FarWalker
New in Town
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- Location
- Middle East
Fellow Loungers -
Sometime last year, I had an urge to treat myself to a nice leather jacket but had no idea how to go about it. An Internet search brought me to this site, where I lurked for a few months, checking out the photos and advice of other happy (and occasionally unhappy) shoppers until I was ready to pull the trigger on an order.
In choosing my jacket, I had no interest in historical accuracy (who really wants to wear their pants that high?), nor did I want to become a chronic buyer of leather jackets, modifying and experimenting until I got it right. What I wanted was a near-perfect, high-quality garment that would fit my long torso and arms and that I could wear all over the place for many, many years.
The jacket has now arrived and I am very happy with it. Here is my post about the process and all I learned from it for all those others lurking out there and trying to make decisions about their own fateful orders. I also feel that the Original Hercules is a great design that is underrepresented on the Lounge. I almost didn’t go for it since I couldn’t find any fit pictures of it that I liked, especially in brown. Now I am glad I did.
I hope this post proves useful.
But first, the jacket:
Front, unzipped:
Front, zipped:
Side, unzipped:
Back, zipped:
Back, unzipped:
Tag:
Front, flat:
Back, flat:
The specs:
Aero Original Hercules in Brown FQHH
Size 38
27.5 inch sleeves
26.5 inch back
Horizontal left front chest pocket with ball zip
Inside left gun pocket with ball zip
Antique brass hardware
Lochcarran tartan lining in body; brown drill in sleeves
The final product measures 17.5 inches across the shoulders in the back and 22 inches pit to pit across the front.
For those trying to gauge fit, I’m 6’1”, about 170 lbs. I wear size 38 suit jacket, usually slim cut.
The tale:
Since there was no way for me to get to Scotland to try on jackets, I ordered through Thurston Bros. to get a fit jacket before placing my order. I recommend that route, as the fit jacket will give you a much better sense of what you are going for than looking at a bunch of photos online. Throughout the process, Wade and Carrie were very helpful as I waffled, asked tons of nitpicky questions and repeatedly changed my mind and order.
At the start, I called and told Wade I wanted an Original Hercules. He asked some fit questions and sent me a size 38 Sunburst Halfbelt as a fit jacket. I was a bit dispirited, as the Sunburst is too flashy for me and the jacket was way too snug – meaning I liked neither the model nor the fit. But I sent Wade some photos and listed my concerns, and he recommended a 38 Hercules, which is slightly wider in the chest, with added length to the body and arms.
It took a number of months to get the jacket. My first order came back from Aero shorter than ordered. Carrie sent me a photo of it and let me modify a few things before ordering up a re-do. At no time did she try to convince me to take a jacket that didn’t line up with my order, which I appreciated. After that there was a delay because Aero was out of Brown FQHH. The final jacket came a month or so later and was spot on.
The leather is super heavy, but is already breaking in nicely (the photos above are after two weeks of wear, including a stroll in the rain). I always have a hard time getting sleeves that are long enough, but the custom order solved that. And the body is long enough that I don’t get a draft up my belly when I raise my arms (which I hate). The body is so stiff that the collar and shoulders rise when I sit down. I probably could have lessened that by asking that the front zipper start two inches above the bottom of the jacket, but I am guessing that this will be less of a problem once the leather breaks in.
If I were to do it again, the only thing I would change would be not to put a chest pocket and inside pocket on the same side. Both have lots of extra leather around their openings and are lined with heavy moleskin, so they add considerable bulk to that side of the jacket. They also overlap and will probably show through the front as the jacket breaks in. Whether that will be annoying or merely add to the garment’s character, only time will tell. I like the look of the breast pocket, but the inside pocket is more useful for stashing cash and such, so I’d probably go with only the latter. I have actually considered cutting out the inside of the breast pocket to get rid of the extra bulk, but it hasn’t bothered me enough yet to drive me to such extremes. Any loungers have experience with inside/chest pockets breaking in in unfortunate ways?
In general, the jacket is a beauty and a treat to wear.
Comments and queries welcome.
Sometime last year, I had an urge to treat myself to a nice leather jacket but had no idea how to go about it. An Internet search brought me to this site, where I lurked for a few months, checking out the photos and advice of other happy (and occasionally unhappy) shoppers until I was ready to pull the trigger on an order.
In choosing my jacket, I had no interest in historical accuracy (who really wants to wear their pants that high?), nor did I want to become a chronic buyer of leather jackets, modifying and experimenting until I got it right. What I wanted was a near-perfect, high-quality garment that would fit my long torso and arms and that I could wear all over the place for many, many years.
The jacket has now arrived and I am very happy with it. Here is my post about the process and all I learned from it for all those others lurking out there and trying to make decisions about their own fateful orders. I also feel that the Original Hercules is a great design that is underrepresented on the Lounge. I almost didn’t go for it since I couldn’t find any fit pictures of it that I liked, especially in brown. Now I am glad I did.
I hope this post proves useful.
But first, the jacket:
Front, unzipped:
Front, zipped:
Side, unzipped:
Back, zipped:
Back, unzipped:
Tag:
Front, flat:
Back, flat:
The specs:
Aero Original Hercules in Brown FQHH
Size 38
27.5 inch sleeves
26.5 inch back
Horizontal left front chest pocket with ball zip
Inside left gun pocket with ball zip
Antique brass hardware
Lochcarran tartan lining in body; brown drill in sleeves
The final product measures 17.5 inches across the shoulders in the back and 22 inches pit to pit across the front.
For those trying to gauge fit, I’m 6’1”, about 170 lbs. I wear size 38 suit jacket, usually slim cut.
The tale:
Since there was no way for me to get to Scotland to try on jackets, I ordered through Thurston Bros. to get a fit jacket before placing my order. I recommend that route, as the fit jacket will give you a much better sense of what you are going for than looking at a bunch of photos online. Throughout the process, Wade and Carrie were very helpful as I waffled, asked tons of nitpicky questions and repeatedly changed my mind and order.
At the start, I called and told Wade I wanted an Original Hercules. He asked some fit questions and sent me a size 38 Sunburst Halfbelt as a fit jacket. I was a bit dispirited, as the Sunburst is too flashy for me and the jacket was way too snug – meaning I liked neither the model nor the fit. But I sent Wade some photos and listed my concerns, and he recommended a 38 Hercules, which is slightly wider in the chest, with added length to the body and arms.
It took a number of months to get the jacket. My first order came back from Aero shorter than ordered. Carrie sent me a photo of it and let me modify a few things before ordering up a re-do. At no time did she try to convince me to take a jacket that didn’t line up with my order, which I appreciated. After that there was a delay because Aero was out of Brown FQHH. The final jacket came a month or so later and was spot on.
The leather is super heavy, but is already breaking in nicely (the photos above are after two weeks of wear, including a stroll in the rain). I always have a hard time getting sleeves that are long enough, but the custom order solved that. And the body is long enough that I don’t get a draft up my belly when I raise my arms (which I hate). The body is so stiff that the collar and shoulders rise when I sit down. I probably could have lessened that by asking that the front zipper start two inches above the bottom of the jacket, but I am guessing that this will be less of a problem once the leather breaks in.
If I were to do it again, the only thing I would change would be not to put a chest pocket and inside pocket on the same side. Both have lots of extra leather around their openings and are lined with heavy moleskin, so they add considerable bulk to that side of the jacket. They also overlap and will probably show through the front as the jacket breaks in. Whether that will be annoying or merely add to the garment’s character, only time will tell. I like the look of the breast pocket, but the inside pocket is more useful for stashing cash and such, so I’d probably go with only the latter. I have actually considered cutting out the inside of the breast pocket to get rid of the extra bulk, but it hasn’t bothered me enough yet to drive me to such extremes. Any loungers have experience with inside/chest pockets breaking in in unfortunate ways?
In general, the jacket is a beauty and a treat to wear.
Comments and queries welcome.
Last edited:
