Fit question: New Aero A-2: 42-18775-P

[Boyo]

I agree with above, not a perfect fit but, it seems like you got a quality jacket for a good price.. The rest is up to you ( do you want too or can you spend more for perfection?) I think the jacket is wearable, just maybe not with low cut jeans and untucked shirts

 

[Foster]

I would definitely order a Bronco. The 38-1711 is a nice slim fitting jacket too with a number of great features but regarding your height you would have to add at least two inches to the body length as the 38-1711 is also the shortest of all A2 contracts Aero offers. This jacket can also be quite restrictive in the shoulder area whereas it is not as long and slender in the lower body portion as the Bronco is.

Going by your measurements I would order a size 40 Bronco with an inch added to body and sleeves. That should fit perfectly.

Here are two jackets of my friend Olli.

Pic 1 38-1711 in FQHH with added body and sleeve length. Still a very short jacket, unwearable with shirt untucked or Long sleeve:

Pic 2 FQHH Bronco with a little added body length. Notice the much better fit?

They both look like 38-1711 pattern jackets to me?

 

[JanSolo]

They both look like 38-1711 pattern jackets to me?

The second pic shows an A2 made on the Bronco pattern but with 38-1711 details i. e. small pockets, collar stand, half leather facing for zip, top stitching on cuffs etc.
The pattern is 100% Bronco but Olli liked many details of the 1711 so much that Will agreed to mix both jackets up. He even put the gracefully shaped Bronco collar on the pre-war model collar stand.
Quite a mixed up spec sheet but the jacket is lovely and the fit is perfect...I've seen it in person.

 

[Foster]

The second pic shows an A2 made on the Bronco pattern but with 38-1711 details i. e. small pockets, collar stand, half leather facing for zip, top stitching on cuffs etc.
The pattern is 100% Bronco but Olli liked many details of the 1711 so much that Will agreed to mix both jackets up. He even put the gracefully shaped Bronco collar on the pre-war model collar stand.
Quite a mixed up spec sheet but the jacket is lovely and the fit is perfect...I've seen it in person.

And now I find myself wanting one just like it... Thank you for clarifying the details!

 

[majormajor]

The second pic shows an A2 made on the Bronco pattern but with 38-1711 details i. e. small pockets, collar stand, half leather facing for zip, top stitching on cuffs etc.
The pattern is 100% Bronco but Olli liked many details of the 1711 so much that Will agreed to mix both jackets up. He even put the gracefully shaped Bronco collar on the pre-war model collar stand.
Quite a mixed up spec sheet but the jacket is lovely and the fit is perfect...I've seen it in person.

An excellent jacket!

 

[JanSolo]

And now I find myself wanting one just like it... Thank you for clarifying the details!

Unfortunately the "Custom your jacket to hell"-days are over. A Bronco in FQHH with 1711 pockets might still be realistic, though. But a total mash up is not very likely.

 

[majormajor]

Unfortunately the "Custom your jacket to hell"-days are over. A Bronco in FQHH with 1711 pockets might still be realistic, though. But a total mash up is not very likely.

My understanding (although I could be wrong) is that Ken at Aero does not want to do mods which spoil the vintage vibe of the jacket.

However, I would hope that this Bronco/Aero mixup would be acceptable. It is surely a very "vintage" looking A2.

If Ken turns this kind of work away, then he will be giving AlexCo business on a plate:eeek:

 

[Foster]

I didn't think Alexander Leather was going to make A2 jackets?

 

[flightjacket]

Thanks for the tips - and the photos to show!

I would definitely order a Bronco. The 38-1711 is a nice slim fitting jacket too with a number of great features but regarding your height you would have to add at least two inches to the body length as the 38-1711 is also the shortest of all A2 contracts Aero offers. This jacket can also be quite restrictive in the shoulder area whereas it is not as long and slender in the lower body portion as the Bronco is.

Going by your measurements I would order a size 40 Bronco with an inch added to body and sleeves. That should fit perfectly.

Here are two jackets of my friend Olli.

Pic 1 38-1711 in FQHH with added body and sleeve length. Still a very short jacket, unwearable with shirt untucked or Long sleeve:

Pic 2 FQHH Bronco with a little added body length. Notice the much better fit?

 

[flightjacket]

And I mentioned I'd upload another set of pics for reference, this time with a belt, etc. Maybe this helps shed some light on my dilemma?

 

[kojax]

alot better

 

[Sloan1874]

On the basis of your second set of pics, I'd hang on to it. Great looking jacket at a bargain price, just remember to tuck-in first.

 

[wild_balls]

I agree with the loungers above, and it will even get better when broken in!

Cheers Joakim

 

[JanSolo]

Really looks better now but still a bit wide around the belly...which is due to the general pattern of this contract.
Pic 2 shows well how much leather your jacket has in the back. The jacket is wearable but it looks too balloony IMHO. You're well built so you could easily wear a much trimmer cut A2.

The spray bottle method would help to shape the jacket if you intend to keep it. Evenly mist the jacket (outside) with hot water and work the moisture in with your hands. (It won't do any harm to the leather.) Then shape collar and pocket flaps as desired and wear the jacket indoors until its fully dry (about one hour). This helps a lot to get a slightly worn-in appearance and takes the bulkiness out the jacket. -Especially the sleeves will look a lot more natural after that treatment.
DON'T DO THIS if you think about sending it back to trade it in!!!

 

[Foster]

I agree it looks much better in the second set of photos. Still slightly short, but it doesn't look nearly as obvious.

 

[majormajor]

It depends how you want it to fit.

As a "relaxed modern" fit, I guess it pretty much fits the bill, so if that is what you want, you are there.

On the other hand, if you want a "wartime" fit (ref some of the other pics posted), then you need something much narrower for your frame.

As I always say, you pays your money...you takes your choice

 

[tonypaj]

It depends how you want it to fit.

As a "relaxed modern" fit, I guess it pretty much fits the bill, so if that is what you want, you are there.

On the other hand, if you want a "wartime" fit (ref some of the other pics posted), then you need something much narrower for your frame.

As I always say, you pays your money...you takes your choice

I've paid my money and my choice is whatever it happens to be on a particular day...

Jansolo has presented a modern, go with jeans, young dude jacket. Then there is a boxier jacket of this thread, shorter, that only fits high rise trousers. However, both of them were there in WWII. No "wartime fit" really existed... With slim dudes, and with not so slim dudes, you got what you got, there's plenty enough of pictorial evidence here and on VLJ.

Now today, you can have your choice. To me, the only thing that counts is the totality, the whole look. If you want to have a seriously authentic jacket, just add a bit more with pants, it helps . No costume, just clothes the complement the others you are wearing. Then again, if you are interested in fashion, go Jansolo's way. And the clothes fit again. Your choice...

 

[Lungomare]

(...) Would a size 42 work better for a guy like me (5'11", 175lbs) or would that be too big? Or, would it be wiser to order (say, a Bronco) special ordered?

Regards!

With a size 42 you may get the right length on the body (and the sleeves), but a much too wide torso. So better measure this jacket, add 2" on the body and 1" on the sleeves and have it customized. Price is higher, but correlates with a higher pleasure wearing it.



This was customized the same way: Aero 38-1711-P with longer back length and sleeves:




Kind regards,

Johannes

 

[thor]

With a size 42 you may get the right length on the body (and the sleeves), but a much too wide torso. So better measure this jacket, add 2" on the body and 1" on the sleeves and have it customized. Price is higher, but correlates with a higher pleasure wearing it.



This was customized the same way: Aero 38-1711-P with longer back length and sleeves:




Kind regards,

Johannes

Great fitting A-2 Johannes! If your photo were black & white and the plane in the background was a P-40, it could pass as 1942!

 

[majormajor]

great fitting a-2 johannes! If your photo were black & white and the plane in the background was a p-40, it could pass as 1942!

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