Yahoo! My Aero 1930s Halfbelt Slimfit/Luftwaffe clone has finally arrived. PICTURES!

[Rudie]

@seawolf
It's satin with gabardine underneath. I wanted to go with just the satin but Will talked me out of it. He said with the gabardine underneath it would me much more durable. I've been wearing the jacket with a light sweater today and everything felt okay. 14°C.

 

[blethook]

Nice Jacket Rudie!

I actually saw the latest ELC's Hartmann jacket over at American Classics in London yesterday, and I have to say it's tempting to get (another) one

Having own an ELC Hartmann jacket before (prior to the change to Nappa) I would agree yours appears to be more practical, though if I remember correctly I was able to put small items (e.g., a mobile phone, keys, etc.) in the flap pockets. The impracticality in my opinion comes from the short style (not practical in real winters).

Again, congrats & enjoy breaking the jacket in!

 

[Southernwayfare]

Great looking jacket. Congratulations. The leather is beautiful.

 

[Edward]

@Edward: It's very different from a Hartmann. Mine is very substantial, a Hartmann is more like a shirt, very soft Nappa leather. Also, I found the Hartmann flap pockets extremely unpractical, because they are so tiny. Mine can actually be used. Now that I have this wonderful jacket I am actually glad that the Eastman jackets didn't fit and they weren't up to lengthening the sleeves. Now I have a totally unique jacket that fits perfectly instead of just so-so and I like the design much better.

The straps are similar to the Route 66 but the buckle is different. I showed them a picture of a Ventura jacket. They used a similar buckle. As far as I can tell the construction of the strap is otherwise just like the Route 66's (judging from the pictures I have seen).

Thanks. Eep, I didn't know ELC had gone over to nappa for the Hartmann. I could see it being a nice jacket in goat for warmer weather, but nappa is a bit too easily damaged for me.

 

[Seawolf]

@Rudie,
Thank for the reply. I have a long half belt on order, should be delivered in a few weeks, and I intend to wear it in the spring, fall, and winter (with a sweater). Have you had a chance to wear the jacket on a warmer day with a short sleeve t-shirt underneath? I'm curious if the satin made your arms sweaty or hot. Amanda at Aero keeps trying to talk me out of the satin. She said this morning that the gabardine will be enough for me in the sleeves as it's smooth. I just love the look of the different material for the sleeve lining, and I think it will make putting the jacket on and taking it off that much easier.

Does the extra fabric in the sleeves seem bulky at all?

@Jan
Thanks for your reply as well. You're right, I won't be wearing this jacket in the summer, but even on a cool spring day, after a lot of walking, one can get pretty warm. My Barbour has been too hot sometimes and made my arms sweaty after a brisk walk, and that's with a cotton tartan lining. Maybe it's just best to stick with gabardine for this jacket. Someday when I order my heavy winter Aero jacket, I'll have the sleeves lined with alpaca and heavy satin. For now though, I'm trying to make this LHB as versatile as possible.

One last thing, sorry for jacking this thread! My questions are about Rudie's beautiful jacket, but also relevant to mine Thanks for your patience!

 

[andy richards]

Great jacket! I love every detail of it!
Cheers,
Andy

 

[Equality 7-2521]

The tighter sleeves did not restrict motion of your arms? I'm quite the wirey fellow myself and am curious about this option.

 

[Rudie]

It's the only leather jacket I have, so I can't compare it. When flexing my elbows the end of ROM is a little restricted but I can't say if it is due to the tight sleeves or due to the heavy leather. Also, it's not broken in yet, so I can't really answer your question.

 

[djd]

Beautiful and it really suits you too. Congratulations!

 

[Equality 7-2521]

Rudie, thank you for the reply and information. It's a beautiful jacket!

 

[jack miranda]

Nice jacket, Rudie!

That is a superb melding of two jacket styles. You, and Aero, nailed it. Thanks for the pics.

 

[Rudie]

Now for sale in the Classifieds.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?65292-FS-Unique-AERO-1930s-Half-Belt-Slim-Fit-Lots-of-Custom-Features!!!