Raiders Hero Pit to Pit Question

[Thee]

Howdy, I bought a wested hero off of ebay tagged as a 44, but when I measure the pit to pit it is about 22 inches(see pics below) which as far as I know was about the pit to pit of the jackets HF wore in raiders and those were a 40. In my case this works to my advantage as that is about my size. Is this typical of wested's hero jackets or am I measuring it wrong?

pics:
https://imgur.com/a/MqlGurH" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://imgur.com/a/hAPZuYV" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mulceber]

There's all kinds of opinions on what the relationship of pit-to-pit and size should be. Most makers take that to mean that a jacket should have a pit-to-pit measurement that would fit a person whose chest circumference equals the size (i.e. if it's a size 40, it should fit someone with a 40" chest, meaning there needs to be a few extra inches built into the pit-to-pit). Some jacket makers, though, just treat the size as pit-to-pit times two. That's why it's generally a bad idea to treat size as anything but a guess. Know what your measurements are and go by that.

[Tibor]

No, not typical. Looks like that jacket has had a water treatment that shrunk it up a bit. Wested’s typical size 44 hero measures 24-24.5” pit to pit.

[Thee]

No, not typical. Looks like that jacket has had a water treatment that shrunk it up a bit. Wested’s typical size 44 hero measures 24-24.5” pit to pit.

I got it in what seemed to be new condition with no signs of water treatment. I have worn it in the rain several times but I doubt that would shrink the pit to pit up that much.

[Thee]

Mulceber wested makes it pretty clear on the website that they add 4 to 5 inches of space into their jackets. One thing I will add is that all the other measurements of the jacket are HF sized so maybe the guy who originally ordered it told wested to make the pit to pit 22 but have a 44 label to have the actual chest measurement.

[Indiana Jeff]

Pit-to-pit measurements and the labeled jacket size are two different things. I see this mistake on the secondary market all the time. A seller will measure the pit-to-pit as 22" and list the jacket size as a 44.

As mentioned the jacket size should fit the size chest of a person. So if a person's chest measures 44", they wear a size 44 jacket. But if the pit-to-pit was 22" the jacket would literally fit skin tight.

Jackets are generally made with a 2-5" tolerance. A 44 size cafe style motorcycle jacket is cut slim so would have a pit-to-pit of 23" (size 44 + 2"=46"/2=23"). Looser fitting jackets may have a tolerance of 5" so a size 44 would would have a pit-to-pit of 24.5".

My chest measurement is 42". I look for 22" pit-to-pit for more fitted jackets and 23" for looser fits.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[xmasters]

Yeah I would say water treatment is the culprit. Done it myself shrunk and runied (because it wouldn't fit) a jacket in half a day.

A wested with a pit-to-pit of 22" would normally be labelled a 42" or size M.

[marker2037]

Howdy, I bought a wested hero off of ebay tagged as a 44, but when I measure the pit to pit it is about 22 inches(see pics below) which as far as I know was about the pit to pit of the jackets HF wore in raiders and those were a 40. In my case this works to my advantage as that is about my size. Is this typical of wested's hero jackets or am I measuring it wrong?

pics:
https://imgur.com/a/MqlGurH" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://imgur.com/a/hAPZuYV" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I see some slack/rolls in the leather which means it's not quite super flat and the pit to pit is actually a bit larger. Try measuring again getting the front and back to lie as flat as possible.

Indiana Jeff is right in his analysis though.

[Thee]

Marker you were correct, I measured it again today and got about 23 inches which seems a little more realistic. This time I un did the buckles and that allowed the jacket to lay more flat.

[CM]

I never buy a jacket based on the labelled size they are almost meaningless. I wear a size 38,40,42,44,46,48 depending on who makes the jacket and what pattern it is. All you can go by is your measurements - best derived by measuring a jacket that fits you will. I need a pit to pit of 23.5 (give or take an inch) which can be a 44 or a 38 depending on who makes it. My Wested 42's have all been 23 to 23.5 inches pit to pit.

[rbxb]

I never buy a jacket based on the labelled size they are almost meaningless. I wear a size 38,40,42,44,46,48 depending on who makes the jacket and what pattern it is. All you can go by is your measurements - best derived by measuring a jacket that fits you will. I need a pit to pit of 23.5 (give or take an inch) which can be a 44 or a 38 depending on who makes it. My Wested 42's have all been 23 to 23.5 inches pit to pit.

25 - 25.5 for my 42 Hero

[CM]

I never buy a jacket based on the labelled size they are almost meaningless. I wear a size 38,40,42,44,46,48 depending on who makes the jacket and what pattern it is. All you can go by is your measurements - best derived by measuring a jacket that fits you will. I need a pit to pit of 23.5 (give or take an inch) which can be a 44 or a 38 depending on who makes it. My Wested 42's have all been 23 to 23.5 inches pit to pit.

25 - 25.5 for my 42 Hero

Interesting. The Wested site says they are all cut to 24 inches. In most cases with hand cut clothing a variation of .5 inches is understandable. 25.5 is very wide for a 42. My size 46 jackets have that chest measurement.

[rbxb]

I never buy a jacket based on the labelled size they are almost meaningless. I wear a size 38,40,42,44,46,48 depending on who makes the jacket and what pattern it is. All you can go by is your measurements - best derived by measuring a jacket that fits you will. I need a pit to pit of 23.5 (give or take an inch) which can be a 44 or a 38 depending on who makes it. My Wested 42's have all been 23 to 23.5 inches pit to pit.

25 - 25.5 for my 42 Hero

Interesting. The Wested site says they are all cut to 24 inches. In most cases with hand cut clothing a variation of .5 inches is understandable. 25.5 is very wide for a 42. My size 46 jackets have that chest measurement.

These are all the same jacket... pit seam to seam. pit stretched out flat as possible, I'm a 43.5 - 44 R chest in everything else yet this is a 42 Hero ... No wonder its hard to get right unless you are actually getting personally measured and fitted by Wested..

[CM]

Hmmm. Not great. I guess the Raiders jacket can afford to be a little baggy.

[rbxb]

Howdy, I bought a wested hero off of ebay tagged as a 44, but when I measure the pit to pit it is about 22 inches(see pics below) which as far as I know was about the pit to pit of the jackets HF wore in raiders and those were a 40. In my case this works to my advantage as that is about my size. Is this typical of wested's hero jackets or am I measuring it wrong?

pics:
https://imgur.com/a/MqlGurH" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://imgur.com/a/hAPZuYV" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That is an anomaly. I like many, have owned several Wested Indy jackets. Raiders 80's/Chris King patterns, 2000's Raiders and Hero among others. Sizes 42 / 44. and NONE had an armpit to pit measure less than 23.5 inches

[marker2037]

Howdy, I bought a wested hero off of ebay tagged as a 44, but when I measure the pit to pit it is about 22 inches(see pics below) which as far as I know was about the pit to pit of the jackets HF wore in raiders and those were a 40. In my case this works to my advantage as that is about my size. Is this typical of wested's hero jackets or am I measuring it wrong?

pics:
https://imgur.com/a/MqlGurH" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://imgur.com/a/hAPZuYV" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That is an anomaly. I like many, have owned several Wested Indy jackets. Raiders 80's/Chris King patterns, 2000's Raiders and Hero among others. Sizes 42 / 44. and NONE had an armpit to pit measure less than 23.5 inches

Funny, I've never had a size 42 with a pit to pit LARGER than 23.5 inches. Anything larger and I classify that as a 44, minimum.

[rbxb]

Update.
I showered in my Raiders HERO 42
Fully dried it
fully leather conditioned it with Lexol

remeasured stretched out laying flat
*armpit seam to armpit seam. 24"