Current Wested action pleat depth

rigor · Post by **rigor** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 7:31 pm

It's time to order my third Wested Raiders jacket. (I can't believe I'm saying that!)

For awhile posts listed the pleat depth as 3+ inches to keep the pleats closed. Now that Peter offers elastic to solve the open pleat problem has he changed the standard pleat depth?

What's considered to be a screen accurate Raiders pleat depth?

Thanks, gang!
-rigor

Captain D · Post by **Captain D** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 12:31 am

Thats a good question, for I was wondering the same thing....

I just happened to pop "Raiders" in the other evening (while wearing my new Wested Goat

), and I noticed that when Indy was hanging onto the front of the truck, his pleats didn't seem quite so deep. But, perhaps someone can chime in for more info, for I just glanced at it. But then again, I dunno.....

I just remembered the opening sceen in Raiders as Indy goes into the cave and noticices the spider on his back. As he makes a half-turn, the pleats tend to open up somewhat, and then they look kinda deap....

Kind Regards,
Captain D

agent5 · Post by **agent5** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 1:17 pm

Looks to me as thought the pleats in the film are no more than an inch deep.

Sergei · Post by **Sergei** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 1:26 pm

My jacket notes through years I have captured from _, Dawg, etc:
- Raiders Pleat Depth
1.5"
- TOD Pleat Depth
1"
- LC Pleat Depth
1"

-Sergei

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 1:29 pm

I know Peter kept making them deeper and deeper in an attempt to solve the gaping open problem that folks were experiencing with use. I also think the elastic solves that particular problem, and going back to the 1 to 1.5 inch depth is correct to the screen versions. Regards. Michaelson

rigor · Post by **rigor** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 3:08 pm

Thanks for the info, all. And thanks for making yet another newb feel welcome. I'm off to order a jacket. --rigor

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 3:13 pm

We're tickled to have you here, rigor! Let us know how things go! High regards. Michaelson

rigor · Post by **rigor** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 7:20 pm

So after spending a few more months fretting about some details of my jacket order, I finally sent it in. I got my jacket in about four weeks. It fits perfectly and looks outstanding! It is certainly my favorite of the jackets I've had. Wested accommodated my rather long list of customizations I had sent them; I'm very thankful for that. I imagine that collectively we can be a rather trying lot for Peter and the other fine folks at Wested.

I have two noteworthy points about this jacket compared to the one Wested made for me in 1999. Both are lamb. The current lamb seems thicker and stiffer than my 1999 jacket. Has anyone else noticed this?

Even after reading lots of posts about the action pleats staying open and Peter's varying the depth and adding elastic to try to solve the problem, I requested the pleats to be 1.5" deep and to have elastic added. I was hoping for the best and trying to avoid the pleats billowing like some posts have discussed. Wested added the elastic but made the pleats 3" deep. (The pleats are staying closed just fine and aren't billowing at all.) I asked Peter whether this was an oversight and whether it could be changed. Here is Peter's response.

"When we provide a made to measure service we do not offer to
dramatically alter the established pattern. This is why the action
pleats, which have taken a long time to perfect, are as they are."

I was under the impression people were still getting the original pleat depth if requested. Is that the case? Also, has anyone had elastic alone solve the 1.5" pleats staying open?

ob1al · Post by **ob1al** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 5:23 am

Hmmm..as far as I know, the pleats have been 3" deep for quite a while, a couple of years now maybe (or at least longer than elastic has been available as an option), so my guess is no-one has tried elastic and a 1.5" deep pleat on a Wested..

Shawnkara · Post by **Shawnkara** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 9:01 pm

I added elastic to my old Wested Raiders with 1.5" pleats. It didn't help the gaping to much. They didn't lay flat open anymore but did, over time, curl up and roll back. I even did a Lycra "bowtie" thing; two sections of Lycra sewn from top to bottom on each pleat, converging at a narrow section in the middle of the back (using a Lycra band the same width all the way across creates a lot of drag and makes them not work at all). This didn't help much, either. I have another Wested now that I got recently from a COW member with the deeper pleats. I haven't had the gaping problem and it doesn't have any elastic at all.

rigor · Post by **rigor** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 1:38 pm

Thanks for clearing this up for me, ob1al. Shawnkara, I sent my second jacket to Wested to have elastic added to fix the 1.5" open pleats (and to have them use the jacket's measurements to make the third one. I don't trust myself with a tape measure). Jacket #2 was returned unmodified. Maybe your experience explains why: 1.5" pleats plus elastic won't solve the problem of the pleats staying open.

The nice thing was that Wested pressed my jacket before returning it. It looks fantastic. It makes the jacket look pretty darn new again. I'm not into distressing the jackets so I'm going to consider getting my jacket pressed locally every couple of years.

ob1al · Post by **ob1al** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 2:19 pm

Interesting! How is a leather jacket pressed?

antiquity collector · Post by **antiquity collector** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 4:01 pm

I received a jacket only a few months ago (maybe 3 or 4) and mine has a depth of only 2" and it's a size 44 which makes them look accurate. I just asked for the back to extend all the way to the sides. Nothing else regarding the pleats.

AC

rigor · Post by **rigor** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 4:07 pm

I don't know how they pressed it, but they did wonders. Does anyone else know how it's done and what to ask for?

Shawnkara · Post by **Shawnkara** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 5:09 pm

Someone on this board had said onece that Peter had reccommended ironing the jacket with a towel between the leather and iron. I tried that once, and it seemed to work well.