Custom Thedi Buffalo Cafe Racer - fit advice needed

[Mainspring]

Hello everyone. I just received my custom Thedi cafe racer in light brown buffalo and it looks stunning
.
When zipped up, it seems to fit well. Tight in the shoulders, especially since it's brand new and I'm not accustomed to the beeswax-laden buffalo hide.

HOWEVER, when I unzip the jacket, it "tips forward" for lack of better phrase, and poofs out badly in the back as you can see in the last photo. I feel it's my shoulders causing this effect, but am not positive.

My question to the group is - will this jacket relax after wear and start to fit better when unzipped or is this Thedi hide more "set in stone" than others and am I left with this fit? I will say I opted for viscose lining which probably doesn't help the slippage. Thanks for your input.

FIt when zipped: Nice fit, though I can't yet close the throat latch comfortably...

Fit when unzipped: Not so good. Jacket slips forward significantly

 

[Canuck Panda]

You need custom, larger size (for the neck hole that will fit) and sharper taper in the torso.

 

[torfjord]

I don’t think this will ever change. I’ve no deep pattern expertise but I believe this is just how this pattern looks when worn open.

Edit: I don’t think more taper to the body will fix the “problem” (I don’t see it as a problem) as it looks like a perfect amount of taper when zipped.

 

[Bennarion]

In the second photo, the jacket fits perfectly. You can zip up your jacket and take a photo from the side, from the back.

 

[Bennarion]

Little will change with the wear of the jacket

 

[Boyo]

if all else feels good, that open fit wouldn't bother me,

 

[Mainspring]

In the second photo, the jacket fits perfectly. You can zip up your jacket and take a photo from the side, from the back.

Here's a photo of it zipped from the side.

 

[Fonzie]

I reckon the back panel is just still a bit stiff as it’s brand new, but with wear it’ll start to drape better and it won’t be as noticeable.
I had a similar concern with an ELMC Californian when it was new and now I don’t notice it at all.
Enjoy your new Thedi, it’s a beautiful jacket.

 

[Mainspring]

I reckon the back panel is just still a bit stiff as it’s brand new, but with wear it’ll start to drape better and it won’t be as noticeable.
I had a similar concern with an ELMC Californian when it was new and now I don’t notice it at all.
Enjoy your new Thedi, it’s a beautiful jacket.

Thanks for sharing your similar experience.

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

It looks great zipped up.

But unzipped, this would bother me. I have a RMC J100 that’s new and didn’t see this degree of tenting. In the right pic I really have to pull my arms back/retract shoulders and still don’t get the degree of tenting you have.



Sorry, I’m new to leather jackets and know next to nothing about pattern making or what causes that effect, but thought sharing what little experience I have with a similar jacket may help.

 

[cbez]

I wouldnt like it but being in socal I wear unzipped 98% of the time.

 

[AeroFan_07]

I generally wear my jackets zipped up so this may not bother me all that much...However...
As @Canuck Panda indicated, I think the neck hole is ever so slightly too small. This likely is having a compound effect on the fit with it un-zipped, and I personally think over time this might get a little irritating to wear.

Do you have the option of a return/re-make?

 

[Bennarion]

I think the sleeves contribute to this while the jacket is new. The leather should become softer and the jacket will fit properly. Of course, you need to ask Theodoros about this.

 

[MrProper]

Hello everyone. I just received my custom Thedi cafe racer in light brown buffalo and it looks stunning
.
When zipped up, it seems to fit well. Tight in the shoulders, especially since it's brand new and I'm not accustomed to the beeswax-laden buffalo hide.

HOWEVER, when I unzip the jacket, it "tips forward" for lack of better phrase, and poofs out badly in the back as you can see in the last photo. I feel it's my shoulders causing this effect, but am not positive.

My question to the group is - will this jacket relax after wear and start to fit better when unzipped or is this Thedi hide more "set in stone" than others and am I left with this fit? I will say I opted for viscose lining which probably doesn't help the slippage. Thanks for your input.
View attachment 610748

FIt when zipped: Nice fit, though I can't yet close the throat latch comfortably...
View attachment 610754

Fit when unzipped: Not so good. Jacket slips forward significantly
View attachment 610755

Could it be that the sleeves are on the jacket with some rotation towards the front? If you move your arms slightly forward, the effect disappears, right?
At least I once had a jacket where it was like that. It hasn't gotten any better.

 

[Bennarion]

Here is my new FL. Only this is a leather shinki

 

[MrProper]

Could it be that the sleeves are on the jacket with some rotation towards the front? If you move your arms slightly forward, the effect disappears, right?
At least I once had a jacket where it was like that. It hasn't gotten any better.

another idea... maybe the jacket is also much heavier at the front than at the back. Then it would pull it down at the front and of course go up at the back over the shoulders as a pivot point. This would have the same effect as the rotated sleeves.
In the picture from the side (closed jacket), it looks as if there is a gap at the back of the collar that is not there when the jacket is open. If this is the case, then this gap in combination with gravity and/or rotated sleeves will be the reason.

 

[Marc mndt]

Could it be that the sleeves are on the jacket with some rotation towards the front? If you move your arms slightly forward, the effect disappears, right?
At least I once had a jacket where it was like that. It hasn't gotten any better.

Exactly this. Forward sleeve rotation in combination with a slightly curved sleeve. It's a design feature that allows the wearer to comfortably reach forward while riding a motorcycle. My vintage buco J100 looks exactly like the Thedi (tent on the back) when unzipped.

 

[Mainspring]

Exactly this. Forward sleeve rotation in combination with a slightly curved sleeve. It's a design feature that allows the wearer to comfortably reach forward while riding a motorcycle. My vintage buco J100 looks exactly like the Thedi (tent on the back) when unzipped.

Thanks, that's very interesting. However I have an Aero Board racer that also has the pre-curved arms and it does not do this. Granted, it's battered steerhide, so a bit more spongy than the waxy Thedi buffalo.

AERO:

 

[Mainspring]

I generally wear my jackets zipped up so this may not bother me all that much...However...
As @Canuck Panda indicated, I think the neck hole is ever so slightly too small. This likely is having a compound effect on the fit with it un-zipped, and I personally think over time this might get a little irritating to wear.

Do you have the option of a return/re-make?

Well, I purchased through Thurston Bros so frankly I don't know what my options are here. Thedi didn't honor the chest zip request in the order either, and it shipped from Thurston, but Carrie is sending me some zips so I can try to install them. I'm not sure what to do yet...I guess I need some more time with the jacket to see if things settle in? Or I could just plan to use it as a bike-only jacket and always have it zipped though I cannot close the throat latch and comfortably wear the jacket.

People have had great theories and stories and I appreciate them. I'm not sure the jacket is heavier in the front, though possibly with the wind flap and internal pocket. It does seem to want to "lean" forward...so maybe that combined with the new leather and viscose interior exacerbates the fit quirk.

There is a definite gap in the back of the neck hole when I wear it zipped, which does lend some credence to the "pattern is for leaning forward" theory.

 

[Mainspring]

Could it be that the sleeves are on the jacket with some rotation towards the front? If you move your arms slightly forward, the effect disappears, right?
At least I once had a jacket where it was like that. It hasn't gotten any better.

Yes, the effect does disappear if I move my arms forward. Movie attached. You might be correct.