New Aero A2 Jacket - keep or return?

[ton312]

All new jackets have a shape totally their own until they break in. This one looks no different if not a bit loose for my personal preference. As others have said, wear the snot out of it and as it relaxes it will become your own. That smile in the first pic tells me you had a good feeling about the jacket right away. That's all that really matters, enjoy it man!

 

[ton312]

Perfection is rarely achieved by any of us here, although IMHO you jacket fits well enough. Below is an example of variation in fit of WWII pilots.
View attachment 77835

Below is a picture of my wearing my Aero Bronco A-2 that many here consider an optimum fit but is a bit tight for my taste.
View attachment 77836

My Gibson & Barnes "historical" Model 43 A-2 fits one full size larger than the Aero, perhaps looks a bit baggy, but feels great when wearing it.
View attachment 77838
View attachment 77839

CONCLUSION: Enjoy your new A-2

Yeah I love that first one Fanch. I'm not an A-2 guy but that is a lovely jacket, beautiful hide and the fit looks pretty damn perfect for my preference.

 

[Fanch]

My Aero A-2 has an interesting story. When I bought it from another member 2-3 years ago, it was already five years old. Then a year ago I sold it to @pawineguy who recently downsized several of his collection of jackets, so I bought it back from him. The Aero A-2 Bronco is one of the only jackets I own that has a worn in look with patina, although the lining and knits are in great shape. Like @ton312 I am not all that much of an A-2 guy either, but ...

 

[Sloan1874]

It's a marginal call - I tend to go by the cuffs. If the knits have vanished completely, then that's too much, but yours are marginal. I think a good wear in and it'll be great. Beautiful looking jacket.

 

[Benny Holiday]

As much as I dig seeing the patina on a well-loved jacket, I've got to say the leather on your A-2 looks like rich dark chocolate and looks so good with those knits MJ. Congratulations! Now enjoy wearing it and breaking it in to your form!

 

[ton312]

My Aero A-2 has an interesting story. When I bought it from another member 2-3 years ago, it was already five years old. Then a year ago I sold it to one of my friends @pawineguy who recently downsized several of his jackets, so I bought it back from him. The Aero A-2 Bronco is one of the only jackets I own that has a worn in look with patina, although the lining and knits are in great shape. Like @ton312 I am not all that much of an A-2 guy either, but ...

It's not a pattern on my radar but if I had one....I'd want that one! This place does have a way of making you sway. If you asked me two years ago if I'd want a green leather jacket with a shawl collar I would have literally LOL'd. Now...it's very serious.

 

[nick123]

I wear an Eastman that is two sizes two big and I love it. It could be a size smaller but it's long enough so that I could get away with a standard size-and still have the room I prefer. I think yours looks excellent. Mine has already molded to my frame and is much less puffy than when I initially got it. Yours will relax too.

 

[seres]

I think the jacket looks good on you. Unbuttoning the collar will improve the overall look.

I order an A-2 sized so that there is 4 to 5 inches of “room” in the chest, which is usually about 1 size bigger than my suit size. I feel an A-2 should fit loose, so you can move.

Your sleeves seem just slightly long, but with wear and wrinkles, they’ll shorten slightly and the fit will seem just fine.

Several have mentioned the Hot Water Treatment. I would wait several months, and then ONLY if you feel very lucky, try the HWT on the sleeves only. I did the HWT once on an entire jacket, and the shrinkage was about 5% on most measurements. On a 20-inch sleeve, that might be about an inch, so be very careful. I will NOT try the HWT again.

A better solution would be to wear it, even in the rain, and let it age and adjust naturally.

As thor said in post 14, “…Just keep wearing the darn thing (especially in the rain) and before you know it, you'll have a fully broken-in A-2 that really looks authentic.”

 

[BobJ]

You nailed it brother! That is a sharp looking jacket.

I have a seal jerky jacket (a halfbelt) and feel that jerky horsehide is THE most under-appreciated leather on this forum. It has great grain, it's tough as nails, but after breaking in, becomes velvety soft, and it ages gracefully - gaining character and patina that reflect the life of it's owner.

As I'm sure you already know, once the collar gets wet, either from rain, or from you intentionally, you can shape it and let it dry, to achieve the curve and look that you want.

Fit and sleeve length are matters of personal preference, and I personally prefer the fit and sleeve length of your jacket. I like a looser, more comfortable fit. I like to be able to wear layers under it if I want to. I want to be able to live my life in it without always fighting against it - to be comfortable in my 'skin', as it were.

Some might say your sleeves look a bit long just standing there posing like that, but I would like to see a photo with your arms extended out in front of you, like you're driving a car (or vintage bomber), or with your hands behind your head, like you're taking a nap at work. I'll bet your sleeves look the perfect length in those, and other, real life positions - and not be riding halfway up your forearms.

BTW - my seal jerky hh sleeves never shortened to any degree that I noticed. The leather gets so soft and drapey, that the wrinkles and creases that do develop, relax out when your arm is hanging down, and don't stay wrinkled and creased... much.

I am definitely looking forward to worn-in photos in about a year!

I hope you enjoy your jacket, and grow old with it, for the rest of your life. It's one of the good ones to do just that in.

Bob

 

[Brettafett]

Matt, its good. For the price you paid. Keep this jacket. Wear it. It will soften and mould to your body over time. The sleeves WILL shorten a touch after wearing and creasing sets in and you will be grateful. Just wear it in all weather, don't coddle it.
You can spend years searching for the perfect fit and never quite nail it. looking at WW2 pics is dangerous, the fits and styles varied as much as the men who wore them. One can find a pic to show any pov you have.
I think this jacket looks good on you.

 

[TREEMAN]

KEEPER !!

 

[CBI]

total keeper!!!!!

 

[Edward]

I like it. Well within the ballpark of "accurate fit", and looks good. As others have said, as it breaks in and 'relaxes', it will come into its own.

Use your size to your advantage: Aero do a lot of their samples in the smallest sizes (keep an eye on their sale page), and smaller sized jackets are always easier to pick up in used bargains than the larger sizes we bigger guys fight over!

 

[MattJacket]

Thanks all,

It had a bit of a light drain on it this morning and afternoon and also got a few muddy paw prints added by an over excited labrador which I was a bit upset about at the time but there's no scratches. Scratches are inevitable at some point though so I have to get over the instinct to treat this jacket with kid gloves and treat it like a boss!

I must say, for a medium weight HH, it's far stiffer and more substantial than I had expected. I'd compare the thickness to a regular cowhide sofa or motorcycle jacket - but of course, this stuff has stacks more character. I've always drooled over the idea of a heavy FQHH jacket - assuming that anything less would be limp, fragile and not manly enough. This leather has completely re-educated me and it would be absolutely nuts to have a jacket with such small dimensions in anything heavier.

I'm looking forward to the time when it's properly broken in and believe it will form to me very nicely.

Now I know that an off-the-peg Aero designed for 12 year olds is a reasonable fit, I'll be looking out for a B3 for the winter!

Cheers,

Matt

 

[ButteMT61]

I think most of us here worried about scuffs, dirt, rain, etc. on our first new jacket. Now, I actually look for things to do in order to get them to age, sans one vintage G-1. The new ones all get tossed, stepped on, etc. so I can accelerate wear enough before I kick the bucket
I do draw the line on newborn baby "stuff". For my new granddaughter, there's no jacket within 10' LOL
Cute, but...

 

[Stand By]

I like it. Well within the ballpark of "accurate fit", and looks good. As others have said, as it breaks in and 'relaxes', it will come into its own.

Use your size to your advantage: Aero do a lot of their samples in the smallest sizes (keep an eye on their sale page), and smaller sized jackets are always easier to pick up in used bargains than the larger sizes we bigger guys fight over!

Good point on using the size to an advantage, Edward. You remind me that I was thinking about your jacket, Matt, on the dog walk around 5AM this morning and it struck me that I ought to mention my personal opinion on to not put any USAAF patches (vintage or repro) on the jacket as they are all of a standard size which will look far too big on that jacket.
If you ever do decide to go for a made-for-measure jacket one day (and then you can send Aero this jacket as a reference pattern for how you'd like things altered slightly, so you're guaranteed of a perfect fit next time!) then you'd have this jacket as a knockabout jacket and maybe you'd be tempted to make it look different and give it a different look from the other A2 and put patches or an AAF decal (or jacket art) on it as many A2's look great with them - and in that case I'd recommend that you only get custom painted insignia (either on leather to make the patch or painted directly on the jacket) that is scaled down to be in-scale to suit the jacket. From where I'm sitting, the jacket looks like any regularly sized and cool A2 - but properly-sized patches will instantly emphasize that it isn't and will take the "cool" from it, so I'd go with either custom patches - or - leave it be (and it looks very fine as-is). Less definitely would be more in this case, if ever you feel that itch to go for patches.
Just didn't want you making any mistake to it as it's a good thing on you.

 

[MattJacket]

I hadn't thought about patching it up as I quite like the plain Jane look. I think if I did ever want to spruce it up, Aero do occasionally have some scaled down patches that might work.

A custom painted insignia would look cool but I usually wear a rucksack so it would probably never get worn off pretty quickly.

One thing that bothers me is my wristwatch is a pain to wear with the jacket. The knits can't decide where they want to sit. My daily wearer is a vintage screwback G-Shock. Not huge but certainly a lot bigger than anything they had in WW2! I have a nice automatic watch too which is a little smaller but the crown would probably tear the knits to pieces.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[Fanch]

Wristwatches do tend to create problems with jackets with knits which may be the main reason I prefer jackets without knits. For your next Aero jacket maybe look at a Board Racer or a Sheene. Given your build, Aero's Premier Range Highwayman might be worth considering too.

 

[Stand By]

Oh no! He's talking watches!! Here we go ... LOL! See you later, thread. Detour Ahead!
I wore my vintage 1958 Rolex for all the 18 years I had my A2 and it never harmed the cuffs - and I have a modern perpetual Rolex today (so a crown again) and that's not harmed the cuffs on my Aero ANJ-3 one bit, so I don't think you need to worry that much. Just enjoy.

I didn't know Aero makes scaled-down patches! Good to know. Thx!

 

[Fanch]

We can't have jacket threads without discussing watches too at some point. I advise the OP to expand his new jacket hobby to include antique pocket watches as well.