Worthwhile Alternative to Aero Leathers???

[wallis]

I've been hanging around the lounge for a few months now trying to gather the knowledge needed to place an order with Aero. It seems that so many people order the wrong size the first time. I would hate to wait 7 months just to have a jacket that doesn't fit arrive at my door. All this deliberating about size got me thinking that it would be a shame to order something from Aero and then a few months later find something that you like better.

I know that Aero's quality is top notch, and I'm afraid that this post is going to get one sentence replies like "There is nothing better than Aero." I understand that you probably won't beat their quality, but style is a matter of personal taste. Anyhow, I've basically decided upon an Aero Highwayman fqhh in size 38 with an extra two inches in length and an extra inch in the sleeves. While I'm only 178cm I prefer a jacket that lands about an inch below my belt line. As a motorcycle rider I'll want zip sleeves as well as a snap down collar.

Are there any other high end jacket manufacturers (using heavy fqhh) that I should consider in an attempt to negate any possible buyer's remorse? I've already canceled out Schott, Vanson, and Langlitz. Note: I'm not really looking at flights jackets, just motorcycle and utility jackets.

 

[Aerojoe]

Lewis Leathers do a lot of bikers stuff; http://www.lewisleathers.com/89

I love their Universal Racer.

 

[too much coffee]

Take a hard look at Lost Worlds Inc. out of NY City. Heavy horsehide, tremendous build quality and ample selections w/o too long of a wait.

Good Luck

Regards,
coffee

 

[ButteMT61]

There's two kinda of jackets - custom, and off the rack. And, I guess, used customs.
Of course there's great jackets on a hanger somewhere, but a custom is a custom. Aero isn't the only maker - there are lots of them out there, but custom makers all have a lead time and higher prices. I've read good things of Johnson leathers for bike jackets and utility styles. Lost Worlds are also an option but the owner (Stu) can be difficult for some to get along with.
My guess is that some folks don't give Aero (and others) the correct numbers - fudging as it were. Some may not give the desired fit in their order. And some probably just get made wrong on the other end. It's not as easy as it seems it should be. And if you can find a used or off the shelf jacket, it sure is less painful, but less personal. And the jackets I own I won't see 100 people wearing this fall/winter.
Good luck!

 

[Sillyrib]

goodwear
eastman

 

[cloudylemonade]

The wait isn't 7 months for an order, closer to 2-3 months at the moment.

 

[Edward]

I've been hanging around the lounge for a few months now trying to gather the knowledge needed to place an order with Aero. It seems that so many people order the wrong size the first time. I would hate to wait 7 months just to have a jacket that doesn't fit arrive at my door. All this deliberating about size got me thinking that it would be a shame to order something from Aero and then a few months later find something that you like better.

I know that Aero's quality is top notch, and I'm afraid that this post is going to get one sentence replies like "There is nothing better than Aero." I understand that you probably won't beat their quality, but style is a matter of personal taste. Anyhow, I've basically decided upon an Aero Highwayman fqhh in size 38 with an extra two inches in length and an extra inch in the sleeves. While I'm only 178cm I prefer a jacket that lands about an inch below my belt line. As a motorcycle rider I'll want zip sleeves as well as a snap down collar.

Are there any other high end jacket manufacturers (using heavy fqhh) that I should consider in an attempt to negate any possible buyer's remorse? I've already canceled out Schott, Vanson, and Langlitz. Note: I'm not really looking at flights jackets, just motorcycle and utility jackets.

Your best bet is probably Schott or something of that ilk which has a larger production run and might have a stockist near you so you can try on in person. If you were in the US I'd suggest a trip to Scotland as a holiday, but having looked at it from this end I know that's probably not practical from Canada - I've been trying to get to Toronto to visit a friend for a coupe of years now, but the flights are consistently three times the price of a flight to East Coast USA. Lost Worlds, Goodwear, ELC and whoever else are all direct competitors with Aero, but if the idea of buying at a distance and having to return if the size doesn't work puts you off Aero, you're at the same risk with the others as well (though as some of them do stock jackets rather than made to order, I suppose you'd have the same thing in a shorter time frame).

 

[Edward]

Lewis Leathers do a lot of bikers stuff; http://www.lewisleathers.com/89

I love their Universal Racer.

It' nice to see Lewis on the scene again. They're too late, stylistically, for my tastes really (I lean early-mid fifties and earlier, whereas Lewis are more of a late fifties and into the Sixties thing), but it's always great to see more options on the market. I actually rather like their waxed cotton Lightening (which is also significantly cheaper than the leather). If I had the mad money to spend on one, that would be my choice.

 

[wallis]

Lewis Leathers do a lot of bikers stuff; http://www.lewisleathers.com/89

I love their Universal Racer.

Me too, and their Super Phantom. Although, their jackets are a little too far on the biker side for me. I like something that doesn't look pretentious when I'm not on my bike.

Take a hard look at Lost Worlds Inc. out of NY City. Heavy horsehide, tremendous build quality and ample selections w/o too long of a wait.

Good Luck

Regards,
coffee

Yes, beautiful stuff! Their Suburban jacket is very similar to the Highwayman, but I prefer the details on the HWM - worth the extra wait time.

There's two kinda of jackets - custom, and off the rack. And, I guess, used customs.
Of course there's great jackets on a hanger somewhere, but a custom is a custom. Aero isn't the only maker - there are lots of them out there, but custom makers all have a lead time and higher prices. I've read good things of Johnson leathers for bike jackets and utility styles. Lost Worlds are also an option but the owner (Stu) can be difficult for some to get along with.
My guess is that some folks don't give Aero (and others) the correct numbers - fudging as it were. Some may not give the desired fit in their order. And some probably just get made wrong on the other end. It's not as easy as it seems it should be. And if you can find a used or off the shelf jacket, it sure is less painful, but less personal. And the jackets I own I won't see 100 people wearing this fall/winter.
Good luck!

I'm all about the fit and exclusivity of a custom ordered piece. Your reply has me really close to pulling the trigger on an Aero jacket - especially the part about the fit problems often being misscommunication on the buyers end.

The wait isn't 7 months for an order, closer to 2-3 months at the moment.

Good to know. I gather you are an employee of Aero? I'll be sending you a PM when I reach that 15 post threshold.

 

[ButteMT61]

I'm not going to jump on the "boycott Aero/ELC" bandwagon. I've been 100% happy with Aero, and I just don't see anything on ELC that excites me. If the price you see is within budget, go for it. I don't think others can offer the range that Aero does, and the timing is perfect for this fall/winter. That said, at least folks now know about the VAT and be aware that SOME folks have had to pay fees to UPS upon arrival of a new jacket. I have not, so that piece is more of an unknown. Good luck, but get on it now for a new jacket this season

 

[wallis]

Your best bet is probably Schott or something of that ilk which has a larger production run and might have a stockist near you so you can try on in person. If you were in the US I'd suggest a trip to Scotland as a holiday, but having looked at it from this end I know that's probably not practical from Canada - I've been trying to get to Toronto to visit a friend for a coupe of years now, but the flights are consistently three times the price of a flight to East Coast USA. Lost Worlds, Goodwear, ELC and whoever else are all direct competitors with Aero, but if the idea of buying at a distance and having to return if the size doesn't work puts you off Aero, you're at the same risk with the others as well (though as some of them do stock jackets rather than made to order, I suppose you'd have the same thing in a shorter time frame).

I live in Toronto actually. Canadians get screwed (in terms on money) on just about everything. Even products that are made here can be purchased for about %40 less if I drive just over the border. I purchased winter tires for my car in Buffalo, NY (less than 2 hours from Toronto) for $400 less than I would have paid here. Our cell phone bills are the highest on the planet, mine being over $70 a month with no long distance capabilities. Don't even get me started on this topic

I'm a first generation Canadian and my family is from the UK. I'm planning a visit with the fiance at the end of the summer. Our time will be limited, especially in Scotland so I'm not sure if she'd be too thrilled about a day trip to the suburbs of Edinburgh. I'll give Schott another look, I've owned a number of their jackets so I'm sure I could get the fit right. Aero is just in a whole different league.

 

[Lungomare]

I've been hanging around the lounge for a few months now trying to gather the knowledge needed to place an order with Aero. It seems that so many people order the wrong size the first time. I would hate to wait 7 months just to have a jacket that doesn't fit arrive at my door.

Hi!

First of all the waiting time is not 7 months, it is about 12 weeks or so.

Concerning the sizing: It is very important to ask for the fit of a jacket first and discuss the sizing for the fit desired. In my experience with Aero this works well and you'll get a lot of help by Amanda and Will. Sometimes it needs a second run-up, but Aero is always very congenial and easygoing with complaints. And a not perfect sized jacket by Aero is even better than any mall jacket from the rack, but we get spoiled by Aero and they try to fulfill our perfectionism.

I myself am convinced that it may be difficult to take e.g. the sizing of a denim jacket for a Highwayman. Same sizing but a completely different style that requires its own sizing. Aero could help us by showing fit pictures of the jackets offered on their homepage and giving the datas of the models and the jackets they wear.

Kind regards,

Johannes

 

[ando.thun]

Have you thought about Nobel House?
The Shop here in Zürich where I first saw my dream Aero had a special limited edition made by them and it is really good quality.

 

[wallis]

Concerning the sizing: It is very important to ask for the fit of a jacket first and discuss the sizing for the fit desired. In my experience with Aero this works well and you'll get a lot of help by Amanda and Will. Sometimes it needs a second run-up, but Aero is always very congenial and easygoing with complaints. And a not perfect sized jacket by Aero is even better than any mall jacket from the rack, but we get spoiled by Aero and they try to fulfill our perfectionism.

I myself am convinced that it may be difficult to take e.g. the sizing of a denim jacket for a Highwayman. Same sizing but a completely different style that requires its own sizing. Aero could help us by showing fit pictures of the jackets offered on their homepage and giving the datas of the models and the jackets they wear.

Kind regards,

Johannes

Thanks. You've made a few good points.

 

[Edward]

I'm not going to jump on the "boycott Aero/ELC" bandwagon. I've been 100% happy with Aero, and I just don't see anything on ELC that excites me. If the price you see is within budget, go for it. I don't think others can offer the range that Aero does, and the timing is perfect for this fall/winter. That said, at least folks now know about the VAT and be aware that SOME folks have had to pay fees to UPS upon arrival of a new jacket. I have not, so that piece is more of an unknown. Good luck, but get on it now for a new jacket this season

Yes, I've never really seen Aero and ELC as competing with each other because they are such different business models. Aero are more into customisation, make jackets to order, and have a very wide range of civilian styles (as I understand it, those are much more of their business than the military repro). ELC are much more focussed on their military output, and their thing is to deliver stock jackets, aiming for accuracy of reproduction, not variations on the original patterns. Horses for courses. Myself, I can see exactly why ELC would avoid custom work to A2s and the likes: if they are trying to build a reputation on the back of historically accurate jackets, but owing to custom work a bunch of guys who are high profile in their market (say a handful of big time posters here or on VLJ) are walking around with "Yeah, this is my ELC A2, I love the handwarmer pockets".... you can see how there is the danger that could damage them in the market they really seek. To be hones, I've avoided posting in that other thread because I find a lot of the accusations being flung about rather distasteful. But that's a whole nother ballgame.

I'm a first generation Canadian and my family is from the UK. I'm planning a visit with the fiance at the end of the summer. Our time will be limited, especially in Scotland so I'm not sure if she'd be too thrilled about a day trip to the suburbs of Edinburgh. I'll give Schott another look, I've owned a number of their jackets so I'm sure I could get the fit right. Aero is just in a whole different league.

Yes, agreed. When I have the money I'm going to buy a Schott Perfecto because while I want another jacket in that Brando style, the Schotts are "good enough" and I want to save the extra wedge for a different Aero than the standard MC version. They are different beasts, though - for my money, the Schott is a very nice production jacket, while the Aero is high end. Of course, there is also the price difference - c'est la vie! I wouldn't rule Aero out completely unless you absolutely have to try on before you buy, just be very careful on your measuring. Galashiels is an hour out of Edinburgh by bus - I think if you check that Aero can see you when you arrive you should be able to do it in a morning....

Lost Worlds sounds commutable for you, but (check this - I may be wrong - anyone else wan to chime in?) to the best of my knowledge Stuart will only deal with mail order, not personal callers. He has a reputation for being.... eccentric... but I have one of his B3s I bought from another Lounger about four years ago, and the quality really is outstanding. LW wok out very expensive from this end, but probably due to distance are more favourable as an option alongside Aero where you are. For my money Aero can't be beaten on garment quality (everybody has their own opinions on design, especially once military accuracy comes into the fray).

Hi!

First of all the waiting time is not 7 months, it is about 12 weeks or so.

Concerning the sizing: It is very important to ask for the fit of a jacket first and discuss the sizing for the fit desired. In my experience with Aero this works well and you'll get a lot of help by Amanda and Will. Sometimes it needs a second run-up, but Aero is always very congenial and easygoing with complaints. And a not perfect sized jacket by Aero is even better than any mall jacket from the rack, but we get spoiled by Aero and they try to fulfill our perfectionism.

I myself am convinced that it may be difficult to take e.g. the sizing of a denim jacket for a Highwayman. Same sizing but a completely different style that requires its own sizing. Aero could help us by showing fit pictures of the jackets offered on their homepage and giving the datas of the models and the jackets they wear.

Kind regards,

Johannes

Very good advice here. If you have a reliable set of measurements done (don't be vain on this - I was very lucky I remeasured before my Bootlegger was made or it would have been a size too small and unwearable) and talk to Amanda, you'll get some good information. It really is all about fit. If you're a big guy and carry a lot of weight around your middle, Id go for a Highwayman a long time before a Thirties Halfbelt! FWIW, I have a few Aeros - Wool Waterfront, Goat A2, AN6552, Thirties Halfbelt, Bootlegger, Highwayman and have owned a couple of others. All 42s. Those I listed are all a good fit on me, but all very different fits. The one I sold, an ANJ3 (a rare repro from Aero that I bought used on eBay and resold at same cost to a Lounger), was a 42 but whereas my AN6552 is a neat fit (moreso than an A2), the ANJ3 was neater again - I'd have needed a 44. I'd also need a 44, I think, in the Aero Brando-style MC jacket - I'm going to have to part with one of those, alas. Nice fit in the shoulders and over the chest, but about four inches narrower on the waist than My thirties Halfbest, and the way my organic upholstery is, just too tight.

 

[wallis]

Thanks Edward. You've been a tremendous help.

 

[Dr H]

Good Wear Leather

 

[wdw]

As Butte alluded to elsewhere, the danger with your first Aero is that you over-modify it. As Lungomare says, it would be best to find the standard dimensions of any jacket, then check height and chest size of any wearers to suss out the best dimensions for you.

I've already fallen into that trap and lost £310 by trading in an almost new jacket I just wasn't 100% happy with. I asked all the right questions before ordering the new one.

 

[ButteMT61]

I would wager many a sizing flub is the end result of what some think their measurements are vs what they are. I did a little fudging for my first jacket because of the innate fears I have over clothing that never fits me right. Once I trusted the system and knowing how to do things, I was OK. That, and major changes to a design I think make for some unplanned for results. Adding some length to the arms or a pocket won't kill it, but I've seen some jackets that in no way represented what the original design was. And to the credit of some makers, they try to accommodate. Maybe they shouldn't lol

 

[Edward]

Thanks Edward. You've been a tremendous help.

No worries!

Good Wear Leather

They are lovely. I almost boguth one of John's A2s, but not long before i had the money together the dollar recovered and suddenly a GBP400 jacket went up to GBP600. John's prices didn't change, the pound ust took a dive in value. Maybe one day...

I would wager many a sizing flub is the end result of what some think their measurements are vs what they are. I did a little fudging for my first jacket because of the innate fears I have over clothing that never fits me right. Once I trusted the system and knowing how to do things, I was OK. That, and major changes to a design I think make for some unplanned for results. Adding some length to the arms or a pocket won't kill it, but I've seen some jackets that in no way represented what the original design was. And to the credit of some makers, they try to accommodate. Maybe they shouldn't lol

It certainly is worth considering what will and won't work with a design. One that always comes to mind for me is slimming down a Highwayman. Some folks have done it and it has worked, though personally I lean to the view that if you want a slimmer profile jacket start with one that is that way by design to begin with - a Fifties Halfbelt, say (which I have I think seen done with a plain back)...