New (to me) Alexander Leathers Half Belt - your thoughts?

[dan_t]

Hi all,
I recently posted an introduction thread asking for feedback on a jacket that I had.
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...w-member-RMW-Leather-Drover-Jacket&highlight=

You were all so helpful that I thought I'd post a follow up one.

I have just purchased a used Alexander Leathers Half Belt, made in Old Grease Steer Hide from a member on TFL.
'g.durand' a true Gentleman who made the transaction extremely smooth from halfway across the world.
The jacket is amazing & honestly, you would never even know it was 'used'.

I knowingly took a bit of a risk with the sizing as I have never had the opportunity to even see an AL jacket, let alone try them for sizing. As I live in Sydney they do not have distributors in Australia. It was a fair deal, so I figured that the measurements were going to be close & if it didn't work out, then hey, I could always consider it a catch and release.

This is my first 30's styled jacket & from what I have been able to ascertain, they are meant to be a shorter style in the back (well, shorter than what I would normally be used to anyway).

As mentioned, the jacket is superbly built, the leather is supple & has the appearance that it will age very well with undercurrents of lighter brown's already visible.

I'm keen to hear your feedback, particularly regarding the length.
I do like a fitted jacket, so keep this in mind - you don't have a great deal of need for layering here in Oz. A t-shirt underneath is what I'd most likely be wearing, even in the dead of winter.

Here you go (p.s. I HATE posing for these things!!!);

Sorry for the links, I can't seem to actually have the images hosted here as usual.

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/...rs Half Belt/ALHalf-Belt-2972_zpse061c566.jpg

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/...rs Half Belt/ALHalf-Belt-2969_zps278b04ed.jpg

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/...rs Half Belt/ALHalf-Belt-2960_zps75235528.jpg

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/...rs Half Belt/ALHalf-Belt-2955_zps9d698772.jpg

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/...rs Half Belt/ALHalf-Belt-2954_zps1533cf9a.jpg

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/...rs Half Belt/ALHalf-Belt-2952_zps95dca14f.jpg

 

[Dav]

Here you go, looks good to me.

 

[dan_t]

Thanks Dav !!
:eusa_clap

 

[nick123]

Well, between this and the first one you posted, it's safe to say you look enviously good in both!
It's a short(er) jacket, but there's a difference between a man wearing a jacket too short for him and a man wearing a short jacket. Yours looks good.

 

[Plumbline]

I do like slightly larger jackets than most loungers .. as many of my pics will testify. Sleeves, chest and shoulders all look great. Back length looks 1" - 2" shorter than I'd like but I have to say on you it looks great.
Many on here ( perhaps the majority) like their jackets around the length of yours and overall it looks like a great "vintage" fit.

The jacket itself looks really well made and if you're comfortable in it then keep it and wear it hard

The length isn't overly short at all ... if it covers your belt on a std. length ( low rise) modern jean then generally it's fine ... and yours easilly covers your belt .... so I'd say it's fine ( but only you can be the judge)

The guys at Insurrection would love that fit ...

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Personally..way too short for my tastes..but if you like the jacket and don't find yourself continually wondering/worrying about the body length..then you're good to go. It does seem to cover the belt area in the photos so that is a +.
HD

 

[Smithy]

Body is about 1.5'' - 2'' shorter than what I'd personally want Dan but otherwise the fit for the rest of the jacket looks good. Length though is a particularly personal thing, some like them short, others a tad longer.

So it's really a matter of how you feel about it body length-wise.

 

[g.durand]

Dan--it looks far better on you than it did on me! Glad to see that it arrived safely. Enjoy it. I know you will be wishing summer was over every week for months to come, but that will make the wearing of it all the more enjoyable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wdw]

Its a neat fit and the sleeve length is fine.

I reckon wearing higher rise jeans would make it look a bit better, as although the length is on the OK side of short, the jeans make it look shorter than it probably is.

 

[Monitor]

The jacket fits you perfectly. Didn't even realize the length's supposed to be questionable until I read other comments so as far as I am concerned, it's just perfect. You look great, don't worry about a thing.

 

[Jägernaut]

The fit of it looks perfect to me.. Great looking leather. When I read Alexander in the title, I didn't expect it to look this nice for some reason. I would be very happy with that jacket.

 

[Blackadder]

It looks great. A perfect fit in my book but does it feel tight when zipped up?

 

[Cooperson]

Great to see some high definition photos at last, excellent! Chest, shoulders and sleeves look spot on. The back length could probably do with an additional 1" to 1 1/2", to my eye, but if you feel comfortable in it just wear it and enjoy. Opinions on jacket length here vary a lot

 

[pauleway]

That is one nice jacket, and perfect fit for my taste. Congratulations on a very nice score!

 

[Sloan1874]

Sleeves are fine, but like the others I think 1.5" to 2" on the body as the half-belt looks a little high for my tastes. That said, it's not unwearable and, as wdw said, a pair of jeans with a higher rise will help.

 

[dan_t]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and feedback.
As mentioned in the original post, this is my first half-belt & just may not be the last.........

OK, the feedback seems to be that around 7 of the responses so far indicate the length is fine & 6 or so responses suggest an inch of additional length would be welcome. This is perfect for me as my own instinct tells me that it is definitely a 'wearable' length where only people on this forum would notice the length thing anyway. Given the consensus is fairly even, it strongly suggests that it is at least not on the 'definitely too short' range. Keep in mind that it was a purchase of a used jacket, not a custom ordered one (where I agree, I would have probably added a touch more length).

My favourite comment so far which I think summaries it perfectly is;

It's a short(er) jacket, but there's a difference between a man wearing a jacket too short for him and a man wearing a short jacket. Yours looks good.

The fit of it looks perfect to me.. Great looking leather. When I read Alexander in the title, I didn't expect it to look this nice for some reason. I would be very happy with that jacket.

Me too. The jacket is exceptionally well made & this particular leather initially appears as a flat dark brown, until you get it into the sunlight. There's a whole bunch of lighter undertones going on there which will no doubt show through with time.

It looks great. A perfect fit in my book but does it feel tight when zipped up?

Actually, the 'tightness' that you can see in the pictures is most likely due to two factors.
a) It being a crazy 40.5 degrees Celsius (105 F) in Sydney yesterday when I was trying to take these pictures! Prior to taking the pic's, I was working from home in just my shorts. I figured I'd better put on a button up shirt, jeans & a heavy jacket for everyone's benefit at TFL! It took me all of about 2 minutes before I was starting to get flustered, so yes, it probably does look a little firm given the circumstances and the fact that I felt like I couldn't breath properly with everything on. Plus the flash adds a shine to the leather, adding to the 'firm, smooth' look.

b) I also have a 44" chest & 34" waist. & stand approximately 6' 2" (185cm) tall. I struggle to find jackets that actually fit my shape well. In a 44, the chest & shoulders fit, but the rest of the body is almost always baggy.
I find that sizing down to a 42 provides a firm fit around the upper part & a substantially better fit throughout the rest of the torso. It is a compromise, but one that I am happy to live with. This is an AL standard 42 from what I'm told.

Perhaps when I finally order a custom jacket, this issue will disappear!

 

[Seb Lucas]

Dan, looks okay to me but probably shorter than I'd like it. I am a similar size to you 42/34 and have the same jacket in a 44 in goat - I ordered it from Al. But I've known my key measurements for years - 27 inch back, 26 inch sleeves and 23.5 inch pit to pit. Once you know these you can buy almost any jacket off the internet without trying on. Even though goat is light, the damn jacket is still too heavy to wear in this warm region most of the time. Your jacket looks like it's about 25 inches long at back - from the base of the collar to the bottom hem. About 2 inches too short.

 

[dan_t]

Thanks Seb, maybe I'll reach out to you to meet up & try yours on as a 'fit jacket' if I ever get around to ordering one from new from either AL or Aero. That'd provide a heck of a good foundation to get the measurements correct.