What would you tell your former self about ordering a custom Aero?

[El Marro]

Hey this my first post here. I've been absorbing the wealth of knowledge this forum has for a couple weeks and I've decided to pull the trigger and go for a custom Aero.

I have a couple fit concerns (I know, talk to Carrie), but if any of you have any words of wisdom on the process, I'd welcome them. What would you tell your former self?

I'm leaning towards about a Maxwell in Redwood Bainbridge. Maybe could be swayed to a Moonshiner but I haven't seen enough pictures to really convince me to take the risk.

Extra details, feel free to skip:
Liner-wise I'm more concerned about durability and aesthetics over warmth since I live in California. Chest 38", waist 30", lean profile, under 30 years. I'm coming from an unlined Schott 582 size small which has some room in the chest yet is still a tad restrictive on range of motion. Concerned about mobility since I ride (a bicycle haha) to work.

Man, I bet you didn’t think that you were opening Pandora’s box when you asked this question...
I would avoid the football buttons that Aero offers at all costs. I had them on the Teamster I ordered and I found them to be clunky and hard to use. When not buttoned they tended to flop around like some sort of chintzy bauble.
As far as lining I think that cotton drill is probably your best option for a durable no fuss liner.
One last bit of advice that I would urge you to consider is how do you want this jacket to fit. If you go with a coat like the Maxwell I think you should particularly pay attention to back length. I have seen some members here who have gone a little shorter with this style and it looks really good to me. When I ordered my Teamster I asked for a 30” back length and I wish I had gone for 28” instead.

 

[dlite90]

Oh wow, good thread. I've ordered a custom Aero Maxwell as well. I'm not too worried about fit because Thurston's sending a fit jacket. My Main concern is color. It seems to be really damn hard to capture leather's color in photos.

 

[Marc mndt]

It seems to be really damn hard to capture leather's color in photos.

I'd say it's impossible.

 

[Harris HTM]

Edit: to keep this on topic, OP if you can tell us what you were looking for exactly, we could better advise you.

Probably the OP has already left the madhouse!

 

[Turnip]

I would say „If you feel like, just do it“.

I went to a retailer to compare different models, fits, leathers, colors and hardware... picked the model fitting my cadaver the way I was looking for, then took measures, agreed on modifications and accessories... then ordered through the retailer and could not be happier with the result.

Cheers

Turnip

 

[AeroFan_07]

Regarding CXL - FQHH - Pecards seems to be the answer!

Hoep the OP is not totally scared off...

 

[MrProper]

I also say. just do it. then you are smarter. Making a science out of it only gives you sleepless nights.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

I put a very thin spray of water on my FQHH, then wear it for like 10 minutes until it dries and it helped soften it up on the surface. Of course this stuff is thick and I think it takes years to get the full drape and all that. There is a huge difference wearing it in sunshine vs. indoor or cooler weather as the waxes warm up. But after about 40 wears, I'm noticing it is molding and starting to curve to my shape. I'm a little hesitant to put on a full blown conditioner for several more months or years because the CXL is so loaded already. I feel like I'd be messing up the chemistry of the tanning process.

I will say, I've also noticed the "Aero Shoulders". I think all of us have those groove lines around the neck going towards the pits. Mine have gotten better after these few months, but they're still there. I think it's fair to say Aero tends to be top heavy. I can only say this for the racers, sheene, etc. though. Don't have as much experience in the other styles.

As for the advice, make sure you get your length right. Given they tend to be top heavy, looking back, I would have liked a little more length to sleek the lines. Also, the measurement numbers are usually with the jacket pulled tight. A lot of us have stories of our numbers not matching Thurston Bros. Something like p2p or shoulder, it makes sense because there are stress points which will force the stretch and get to that bigger number. But something like length, your jacket isn't going to get pulled down to that length in normal circumstances. Maybe after years of wear and breaking in.

 

[Boyo]

I love Aero. I've got 4 currently, probably had 10.. and I shoulda kept some of those. there is a ton of great advice already listed. figure out the measurements your after and go for it... you're a young guy plenty of time to find perfection..

 

[Guppy]

I'm a little hesitant to put on a full blown conditioner for several more months or years because the CXL is so loaded already. I feel like I'd be messing up the chemistry of the tanning process.

I concur. Although I mentioned that the application of one coat of Pecard's dramatically softened up a stiff CXL FQHH Aero, I only applied it because I thought the leather seemed a bit dry in spots and was old enough to be due for a treatment. I was amazed at how dramatically it softened and changed the jacket from a rigid piece of cardboard-stiff leather with well-broken-in joints where the body flexes, into a floppy, nicely-draping jacket that felt like a garment, not armor.

I think for a new jacket, I would prefer to just break it in naturally by wearing it as much as possible and being active in it. I would NOT recommend treating it with Pecard, UNLESS one truly regretted how stiff it was and was going to move it on due to that one complaint. I think it can possibly transform it into something someone with such a complaint would find wearable, and for a lot less than they'd lose by selling a <1 year old jacket that they were ready go give up on after wearing it for a few hours.

On the other hand, if you have such a jacket in a 42, or possibly a 40, by all means sell the unwearable hulk. If it's something I have an itch for, I'd love to pick it up nearly-new, stiff and uncomfortable and untreated, for around $550.

 

[Turnip]

Extended back and sleeve length have been main reasons to order customized. Didn’t want to have a skin tight nipple alarm Bolero jacket, even if that might be the „how to wear“ look.

 

[Mich486]

I also say. just do it. then you are smarter. Making a science out of it only gives you sleepless nights.

Yes exactly. At the end of the day to find out what you like there is some inevitable trial and error that you have to go through. You can get useful advice here but it’s largely subjective opinions.

 

[Marc mndt]

Here, this is what i mean:

To me this is a sign of poor neckhole/shoulder design, it rests all the weight of the jacket on the wearer's neck rather than the shoulders.

Some people will say it is a problem with your specific body shape not matching a specific jacket pattern, i don't think that's true, i have seen it happen with far too many different people and far to many different Aero patterns for it to be true.
I think Aero just have a bad neck/shoulder design.

I don't think any of your 5 star jackets have that problem for example.

This is the Field Leathers fit jacket. I think it had the neck/shoulder pattern issue you described. Makes sense since Greg got help on pattern construction from Samantha Carr, who's the pattern maker for Aero (as I've learned from you). Also note the curved sleeve. That's definitely Field Leathers' most apparent design feature.

For the final jacket Greg altered the pattern for the neck/shoulder area, which clearly shows:

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Pattern issues?? Huh? No pattern problem here:

or here:

Nothing wrong here:

Pattern felt good here:

Come to think of it was good here too:

Jeez pattern actually felt pretty darn good here too, actually the easiest jacket to wear that I've ever owned:

Good to go here:
View attachment 285789
I could go on and on....
None of these had low armholes...I dunno I must be missing something!?

Epic!!
Good to see the Tons reunion again!
Epic as the Vanson E parade.
Thanks
B

 

[dudewuttheheck]

I don't think enough people have realized that.
I think too many people still think that an uncomfortable leather jacket is a sizing problem rather than a jacket pattern problem.
It took me 7 years and 50 jackets to understand that!

This.

Obviously, my most comfortable jacket is my deerskin jacket, but it's not really any lighter than my other jackets. It's just extremely soft and spongy. But it is not that much less restrictive than my other jackets. My horsehide, cowhide, and goatskin jackets have been stiffer, sure, but not more restrictive. Fit and pattern matter so much more overall.

It took me about 6 or 7 years and something like 15 or so jackets to figure it out. Having tried as many jackets as I have, I now see that fit issues are not the same as pattern issues. They both matter, but they're not the same thing. My Aero had very forgiving sizing, but still felt too tight and looked too big. That's just not good. This new RMC looks very slim, but is quite comfortable to wear.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

I would also say that @ton312 is an exception. I can't remember seeing a jacket on him that did not look like it fit well. This is more of a compliment to Ton than anything else, but I don't think his fit photos can be used to judge pattern quality in any jacket because he makes it all look like it fits

 

[Seank]

My $.02
I’d be aware of the measurement variance tolerance.
They allow for .5” in either direction of what you order. They claim it does not make a difference once leather breaks in.
However, say a size 42 in your selected pattern has a standard 19” shoulder. It can come in anywhere from 18.5”-19.5” and be within tolerance. That’s a problem if your fit jacket was at the low end and you tried on something 18.5” That was tagged a size 42 and expect your jacket to fit similarly. You could receive something Tagged 42, same pattern with 19.5”. That may fit like an entire size larger...but be within their tolerance.
Make sure you know the actual measurements of what you are trying on and don’t just go by tag size and know what the standard measurement is for that specific pattern in the tagged size. Ask questions!!
Order the measurements in between what your perfect size might be to try and avoid this. If you like 19” shoulders, but it’s a tight fit and you know 18.5” won’t work for you...better not order 19”, because that range will be 18.5-19.5“ and be acceptable. Order maybe 19.25” so the range will 18.75-19.75. IMO You’ll get closer to your desired fit this way. Do this with Back and sleeve as well and err on the side of slightly longer than shorter as creases will slightly shorten sleeves and back as time goes on.

 

[Grayland]

^^
I think even a .5-inch variation is very tough to produce when dealing with the thick hides that most quality jackets are made from. It's just not realistic that to expect to spec out a leather jacket in the same way you would a wool suit. I check out the Simmons Bilt website from time to time. They now have a disclaimer (wasn't always there) that reads:

Due to the nature of the natural raw materials we use and the traditional method of manufacture we employ it is not always possible to meet exact measurement requirements. The products we build are not designed to be tailored like a suit, they will after a "break in" period soften and mold to the shape of your own body, our jackets are built to be worn. We do not use a production line system or have racks of jackets ready to ship, each and every jacket is made to order, individually handcrafted here in Scotland by one of our specialists.

I'm expect we'll have some people pile on SB, but I agree with them 100%.

I had two Aero jackets made for me - one through TB. I still have one. The other I got rid of because the custom modification I asked for was a dumb idea. My advice: buy a few cheaper jackets and find out what you like before plunging into a custom jacket.

My wife and I have some friends who decided to have their first home custom built. It looked great but they moved after 2 years. Once in the home, they figured out what they really liked - and their custom home didn't have it.

 

[jeo]

Order through Thurston Bros. You can't go wrong.

 

[Marc mndt]

I think even a .5-inch variation is very tough to produce when dealing with the thick hides that most quality jackets are made from. It's just not realistic that to expect to spec out a leather jacket in the same way you would a wool suit.

That's probably true but I don't think it can't be done. I think by now I must come across like a Field Leathers fanboy which might actually be true to some extent....
But Greg hit all of my spec'd measurements spot on. He even contacted me in the midst of making my jacket, asking me whether it was acceptable when the stem hole would be a tiny bit tighter as compared to the fit jacket, since he had to take a slightly bigger seam to get to 22” pit (instead of the 22.5' of the fit jacket which was too wide for my taste so I requested 22')
So I think it can be done but it all depends on the amount of time and effort the maker is willing to put into it. And of course on how experienced the maker is.