Some questions before I buy a black and brown Aero jacket............................

[westinghouse]

I just have some questions before I place an order for 2 Aero leather jackets:

1) I definitely want a Cheyenne. What would be a good second choice that is a similar style? I like my jackets dressy, conservative, and long so the Highwayman is out of the question. Or should I reconsider?

2) I do not like very fitted or European styled jackets. Which styles fit loose and/or boxy so that weight gain will not be an issue in the future?

3) I plan to wear these jackets with jeans, t-shirts, and boots in the spring and fall only. I already have a shearling coat for the winter. Is the cotton lining too warm or will I be comfortable in these temps?

4) I want one black jacket and one brown jacket. Should I get regular black and brown or go with vintage black and brown? Is the vintage one much softer and broken in? Or is the regular leather so much better looking than vintage?

Thanks in advance for your help.

-Mike

 

[captaincaveman1]

1) I definitely want a Cheyenne. What would be a good second choice that is a similar style? I like my jackets dressy, conservative, and long so the Highwayman is out of the question. Or should I reconsider?

Reconsider. I wear a shirt collar cafe racer similiar to the HWM to work all the time. With the shirt collar, this style doesn't look out of place with a dress shirt and slacks - at least at my office site. Certainly looks better than the multi-color ski jackets that some folks bring to work in winter.

2) I do not like very fitted or European styled jackets. Which styles fit loose and/or boxy so that weight gain will not be an issue in the future?

Me neither. But I also don't like loose and baggy jackets either. Get something that fits you perfectly now. It'll be one more incentive to avoid weight gain in the future (which you should be doing anyway). What's the point of a custom jacket if it isn't a tailored fit?

I defer Q3 and Q4 to owners with more experience with these jackets.

 

[Edward]

If you don't want too neat a fit, the Highayman is normally one of the first I'd suggest, alongside the Ace Cafe jackets, and possibly also the fifties halfbelt. Not sure what you're looking ta in terms of length - do you mean you don't want thirties short, or you want a hip length (rather than waist length) jacket?

 

[Lear]

Personally, I'd buy just one jacket to begin with, then get the second after I'm sure it fits.

 

[andy richards]

I fully agree with Lear and begin with ordering one jacket at a time. You might consider the Long Halfbelt.
Andy

 

[Lear]

I fully agree with Lear and begin with ordering one jacket at a time. You might consider the Long Halfbelt.
Andy

The short jackets aren't for me either. However, the Long Halfbelt appears to be part jacket, part coat. It fills a need, for those of us not suited to the groovier styles.

I have a black FQHH Veste de Rallye on the way (before end of Feb), but would consider the Long Halfbelt as my next and final Aero.

Lear (who will never own more than three Aero coats)

 

[feltfan]

Lear (who will never own more than three Aero coats)

A tear rolls down my cheek when I read of such severe deprivation.
ONLY three Aeros? Why do you torture yourself so?

The answers to the original poster's queries,
or at least the information one might need to
make such choices for one's self, are available
on this site, within this section.

 

[Lear]

A tear rolls down my cheek when I read of such severe deprivation.
ONLY three Aeros? Why do you torture yourself so?
<snip>

Well, in the USA they're probably seen as an exotic luxury. In the UK, every other person has one

fftopic: I think the journey for your FQHH is:
Canada -> Chicago -> Scotland -> USA

 

[feltfan]

Well, in the USA they're probably seen as an exotic luxury. In the UK, every other person has one

Right. One.
Seriously, I was disappointed about a year back when I spent
a couple of weeks in London and didn't spot a single Aero jacket.
I did see a surprising number of Irvins and Irvin-like jackets.

fftopic: I think the journey for your FQHH is:
Canada -> Chicago -> Scotland -> USA

Yeah, silly isn't it? What's the carbon offset on one of those jackets?

 

[westinghouse]

I think I'm going to go with a black Highwayman and a brown 50's halfbelt. Are these styles too similar that I should go with a LONG 50's halfbelt?

Do these colors bleed?

 

[Southernwayfare]

What happen to the Cheyenne? Most of the members here tend towards the motorcycle and military styles but I think the Aero car coat styles (Cheyenne, Stockman, VdR) are great. I'm a Cheyenne owner (vintage brown FQHH) and love it. I'd also second the suggestion to buy them one at a time. Much better to be able to tweak the size, etc on a second order.

 

[nicholasb]

You did say that you liked long jackets. Maybe the Long Half belt or as Southernwayfare suggested, a longer style jacket.

Could you get a darker brown/seal instead of black?

 

[tonypaj]

I think I'm going to go with a black Highwayman and a brown 50's halfbelt. Are these styles too similar that I should go with a LONG 50's halfbelt?

Do these colors bleed?

I have a burgundy LHB and a black Hercules. Very similar, which was my intention after some thought.

You should go with what feels right for you. Maybe, like people have said, start with one, see then if you need to change. I started with A2s and Barnstormers, but found out the the LHB style fits me the best and is the most versatile for my use.

And yes, the colors may bleed. Or then not. But I would not trust anyone that says definitely that they won't.

 

[Southernwayfare]

If you're still interested in "long" coats, a LHB and one of the modern car coat styles (Cheyenne / VdR / Stockman) might be a good combination. Both are great looking but have significantly different styling.

 

[Lear]

The fact that you're still at the jumping around stage, means that you'll probably change the order a month or so into the waiting period. Be absolutely sure of what you want; only then place the order. It can get mighty confusing, for both you and Aero, to have an entire bespoke order wiped out and replaced by something completely different.

Most of the world will soon be into Spring. I would say, better to do a couple more weeks research now. Read through the entire Outerwear sub-forum. That'll keep you busy for a couple of evenings, and you'll then understand just what it is to own FQHH.

Even if you were to order now, you'd still only get it during the hotter months. Personally, I'd plan on it being ready for Autumn use.

Lastly, I've called up your credit card company, telling them to accept no more than one Aero purchase from you this year. Do not buy two at once!

Lear

 

[bobjones]

I just have some questions before I place an order for 2 Aero leather jackets: 1) I definitely want a Cheyenne. What would be a good second choice that is a similar style? I like my jackets dressy, conservative, and long so the Highwayman is out of the question. Or should I reconsider?

You don't want two jackets with the same style. I have a Stockman which is very close to the Cheyenne and Veste, and a Highwayman. The stockman and hwyman complement each other well, as the Stockman is my primary winter jacket, and my hwyman is a lighter, more "active" jacket to throw on and run about town.

If you wear jeans and a nice sweater (jumper to my British fans) underneath the hwyman, you will definitely be considered well-dressed, at least by the people I think are important

2) I do not like very fitted or European styled jackets. Which styles fit loose and/or boxy so that weight gain will not be an issue in the future?

As said above, get something that fits well today. What if you never lose weight? You'll have a jacket too large that you never needed to accept as being oversized.

3) I plan to wear these jackets with jeans, t-shirts, and boots in the spring and fall only. I already have a shearling coat for the winter. Is the cotton lining too warm or will I be comfortable in these temps?

Don't know, my linings are a cotton/wool mix.

4) I want one black jacket and one brown jacket. Should I get regular black and brown or go with vintage black and brown? Is the vintage one much softer and broken in? Or is the regular leather so much better looking than vintage?

Get samples for your own clarification, but both of mine were regular FQHH. I prefer taming my own horse.

 

[bobjones]

I have a burgundy LHB and a black Hercules. Very similar, which was my intention after some thought.

You should go with what feels right for you. Maybe, like people have said, start with one, see then if you need to change. I started with A2s and Barnstormers, but found out the the LHB style fits me the best and is the most versatile for my use.

And yes, the colors may bleed. Or then not. But I would not trust anyone that says definitely that they won't.

My 2 Aeros never bled, and I would DEFINITELY only order one at a time. Get the specs correct, learn the sizing, options available, etc. Trying to construct one jacket to fit you right, along with getting all of the nearly infinite number of linings, sleeve sizings/shapes, pockets' placement, etc., etc., can be overwhelming for just one jacket.

As they say, don't bite off more than you can chew.

 

[Lear]

Bobjones has provided the polite version of what I was trying to say. Apologies for sounding so forthright.

Also, you may find that FQHH is not for you. Some find it way too heavy for comfort. Another reason to get only one to begin with.

Good luck on your quest

Lear

 

[westinghouse]

OK OK I'll order one at a time. Possibly Highwayman first, then either 50's long halfbelt or Cheyenne.