Does anyone have a Real McCoy AND a Buzz Rickson N-1?

[CatsCan]

Breezer is right, my best looking N-1s are my cheapest. They get the most wear.
All the others were a thrill to have, only for them to end up hanging in the closet most of the winter, be pulled out to be adored but never really liked. When I see ebay and Kleinanzeigen (our most popular classifieds in Germany), I see surprisingly many Iron Hearts and Real Mccoys offered in like new condition. So I figure that the "want to have" bug had bitten a great many people before they came to the same conclusion. And don't forget, we see many nice photos of people looking great in those repros, but most are Asians or at least 175 cm 75 kg 12% body fat and we as normal Europeans, Caucasians or whatever can not expect to look the same in japanese jackets. They are asian cut - mostly. And sailors in the 1940s who were in their 20s were built different, too, compared to 2024.

 

[CatsCan]

Look, you will not be happy anyway in either of those jackets. The same money spent gets you a nice clean original. If not for wearing it (if good enough, why not) than just for having it.

 

[CatsCan]

If I am in the mood tomorrow and the light is good and my hair done, I will model all of my Deck Jackets, same angle, same pose. You choose which one looks best. Only then I tell you what brands they are and what I paid for them.

 

[breezer]

Asian guys look best in leather jackets too...

 

[CatsCan]

Here is the idea with the armhole placement. Hence my question how much space you have in the chest of the jacket.

 

[CatsCan]

Sooo, had my wife look at all your photos (this is what I do, when I need help). She is painfully honest. She doesn't give a dime what jacket what is, how it is called, it's history. Her judgement:
IH A-2 from your other thread is too big of a jacket on a man this size makes him look even smaller than he is (think boy in his fathers jacket). Jeans too wide around seat and in upper legs contribute to this (I didn't notice this but she is right). McCoys okay'ish, not impressing, arms too long. Jeans still not flattering. Best looking out of all: Buzz N1, benefits from proportions and color, sleeves still too long, but can be altered to the right length. Jeans still not flattering. Hate her, not me.

 

[Aloysius]

Sorry, I posted that length reply before seeing your reply. I definitely don't hate the fit. My concern was the armholes or shoulders could be an issue. The sleeves...well, the sleeves are always going to be an issue. I just need to find a trusted tailor to sort that for me.

I attached a couple more photos below. The outdoor ones have natural light and might be an indicator of my natural "poses." The indoor ones have me wearing a layer (heavyweight flannel) under it. I guess the question now is whether the McCoy's or the BR is the better fit.

Nailed it with the BR I think.

 

[NE202DC]

Sooo, had my wife look at all your photos (this is what I do, when I need help). She is painfully honest. She doesn't give a dime what jacket what is, how it is called, it's history. Her judgement:
IH too big of a jacket on a man this size makes him look even smaller than he is (think boy in his fathers jacket). Jeans too wide around seat and in upper legs contribute to this (I didn't notice this but she is right). McCoys okay'ish but arms too long. Jeans still not flattering. Best looking out of all: Buzz N1, benefits from proportions and color, sleeves still too long, but can be altered to the right length. Jeans still not flattering. Hate her, not me.

I appreciate her candor. To confirm, the IH is the one in the photos where I'm wearing the mask, which I thought was the smallest. The McCoy's is the other khaki one. She thought the IH was the one that made me look like a child in an adult's coat?

The jeans are another victim of my weight loss. I bought them when I was still in the process of losing weight.

 

[NE202DC]

Here is the idea with the armhole placement. Hence my question how much space you have in the chest of the jacket.

View attachment 579468

Here is the idea with the armhole placement. Hence my question how much space you have in the chest of the jacket.

View attachment 579468

More room in the chest = better armhole fit? I'm I understanding correctly?

 

[NE202DC]

Breezer is right, my best looking N-1s are my cheapest. They get the most wear.
All the others were a thrill to have, only for them to end up hanging in the closet most of the winter, be pulled out to be adored but never really liked. When I see ebay and Kleinanzeigen (our most popular classifieds in Germany), I see surprisingly many Iron Hearts and Real Mccoys offered in like new condition. So I figure that the "want to have" bug had bitten a great many people before they came to the same conclusion. And don't forget, we see many nice photos of people looking great in those repros, but most are Asians or at least 175 cm 75 kg 12% body fat and we as normal Europeans, Caucasians or whatever can not expect to look the same in japanese jackets. They are asian cut - mostly. And sailors in the 1940s who were in their 20s were built different, too, compared to 2024.

Sure, I get that. With the weight loss, I've had to start rebuilding my entire wardrobe (I had a BR in 42 that used to actually fit me). I definitely have that "bug" where I want shiny new things, and I probably should be looking at more economical and functional clothing.

 

[CatsCan]

I appreciate her candor. To confirm, the IH is the one in the photos where I'm wearing the mask, which I thought was the smallest. The McCoy's is the other khaki one. She thought the IH was the one that made me look like a child in an adult's coat?

No, she meant the Iron Heart A-2 from your other thread which was looking too big overall. The IH N-1 is looking rather too tight in the torso.
The McCoy does not look overwhealming she said but is better than the two before. She really liked the look and fit of the Buzz. As do I.

More room in the chest = better armhole fit? I'm I understanding correctly?

No, the other way around. See, the wider the chest is the further the jacktes armpit moves away from your body's armpit, making arm movement more difficult or at least feeling bad. Chest must not fit too tight (when you take a deep breath and the jacket constricts you) and it must not fit too wide (when you feel you could place an apple under your jacket each side to your chest and they still fall down with jacket buttoned up).

I think, many here agreed that the Buzz Rickson look the best on you.

 

[CatsCan]

The jeans are another victim of my weight loss. I bought them when I was still in the process of losing weight.

Is your weight finally settled where it is now? If not, you may buy clothes that will only fit you half as well as they could and only fit for a short time. Until you are sure to keep this weight without measures that go beyond easy, you could buy mall clothes that fit you well and wait until your new weight has finally settled before you invest bigger money for the bug. It seems to me that your weight loss is still quite fresh and was quite radical. I really understand your wish to reward you with brand new high value clothes. But there is a danger of dissappointment and relapse coming with it.

Look, I am tall and slender but have my waist higher than average. I always had Jeans W32 L36 and Jacket size Medium (38-40). From my mid 50s everything changed. A belly came to stay. It took very long to find a jeans that was not constricting when I sat down but fell off when I stood up. It was the waistline of the jeans that had to fit to my natural waistline. Low or medium rise jeans would not work for me any longer. Now I almost exclusively wear stretch jeans or rigid high waisted jeans in the right waist size and the problem is solved.
In jeans I confessed to myself that I had went up to a settled W34 or even W36 depending on brand, vanity sizing etc. But my Jacket size in most cases stayed at Medium. In some slimmer cuts it is large. It took some time to find out.
Until my weight settled I bought pants that fit only half, Jackets that were so lala. It was difficult.

 

[NE202DC]

Is your weight finally settled where it is now? If not, you may buy clothes that will only fit you half as well as they could and only fit for a short time. Until you are sure to keep this weight without measures that go beyond easy, you could buy mall clothes that fit you well and wait until your new weight has finally settled before you invest bigger money for the bug. It seems to me that your weight loss is still quite fresh and was quite radical. I really understand your wish to reward you with brand new high value clothes. But there is a danger of dissappointment and relapse coming with it.

Look, I am tall and slender but have my waist higher than average. I always had Jeans W32 L36 and Jacket size Medium (38-40). From my mid 50s everything changed. A belly came to stay. It took very long to find a jeans that was not constricting when I sat down but fell off when I stood up. It was the waistline of the jeans that had to fit to my natural wasitline. Low or medium rise jeans would not work for me any longer. Now I almost exclusively wear stretch jeans or rigid high waisted jeans in the right waist size and the problem is solved.
In jeans I confessed to myself that I had went up to a settled W34 or even W36 depending on brand, vanity sizing etc. But my Jacket size in most cases stayed at Medium. In some slimmer cuts it is large. It took some time to find out.
Until my weight settled I bought pants that fit only half, Jackets that were so lala. It was difficult.

 

[NE202DC]

EDIT: I posted this before your fit pics. I'll follow up as soon as they are all posted. Thanks!

Again, I appreciate the feedback. I believe my weight-loss has hit its plateau. I've been around the same weight, give or take small fluctuations, for about 3 mos. now. Originally, it was quite drastic--about 25% of my body weight in a little under a year (200 lbs to 150 lbs).

I agree on the IH A2... it was too bulky and the sleeves bunched up on me. My BR was such a cleaner fit. As for the N1, I took both the BR and the McCoy's to the tailor this morning. I ended up leaving the McCoy's there to get the sleeves altered. The tailor thought the BR was too small and I should size up, but they said they could shorten the sleeves if I do decide to keep it.

It looks like my options are:

1) Keep the BR, shorten the sleeves, and learn to live with the armhole issue. Or I can size up to a 38, but that would add about an inch to all dimensions, including length. I'd for sure shorten the sleeves. Do you think the extra inch to the measurements would end up ruining the overall fit?

2) Return the BR and get the Navy Blue version in McCoy's, which is slightly trimmer than my khaki model. Sleeves and length would be slightly small, but only minimally. Then, shorten the sleeves.

3) Look on ebay/aftermarkets for cheaper models. I perused a bit this morning, but it's difficult to pick since I don't know anything about the brands I saw. The vintage ones for sale seemed very pricey, so I might be looking in the wrong places. Any suggestions?

 

[CatsCan]

1) Keep the BR, shorten the sleeves, and learn to live with the armhole issue. Or I can size up to a 38, but that would add about an inch to all dimensions, including length. I'd for sure shorten the sleeves. Do you think the extra inch to the measurements would end up ruining the overall fit?

That's what I would do and shorten the sleeves. Not size up.

But now I wait until you make your choice in my pics.

 

[CatsCan]

as a last comment: sizes are from size 38 to size 44 (M to XL)! I am 6'2" 174 lbs. Jeans too wide in the seat, too. Worn out stretch.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

I echo what has already been asked: is your weight settled now? As someone who lost weight a few years back, I can say from experience that buying a nice jacket during that process isn't a great idea. Everything I bought mid weight loss has had to be sold. Make sure you're around where you want to be before you buy an 'end game' piece.

 

[CatsCan]

Adding to Dude's comment: When you alter the sleeves at McCoy's that you maybe only wear a few times before you decide to sell, you risk losing a lot of money due to value loss and for most possible buyers the sleeves may end up too short.

 

[NE202DC]

That's what I would do and shorten the sleeves. Not size up.

But now I wait until you make your choice in my pics.

I appreciate you posting these. This is hard since they all generally look good on you,

I echo what has already been asked: is your weight settled now? As someone who lost weight a few years back, I can say from experience that buying a nice jacket during that process isn't a great idea. Everything I bought mid weight loss has had to be sold. Make sure you're around where you want to be before you buy an 'end game' piece.

I'm at where I want to be and where my doctor wants me to be. Could I lose more? Yeah, but I stalled out where I am now about 2 or 3 months ago, so I'm keeping the same exercise/eating routines going forward. I've found myself fluctuating between 146-150 lbs during this span (for reference, I am 5'6"). For the most part, I think what fits now will fit moving forward

I did make the mistake of buying new clothes while I was still in the process of losing weight. I, too, have some items I bought 5-6 mos ago, tags attached, that are now too big.

 

[NE202DC]

Adding to Dude's comment: When you alter the sleeves at McCoy's that you maybe only wear a few times before you decide to sell, you risk losing a lot of money due to value loss and for most possible buyers the sleeves may end up too short.

I plan on keeping the khaki McCoy's. Overall, it's very comfortable and I generally like the fit. I'm hoping the shortened sleeves will improve it even more. I'm at the weight I'll likely stay at going forward (if everything goes as planned). I've been within 5 lbs or where I'm at for about 2 months, give or take.