Here's my brand new AB shirt that I got yesterday. I put it through the wash once last night.
It's pictured here next to my re-dyed and re-buttoned Wested.
The AB (left) is a size Large and the Wested (right) is a Medium.
The AB shoulder width for me is perfect, the seam falls exactly on my shoulder whereas the Wested has larger more drooping shoulders.
The AB sleeves are really long for me. I usually wear a 33/34 sleeve and the AB sleeves are closer to 36. The body of the AB is more fitted than the Wested as well. I had to take in my Wested by 2" to get a less baggy look. The AB body length is also considerably longer than the Wested but that could be just the size difference (large vs. medium).
Look at the difference in fabric and the size difference in the epaulettes!
Sorry for the bad pics, will upgrade later. Pictures were taken inside this morning with some sunlight and camera flash.
Last edited by TheMechanic on Thu Aug 14, 2008 2:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
the epaulettes do look quite long on the wested shirt but then i think the they look a little short on the AB but thats just my opinion . the epaulettes were long`ish on the shirt in raiders
It looks even better in person. It has a very slight rosey hue to it that the camera didn't pick up.
The Wested epaluettes are so long because that shirt has the shoulder seams up on the top of the shoulder which makes for a longer seam & longer epaulette.
The AB shirt has the shoulder seams down more on the front of the shoulder at more of an angle so the epaulettes are not as long.
I love it. Very nice and well worth the wait.
The bag strap buckles I got from them are also by far the best available.
jacksdad wrote:Looks great and enjoy,is that an old avatar or did you cut your hair?
I think it was before he lost his eye, though he did say somewhere else that he got a haircut. Looks good, Mechanic!
The shirts - I like the wrinkles on the AB shirt but I'm still a big fan of the Todd's color. Maybe when you upgrade pictures you'll be able to pick up that "rosey hue," it has. Looking forward to new pics!
When I saw that shirt, I thought of the Cairo, Sallah's terrace scene. The ep's, color, wrinkle, etc., on the AB is a ringer! The ep's on the Wested look much wider & longer, also. The WPG doubles as a 'chute I heard! My vote is for the AB...when is that shirt due in the mail anyway? hmm....
The trick with these shirts is getting one that has the right shoulder width for you.
If you have baggy shoulders then the epaulettes are going to look too long and ill fitting.
Aside from the sleeves being too long, the shirt fits perfect on me. The sleeves are no big deal as they wi;; either be rolled up of hidden under the jacket sleeves.
Oh yeah, the Wested shirt does not wrinkle either. It's a 80/20 cotton/poly fabric. I've washed that shirt at least 10 times in hot water and put it in the dryer for hours on end. Nothing.
The AB will wrinkle after the first washing. Just right.
Notice also how different the button placement is on the 2 shirts.
Last edited by TheMechanic on Wed Aug 20, 2008 4:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yes, my 2 buckles were in with the shirt. I spent about an hour or so sanding and polishing out the rough edges. Now it's all smooth and shiny. I hope you get yours soon.
Glad you like the dye job on the Wested. I replaced the buttons with buttons from a 10 year old GAP brand shirt I had laying around and they worked out perfectly.
TheMechanic wrote:
Oh yeah, the Wested shirt does not wrinkle either. It's a 80/20 cotton/poly fabric. I've washed that shirt at least 10 times in hot water and put it in the dryer for hours on end. Nothing.
To make my WPG look wrinkled, I wash it in the machine and hang it up to drip dry. No dryer. Comes out nice and rumpled. It's 100% cotton, though. Worth a try, maybe!
It was 69 Euros shipped.
I'll try washing my Wested and hanging it dry. Maybe I'll roll it up and sleep on it or something to get it wrinkled. Not a big deal now that I have my AB.
TheMechanic wrote:It was 69 Euros shipped.
I'll try washing my Wested and hanging it dry. Maybe I'll roll it up and sleep on it or something to get it wrinkled. Not a big deal now that I have my AB.
Thanks! Honestly...I'd sell that Wested for more gear. The AB beats it, based on pics alone.
Do you have an MBA/Noel Howard shirt? I wonder what the fabric weight comparison is...
No, I don't have an MBA shirt. From what I've read and seen they are very close in style, design and fabric. Not so much in color but fabric.
I still want a Todds but the whole, "they're in stock, they're out of stock, they may be in stock, we don't know when they'll be in stock" thing really put me off.
The only thing about the Adventurebilt shirt that isn't dead on are the buttons. I think they're too light. The buttons I found for my Wested, I believe are the exact color seen in Raiders. More of a grey tone. If I come across more I'll probably switch them out.
Last edited by TheMechanic on Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
The AB looks great. But I always felt it was a shame Marc didn't try to capture the longer Raiders-style epaulettes - a vital detail to my eyes. Maybe a future improvement is on the cards?
. the epaulettes were long`ish on the shirt in raiders
