Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

is wearing vintage uncomfortable for you ?

daddy-o

One of the Regulars
Messages
213
Location
Brno, Czech Republic
Well, so I scored a fab looking late 40´s , early 50´s horsehide aviator style jacket on ebay. It has that cool short boxy cut, very tough horsehide and the mouton collar is in great nick. The lining needs to be renewed but who´s complaining at a cost of just under 100 USD. These jacket go for thrice the price. It is about my 4th vintage jacket in a row, the measurements looked OK, so I put it on and here we go again. Looks great but too uncomfortable to wear for a longer period. Too tight everywhere, cant properly move the arms because the horsehide is too tough. Too tight and tough under the armpit, the seam is very hard and pokes me under the arms. Another one that will probably be resold. So my point is how many of you folks wear vintage threads but actually feel physically uncomfortable in them. Just because you like the look. I actually stopped wearing most of my original gab shirt not because I got fatter but because while I love the vintage look I dont feel comfortable in the actual shirts , jackets etc. Ok it may have something to do with the fact that I am fairly short and have a 42 chest so finding something big enough in the chest and short enough in the sleeves and overall length is fairly difficult. Nevertheless I heard it from other hepsters lately : as you get older the tight, trim and fitted vintage look just becomes a bit uncomfortable for you ( also coz most folks also do get bigger...")
Nuff rambling over to you folks....
 

nulty

One of the Regulars
Messages
259
Location
McGraw ,New York
feel the burn

Wearing vintage can be like a workout. You suffer the pinch of an ill fitted shoe or the stab of an overly large lapel or the squeeze of a well made inseam....

The good thing is that along with age comes not only extra girth but better sense as well.......

Buy it to collect if you like it but forget wearin it......

if it doesn't fit don't commit.....

Be well......
jay
 

moustache

Practically Family
Messages
863
Location
Vancouver,Wa
Not at all!

Thats what tailors and alterations are great for.I feel wonderful wearing vintage and if i have a bit of problem fitting now and then,i diet for a time.
Make the clothes fit you if possible.
Nothing worse than being uncomfortable in the clothes one wears.

JD
 

daddy-o

One of the Regulars
Messages
213
Location
Brno, Czech Republic
Yeah, know what you mean. I am the most regular customer at my tailor, there nearly every month. Take a bit off here, can you widen this etc etc.
Too bad my latest purchase cant be altered....
 

kools

Practically Family
Messages
680
Location
Milwaukee
Perhaps it is my size...not remarkable in any way. I'm 6'0" & 175 lbs. I feel most comfortable in vintage, shirts, pants, jackets, suits...whatever. I generally do not like the loose cut of modern clothing. I do, of course, believe that the clothing is made to match the thicker people that our modern society is so good at creating.
 

Dinerman

Super Moderator
Bartender
Messages
10,562
Location
Bozeman, MT
I find it quite comfortable.

I feel a little out of place in modern clothes when I wear them sometimes, especially with ball caps, because I try to adjust them or take them off by the crown, only to find that there is none.
 

reetpleat

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,681
Location
Seattle
Well, that is kinid of a complicated question for me. I find vintage slacks, suits, etc more comfortable than the equivilant, but I am very physically sensitive, so I find it difficult to wear suits or any heavy clothes sometimes. I hate collars buttoned up, but will wear them to wear a tie with vintage.

I am much more comfortable in a t shirt and jeans, and wear that a lot. But when I do put on a suit, it feels good. NOt exactly comfortabel in like wearing nothing, but it feels good and comforting and reasonably comfortabel. I used to wear vintage and nothing else. I guess I would find things that fit just right.

But they won't compare to the loose fit of wearing modern stuff. IF you wore nothing but a long big t-shirt, you would be more comfortble than anything else.

THe one thing that I have gotten used to now is short waiste rise. I used to be slim and high waisted pants felt so perfect up high. Now medium rise tend to fall, so I need eityher true vintage, or very low waisted so they will sit on my hips. I am not much bigger now, maybe ten pounds. But it is the difference between my high waisty being the narrowest part of my body, and now right above my hips being the narrowest part.

On thing I had to often explain to guys when I worked in the vintge shop is that the suit they thought was too small, was actually too big, and the arm holes were binding on their biceps. They would try to keep going up in size when they should go down.
 

kools

Practically Family
Messages
680
Location
Milwaukee
Reet...you make a good point. If you are comparing comfort of a suit with that of jean & a t-shirt, it's no contest. I've no need to put on a suit today, so I'm currently wearing a 1940s Pendleton shirt with Dickies jeans (medium rise) & some work boots. I couldn't be more comfortable (unless naked). But if we are talking vintage versus modern fit, I still find vintage more comfortable.
 
Messages
11,579
Location
Covina, Califonia 91722
Feraud said:
Vintage is not uncomfortable. Incorrect sizes and horsehide can be a problem.
******
This is the right approach, get the right size and it should be fine, if it is a little off see if it can be altered by a tailor.

I was wondering if any of the leather treatments might soften the horsehide jacket and make it a bit more comfy. How about several hours in a cool dryer tumbling with some smooth but fairly heavy items?
 

reetpleat

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,681
Location
Seattle
John in Covina said:
******
This is the right approach, get the right size and it should be fine, if it is a little off see if it can be altered by a tailor.

I was wondering if any of the leather treatments might soften the horsehide jacket and make it a bit more comfy. How about several hours in a cool dryer tumbling with some smooth but fairly heavy items?

One treatment that will work is keep it oiled well and wear it regularly for about thirty years. That should do the trick.
 

Feraud

Bartender
Messages
17,188
Location
Hardlucksville, NY
John in Covina said:
I was wondering if any of the leather treatments might soften the horsehide jacket and make it a bit more comfy. How about several hours in a cool dryer tumbling with some smooth but fairly heavy items?
That could possibly help. From everything I have read horsehide is very tough and takes years to break in.
Depending on one's temperament, an alternative hide might be a better selection.
 

thunderw21

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,044
Location
Iowa
If your jacket is stiff or dried you might try some leather conditioner. Pecard conditioner is very good stuff, many WW2 and A2 flight jacket collectors swear by it for restoring flaking and stiff leather to good, 'useable' condition.

http://www.pecard.com/shop/

Any other conditioner will work also, just avoid saddle soap and neetsfoot oil; these will eventually clog the pores and dry the leather out.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,847
Messages
3,088,972
Members
54,600
Latest member
Lizamaison
Top