making yours longer might be beneficial, but my speculative guess is that you'll probably have to take some of the width out.

 

[nick123]

I'd just show them the pictures. Maybe going a size smaller would help with it, but it might be the design. I had the same peeve with my Highwayman, but never got around to seeing if going smaller would alleviate it. Making yours longer might be beneficial, but my speculative guess is that you'll probably have to take some of the width out. It's maybe a bit large from the front but doesn't look bad at all. But I think you can get away with taking it in a bit.

 

[tnjyoung]

I'd say add two inches in length and maybe that's it?

 

[Fanch]

I think sometimes we are overly concerned with the perfect fit. IMO the jacket you have is probably good enough. The primary concern that I first noted was the body length but might be related to low rise jeans. If I were you, I would be careful about manipulating a basic pattern. IMO a better arc is to find a particular pattern/cut that works best for your body type and only make adjustments in the body and sleeve lengths. I have found that the Aero 30's slim fit patterns in size 42 work best for my body type as I am built more or less like a stick, with a 42" chest and 37" waist. At 6'2" I need a back length of just under 27" and sleeves just over 27".

 

[Plumbline]

I'd say for a Roadster / Highwayman type jacket ... it's about 1" -2" short in the body but chest, sleeve and shoulders look OK ???

In all honesty .. if you think it doesn't fit ... it probably doesn't ( because quite frankly the best judge of wether it fits is YOU )


In my experience ( and it's only my experience) .. if a jacket doesn't feel right ... to the extent that I need to ask an internet forum their thoughts ( which I'm not decrying incidentally) ... it will probably never feel right and I'd go back to AL and ask them to help in resolving.

Just MHO ... other than the shortness of the length it looks pretty good ( but then I'm not a big fan of overly constricting jackets).


HTH

 

[HoosierDaddy]

With such very low riding jeans..I'm not sure that I would try manipulating the length of a new jacket to cover that low slung belt. Seems it would look awfully long and way out of proportion. A different jacket style would most likely be your best bet to fit better elsewhere,IMO.
HD

 

[Fanch]

HD you expressed exactly what I was trying to say much better than I did.

 

[Rudie]

To me the waist looks much to large. You could fit a watermelon underneath that jacket. You probably need to ask them to size down below the armholes to get a neater fit at the waist. Lengthening the jacket won't help a bit IMO. I agree with nick that the side view is not very flattering.

 

[Azog]

To get the tighter fit you are asking for you'll probably need .75inch off the shoulders and 1 inch off the chest. I think length is ok. Maybe 1inch more if you feel you really need more length.
A tight jacket in a heavy hide will probably take a while to get comfortable though.

 

[Superfluous]

Too big in the chest and waist
Too short

 

[the loco]

I think its 1" too big pit to pit and a bit too short, otherwise great jacket.

 

[ProteinNerd]

Your trying to redesign the fit of the jacket from essentially a boxy jacket to a slim fit....I doubt its ever going to work out.

Why not go the AL version of an Aero Sheene. Use their cafe racer body with a Roadster collar. There have been a few version posted here recently that look like what you are trying to achieve.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?80054-Alexander-Leathers-Cafe-Racer

Just get them to alter the small details like one piece back with no gussets (ad the yoke), remove 1 of the chest pockets, maybe remove the zips from the hand warmers etc. AL are very accommodating with regards to alterations.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Your trying to redesign the fit of the jacket from essentially a boxy jacket to a slim fit....I doubt its ever going to work out.

+1. Fit isn't merely about how you feel it should be; it's also about what's feasible given the purpose and patterns of a particular garment.

 

[Sloan1874]

Your trying to redesign the fit of the jacket from essentially a boxy jacket to a slim fit....I doubt its ever going to work out.

+1. Fit isn't merely about how you feel it should be; it's also about what's feasible given the purpose and patterns of a particular garment.

+1

 

[StichInTime]

Hello and thanks for the further comments, in particular those offering an opinion on exactly how the measurements need to be changed. Very helpful!

Taking general comments on board - yes, I suppose I am trying to redesign a 'boxy' fit to a slim fit. But AL are well aware of this and as I said happy to accommodate. The Cafe racer with the Lewis Leathers Red interior posted above is a great example of them willing to make changes.

I like the paired down and simple roadster (low adjusters, 3 pockets, plain back, classic collar) but with a slim fit. In achieving this I don't care what 'pattern' or template they use, I'm not insisting they do it with a Roadster template!

The issue is I need to know what measurements to change/ask for in the new jacket. Posting pics of me wearing one of theirs in a stock size is obviously a good way to work this out, as well as asking the experts on here. Maybe I should have bought a cafe racer and said "like this fit but with roadster pockets and collar", rather than like this style but slim fit.


Edit- Added a better picture to show the shoulders/upper back are actually pretty baggy. Would def look odd if the leather wasn't so stiff.