leather jacket porn for fetishists and zealots

[schitzo]

I obviously can't speak on behalf of aero, but I'd guess this might be the same as when the customer has an order in and during the wait there is a price increase. In such circumstances aero honours the price at the time of the order.

So my guess is, if cord hems were permitted at the time of the order, and you placed yours on that understanding, then they would probably still do you one if you insisted.

I wasn't that fussed and pretty much said that If Ken doesn't wanna do it then forget about it, I can too

 

[Edward]

I imagine the potential problem might also be mitigated by choice of lining... The drill cotton and other, harder-wearing linings Aero are using now may well be selected because they don't droop, and maybe don't need the better wear-resistance. It would be interesting to hear from Holly on this, if she ever has the time(!), as Aero were previously pretty clear on the shift away from a leather strip to corduroy being more period accurate and doing the same job.

 

[Boyo]

Just to stir it up a bit more....but I have a jacket on order since November. (1930's Half belt) originally asked for the leather trim, I was told no more leather but we can do a cord strip, ok fine lets do cord, recently I was informed no more cord either, as Ken doesn’t like the look.. I have no experience one way or the other as this is my first Aero. All in all not a big deal for me

 

[schitzo]

Just to stir it up a bit more....but I have a jacket on order since November. (1930's Half belt) originally asked for the leather trim, I was told no more leather but we can do a cord strip, ok fine lets do cord, recently I was informed no more cord either, as Ken doesn’t like the look.. I have no experience one way or the other as this is my first Aero. All in all not a big deal for me

But what is your lining gonna be Boyo? Like Edward says, some are more problematic than others. Of course, if you made your order in November then there is till plenty of time for you to change your mind half a dozen times..

 

[Capesofwrath]

"Ken doesn't like the look." But Ken isn't going to be wearing it is he?

Reminds me of the old joke: No I can't go with you to the woods, mummy wouldn't like it. Mummy's not going to get it sweetheart. To the woods.

 

[Sloan1874]

Conversely: 'I want', doesn't get...

 

[Capesofwrath]

The customer is always right, even when he's wrong. Companies do well to remember that.

 

[Davy Crockett]

All great jackets, I love brown FQHH, also when Will was at Aero he told me there was never a need for any kind of inside hem, it was awkward to do and wasn't required!

D

 

[Boyo]

But what is your lining gonna be Boyo? Like Edward says, some are more problematic than others. Of course, if you made your order in November then there is till plenty of time for you to change your mind half a dozen times..

I added a tartan for the lining, as I understand here this may be more prone to sagging, right? Anyway I'm not going to create a stir over a mod no one will see with the jacket on. If down the road, there is a problem, I can't imagine it would be a difficult fix. In fairness to all at Aero, I was a bit neurotic with my questions about length, and fit and exchanged many revisions which they accommodated without issue.

 

[Sloan1874]

The customer is always right, even when he's wrong. Companies do well to remember that.

Tell that to Stu at LW! I'm very wary of letting the customer override the expert, especially in clothing design. Does money trump decades of experience, knowledge and skill? I'm not sure it does. I'd rather let myself be guided by the person who has intimate knowledge of the product as to what would look best on me. After all, with a small company, it's in their absolute interest to have you walking out the door looking great. If you can't afford a massive ad campaign, your customers are your walking billboards.

 

[Edward]

I added a tartan for the lining, as I understand here this may be more prone to sagging, right? Anyway I'm not going to create a stir over a mod no one will see with the jacket on. If down the road, there is a problem, I can't imagine it would be a difficult fix. In fairness to all at Aero, I was a bit neurotic with my questions about length, and fit and exchanged many revisions which they accommodated without issue.

That was the big concern for many, yes. That said, my Bootlegger is now nearly three years old and has had a lot of wear. I wasn't aware of the concept of such strips when I ordered it, and have had no sagging or undue wear problems. Tartan lining.

Tell that to Stu at LW! I'm very wary of letting the customer override the expert, especially in clothing design. Does money trump decades of experience, knowledge and skill? I'm not sure it does. I'd rather let myself be guided by the person who has intimate knowledge of the product as to what would look best on me. After all, with a small company, it's in their absolute interest to have you walking out the door looking great. If you can't afford a massive ad campaign, your customers are your walking billboards.

As with anything, there has to be a reasonable balance; while the customer should certainly have an input, I agree that it is important to trust the manufacturer's knowledge of their own product. There is a difference between, say, adding a throat latch to a halfbelt, and asking for a Highwayman to be recut to the extent that it becomes something wholly other than it was designed to be. Certainly, Aero's biggest advertising is its wearer, so I can well understand them not liking the idea of someone out and about in something with which they are not happy.

 

[schitzo]

I am just wondering if Ken has another solution in mind.

As the very fact that cord hems were once offered is surely in itself an acknowledgement of the problem, namely that linings have been known to sag over the leather hem. Or might this have just been customer appeasement, which has now run its course? Granted it isn't a major eyesore when that does happen to a lining, but it would seem to be an imperfection.

 

[Capesofwrath]

Tell that to Stu at LW! I'm very wary of letting the customer override the expert, especially in clothing design. Does money trump decades of experience, knowledge and skill? I'm not sure it does. I'd rather let myself be guided by the person who has intimate knowledge of the product as to what would look best on me. After all, with a small company, it's in their absolute interest to have you walking out the door looking great. If you can't afford a massive ad campaign, your customers are your walking billboards.

As I wrote above and others have added here too there is a big difference between a customer cocked up jacket which we have all seen and this. It's just the bottom of the lining FFS. This is being precious. I've had an Aero where the lining sagged so I know what I'm talking about.

 

[Sloan1874]

ACtually, I'd agree with you on the cord thing, but think I edited that bit out of my reply. Perhaps Ken will just add to the modification option list and charge accordingly.

 

[cordwangler]

As I wrote above and others have added here too there is a big difference between a customer cocked up jacket which we have all seen and this. It's just the bottom of the lining FFS. This is being precious. I've had an Aero where the lining sagged so I know what I'm talking about.

Yup, sagging can happen - it happened on my jacket with cotton drill lining - and of course it's avoidable. Also, the lining will wear quickly rubbing against jeans belt loops. Again, this can be prevented with a fabric or leather strip. I'd want any future jacket from Aero to have such a strip to avoid sag and prevent such wear happening so quickly.

Customers who don't like these particular features - or bugs - might go elsewhere if their very easily fulfilled, and hardly onerous, requirements can't be accommodated.

 

[Edward]

As I recall, it always was an extra to the standard patterns (save some of the mc jacket designs, like the King of the Road, which has a leather strip at the back seam (in addition to a full corduroy lining on the body). Given Aero have now moved to having a set range of extras at set charges, this would be a logical place to put that option (assuming they don't have an alternative plan in mind). Better a range of paid-for upgrades than an overall price rise across the range to cover the costs of loads of free extras, IMO, though 'heavy users' who order several jackets a year might of course feel otherwise!

 

[majormajor]

Given Aero have now moved to having a set range of extras at set charges, this would be a logical place to put that option (assuming they don't have an alternative plan in mind). Better a range of paid-for upgrades than an overall price rise across the range to cover the costs of loads of free extras, IMO,

+1

 

[Capesofwrath]

I may be wrong but I get the impression that it's an issue of aesthetics for KC rather than cost or standardisation.

 

[Capesofwrath]

Yup, sagging can happen - it happened on my jacket with cotton drill lining - and of course it's avoidable. Also, the lining will wear quickly rubbing against jeans belt loops. Again, this can be prevented with a fabric or leather strip. I'd want any future jacket from Aero to have such a strip to avoid sag and prevent such wear happening so quickly.

Customers who don't like these particular features - or bugs - might go elsewhere if their very easily fulfilled, and hardly onerous, requirements can't be accommodated.

That's what I think too.

 

[majormajor]

It is interesting to note that Thurston/Insurrection are advertising (in the Merchants section) for "custom" orders of Aero jackets, and describe one new Aero with "the option to be fully customized!!!" ...

So who is correct?

Are options being reduced, or are they still available?

I agree with Edward. As long as custom extras are paid for, it seems reasonable to ask for them