Johnsons Leather Fit Jacket Feedback

[avsmusic1]

Do you know what weight of leather you want??

Based on what Alan says he can get in brown, it's looking like 3oz steer or 2.5-2.75oz HH. He's got a 3.5oz steer that I like the weight of better than the 3oz steer but it's got a pebble grain finish to it that I'm not wild about.

 

[ButteMT61]

One thing that does help motivate me (forget health, it's secondary, right?) to keep weight somewhat in check is my jackets. If you do gain weight, you certainly risk looking like a sausage i the jacket is too tight.
Do what YOU like. YOU have to wear the jacket. You'll never get a consensus here - thank god! Enjoy what you want. I made the mistake of putting too much weight on other's thoughts early on. Input is fine, but use it sparingly...

 

[pawineguy]

Assuming losing the quilted liner would free up 1/2" I'm starting to think the following adjustments
+1.5" in body length
+.5" in chest
+1" in bottom (I know the pics don't show it well but the stomach is pretty taught. If I raise my arms and it rides up, its taught enough to stay there when I put my arms back down. Also, I think the extra length may require the bottom hem to have space to accommodate the top of my hips.)

I think your numbers make sense based on the photos. And you are right about the hips, if the additional length brings it to the top of your hips you don't want it pushing up from your hips. On the other hand, when adding length to this type of jacket, I'd measure and make sure it's sitting just above the hips so that you avoid that problem.

You're going to have a terrific jacket.

 

[jacketjunkie]

I own this very jacket with some mods to it as well and I made the mistake to go for a trim fit, which I now regret. It's showing the same tension around the chest as your fit jacket. I would advice you to go for at least 2" more in the body all the way down because you are only wearing a tee and if you want to wear a hoodie, your calculated one extra inch won't do. Auf you want to be able to wear it after gaining 10 pounds, better make it 3".

Sleeve length is great, they will get half an inch shorter. Shoulders are good imho. If you make it too much longer, it will get to your broader hips and you won't be able to zip it or it will always ride up. I wouldnt add more than 1" in length.

 

[jon11]

Having bought two jackets from Alan, leave it to him as he gets everything spot on.

 

[avsmusic1]

I own this very jacket with some mods to it as well and I made the mistake to go for a trim fit, which I now regret. It's showing the same tension around the chest as your fit jacket. I would advice you to go for at least 2" more in the body all the way down because you are only wearing a tee and if you want to wear a hoodie, your calculated one extra inch won't do. Auf you want to be able to wear it after gaining 10 pounds, better make it 3".

Sleeve length is great, they will get half an inch shorter. Shoulders are good imho. If you make it too much longer, it will get to your broader hips and you won't be able to zip it or it will always ride up. I wouldnt add more than 1" in length.

Wow! That seems like a lot but it's helpful input. 3" is more than a full size up! It sounds like it didn't initially fit snug. If you don't mind my asking, did you gain weight/muscle? Would you mind sharing any details on the initial fit and subsequent shifts in your weight? I think I saw an thread from earlier this yr of yours when I was researching the m200 but I don't recall the fit pics.

I know that Alan will switch out side panels down the road if you/I need it too. He can add a few inches without compromising the overall shape/aesthetic

 

[jacketjunkie]

When I determined the fit via a fit jacket, I was around 175 pounds and I could zip up the jacket with a sweater on and it would look pretty much exactly like yours now. Note: with a sweater, you only wear a tee.

I gained about 5 pounds since and i can still zip up the jacket with a sweater on but it will be even trimmer than your fit pictures I think, since the tension/stretch lines under the chest muscles are more visible than on your pictures. It still works, you know, but it would definitely look better if it was 2" wider, like the other fit picture someone posted here in this thread because it would still be trim but have less of a wetsuit feel to it.

My advice for your next step is to try on the jacket with the thickest sweater you own and see how that looks. Then decide how much extra space you want and if you want to add an extra inch for minimal weight shifts (Christmas Cookies season coming up ) Because based on your fit pictures I would be surprised if you could comfortably zip up the jacket with a sweater on.

 

[Peacoat]

I have two of these jackets from Allan, so that makes me an expert on fit with the M-200. Seriously, as Butte said, it depends on how you want it to fit.

If it were my jacket, I would want to go up a size in the torso and add and inch or so to the length. I prefer my length to be below the belt, but not low enough to impede access to the front or rear pockets. Even by going up one size, it might still be a tight fit through the chest with a sweater. As another poster said, after the sleeves wrinkle up, you will lose 1/2", but it appears they may have already wrinkled some. I prefer my sleeve length to be longer rather than shorter, so I would probably leave the sleeves alone.

I agree with Jon11 that Allan can give excellent advice on fit after you tell him what you want. But first you have to know what you want and how you want it to fit.

 

[avsmusic1]

Thanks again everyone for all the feedback. Based on your experiences I'm leaning towards the following

Assuming losing the quilted liner would free up 1/2" I'm starting to think the following adjustments
+1.5" in body length (or 1" in the front and 1.5" in the back)
+1" in chest
+1.25" in bottom/waist
-1/2" in sleeves

That would put me just shy of the fit equivalent of 1 size up in the torso. That said, like others have noted, I'll trust Alan and his master tailor to steer me in the right direction so if they strongly suggest something else I will defer to their expertise. I talk to them on Tuesday so I'll post updates once we talk and hammer out the details.

 

[ButteMT61]

I'd go with those numbers sans the change to the sleeves. I don't see that being a good move, but that's me...paranoid about short sleeves since 1970!

 

[avsmusic1]

I'll run that by Alan too

 

[Monitor]

I'd go with those numbers sans the change to the sleeves. I don't see that being a good move, but that's me...paranoid about short sleeves since 1970!

+1

Seriously, avsmusic, DON'T shorten the sleeves. You may seriously regret this decision as it can render the jacket unwearable! Creases will take an inch or more out of 'em in no time.

 

[avsmusic1]

U thinking an additional inch out of what the test jacket is already showing? It's pretty broken in

 

[navetsea]

since you add different length on the back and front panel, so the back hem is slightly curved, right? longest at the center and slightly shorter on the sides where they meet the front panels.

 

[avsmusic1]

since you add different length on the back and front panel, so the back hem is slightly curved, right? longest at the center and slightly shorter on the sides where they meet the front panels.

Good question. I'm honestly not sure if it's curved as a stock cut, and I can't really tell in my pics. I wasn't planning to have them curve it if that's what you're asking. The back panel just seems to stop higher on my body (I assume it's designed as such) and I'm thinking I'd like the look better if it were lower.

 

[Carlos840]

+1

Seriously, avsmusic, DON'T shorten the sleeves. You may seriously regret this decision as it can render the jacket unwearable! Creases will take an inch or more out of 'em in no time.

Yes and no...

Sleeves are weird. I have 4 jackets, sleeves are 25", 26", 27" and 27.5". In wear, all of them are the same length and reach the same part of my wrist.
It seems that the longer the sleeves the more it ends up creasing at the elbow and shortening. If it is already short, creasing will take up less space and they won't lose as much.
In a way monitor is right, better sleeves to long than to short, on the other hand, if they are a lot to long odds are they will still be to long even after creasing.

To me the sleeves on the test jacket could definitely lose 1", and this is what i would remove if i was ordering.
The rest of you r changes look good to me.

Good luck.

 

[avsmusic1]

Finalized the specs recently and thought I'd drop them here for posterity. Targeting late Oct for completion so pics to come. Thanks again for you help everyone!

Specifics:
Brown horsehide (~2.75oz)
Cotton lining - heavy brown drill for body and nylon for sleeves
Cream colored stitching
Hidden pocket on inside left (horizontal - no snap)
No chest pockets
Button cuffs
Nickel/Silver hardware #7 one way zipper ( start zipper 1” up from bottom)
No wind-flap
+ 1 ¼” to chest
+ 1 3/4” wider waist and bottom
+ 1 ¼” longer body length
Heavy corduroy pocket lining on exterior pockets
Move exterior pockets down 3/4"
Reduce sleeve length by - 1/4"