Eastman Luftwaffe Jacket sizes for 40/42

[HPA Rep]

I spoke to Charles last week regarding some Lone Wolf Engineer boots. He took his time with me and seemed like a heckuva good guy who is hell bent on customer service.

Thank you! I genuinely love what I do, the best part of which is customer interaction. I respect the fact that most of what we sell isn't cheap and that money doesn't come easily for most people, so providing information and guidance that will allow the customer to make a valued purchase they won't regret later due to size, style, color, options, etc., is of the utmost importance. I never make decisions for customers but I will offer advice that is based on experience, product knowledge, and the input the customer provides or that I need to extract through Q & A.

I invite you and anyone else to please always ask questions and then ask more questions. Unless you're in a hurry, a paced approach helps build your confidence and helps us at HPA serve you to our highest performance levels.

Best regards,

Charles DiSipio
History Preservation Associates

 

[HPA Rep]

I totally agree with your philosophy as a seller/vendor. However, customers come in many shapes and sizes. Many people on this site have already purchased a dozen or more Eastman model jackets, for example, and have acquired a knowledge of fit, etc., which I'm sure they leverage when making buying considerations. A low information/experience buyer has the most to gain from a knowledgeable seller/vendor, but you don't want to frustrate high information/experience buyers unnecessarily. I agree that your experience and knowledge would benefit a person like me, who has never worn or even seen an Eastman in the flesh. But you don't want to come across as a know-it-all when dealing with people with many years experience and deep familiarity with your product already, either. It's a fine balance, and good sellers know how to keep it that way.

Yes, there can be a fine line between being extremely knowledgable and coming off as a know-it-all, and when communicating via keystrokes vs. orally, the nuances can get even more indistinct, which I certainly hope wasn't the case here - that was not my intention to be that which I'm not - a know-it-all.

I realize that this thread was about the fit of an Eastman Luftwaffe jacket but it's touched on a subject that is of value to anyone making a purchase of any jacket style from any maker, thus I hope you'll kindly indulge this as potentially beneficial to everyone.

I'd like to share one set of illustrations as to why using measures alone to gauge correct size can create problems, even among those who own many jackets from the same maker:

The Eastman Imperial German WWI Aviator's Coat in size 40R has a pit-to-pit average measure of 21".

The Eastman Luftwaffe Jacket in size 40R has a pit-to-pit average measure of 23.5".

The Eastman B-3 Jacket in size 40R has a pit-to-pit average measure of 24".

The Eastman B-6 Jacket in size 40R has a pit-to-pit average measure of 23".

The Eastman A-2 Jacket in size 40R has a pit-to-pit average measure of 22.5".

The Eastman A-1 Jacket in size 40R has a pit-to-pit average measure of 22".

My chest is exactly 40" in circumference, I'm built leanly and athletically, and I wear size 40R in all of the above-cited jackets and couldn't comfortably wear any size smaller; however, I can comfortably wear an Eastman A-2 in goatskin in size 38R, which has a pit-t-pit average measure of 21.5", but I could never comfortably wear a size 38R in any Eastman horsehide A-2.

The Eastman Star Sportswear A-2 Jacket in size 40R has a pit-to-pit average measure of 21" and I cannot comfortably wear this size and must wear size 42R, which has a pit-to-pit average measure of 22" and it possesses an arm diameter at the elbow that is just enough wider vs. the 40R to take the tension off my elbow. Elbow tension can end up translating up my arm and into my back and shoulders.

98% of HPA customers purchasing an Eastman B-6 jacket would only be satisfied if the size they purchased was one up from their chest measure (chest is 42", jacket size is 44), and 1% would go up by two full sizes (chest 42", jacket size 46), which leaves another 1% who would be happy wearing a B-6 size that matched their chest measure.

If I owned all of the above jackets and wanted to make a new purchase of a different style from all of the above while utilizing jacket measures to make this purchase, which of the above jacket measures would have meaning to me in making my size selection?

If this question causes you confusion, I'd say you have every right to be confused, as I surely would be, too.

When HPA cites jacket measures for customers or we see them listed on various websites of many makers, the measures will commonly include four areas of measure: the chest, shoulder, arm, and back. While I absolutely acknowledge that having this data can be useful in making a purchase, it fails to convey the complete picture. Those who manufacturer garments will tell you that there are other notable variables to consider beyond the four we typically encounter, which includes but is not limited to the following:

1) High chest

2) Shoulder slope

3) Highpoint shoulder

4) Armhole drop

5) Armhole diameter

6) Arm diameter at upper arm

7) Arm diameter at upper elbow

8) Arm diameter at forearm

9) Weight and thickness of material including lining

10) Seam thickness

11) Distance from armhole base to jacket bottom

12) Jacket design style


I would never expect any maker to list any of these 12 details that can impact fit; most people wouldn't know what the maker was talking about and wouldn't be able to apply such data usefully.

When I was thinking through the new HPA website functionality I knew I wanted to list measurements, but I also didn't want to be setting customers up for confusion and/or costly returns, frustration and disappointment that could be avoided or, at the least, minimized by doing something that hadn't been done before as part of a suite of sizing tools. When the new HPA website rolls out, we'll list the four typical measures for every jacket and shirt of every brand we carry, but there will also be a variety of supplemental information available for the potential customer that will enable them to make better-informed online purchases if they choose to avail themselves to this data.

I hope this illustration can be helpful to some of you the next time you are trying to determine the best fit in any item by any maker.

Best regards,


Charles DiSipio
History Preservation Associates

 

[Mr.Astor]

Man oh Man, I thought the hat thread sometimes can get intense!