Good Wear-abouts

[El Marro]

As for having never seen a negative review, well, that's a mystery, isn't it? So many unwanted GW jackets becoming second, third hand bargains.

This is true for all the top tier manufacturers who grace these pages and I think it says more about the jacket collector than it does about the jackets themselves.

 

[handymike]

As I said before, this can be a process. I love my Imperial, and @Grayland seems very happy with the one that was slightly too large for me. Win / win I think!

 

[ProteinNerd]

Notwithstanding the foregoing, I have changed my mind and elected to retain my GW Imperial. It is simply too good to let go. Moreover, someone capable of replicating John's artisan methods has graciously agreed to modify the front of the jacket to better fit me, and we are currently working out the details. More to follow.

That’s great news!

 

[red devil]

That’s great news!

Indeed

 

[red devil]

BTW, does John make the jackets as a secondary activity or is it his main one? I am not clear on that

 

[Dr H]

His main activity.

 

[tropicalbob]

Not sure how often it was a case of guys being in 'top physical condition' - it's more a case of young people being thin, eating less, moving more.

I was thinking also of the rate they were putting those guys through boot camp and flight training just to keep up with the losses as the war went on. I'd imagine that the jackets were issued to the fliers soon after training.

 

[seres]

I was thinking also of the rate they were putting those guys through boot camp and flight training just to keep up with the losses as the war went on. I'd imagine that the jackets were issued to the fliers soon after training.

Actually, the A-2 jackets were issued during primary training. I have a pic of my Dad wearing his A-2 during Primary, flying a PT-19. I'm not sure of the date, but I think it was just after solo.

 

[Grayland]

Actually, the A-2 jackets were issued during primary training. I have a pic of my Dad wearing his A-2 during Primary, flying a PT-19. I'm not sure of the date, but I think it was just after solo.

Regardless of when they were issued - those young men had suffered through the great depression and were a skinny bunch.

 

[tropicalbob]

Regardless of when they were issued - those young men had suffered through the great depression and were a skinny bunch.

Things had turned around quite a bit by that time. I have a photo of my Uncle Bill, who was an immigrant and the son of a Glasgow ship's carpenter, standing in front of a brand-new Buick he had just bought in 1940, just before the war and his enlistment in the Marines and subsequent deployment to the Pacific theater.
Some time ago I was involved in a disagreement about this topic. My adversary claimed it was the war that got us out of the Depression, but I remembered that photo and disagreed, saying that it was largely FDR's economic policies. So I did some reading and found out that I was right, but because the issue had begun to take on modern political prejudices and the other guy wasn't about to change his opinion no matter what evidence was put forward, I let it drop.

 

[ton312]

The obscene wait times discuusssed in this thread extend far beyond common sense. 4 years for a jacket, 8 for a hat?!? C'mon man. That's just silly. There may be some willing to do so. Is it worth it? Not for me and bitching about it is fair play. Particularly if that isn't made crystal clear from the get go. If the assumption is anything else then there is a degree of dishonesty (or lack of full disclosure AT LEAST) that can't be denied. There's really nothing to debate.

 

[Big J]

30 mins for pizza, that's my idea of a long wait. I stand in front of the microwave for three mins and scream 'Hurry up!' during the last 10 seconds.

 

[nick123]

30 mins for pizza, that's my idea of a long wait. I stand in front of the microwave for three mins and scream 'Hurry up!' during the last 10 seconds.

I always stop it around 5 seconds. Plus you can avoid the annoying “it’s ready” beep.

The good news with this Goodwear wait is that used or returns show up rather frequently. Not plan A, but with a little patience and fortitude, they’re out there.

 

[zebedee]

For me, anything longer than four months would seem ridiculous. I get jackets tailor-made because I like Aero's patterns, but any other item (apart from suits) I'll get off the rack and have altered as necessary. Something as simple as a hat I wouldn't ever consider having tailored unless wait time was under a month. Even then, a flat cap suffices for me most of the time. 18 months+ for a jacket I'd not consider. I think I'm lucky that I'm happy enough with Aero's products not to be interested by other brands.

 

[zebedee]

I'd be interested, however, to know what would make people say to themselves, for example, 'I am ordering this jacket at the age of 42. I will get it (hopefully) by almost 44. I will spend almost two years waiting for... [fill in the blank, e.g. the best-made/most authentic/most tightly-stitched jacket]'.

I don't keep buying Aeros because even a couple of months makes me feel a bit of a fool, and I probably have too many, anyway.

 

[Dav]

All too long for me I'm afraid, 11 months that stretched 18 for my Role Club boots was long enough.

 

[barnabus]

I bought a cross zip off eBay at the weekend and it won't arrive until tomorrow; I've already run out of patience!

 

[Sloan1874]

Four years for a hat does seem a touch excessive. Though if you really want something that's in great demand and is top of the tree then I guess it's a case of what the buyer is willing to bear. I've got to say that I didn't jump on the GW list easily, I had to think long and hard because as everyone says, there are implications in a two-year wait. That said, once I did it, I just put it to the back of my mind, only looking at the website every so often to look at the latest production.

 

[pak]

If a GW made to order is what you want drop the fee, get in line and get on with life. There are many options to fil in the time

 

[Flightengineer]

My message written here this morning mysteriously disappeared, although there was nothing reprehensible in it ...
My friend waited 1.5 years after placing the deposit in GW and now he think about cancell order , 4 years of waiting is too long time for him.
For me as well...