New Black Aero 1930's Half Belt (with fur collar attachment)!

[Hammer Down]

What do you think of this new jacket I picked up over the weekend in Seattle? Is the back too baggy? Are the arms long enough (for riding MC)? Is this model made for riding motorcycles? What is the collar made of? Sheep's wool? I was planning on ordering a brown jacket of the same model from Aero, and then found this black model in-store, so I snagged it. Brown HH grains up so nicely, but I guess the black will also develop its own charms, as well.

I am about 20 pounds overweight right now, so I think in all fairness the bottom of the jacket might be "hiking up" a bit when it's zipped up, so it may bunch up less once I shed the weight in the next few months.

My main concern with the jacket is the back being too baggy; however, I think this extra bagginess is designed to allow for greater range of motion when riding a motorcycle.

As for the blurring in my face, not to worry: I am a reptilian shape-shifter from Inner Earth. I still have not mastered the art of fooling digital cameras lol

 

[jimmer_5]

The back looks good to me - I wouldn't call it baggy at all. The sleeves look ok if you're wearing them buttoned up. Congratulations on the new jacket!

I need to get up to Insurrection one of these days - it sounds like it would be worth the drive.

 

[mrc]

Looks good...both in body and arm length! That's the button-on collar, right?

 

[Hammer Down]

Yes it is, MRC. Button on collar. It sticks out wider than I thought it would and is more conspicuous than I expected. It will take some getting used to, and I may wear my new Aero more without the fur. Still, it's nice to have the choice to be furry or not. I think it would be cool to have Aero do a custom black fur collar that is more shiny and sleek.

I like Insurrection a lot, Jimmer. It was worth the drive from Portland. I booked a room at a B&B in the U District and hung out in some of my old haunts with my girlfriend. She had never been to Seattle before. MRC is lucky he lives there.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

With the shirt tail sticking out...how can anyone tell if the body length is long enough? Looks like it may be above your beltline...but maybe that's how you want it...?
IMO..the reason it blouses directly above the halfbelt..is because it looks skin tight from the HB and below.
Guess some of us do differ in how we like our jackets to fit on and off our Motorcycles. However..if you're happy..that's what counts.
HD

 

[Edward]

I absolutely love Aero's button on collar design. I don't have one yet, but when I buy any new Aeros in future, I plan to have one added: as the OP says, it's nice to have the choice. Nice to see it in black, too.... I'm hoping to buy a black Thirties Halfbelt next year, and am still undecided as to what colour of collar to go for. The Thirties Halfbelt is certainly an unforgiving fit if you have a stomach.... mine is definitely noticeably neater than my Bootlegger (although certainly not uncomfortably so). I need to lose a couple of stone anyhow, which will help, though when I order a new one I plan to see if I can have just two inches more in the waist.

HammerDown, my understanding is that this jacket design predates the era of specific motorcycle clothing being common. In the very early days of motorcycling, bikers made do with the utility clothing available - lots of them wore basic, civilian utility jackets like this (and many simple waxed cotton coats like Belstaff or Barbour). Remember too the limits of the average motorcycle back then, plus there being comparatively so little traffic on the roads (back in the Fifties, my dad "collected" car registration numbers he saw driving past near his home - he and a friend had to sit and wait for them coming past, often for half an hour and more.... these days they go past so quickly you couldn't see the number plate). It's simply a much more dangerous activity in recent decades, therefore much more protective gear became required. For me personally, were I to run a bike now, I'd be happy with an Aero FQHH jacket: I'd happily compromise on the full-on safety gear, which for me personally would suck all the fun out of it. If I wanted to dress up lie a Power Ranger I'm sure there are places for that. That said, I'd have no interest in riding fast, or a big performance bike of any sort, or in heavy traffic..... if you do any or all of those regularly, your mileage may vary.

In terms of material, the fluff on the collar is Mouton (mouton fur in North American; apparently it has also been called Beaver Lamb in the UK - never heard that myself, but I learned about it in the context of USAAF flying jackets, so). IT is sheepskin that has been chemically treated so that it resembles fur.

 

[pauleway]

I think the jacket looks good. The only thing I don't like about the Aero fur collars, for my personal taste is they are too large. I like the smaller fur collars like the ones on the early G-1's and some of the the new military issues I see now. If I were ordering a fur collar attachment from Aero I would ask them to make it a lot smaller than the ones I have seen on all there jackets with fur attachment or permanent fur collar. IMHO The smaller collar is more practically functional and looks better also!

 

[Hammer Down]

Yes, I agree with your comment on the mouton. A real fur collar would be preferable that is not so cumbersome. I will ask to have Aero make a real detachable fur collar accoutrement (not mouton) that is sleek and black and more compact.

As for Housier, I appreciate your candid observations. I went and checked the jacket length the minute after I saw your comments. It is well over the back of my jeans, down about two inches from the top of my jeans.

As for the "skin tight" look, I can get three fingers between the jacket bottom and my front. The back fits tight on this model and right now it is too tight, you're right. I plan on losing 20 pounds ASAP, so if I really do lose the weight it will be better once that work is done. Thank you for your direct honesty, Hoosier, even if it sounded a little cranky. I always appreciate someone who says exactly what they think, especially when I ask for advice. Two fingers, Hosier, out your way. What do you ride? I've got a 2009 Bonneville Black.

 

[dr.velociraptor]

The jacket looks fine for an MC jacket, I have no idea what kind of MC jacket people wear if they want it long and loose or what bike they ride, but any jacket I've owned that was too loose or long was awful to wear on a bike, not to mention it will be around your throat as you slide down the road.

You definitely made a good decision not to buy a larger jacket to accommodate a gut you want to lose. Even if you did get a jacket big enough to accomadate the gut it wouldn't be a fit you would like anyway, and way too baggy in other areas. 20 lbs is nothing, just hit the gym and cut the excess carbs out, keep them minimal and the weight will fly off. I'm down to 208 from 226 in only five weeks of adding conditioning back to my strength routine and cutting the excess carbs and beer.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Didn't mean to sound cranky...but perhaps more matter of fact.
There have been many of us seeking the keeper jackets...and making the journey that it often seems to take to get there. It is not neccessarily what others think a keeper should be..but some excellent advice can come from differing 'viewpoints'. A jacket can look quite different being worn in the eyes of others..compared to the excitement of a mirror image as something new and different is gazed upon by the wearer for the first time. I have purchased unique jackets off the rack..and through the mail that I then realized didn't seem quite right..although..I kept trying to make them so. Honest advice helped me to determine whether I really finally agreed or not. I've never much cared about pleasing others' ideas..but could appreciate some well founded recommendations...or even critique. I would rather have that than the proverbial 'No..that looks really good...congrats'..because many feel that they do want to compliment above all else rather than agree that some aspect could probably look better if different. In my case..I found out that I must custom order to get an expensive jacket to fit me the way "I" want it..with my build. Others have pointed out what I was usually suspicious of in the first place. I have been riding a MC for many years and have owned many brands. My first new one was a '67 Triumph Bonneville(that I enjoyed very much). A few years after I retired I ordered a '03 100th Ann HD that I plan to keep for the duration...putting quite a few road miles on per year. Through these experiences I've learned what features I like in a riding jacket..and they do differ from many here..but that's OK. I'm the one riding down the highway and,by now,know what I need and want from those years of doing it. That's the key..'pleasing yourself'. No matter what anyone may say..or think..or even insist. However I value many honest opinions..good or bad..as long as they really are honest. Usually you can tell.
HD

 

[Seb Lucas]

You may like them short so that's fine. For me that one is around 2 inches too short, even allowing for the optical illusion of the untucked shirt. My view is that shorter jackets distort the wearer's body shape and can make their torso look stunted.

 

[Tony B]

I'll second everything hoosier said in his last post but for me that jacket would be 2 inches too short

I like jackets about 27 inches which on me sit just above the tops of the bum pockets on trousers but I can only say what is right for me.

After the last few severe winters one of my jackets has had mink detatchable collar put on it for this year (havent realyneeded it yet) and yes it is very unobtrusive compared to sheepskin.

The bestway I found to get a collar was off an old secondhand coat with a detatchable collar from a charity shop as it had all the hooks there to fix it to the new collar (it was some awfull 50s womans coatin green tweed....really green tweed) and involved just a bit of chopping the get the shape the same as the collar I was mating it up to and take the hooks off the old coat and put them on mine, the whole thing cost £8. So if you are getting aero to make you a new one if you can find your own fur that way and send it to them it would be a cheap way of getting a top notch bit of fur and come springtime there will probably be loads of that sort of thing being unloaded on bay, a few weeks ago I picked up a red fox collar to put on something I am working on for 99p, at least 50 years old and immaculate.

 

[Rudie]

For me the length of the jacket looks about perfect. Remember the jacket is made after a 1930s pattern. People wore high waisted trousers then. If you wear modern trousers with a low rise it might be a little short, but for that 1930s look it's just perfect.

I also disagree with Seb Lucas. Most men look much, much better with clothes that give the impression of long legs and a shorter body than the other way round. A lot of men these days wearing their trousers way down low look like their legs are stumpy. Taking a short 1930s jacket style and lengthening it to accommodate the low sitting trousers just tends to further the impression of a distorted body with stumpy legs and an overly long body in my opinion.

 

[HighandDry]

I agree with Rudie. 2 inches longer in that style jacket would look silly.

 

[HighandDry]

I agree with Rudie. 2 inches longer in that style jacket would look silly.

 

[Metatron]

It looks superb! If I were to get a jacket like this I would request a throat latch so that the collar can be secured in the upward position. I don't subscribe to the 'if it's vintage it's better by definition' club, but this is one of those designs that has really been neglected in the last years.

 

[Edward]

It looks superb! If I were to get a jacket like this I would request a throat latch so that the collar can be secured in the upward position. I don't subscribe to the 'if it's vintage it's better by definition' club, but this is one of those designs that has really been neglected in the last years.

I like throat latches too. I had Aero put one on my Bootlegger. I've never actually used it, but that wasn't really the point - I just like it as a detail.

 

[Rudie]

Same for me. I don't use the latch much as I usually wear a scarf when it gets cold but I like the look of it.

 

[Seb Lucas]

For me the length of the jacket looks about perfect. Remember the jacket is made after a 1930s pattern. People wore high waisted trousers then. If you wear modern trousers with a low rise it might be a little short, but for that 1930s look it's just perfect.

I also disagree with Seb Lucas. Most men look much, much better with clothes that give the impression of long legs and a shorter body than the other way round. A lot of men these days wearing their trousers way down low look like their legs are stumpy. Taking a short 1930s jacket style and lengthening it to accommodate the low sitting trousers just tends to further the impression of a distorted body with stumpy legs and an overly long body in my opinion.

I hear you Rudie. I just don't like the look of a set of spindly legs that appear to be searching for a body. And 1930's length is meaningless if it doesn't suit you and it rarely suits today's males unless they are 5 feet 9 and 165 pounds. Low slung trousers... I don't recall seeing many worn by the folks on this site showing off their short jackets. But it's all a question of personal taste isn't it?

 

[strokes1251]

this is honestly one of the best jackets ive ever seen everything is perfect on it to bad they never have anything already made in 36s or 38s :/