First Aero Order - Highwayman

[keesak]

Hi everyone, I have been lurking for a few weeks or so now learning more than I ever thought possible about Aero's jackets.
I am really glad to have found this community as I will now be personalizing my order in more ways than I ever would have thought to.

Anyway, in working with Amanda, I have come up with the following list of specs that will be finalized once I receive the sample swatches (want to be sure the brown is pretty dark).

Here are the specs if anyone has any comments or recommendations on something I may not have thought of:

•"Highwayman" - Heavy Front Quarter Horsehide
• Size 42" with 27" Back length and 26.5" Sleeve length
• Color Brown
• Nickel Hardware
• Remove Storm Cuffs
• Leather facing inside the cuffs (Extra £50)
• 2 inch leather strip across inside bottom to protect edge of lining (Extra £50)
• One horizontal zip pocket on exterior, LHS
• Vertical “gun” pockets with snap closure opening on the inside leather facings
• Body Lining - Mackenzie Weathered Tartan
• Sleeve Lining -cotton drill with a rayon overlay
• Hand warmer pockets lined in brown corduroy
• Utility pockets lined in moleskin

The only thing I was really still flip-flopping on was the custom lengths of sleeve and back....want to be sure it covers the belt and that the sleeves arent ridiculously long but still leaving room to "wrinkle shorter" during the break in. (BTW, I am 6'-1")

I am really looking forward to ordering, receiving, and being in a position to post comments based on my experience once it arrives!!

Thanks all!
Keesak

 

[andy richards]

Hi Keesak and welcome on the Fedora Lounge,
The Highwayman is a great choice! Keep in mind that these jackets have a rather "boxy" cut. Always give Amanda your sizes like chest, waist, armlength, build, etc. Good luck and cheers!
Andy

 

[ButteMT61]

Sounds like a nice order! Look forward to seeing it, and welcome!

 

[mattp]

I'm just over 6'3" and ordered 27" sleeves on my cafe racer. I've got a current cafe racer with a 26.5" back on it which goes a couple of inches below the belt at the back. Based on that I would think your measurements should give you a back that's long enough, and you're always better with arms too long than too short as they can be shortened.
Sounds like a great jacket, I'm planning a black FQHH highwayman with similar modifications. Cheers, Matt

 

[eClairvaux]

Sounds like a great order! I might consider getting plain cuffs, which i like better than the standard ones. Contrast stitching in olive also looks nice and i never use the right inside pocket and would probably settle for only one instead. Mine also has no back yoke, but I like both styles. Finally name tags are a nice thing to have on the inside.

 

[too much coffee]

Welcome to the Lounge keesak!

coffee

 

[oldcrow82]

Welcome keesak, the sleeve length sounds short to me. I'm 5'10" and order sleeve lengths 26"
Also I know loungers are fans of leather linings on the bottom hem and sleeve ends, I personally think that would add undesirable rigidity to those areas. Your doubling the material in that area only which means the jacket will bend and fold in other areas.
I think about how annoying my stiff HH highwayman rides up on me when I sit down (jacket zipped). Seems to me a leather hem at the bottom would compound issues like that. Just my two cents.

 

[mattp]

They can shave the leather down that they're doing the protective lining with, so it's not double the thickness but still offers protection.

 

[Grayland]

Welcome keesak, the sleeve length sounds short to me. I'm 5'10" and order sleeve lengths 26"

That is hard to say for sure as people have different length torsos and arms. I'm 5"9.5 and I order 25 inch sleeves.

 

[OneEyeMan]

Welcome Keesak.
I have 2 thoughts to pass along.
Instead of the leather hem along the lining bottom, I got brown corduroy.
It looks really beautiful and is much more supple than the leather as others have said.
This is my 3rd year with it and it shows almost no wear.
As for the inner and exterior pockets, I recommend not putting an exterior zipped pocket on the same side as an interior gun pocket.
The layers really pile up and make that side very bulky.
Additionally, it prints on the outside.
Just a thought.
Good luck with the order.
Lenny

 

[keesak]

Thanks everyone! I did provide some other measurements to her from which she derived the size 42" with 27" Back length and 26.5" Sleeve length. For reference and to help anyone else down the road, the other measurements were :

Height is: 6'-1"
Chest relaxed: 42"
Chest expanded 43.5"
Waist: 37"
Stomach: 38.5"
Normal Sleeve: 35"
Sleeves and torso were finally arrived at after I sent a few photos, so I think she has me pegged pretty well as far as that goes.

Eclarvaux, could you elaborate on the difference between plain and standard cuff, or were you just referring to the storm cuff? If so, I agree and am going in that direction. I asked Amanda about the contrast stitching and she said that since the Highwayman has roll-over stitching throughout, there would not be a location to use contrast stitching on this model. I agree with you though, I think the olive looks great.

I considered the stacked pocket dilemma and was considering just doing one inside pocket on the opposite side but then it would be a left handed pocket which doesnt make a lot a sense for my rightie needs. The other option would be to put the zipper on the right hand side which seemed a little odd, or just eliminate it. I kind of like the traditional look of the pocket though.....TBD on this I suppose.

Mattp, you say they can shave it down, is that something that is done standard for this detail?

Thanks again for all the insight!

Keesak

 

[mattp]

I'm not sure if they shave it down as standard to be honest, but when I was talking to Giles at Iron Heart, who I placed my order through, he mentioned it and said we could do it on my jacket. Might be worth asking them just in case it's not.

 

[Lungomare]

They can shave the leather down that they're doing the protective lining with, so it's not double the thickness but still offers protection.

But they didn't (with my HWM), although I had ordered thin leather stripes ...

Regards,

Johannes

 

[ButteMT61]

You can also ask for a lighter hide on the strip. No big deal, and it doesn't bother me one bit.
But cord might work well too. Their corduroy is awesome. I lined all my pockets with it.

 

[JanSolo]

Welcome to the lounge!

This is the most important advice I have for you (I have to quote Lenny):

I recommend not putting an exterior zipped pocket on the same side as an interior gun pocket.

Don't put too many pockets on your jacket. You probably won't use them and too many pockets look silly especially if you stuff too many things into them. The less you carry around the neater the jacket looks.

Good luck with your order!

 

[eClairvaux]

Eclarvaux, could you elaborate on the difference between plain and standard cuff, or were you just referring to the storm cuff? If so, I agree and am going in that direction. I asked Amanda about the contrast stitching and she said that since the Highwayman has roll-over stitching throughout, there would not be a location to use contrast stitching on this model. I agree with you though, I think the olive looks great.

The standard cuff is doubled-up with an angled patch of leather sewn on top of the sleeve (see pic below). I have recently seen a HWYMan without it, but can't find the thread. I really liked the cleaner look.

As for the contrast stitching: roll-over stitching or no, there are a number of visible seams on my HWYMan (and all others) and the contrast stitching would certainly show on that model as well. But may be I got something wrong here. Just check my picture how many visible seams you can still spot.

btw, this is mine, ca two years back:

for reference, the no-yoke back:

Please excuse my woolen slippers in safety-minded international orange, but as you know most fatal accidents happen at home.

 

[Lungomare]

The standard cuff is doubled-up with an angled patch of leather sewn on top of the sleeve (see pic below). I have recently seen a HWYMan without it, but can't find the thread. I really liked the cleaner look.

As for the contrast stitching: roll-over stitching or no, there are a number of visible seams on my HWYMan (and all others) and the contrast stitching would certainly show on that model as well. But may be I got something wrong here. Just check my picture how many visible seams you can still spot.

btw, this is mine, ca two years back:

for reference, the no-yoke back:

Please excuse my woolen slippers in safety-minded international orange, but as you know most fatal accidents happen at home.

By comparison:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?63524-Won’t-trade-it-for-pure-gold-…

Customizing was:

- Regular size 38 with back-length 65,5 cm/26" and arm length 67,5 cm/26.6".

- No storm-cuffs.

- Leather strips inside at waist (2") and cuffs (1.5") - please use soft and thin leather matching the colour of the jacket.

- Lining: dark green / olive cotton drill.

- Zip breast pocket as usual on the left side and one inside pocket on the right side (vertical opening, the "gun"-style). Depth of this inside pocket is 7".

- AAF Regulation Name Tag in brown leather on the lining under the Aero company label.

Kind regards,

Johannes