How tight should a leather jacket fit?

[Jasonindenver]

By ”tailored” do you custom or do you mean altering the Shott??

If you go full custom, you are probably looking about $1000 from Johnson. A semi custom Aero cafe racer will be a couple hundred more. Talk to Carrie about getting a test jacket first. The stock size might even be perfect for you.

If you got a great deal on the Shott, you may save only $200-$300 over the cost of JL or Aero.

 

[MattCrush]

I am built like the OP with a 9in drop and broad shoulders too and have gone through about a dozen “custom” jackets to find a good fit. I’m of the mindset now of buying a stock size that fits in the chest and shoulders and sending it off to Carrie or JL to tailor the torso and hem. It’ll cost you $150-$250 to alter but at least you can return the jacket if you don’t like the style or if it doesn’t fit in the chest/shoulder. It is still cheaper this route than selling the I’ll-fitting custom jacket for a 50% loss. I would probably trust Field Leathers and Thedi to get custom measurements right, but not too confident with the other makers.

Here’s a pic of a size 42 Aero BR that was ordered tapered to a 40 from the factory but was still way too big in the torso. I sent it to Carrie to take another 2” off the torso and hem and now it’s one of my best fitting jackets.

View attachment 562153 View attachment 562154

Could JL have done a custom from the start?

 

[theleatherbedwetter]

I am built like the OP with a 9in drop and broad shoulders too and have gone through about a dozen “custom” jackets to find a good fit. I’m of the mindset now of buying a stock size that fits in the chest and shoulders and sending it off to Carrie or JL to tailor the torso and hem. It’ll cost you $150-$250 to alter but at least you can return the jacket if you don’t like the style or if it doesn’t fit in the chest/shoulder. It is still cheaper this route than selling the I’ll-fitting custom jacket for a 50% loss. I would probably trust Field Leathers and Thedi to get custom measurements right, but not too confident with the other makers.

Here’s a pic of a size 42 Aero BR that was ordered tapered to a 40 from the factory but was still way too big in the torso. I sent it to Carrie to take another 2” off the torso and hem and now it’s one of my best fitting jackets.

View attachment 562153 View attachment 562154

Hey man who is Carrie? And JL? Do you have a link or contact. Sick fit man

 

[Aloysius]

Hey man who is Carrie? And JL? Do you have a link or contact. Sick fit man

Carrie = Thurston Bros clothing in Seattle.

 

[ycloud77]

Hey man who is Carrie? And JL? Do you have a link or contact. Sick fit man

JL is johnson leather in san fran.

 

[theleatherbedwetter]

Carrie = Thurston Bros clothing in Seattle.

Thanks for the response, is she known around these forums? You just ship her your jacket if you need a trim?

 

[theleatherbedwetter]

JL is johnson leather in san fran.

Thanks for the reply, are they really well known around these forums for their work?

 

[Peacoat]

Thanks for the reply, are they really well known around these forums for their work?

Yes, well known for doing excellent work.

 

[Bfd70]

Thanks for the response, is she known around these forums? You just ship her your jacket if you need a trim?

No, they are a distributor for Aero, Vanson, and Thedi. They have a “fit jacket system” wherein they will send you a jacket to try on and you can use that is a jumping off point to order a custom jacket with adjustments made based off the fit jacket.

 

[robinerluke]

I have a 39in chest and 30in waist, but pretty broad shoulders for my height. I'm having a lot of trouble finding a leather jacket that fits the way I like. I am after the fitted/tailored look, but don't want something that is skin tight and impossible to move in. I tried on several Schott cafe racer models and I really like the 554 (lighweight leather) but it seems I'm right on the cusp between a small and medium.

Wearing just a button down shirt underneath, the small is slightly too tight in the shoulders and upper chest. Especially when zipped up, I feel restricted lifting my arms above shoulder level or reaching forward, like tying my shoes is quite difficult. I also feel slight pulling across the upper chest when rolling my shoulders back. If I let my shoulders hunch forward a little, it feels fine. Unzipped it also feels fine and looks great, but I wonder if it is somewhat impractical to buy a jacket that can only be comfortably worn unzipped.

The medium feels much better in the shoulders and chest, but has way too much extra material in the stomach and the sides just kind of hang straight down rigidly (very boxy, maybe better after breaking in?) which is not exactly flattering.

Is it normal for a leather jacket to feel restricting in the shoulders/chest, especially when zipped up? Will those areas stretch out over time? Or should I go for the larger size? Is it reasonably easy to find a competent tailor to take the waist in? I understand leather is harder to work with than fabric, and it would suck to spend so much on a jacket only to have it ruined by a tailor.

Or alternatively, are there any other brands/fits that are more tapered/less boxy, that also come in a lighter weight leather Activewear for Men and Women Australia? I will note that this problem is not unique to leather jackets I also have issues finding suits and wool jackets that fit perfectly off the rack, but those seem simpler to get tailored.

A well-fitted jacket will mold to your body over time, so it’s best to choose one that feels slightly tight at first rather than loose.

 

[Aloysius]

A well-fitted jacket will mold to your body over time, so it’s best to choose one that feels slightly tight at first rather than loose.

Not necessarily.

 

[El Marro]

Not necessarily.

Agreed. A jacket that is too tight stays too tight.

 

[Monitor]

A well-fitted jacket will mold to your body over time, so it’s best to choose one that feels slightly tight at first rather than loose.

Hard no.

That's just sensory adaptation doing its thing, especially with some convincing but leather jacket should never, ever feel any degree of tight. If it does, it's too small.

 

[Jon Crow]

Hard no.

That's just sensory adaptation doing its thing, especially with some convincing but leather jacket should never, ever feel any degree of tight. If it does, it's too small.

Not least uncomfortable, everybody would see it's too tight, soften up yeah but stretching, nope

 

[RDS]

I think some people confuse tightness with ‘newness’.
As has been said above unless there’s a loss of weight a tight leather jacket will always be a tight leather jacket. However, depending on the hide used a new jacket which fits may initially feel stiff, or possibly even a little uncomfortable, but it will still fit.
As it becomes ‘broken in’, or as I prefer to call it ‘worn’, the leather will soften and crease, particularly in the places where it was probably more noticeably stiff i.e. elbows, shoulders, armpits, etc.
The same equally applies to shoes and there must be many thousands of wardrobes and closets around the globe where too tight leather items all languish unworn as they were bought in a sale or at a bargain price in the mistaken belief that they would ‘stretch’

 

[Jon Crow]

I think some people confuse tightness with ‘newness’.
As has been said above unless there’s a loss of weight a tight leather jacket will always be a tight leather jacket. However, depending on the hide used a new jacket which fits may initially feel stiff, or possibly even a little uncomfortable, but it will still fit.
As it becomes ‘broken in’, or as I prefer to call it ‘worn’, the leather will soften and crease, particularly in the places where it was probably more noticeably stiff i.e. elbows, shoulders, armpits, etc.
The same equally applies to shoes and there must be many thousands of wardrobes and closets around the globe where too tight leather items all languish unworn as they were bought in a sale or at a bargain price in the mistaken belief that they would ‘stretch’

Most of that is one ebay or vinted now and in description bought in error or wrong fit