Bobajobbob
New in Town
- Messages
- 14
- Location
- London
How long did it take to make if you don't mind me asking and did you just take a stab at the measurements or carefully log evey dimension before ordering?
Very interesting thread. I'm looking for an Invin type jacket and until i started digging I had no idea how hard it would be to find a good one. I'm not too concerned with absolute authenticity but I am concerned with the right aesthetics (for me) which means chesnut coloured leather rather than the darker sealskin option. Fleece colour also needs to be more golden rather than white or ginger. Having looked at the myriad of options available I'm also leanigt towards he pre war designs with single panels of leather. Both the aero and Aces High jackets look fabulous whereas the Aviation Leathercraft jackets seem to be much too dark with fluffy ginger wool which just isn't a great look (or the photos are bad). The downside of the Aero and Aces High jackets is that they are made to internet order and quite expensive which makes me a little uncomfortable as I won't be able to try on any jacket before spending the money.
Can anyone in England recomend a retailer where I can actually walk in and try on some jackets to get an idea of the size and shape of these jackets? I normally where a 42 regular suit but have learnt from experience that when buying leather jackets this has very little bearing.
thks
How long did it take to make if you don't mind me asking and did you just take a stab at the measurements or carefully log evey dimension before ordering?
These are all pretty painless options: France, The Borders or down to a tailor. Mind you, where in France is Ace's High based?
You learn somthing every dayI Somwhere I had picked up the impression he was up near the Belgium / France border area.
I don't know why - but I thought he'd be somewhere in Yorkshire!
One option would be to wait until July 13th and 14th and head up to RAF Duxford for a day at the air show - it's just up the road from you (so to speak) in Cambridgeshire. There you'd be able to see the Eastman Leather Clothing tent, which stocks the entire range of their website, including the Irvins - and the racks are full of all the jackets in all sizes to try on.
And then you could wander over to the gift shop (near the static indoor museum area), and in there you'd be able to try on the Irvins by Aviation Leathercraft (you said that you're not too concerned with absolute authenticity) - and that would be good for you to compare the two tiers of quality vs price. You may really like the Aviation Leathercraft - it's a lot of bang for the buck, so to speak (certainly in terms of warmth) and may well appeal .... but then again, when you see what IS available in terms of the ELC, you may decide that it's better to save a bit extra and aim higher - and if you do, I would suggest that you also look at Aero, Alexander Leathers and Aces High too ...
There is no true right and wrong as it's all personal choices at the end of the day - and what the wallet can withstand too and finding out for yourself just how much authenticity you're prepared to pay for and how much it matters to you. But if you're in no hurry, heading up to the air show for a recce would make sense.
Thanks for the info. Does Eastman have a presence in the UK. I always assumed that they were a US company so ordering over the internet might be a pain in the event of a size issue. If they are shipping from the UK then much easier to manage sizing problems. I'll take a look at their site. Given the weather I was hoping to pick up a jacket for this winter not next so that may exclude an Aero if its going to take 4 months to deliver.
If you want a really accurate Irvin then Eastman and Aces High are the way to go. Second hand ELC Irvins often come up for sale on Ebay for around £400. Alternatively you can still buy wearable originals.
All sound advice, if you like the look of the Eastman's, if you can it's worth a trip down to see them in Devon to try the jackets on & get their expert advice. Bit of a drive but very much worth it. I made the journey & came back with a BOB Irvin which has served me well over the last few years. In fact I then made several other trips that put a smile on my face but a dent in my bank balance.