my new Wested Horse LC w/pics and questions

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Mon May 05, 2008 1:49 pm

ordered April 1, received May 3. Last Crusade Horsehide Custom 44 Long.
First thoughts- Wow! The horse is incredibly soft, softer than my old moo cow Cooper Disney jacket. Nice brown color. Wested got every one of my custom requests right- straps, pockets, lining, sleeve and back length.

A couple of questions...How does the fit look? The length is great- I ordered it long in the body and extra long in the sleeves, ala CS, so when the sleeves wrinkle up they won't be too short. In the chest, unzipped it fits good, hangs nice. When zipped up, however, when I move my arms, it 'pulls' the jacket up, and feels a little tight in the chest. Is this how Westeds are cut to fit, though? There's plenty of room alltogether in the jacket, it seems that the arms are positioned more 'in front' on the body of the jacket -if that makes sense. This is my first Wested, my only reference was my Cooper which seemed a little looser.
Take a look, tell me what you think-

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http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b341/ ... 0_2479.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b341/ ... 0_2472.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b341/ ... 0_2473.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b341/ ... 0_2476.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b341/ ... 0_2475.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b341/ ... 0_2468.jpg

stone · Post by **stone** » Mon May 05, 2008 3:37 pm

looks a great fit .Nice one

Whats the leather like i.e too stiff /nice and soft?
Regards stone

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Mon May 05, 2008 4:20 pm

It's not stiff at all. Very very soft. I actually doubted it was Horse hide. I was expecting a very stiff, hard feeling leather.

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Mon May 05, 2008 4:37 pm

citRon wrote:It's not stiff at all. Very very soft. I actually doubted it was Horse hide. I was expecting a very stiff, hard feeling leather.

That's a natural response, especially if you haven't handled any other of the leathers Wested uses. If you think that is soft, the lamb will astonish you!

Looks a good fit, you should wear it for a few months and see if the sleeves wrinkle up a bit. They "may' be a smidge long, but nothing drastic. Better to have them too long than too short.

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Mon May 05, 2008 4:53 pm

Kt Templar wrote:
citRon wrote:It's not stiff at all. Very very soft. I actually doubted it was Horse hide. I was expecting a very stiff, hard feeling leather.
That's a natural response, especially if you haven't handled any other of the leathers Wested uses. If you think that is soft, the lamb will astonish you!

Looks a good fit, you should wear it for a few months and see if the sleeves wrinkle up a bit. They "may' be a smidge long, but nothing drastic. Better to have them too long than too short.

I like them long, so I ordered them 28" long! My concern is the fit at the front of the chest, between the arms. Can anyone tell me if this is just how Westeds pattern fits?

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Mon May 05, 2008 5:00 pm

I like mine to fit close in the chest. You'll notice that Indy never wears his zipped up as far as that, usually only as far as the top of the pockets. Actually he may have it zipped up higher in LC... I'll have to go back and look. You have a good Raiders fit. LC was looser as is CS.

You have plenty of movement room with the pleats, personally I wouldn't want it too much looser.

FLATHEAD · Post by **FLATHEAD** » Mon May 05, 2008 5:44 pm

First, you have the side straps done up WAY to tight!!

You can see in your sideview shot, they are pulling the front and back
of the jacket together too much.

Loosen them up, and that may help some with the fit. It makes you look
like your bell shaped with the way the bottom is flaring out wider than the
chest because of this.

Second, what is your actual chest measurement? Your new jacket, in
size 44, should measure out to 24 inches armpit to armpit, for a total
chest measurement of 48 inches.

If you normally wear a size 44 suit jacket, and you are used to your
everyday jackets being somewhat loose and relaxed fitting, then you
will indeed feel somewhat resticted in your new Wested, as it is a military
fit, and does not have all the extra room as does todays modern jackets.

Also, is this your first real leather jacket? If it is, then you should know
that leather does not really "give" much when its stretched, not like say,
cotton, or polartec type jackets. So, there will not be much in the way
of the jacket really moving with your body as you stretch your arms out.

I think the jacket looks like a good military fit. and fits like it should
throughout your body, with the exception of the side straps being too tight.

I will say that your sleeves do indeed look about 2 inches too long.
Hopefully they will wrinkle up some, but don't expect them to wrinkle up
more than about an inch or so.

If you are questioning how the jacket feels now on you, and you think
its too tight, then it probably is, FOR YOU.

If you don't like how it fits, then YOU are not going to want to wear it, and
its going to end up hanging in your closet, collecting dust.

We can't tell you how it feels on you. Only you can. And the fact that
you are already questioning it, lends me to believe its slightly too small
for your liking.

Send it back, and get a size 46 if you can. You may be much more
satisfied with the way that one fits you.

Its an excellent jacket! Good luck to you!!

Flathead

Post by **Holt** » Mon May 05, 2008 5:51 pm

the sleeves are supposed to be long on a LC jacket.so that looks good.
the fit also looks great..the only thing that stikes me everytime I see a wested LC jacket are those pockets...the flaps look good but the pocket itself loos way to tall.

but everything else looks great.congrats on that fine jacket

bests
Holt

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Mon May 05, 2008 6:41 pm

FLATHEAD...I've have several leather jackets, I have an old Navy G-2, a black leather motorcycle jacket, a 3/4 length 'dressy' brown leather jacket, and of course the old Cooper Indy I mentioned. In all of these, I don't feel that 'tightness' across the chest.
As far as what I'm hearing, this is how the true Raiders fit is supposed to feel, a closer military fit. It does, indeed measure 24" from armpit to armpit.
Holt- I asked for taller pockets so they wouldn't look too small on such a long jacket- plus I wanted to actually be able to use them. Screen accuracy was the farthest from my mind, I want a jacket for real-life wear and use, but in the Indy style.

Post by **Holt** » Mon May 05, 2008 6:45 pm

ahh I see.then I am very happy for you with your new purchase

congrats
Holt

Rom Hunter · Post by **Rom Hunter** » Mon May 05, 2008 7:14 pm

Looks fine, citRon.

Shortening the sleeves one inch wouldn't hurt IMO.

Arca Perdida · Post by **Arca Perdida** » Mon May 05, 2008 7:58 pm

As far as the sleeves go, I wouldn't do anything at least not for a while. Wear it for a while, let it wrinkle and distress naturally and then see what happens to your sleeves. They may naturally shrink a little and end up perfect since you wanted them a little longer anyway.
But I'd definitely wait and see. You can always reduce them later, but undoing that is not as easy or pretty in the end.

FLATHEAD · Post by **FLATHEAD** » Tue May 06, 2008 7:21 am

In all of these, I don't feel that 'tightness' across the chest.

How do these other jackets measure compared to your new Wested?

Are their pit to pit mearsurements bigger? Or are they the same?

If they fit well thru the chest, and your new Wested does not, then its just
a wee bit too small for you.

Just send it back and get the next size up.

Again, if your not happy now with the fit, then just think about in a few
years if you gain any weight. You'll hate it then.

Flathead

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Tue May 06, 2008 9:17 am

FLATHEAD- you're right, if I have reservations about it now...also I just noticed that Wested 'forgot' to sew in a leather hook-hanging loop inside the collar when I went to hang it up.
My other jackets measure at 24" across- I guess it's just the way the Wested fits, with the arms just more 'in front' than out to the sides, giving less room from the arm hole to the zipperline. It is a custom, so I don't think I can return it. I'm going to call Wings today and see if I can get measurements on their Indy jacket.

davyjones007 · Post by **davyjones007** » Wed May 07, 2008 5:17 am

nice fit on your new jacket. I always wanted a Wested HH. The sleeves look a tad long, but you don't have that flying squril issue. So I would good to go in my book.

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Wed May 07, 2008 5:57 am

citRon wrote:FLATHEAD- you're right, if I have reservations about it now...also I just noticed that Wested 'forgot' to sew in a leather hook-hanging loop inside the collar when I went to hang it up.
My other jackets measure at 24" across- I guess it's just the way the Wested fits, with the arms just more 'in front' than out to the sides, giving less room from the arm hole to the zipperline. It is a custom, so I don't think I can return it. I'm going to call Wings today and see if I can get measurements on their Indy jacket.

Get them to send you a strip of the horsehide, it should be easy work to get it put in as a hanger. They'd probably be able to do you a made up hanger that just needs to be sewn in.

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Wed May 07, 2008 7:23 pm

I just emailed Wested and asked them to send me a horse strip. I guess I can just get it sewn through the collar stand...?

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Wed May 07, 2008 7:30 pm

citRon wrote:I just emailed Wested and asked them to send me a horse strip. I guess I can just get it sewn through the collar stand...?

Yes, that's how they are done normally. I'll take some pics for you. Give me a day or so.

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Wed May 07, 2008 8:31 pm

cool, thanks

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Wed May 07, 2008 8:53 pm

Found one in my iPhoto:

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Wed May 07, 2008 10:37 pm

thanks...I assume the stitching on the backside is inside the colar stay on yours, though- right? ie. the loop was sewn on as it was being constructed, so you don't see the stitching under the back of the collar.

Oh...my 'Wested' tag is just sewn onto the lining-there's no leather backing on it. hmmm...maybe mine got 'hurried' ?

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Thu May 08, 2008 4:15 pm

Gemma emailed me back and said they add the hanging loop to custom orders if asked, otherwise not. -I didn't see this box on the order page. She said she would send me one, though.

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Thu May 08, 2008 4:42 pm

citRon wrote:thanks...I assume the stitching on the backside is inside the colar stay on yours, though- right? ie. the loop was sewn on as it was being constructed, so you don't see the stitching under the back of the collar.

Oh...my 'Wested' tag is just sewn onto the lining-there's no leather backing on it. hmmm...maybe mine got 'hurried' ?

It's stitched straight through, you don't see the the back of the stand normally.

Oh, on these 2 jackets there is no leather patch behind the wested label either (stop fretting!) lol.

Horse:

Lamb: