Any thoughts and help on a US Wings Vintage Cowhide?

[IndianaMoto]

I just sent my Wested TOD goatskin back to Wested for a refund. It's way too small in the shoulders and arm hole areas. I'm wondering if anyone has anything to say about the US Wings Vintage Cowhide jacket. I don't mind if it's not EXACTLY screen accurate. I think it's a nice looking jacket.

1. Does it fit looser than the Wested jackets?
2. Would you recommend ordering a size up?
3. Does anyone have any pics of the jacket besides the ones on the US Wings website?
4. Any other information you can add would be greatly appreciated.

[Michaelson]

Of the Wings jackets, it's one of their nicest offerings, but none of their stuff is junk. You may want to do a search, though. This particular subject was recently discussed at length, and it may serve you better to do some research first, rather than us tie up more server space.

My quick reply would be to size up, but only because of sleeve length. Body wise, I wear their size medium, and it fits perfectly, but unfortunately when the sleeves ride up from wear, they end up being almost 2 inches to short!! I'd have to go to a large to make the sleeves work, but I feel like I'm getting lost in the larger sizing. Feast or famine.
Yes, they are a looser fit. The color is VERY nice, and the leather top drawer. It's definitely one to consider. The current customer service situation is pretty dismal, and once again, you can read the whole can of worms if you do a search in this section. That discussion didn't happen all that long ago.

Regards. Michaelson

[binkmeisterRick]

Here, I'll be nice and help out a bit:
http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9424

There's more about if you dig for it.

bink

[IndianaMoto]

I hear people talking a lot about the sleeves "riding up." Does that mean that they shrink over time?

Does the US Wings Vintage cowhide jacket have a nice zipper? What about gussets? Are the side straps going the same direction as the Wested?

Also, I was hoping someone had some pics. I only found 2 in this forum. Any help?

[FLATHEAD]

How come you didn't ask Peter to make you a new jacket instead of
getting a refund?

He is very good at making the customer happy. If you told him what you
are telling us, he could make you a jacket that is the right fit for you.

Also, by the time you buy the Wings jacket, and add in the shipping, its
going to cost you more than a custom Wested. Just my two cents.

Depending on your actual size, you might not like the fit of a Wings
jacket.

For example, like Michaelson, I am kind of between Wings sizes.
And, if you didn't already know this, Wings does not offer jackets in the same sizes
as Wested. Wings only offers S, M, L, XL. Its alot harder to get a good
fit from a Wings jacket because of this.

So, in my own case, I am a size 42. So, according to Wings, I am a
size large in their book. However, the size large jacket is made to fit
the upper end of a size 44, so its very big on me. It measures about
25 inches across the chest (50 inches total). This means I have over 8 inches of room
to play with around my chest.

Their size Medium jacket measures 23 inches across the chest (46 inches total). That
means I have just about 3 or 4 inches of room to play with. To me, that
is just too tight when you add in a sweatshirt or sweater.

The Wings jackets range in total chest size as follows: Small - 42 inches,
Medium - 46 inches, Large - 50 inches, and X-large - 54 inches. There is
a 4 inch increase in chest size as you go up.

Wings Indy jackets are made to fit a range of sizes, with sleeves you
can not get altered from the factory (which by the way, I find very
strange since they claim they make them onsite. If this was true, then
why can't they at least make sleeve alterations?) and you can't add any
features like gussets, which they do not have. Their side straps go the
same way as the Wested.

Wested on the other hand goes by the same sizes as a suit jacket. Each
size up you go, the chest gets 2 inches bigger, and thus you can get the
correct size for you instead of having to compromise on an inbetween
size that will not fit as good.

In my Wested jacket, I orderd a size 44. This jacket measures 24 inches
across the chest, which gives me about 6 inches of movement room, which
is just perfect for me.

Unless you know your size, and the range you are going to feel comfortable
in, a Wings jacket may not be right for you unless you like to either swim
in it, or feel like a stuffed sausage in it.

If I was you, I would get a replacement Wested, custom made to your
exact specs. Not to be cruel, but it sounds like you ordered it without
taking good measurements beforehand. But even if you did take good
measurements, if you tell Peter what you told us, he can correct the sizing of
his jackets according to each persons own body style.

Flathead

[Rob]

What he said. It seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to go for a refund right away... especially when we're talking about a company which can make things absolutely to measure. There's really no excuse that they cannot make the jacket right for you, provided you give them the right measurements...

[IndianaMoto]

Well, I gave the measurements that were taken of me. The jacket fits fine in the chest and sleeves. It's just that the arm holes and shoulders are too small. I can't cross my arms across my chest without having it feel like the jacket is going to rip off of me like the Incredible Hulk. I normally wear a 42R, and I got a 44R. I still think it's a GREAT jacket though.

[Mr. Das]

I had the same problem. I told Peter my problem and I came up with a partial solution, he filled in the blanks. Of course, I let the experts handle it and once I told them my problem, they were able to fix it perfectly.

Just tell Peter exactly what's wrong. He'll probaby suggest increasing the shoulder seams by a mm and drop the arm hole by a bit.