Buying my first Aero leather jacket - advice appreciated

[dublinprem]

Hi Folks,

I have paid Thurston Bros for my first Aero leather jacket. I always liked the bootlegger and @ton312 pic here https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/aero-bootlegger-which-leather.88743/ really helped me pull the trigger.

Carrie said she will ship the fitting jacket soon and that will help me get a good fit, at least I hope I will.
I am still undecided on the leather and hope you guys can help me with some inputs.
Any pointers/advice is welcome and much appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[Canuck Panda]

Badasslassi
Pros: Translucent see through finish, like CXL. Feels thick but pliable. Doesn't need warm up time like CXL. Smells like every other vegetable leather. Out of box grains doesn't get any better than Badalassi. And it will only get better.
Cons: SQUEAKY. £100 surcharge. But I think for what you get the surcharge is reasonable. The squeak will probably put most people off. And it is "just" steerhide, not horsehide. But IMO better leather for daily wear than horsehide. Only the deer family is softer and easier to wear than these premium cows, but there are no veggie deers as far as I know.

CXL
Pros: Nothing else like it on the market. Smells like butter but only behaves like butter when its warmed up. Teacore base, so it can get very vintage-y very fast.
Cons: Needs warm up time. The leather is really made for boots. Can work for jackets but takes dedication and effort. Tumbled versions will save you a bit of time and pain. Thinner hides will work better for jackets.

Vicenza
Pros: Smells like every other vegetable leather. Can fake for Shinki. Or Shinki can fake for Vicenza. Comes in the colors of the rainbow.
Cons: Can be paper thin or thicker, depending on batch. Tends to be on the stiffer side for most. £75 upgrade over CXL. This is the one that's a bit harder to justify but it's comparing apples to oranges.

Aero House leather
Battered Seal Horse
Battered Tan Horse
Jerky horse
These leathers are really quite good. The battered horse is their own UK version of CXL.
Jerky horse is really red russet cored "teacore" style leather.
On par with all the brand name leather. But if you have two bottles of ketchup in from of you. Exact same high quality ketchup, but one of them has the Heinz name and the other one has farmer Joe home brew label. Which one would most people choose?

Aero goat I do not have so cannot comment. But I think it's the French Goat they get from AA Crack and Sons. And they are quite fancy. There are two weights, one is about 1mm the other is 1.4mm, I don't know which thickness Aero uses.

Good Luck!

On top of all the leather choices now you have to decide on lining...

 

[dublinprem]

Badasslassi
Pros: Translucent see through finish, like CXL. Feels thick but pliable. Doesn't need warm up time like CXL. Smells like every other vegetable leather. Out of box grains doesn't get any better than Badalassi. And it will only get better.
Cons: SQUEAKY. £100 surcharge. But I think for what you get the surcharge is reasonable. The squeak will probably put most people off. And it is "just" steerhide, not horsehide. But IMO better leather for daily wear than horsehide. Only the deer family is softer and easier to wear than these premium cows, but there are no veggie deers as far as I know.

CXL
Pros: Nothing else like it on the market. Smells like butter but only behaves like butter when its warmed up. Teacore base, so it can get very vintage-y very fast.
Cons: Needs warm up time. The leather is really made for boots. Can work for jackets but takes dedication and effort. Tumbled versions will save you a bit of time and pain. Thinner hides will work better for jackets.

Vicenza
Pros: Smells like every other vegetable leather. Can fake for Shinki. Or Shinki can fake for Vicenza. Comes in the colors of the rainbow.
Cons: Can be paper thin or thicker, depending on batch. Tends to be on the stiffer side for most. £75 upgrade over CXL. This is the one that's a bit harder to justify but it's comparing apples to oranges.

Aero House leather
Battered Seal Horse
Battered Tan Horse
Jerky horse
These leathers are really quite good. The battered horse is their own UK version of CXL.
Jerky horse is really red russet cored "teacore" style leather.
On par with all the brand name leather. But if you have two bottles of ketchup in from of you. Exact same high quality ketchup, but one of them has the Heinz name and the other one has farmer Joe home brew label. Which one would most people choose?

Aero goat I do not have so cannot comment. But I think it's the French Goat they get from AA Crack and Sons. And they are quite fancy. There are two weights, one is about 1mm the other is 1.4mm, I don't know which thickness Aero uses.

Good Luck!

On top of all the leather choices now you have to decide on lining...

Thank you so much for the details on all these leather options. I am leaning towards the badalassi. I really like their chestnut and tobacco badalassi from the pics i have seen. I dont own a jacket in badalassi, is the leather that squeaky for it to be considered a con?

 

[JMax]

Thank you so much for the details on all these leather options. I am leaning towards the badalassi. I really like their chestnut and tobacco badalassi from the pics i have seen. I dont own a jacket in badalassi, is the leather that squeaky for it to be considered a con?

Based on your awesome collection, I figured you would be attracted to Badalassi. Great looking hide. That’s what I would choose.

 

[dublinprem]

Based on your awesome collection, I figured you would be attracted to Badalassi. Great looking hide. That’s what I would choose.

Yeah I like the look of badalassi in whatever I've seen in pics but never had the opportunity to handle one. I know it smells great but if it squeaks bad then I might consider other hides.

 

[Monitor]

Another noteworthy characteristic of the CXL is that, depending on the batch of course, it might fade (or "age", if you will) incredibly quickly which might not be a welcomed feature had you purchased a black leather jacket with an intention to actually own a black leather jacket.
It is extremely scuffy, too.

Also, as blasphemous as this may sound, it is... Uncomfortable.

Having never handled Badalassi, Jerky Horsehide would by my pick for any future jacket by Aero at this point in time and space. Far more natural looking texture than the CXL with that true, proper leather feel (none of that greasy nonsense). Very hard-wearing, too.

 

[ton312]

I am biased by my last two vic pick ups. They just aren’t like any of the other vic I’ve handled. Feels like tumbled CXL with more grain straight away. Problem with vic and CXL is consistent hides. I’ve always hated vic and thanks to my most recent jackets, I love it. Thick as CXL, softer, marbled. I’d order Aero’s whole catalog in it. But…consistency counts. I would absolutely ask only the thickest vic to be used .
Never had badlassi but hear it’s noisy. That bothers me a little. It’s a beautiful leather but I don’t want a symphony out of my armpit.

For this reason I’d be looking at battered seal HH, Kelpie, or as Ivan suggested, jerky. Ken told me I could stand in front of a fire hydrant with jerky and stay dry. From the sample I had, I believe him. Shiny though, if that matters.

CXL is still the most beautiful leather on the planet iMO. Nothing compares to CXL. The pull-up, blah, blah, blah. It’s just flat out on top of all in terms of appearance. Totally sucks to wear. Not as bad as running a cheese grater over your naughty bits, but frankly, not far off.

 

[jacketjunkie]

You sure don't go wrong with Badalassi. CLX looks better (in my humble opinion anyway), but it is heavy. If I were to order another Aero, it would be either a relaxed style in clx where the heavy hide doesn't feel as restrictive or a snug fitting jacket in Badalassi. Probably the russet one, that color is incredibly beautiful in natural light.

 

[dublinprem]

I would definitely like my bootlegger to be in a thick leather. I am not sure the bootlegger pattern would look good in thin leathers. I was looking forward to the badalassi but I would definitely not get it if its squeaky. So I guess the options before me are CXL, jerky and vic. Can I as Thurston to ask Aero to use thick vic? Is that even an option?

 

[jacketjunkie]

I would definitely like my bootlegger to be in a thick leather. I am not sure the bootlegger pattern would look good in thin leathers. I was looking forward to the badalassi but I would definitely not get it if its squeaky. So I guess the options before me are CXL, jerky and vic. Can I as Thurston to ask Aero to use thick vic? Is that even an option?

I don't think it is. Besides, even thick vicenca is 2.5 oz at best. I own an A-2 in russet vicenca and it is not flimsy at all but yet it remains a midweight hide.

 

[ton312]

I don't think it is. Besides, even thick vicenca is 2.5 oz at best. I own an A-2 in russet vicenca and it is not flimsy at all but yet it remains a midweight hide.

I have to disagree. My seal vic HB weighs exactly what my tumbled CXL HWM weighed. It’s easily 3 oz. I consider ELMC’s leather to be in the 2.5oz range. I have had vic in this range and I did not like it at all. Nor did I like the Eastman for the same reason. But you are correct. No way to guarantee you’ll get what you want. But frankly that’s true of CXL too. My BL 3.0 felt exceedingly thin in cordo CXL.

 

[dublinprem]

Thanks guys for all the info. I think I might go with CXL or badalassi(if it not too squeaky). Maybe I can ask Carrie to send me a few leather samples along with the fitting jacket. I hope she can do that?

 

[ton312]

Thanks guys for all the info. I think I might go with CXL or badalassi(if it not too squeaky). Maybe I can ask Carrie to send me a few leather samples along with the fitting jacket. I hope she can do that?

I’m sure she can. But beware that your sample and your jacket won’t be from the same batch. If you want heavy ask for it specifically. I always did. Yet this CXL BL weighed in about the same as this vic HB. Old camera shot of the BL. But look at the collar and zipper fold and you get the point. The CXL was not thicker by any means. Neither jacket was/is very heavy. But both were beautiful and honestly thick enough.

 

[dublinprem]

I’m sure she can. But beware that your sample and your jacket won’t be from the same batch. If you want heavy ask for it specifically. I always did. Yet this CXL BL weighed in about the same as this vic HB. Old camera shot of the BL. But look at the collar and zipper fold and you get the point. The CXL was not thicker by any means. Neither jacket was/is very heavy. But both were beautiful and honestly thick enough.
View attachment 446993 View attachment 446994

Thanks for the pics. That pic of the BL is what made me pull the trigger on mine. The fit is absolutely perfect. I love how the vic looks in this pic, but somehow the CXL looks much better and more stunning. Or maybe I like the BL pattern so much that I am biased. I also read you got your BL with cord lining, isnt cord+CXL combination too warm? Is there a reason you went with cord lining?

 

[ton312]

Thanks for the pics. That pic of the BL is what made me pull the trigger on mine. The fit is absolutely perfect. I love how the vic looks in this pic, but somehow the CXL looks much better and more stunning. Or maybe I like the BL pattern so much that I am biased. I also read you got your BL with cord lining, isnt cord+CXL combination too warm? Is there a reason you went with cord lining?

I love corduroy. It’s warm and I live in Chicago so I can use it. I wouldn’t describe it as too warm but it certainly is cozy.

 

[Canuck Panda]

CXL FQHH jackets will weigh about 6 to 7 lbs in Aero's size 40/42, and CXL Steerhides will weight another pound to two on top of that. Vicenza jackets will weigh about 3 to 5 lbs depending on thickness. Badalassi jackets will weigh about a pound lighter than the CXL jackets - yes they are heavy I think because they are shoulder cuts and veg tanned so weighs more but not super thick like CXL steer. CXL can be a bitch on cold morning start ups, and some FQHH will be very hard to break. But it (CXL) will give you a jacket unlike any others in your closet.

Maybe for the fit jacket ask for one in CXL to get a feel. It's either love or hate.

Vincenza have variety of weights just like Shinki. Aero has them all, from 2oz to 3.5oz. If you want thick ask for thick. But if you are gonna go horse I'd suggest to look at CXL first. Because you already got so many Shinki jackets and they are gonna be very similar.

Badalassi is also gonna be love or hate. Because of the squeak. On boots its fine because its on the ground and harder to hear. But arm pits are closer than feet. eek eek eek. They are suppose to be patina monsters though. And that's what I am banking on. The patina will come through and the squeak will be gone.

I see the biggest advantage of going with retailers like TB is if the first jacket don't work out you still get store credit towards a selection of all other brands they carry, like Thedi and Vanson. But I am also quite sure you might be hooked on either CXL or Badalassi. It's hard to resist them.

Brown CXL FQHH / Seal Vicenza / Tobacco Badalassi / Chestnut Badalassi / Russet Badalassi, all about 3.5oz thick

All CXL FQHH, Black / Midnight / Cordovan / Cherry / Natural. If you find the jacket acceptable when its cold and stiff you will love it when it gets warmed up. Good luck!

 

[dublinprem]

CXL FQHH jackets will weigh about 6 to 7 lbs in Aero's size 40/42, and CXL Steerhides will weight another pound to two on top of that. Vicenza jackets will weigh about 3 to 5 lbs depending on thickness. Badalassi jackets will weigh about a pound lighter than the CXL jackets - yes they are heavy I think because they are shoulder cuts and veg tanned so weighs more but not super thick like CXL steer. CXL can be a bitch on cold morning start ups, and some FQHH will be very hard to break. But it (CXL) will give you a jacket unlike any others in your closet.

Maybe for the fit jacket ask for one in CXL to get a feel. It's either love or hate.

Vincenza have variety of weights just like Shinki. Aero has them all, from 2oz to 3.5oz. If you want thick ask for thick. But if you are gonna go horse I'd suggest to look at CXL first. Because you already got so many Shinki jackets and they are gonna be very similar.

Badalassi is also gonna be love or hate. Because of the squeak. On boots its fine because its on the ground and harder to hear. But arm pits are closer than feet. eek eek eek. They are suppose to be patina monsters though. And that's what I am banking on. The patina will come through and the squeak will be gone.

I see the biggest advantage of going with retailers like TB is if the first jacket don't work out you still get store credit towards a selection of all other brands they carry, like Thedi and Vanson. But I am also quite sure you might be hooked on either CXL or Badalassi. It's hard to resist them.

Brown CXL FQHH / Seal Vicenza / Tobacco Badalassi / Chestnut Badalassi / Russet Badalassi, all about 3.5oz thick

View attachment 447000

All CXL FQHH, Black / Midnight / Cordovan / Cherry / Natural. If you find the jacket acceptable when its cold and stiff you will love it when it gets warmed up. Good luck!
View attachment 447001

Thanks for the pics and the info. I am going with CXL FQHH or badalassi. I think its a good idea to ask Carrie to send CXL for the fit jacket. Thanks again.

 

[moktabe]

Still relatively new to this however, amongst my small collection I have 2 x jackets in Badalassi.

When new it makes you sound like a new squeaky leather sofa. It does eventually start to quieten down but not sure it'll ever be completely silent! The beauty of the leather makes up for that though.

 

[morrison2951]

I'll soon also have my first Aero in the collection- a black Vicenza trucker.

Can't wait!

 

[dublinprem]

I'll soon also have my first Aero in the collection- a black Vicenza trucker.

Can't wait!

Would love to see some pics when you get it. Might help me decide on the leather for mine