Received the new jacket a week or so ago.. as some might have read, GB got a new one out to me in less than two weeks. VERY impressed. For anyone taking notes, the Tall size seems to be an inch longer in body and sleeve... not as much as I thought it would be, but enough. I'm probably still going to have the sleeves let out, but otherwise I'm very happy with the size. I.. think. it MIGHT be too short in the body, but I think that once the shoulders and back loosen up, it'll drape better and should fall another half inch or so lower. and besides, it's MUCH better than the last jacket was.
the leather is an interesting color.. in bad lighting, it looks almost black, sometimes looks deep brown, and sometimes even looks almost purple. it even sparkles on occasion. I've been sleeping in it (wow), and it's broken in nicely, especially around the arms. quality is top notch, but the one complaint I have is that the lining is very loose inside the jacket. the inside pocket kind of floats around, and tends to bunch up. it's hard to explain, and isn't really a big deal, but worth mentioning.
Nice jacket! I like the body length of it, personally. The sleeves are a persnal preference, though. They look okay as is, but they'll rise on you when you move your arms up. I can see why you'd want to let out the sleeves a tad.
binkmeisterRick wrote:Nice jacket! I like the body length of it, personally. The sleeves are a persnal preference, though. They look okay as is, but they'll rise on you when you move your arms up. I can see why you'd want to let out the sleeves a tad.
actually, it's weird.. they actually don't rise up too much at all when I raise my arms either forward or to the sides. they only seem to rise up when my back gets into the action, which I think it because I got a 42 when I'm really a 44. but if I got the larger size, I'd be giving up the fitted look I wanted. I read a thread where _ said he soaked his wested, then put it on and flexed to stretch it out. I might try the same thing to get some more room in the back. but yeah, the sleeves are gonna be let out for sure. thanks for the feedback.
Looks well made from the pics, but those pockets look to have changed from the older Expos. It almost looks like a Wested pocket - a bit too long with a less than shapely flap.
Here's a pic of a distressed Wested lamb I got from a fellow member over the summer.
I was the opposite, in that I was thinking of shortening the sleeves on this jacket. My Wested goat has slightly shorter sleeves, so I had taken this comparison pic to get feedback which way I should leave the sleeves. The left shot is the normal length, and the right shows how they would look shortened, like those of my Wested goat. End of story is that I left the sleeves long because the sleeves do ride up a bit on my jacket.
If the sleeves on your G&B don't rise up as you say, then there may be no need to let out the sleeves on your jacket. It looks good as is, though again, I can understand wanting a bit more length. You've go a great looking jacket, though. We don't see many G&B jacket pics, so it's refreshing to see yours.
well, I just don't feel like I'm filling it in as it is.. it's hard to explain. maybe it's from wearing much looser leather my whole life, but I'm not used to my wrists popping out of the sleeves. one more inch out and I'm sure I'll stop being so self conscious about it. I like the distressing on your jacket though.. hope to get mine like that at some point. and I'm not sure about the pocket flaps.. I've just been trying to get the button to show through. the jacket's in the car, I'll grab it and take some collar pics though.
Talk about quality control... that collar looks exactly like my Expo I got last March. We're getting a bit of a cool spell now here in the East. The Expo is now out of the closet!
thanks for all the kind words. now does anyone have any good ideas on how to start distressing this thing? the leather is extremely tough. I tried taking sandpaper to the underside of one of the pocket flaps, and it took a while of rubbing just to get rid of half the shine.
ztmario wrote:thanks for all the kind words. now does anyone have any good ideas on how to start distressing this thing? the leather is extremely tough. I tried taking sandpaper to the underside of one of the pocket flaps, and it took a while of rubbing just to get rid of half the shine.
I don't plan on any distressing on mine just natural wear and tear. From what I've heard, the goatskin is super durable and not that easy to artificially distress. I think I recall something said here about,"balling it up and using it as a pillow"or some such,just to soften the leather.
well, the jacket had quite an ordeal today. I'm not gonna say much until I see how it goes, but I don't think softening it is a problem any more. although it WAS stiff as a board, even after wearing it all day every day. I'll also add that I can't honestly recommend sleeping in it if the sleeves aren't extra long on you: I sleep with my arms bent under my pillow, and sleeping in the jacket this way seems to emphasize the folds you get around the inside of your elbows, which robs quite a bit of sleeve length.
Nice looking jacket and I hear great things about the quality of this jacket. Before you bought this did you consider a HH jacket at all? I have a Wested LS which is fantastic but considering a Wested HH which I hear great things about as well.
best
Canada
Canada Jones wrote:Nice looking jacket and I hear great things about the quality of this jacket. Before you bought this did you consider a HH jacket at all? I have a Wested LS which is fantastic but considering a Wested HH which I hear great things about as well.
best
Canada
I first considered a wested, but needed it by halloween and knew a custom one would never get here within my time frame. I decided to try and get one off the rack, but my two emails and a PM were never answered.. so GB it was.
Canada Jones wrote:Nice looking jacket and I hear great things about the quality of this jacket. Before you bought this did you consider a HH jacket at all? I have a Wested LS which is fantastic but considering a Wested HH which I hear great things about as well.
best
Canada
I first considered a wested, but needed it by halloween and knew a custom one would never get here within my time frame. I decided to try and get one off the rack, but my two emails and a PM were never answered.. so GB it was.
Thanks ztmario. I did see in another thread that you spent $1200 bucks so far on that costume. Would love to see photos when you get it all together.
best
Canada
pretty much have everything as of yesterday except for a gun.. and I'm probably going to leave it that way too. I'll throw everything together soon enough and snap some shots. I actually still haven't had it all on at once.
ztmario wrote:pretty much have everything as of yesterday except for a gun.. and I'm probably going to leave it that way too. I'll throw everything together soon enough and snap some shots. I actually still haven't had it all on at once.
There were other threads about toy guns that were pretty good. I bought a dollar store gun that was basically a full size revolver and cut down the barrel. I thought it looked pretty good. Fit the holster really nicely. Which holster did you go with ny the way and why? What did you do for the whip? Was the jacket the most expensive piece? Is this your favorite piece?
best
Canada
Before this goes too much further, do you want this thread moved to Lao Che, since it's now leaving the discussion of the jacket and going further into the discussion of your complete outfit?
Michaelson wrote:Before this goes too much further, do you want this thread moved to Lao Che, since it's now leaving the discussion of the jacket and going further into the discussion of your complete outfit?
Regards! Michaelson
nah, not unless you have to.. I have some more pics of the jacket I want to post.
pants are LL Bean and shoes are skechers. to answer your question quickly, the jacket was definitely the most expensive, which is why I'm so critical of it.. but the whip is my favorite right now, esp. with how much darker it's gotten.
This is the best looking G&B I 've seen. Body length looks perfect and I wouldn't touch the sleeves. The pocket flaps are a little disappointment though.
PLATON wrote:This is the best looking G&B I 've seen. Body length looks perfect and I wouldn't touch the sleeves. The pocket flaps are a little disappointment though.
thanks for that. what's wrong with the pockets though?
either way, here are some fresh pics after a little "loosening treatment". and no, I'm not a complete dirtbag, I wore the same clothes to compare where the jacket falls on me from the previous set of pics.
pics on the left are after the treatment, on the right are the old pics from above for comparison.
