New Member Intro & seeking advice for Aero Winter jacket

[Plumbline]

Having lived in Cleveland ( which is not a kick in the arse different from NYC climate wise really ... in fact might be a little colder) I'd happily reccoment a sheepskin lined Aero .... but they do look a bit "puffa" !

I have a sheepskin lined Aero Long Half Belt and it ROCKS ( it's like having a D-1 on under a LHB) ... but I went for the medium weight HH as the heavy stuff made the jacket over 8Kg. Sheepskins (D-1, B-6, ANJ-4, B-3 & Irvin) are good and more robust than you'd think ....also a BLANKET lined FQHH is a GREAT winter jacket .... the Vest De Rally being my weapon of choice for UK winters.

For NYC my choice would be as follows :

Short Jacket - Longshoreman ( Blanket lined)
Mid Length - Long Half Belt ( vintage or mid weight HH, sheepskin lined)
Full Length - VDR or Barnstormer (Blanket lined)

Sheepskin - ANJ-4 ( my favourite heavy sheepskin)

based on trial and error and lots of jackets ...... but we are all different, this is just my tuppenceworth

 

[Stand By]

What do you think the range of degrees would be for a sheep lined jacket with no layers being warm & comfortable without sweating to death?

Hmmm.
That depends - on what kind of jacket we're talking (B-6 V ANJ-4 for example) and wind-chills on the day, which makes all the difference, as you know.
But generally speaking, and in my experience, if you're just wearing a t-shirt or cotton business shirt beneath a B-6/B-10, I think you'd be okay to -5C (which is 23F).
If it was an ANJ-4, I imagine you'd be good for -15C-5F. Even lower if you're quick out of the taxi !

 

[Sloan1874]

As somebody who's counting the weeks til they get their Irvin, I'm counting on something like 10C and below. I'll let you know if I find out different...

 

[Highwaymanman]

I've lived in NYC and I'm with Worf on this one: Thunder bay in FQHH. You'll wear it so often in such brutal weather it'll break in very quickly. I'd get black cos you never know what the hell can happen on the subway. Stains happen.

 

[Xenophon]

I guess it all depends on your lifestyle and on how 'specialised' you want the jacket to be + the look you want to achieve. As Simon said, if you're slim and don't mind owning a jacket that you can only wear a couple of weeks/year -and provided you stay out of the NY subway- then by all means, go for the sheepskin liner. Personally and as long as they don't relocate me to a place with a land climate and extreme winters I'd go for versatility and layer up -and I can't stand the cold- but each his taste.

 

[Worf]

I've lived in NYC and I'm with Worf on this one: Thunder bay in FQHH. You'll wear it so often in such brutal weather it'll break in very quickly. I'd get black cos you never know what the hell can happen on the subway. Stains happen.

Listen to the man... he doth emparteth wisdom! And you can always "open it up" if you gets too warm.

Worf

 

[Otter]

As somebody who's counting the weeks til they get their Irvin, I'm counting on something like 10C and below. I'll let you know if I find out different...

Down here in the sticks I can usualy get away with the b-3 at 5c but I have to wait till about freezing before I can get away with the Irvin otherwise I poach!

 

[Highwaymanman]

Not for nothing but travelling on the g train on a cold winter day in NYC you will see more black leather car coats than you've ever seen in one place before in your life. It's almost a uniform.

 

[tonypaj]

Not for nothing but travelling on the g train on a cold winter day in NYC you will see more black leather car coats than you've ever seen in one place before in your life. It's almost a uniform.

The short while, not even two years, that I worked there, I'd walk from my apartment at W56 st to the office at Madison Ave around 44 st. When it got cold, I took a taxi. Also, got nice compliments about my Homburg, and that was 1989-1990... My overcoat was burgundy I still have it. The comments about that were kind of various. No leather jackets, really, that I can remember.

 

[Highwaymanman]

Wouldn't know about Madison Avenue, I was more an Eastern Parkway kind of guy!

 

[Sloan1874]

Down here in the sticks I can usualy get away with the b-3 at 5c but I have to wait till about freezing before I can get away with the Irvin otherwise I poach!

We were down at Loch Awe today, when skies opened and the temperature dropped like a stone. It was as if autumn just galloped in. Gave my Dustbowl a good soaking, that's for sure. I'm looking forward to getting my Irvin though, and then working out the limits of wearing it.

 

[Highwaymanman]

I cannot wait for autumn.

 

[Worf]

Wouldn't know about Madison Avenue, I was more an Eastern Parkway kind of guy!

Eastern Parkway. When I was a kid, I rode the El "J" train from Jamaica to Eastern Parkway in Crooklyn there I switched to the "A" to visit my Aunt Marie. Now the "J" train's gone, they even tore down the elevated tracks and my Aunt doesn't live there anymore. You brought back some nice memories there. Thanks.

Worf

 

[Boyo]

Big parade on Eastern Parkway this weekend.. Lots of music..no leather jackets..

 

[Otter]

We were down at Loch Awe today, when skies opened and the temperature dropped like a stone. It was as if autumn just galloped in. Gave my Dustbowl a good soaking, that's for sure. I'm looking forward to getting my Irvin though, and then working out the limits of wearing it.

Looks like you might get a chance, was checking weatherweb and looks like some cool evenings towards the end of next week. Forgot you were of the skinny persuasion, being a fat b'stard these days I carry a little more insulation. As a matter of interest what Irvin did you buy, mine is one of the older Aero mid war repros, beautifuly soft sheepskin.

Apologies for the thread drift.

 

[Sloan1874]

I've got the new late-war Irvin on order. It's going to be a bit different from the one on the web, with an interesting diamond pattern on the back. Should be here soon!

*edited to unclutter the thread.

 

[Otter]

Looks good, will it be curly fleece or teddy bear. My old ALC Irvin started as teddy bear and gradually went curly with use and age.

 

[Sloan1874]

It'll be a curly fleece. Ken was keen to update their Irvins, so I don't think the old ironed teddy bear is available at all now. Another FL-er, Spitfire, had an ironed one that he dunked in the bath and allowed it to go curly!

 

[Otter]

I still keep up with Soren, he has just had some nice new repro zips put in his new jacket. Shame he could not get on with one of the mods on here. my thoughts are that most of these jackets started out with straight fleece and over the years went curly eith use, just my observation on one jacket over about 15 years, will let you know how the next one gets on!

 

[Sloan1874]

Haha. Yeah, I think the idea of a 'definitive' Irvin is impossible - once I'd seen one with a black collar and brown lining, that was that. I've had a go of the new curly one and found it very comfortable, perhaps a little less all-encompassing than the ironed one (which was incredibly warm, so I know where you're coming from!)