Club Obi Wan

Hey there, I just joined, but I've been reading the forum for about a month now. I'm 20, attending college in upstate New York, and an Indy fan from as long as I can remember.

I'm going to be ordering a Wested soon seeing as how my current leather jacket is all torn up -- whip lashes, branch scrapes, animal claws, etc.

But here's my big problem... I'm having the hardest time measuring. I've been to a tailor, a tuxedo fitter, measured jackets, and myself, and I just can't seem to get the measurements down right.

I've measured a leather jacket that's too big on me (including sleeves):
Shoulder -- about the same as Wested's, 6.5-7 inches
Sleeve -- about 24.25 inches
Back -- 24.5-25.5 inches (depending on how much I stretch it)

And a well fitting non-leather jacket:
Shoulder -- 5.75-6 inches
Sleeve -- about 24.5 inches
Back -- 26.5 inches

Tailor's measurements:
Sleeve (He was unsure of it) -- 23.5 inches
Torso (from top of shoulder down the front of me, to belt) - 23 inches

Tuxedo store said I'm a "perfect 40" with a 24.25 inch sleeves.

The two jackets fall around the same height on my pants, are marked Medium, and the fitted jacket's sleeves look good while the leather jacket's (lambskin) are way too long. Plus I'd like the raider's jacket to be a tiny bit shorter on me.

So basically, I'm not sure what I should do, or what/how to measure now. I was originally thinking ordering a size Raider's 40R, 24 inch sleeves, and let Peter do the rest... but now I'm unsure if i should shorten the jacket and/or sleeves slightly. I'm 5'8" by the way... and I was kind of wondering the opinions of anyone who can help out.

Actually, if anyone's up for measuring/remembering, if you could tell me the sleeve length you ordered and back length of your jacket (whether you specified or not) I'd be VERY grateful. _Especially_ if you're around my height (since I've noticed a lot of you are quite tall -- 6 feet+ ).

So if anyone can help, please i need it. Oh sorry for writing a book, and nice to meet everyone here.

Welcome to COW Khasra. I ordered a jacket for the first time recently and went through the same problems you are having. Unfortunately, I don't have my jacket yet, so I can't tell you whether or not my measurements were accurate.

I recommend going with a size 40 (Tux shops in my opinion do a good job at determining your suit measurement), and 24.25 inches on the sleeves since both your jackets and the tux shop came up with this measurement.

For the back length you can measure from the base of your neck to the point you want the jacket to end at. You might also want to consider giving Peter your neck size, measuring your chest, and adding an inch in the front to prevent the jacket from riding up.

I'd recommend calling Peter and giving him your measurements. That way you can discuss any questions you have and he can put you at ease. Good luck, and remember, if it doesn't fit you can always send it back and Wested will make it right.

Welcome Khasra

The sizing advice in this thread might be useful: http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10222

As you have received conflicting advice from several sources, I'd be inclined to measure yourself once more using the process described in the above thread and on the Wested website, then give this info the Wested and take it from there.

ShanghaiJack's above advice is very good - the best thing you can do now is ring Wested with these measurements and let them advise you.

Unfortunately, it's a process of trial and error sometimes - but remember that if the jacket you receive isn't quite right, you can send it back to be remade or altered.

It certainly sounds as if you are a 40, but the back length and sleeve length is something you will have to make a best judgement about based on all the advice you have been given and your own instincts.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Regards,

Al

Khasra, welcome to the forum!

You did the correct thing in measuring jackets you already own to get
a good size comparison for your body. This has allowed you to see what
you want, and especially what you don't want in a jacket fit.

I would suggest the following. Get your hands on a jacket that has
an open bottom and open sleeve cuffs like our Indy jackets, and put that
on. Do NOT use a jacket that has any kind of rib knitting on the bottom
or the sleeves, as these types of jackets don't fit the same, and because
of the rib knitting, they can often fit a range of sizes because the knits
allow you to adjust the fit to some degree. The open bottom, open
sleeve jackets need to be a perfect fit in order to look right, so find one
like that if you can.

Once you have the jacket on, see where the back falls in relation to
the back pockets on a pair of jeans. Most people like their Indy jackets
to fall about even, to an inch or two below the top of the pockets on
their jeans.

Now that you have the jacket on, have a friend measure the jacket from the
base of the collar, where it meets the back of the jacket, down to the bottom of
the jacket. Tell your friend to measure to where you want the jacket to
end. If the jacket you are wearing is too short for your liking, tell your
friend to give you the measurement to where you want the back to end
either even with, or past the pocket on your jeans.

Its better to do this with a jacket on, because if you just measure your
body from the base of your neck to where you want the jacket to end,
you can be off by an inch or two, and that can make the jacket not fit
you correctly. Its always better to measure a jacket on you to get the
true measurements for it if you have one available.

Do the same thing for the sleeves. Have a friend measure them while
you are wearing a jacket that fits you good. You can measure the
actual sleeve length on that jacket, and adjust the numbers to fit you
the best.

You can also go to a jacket, or leather store near you, and try on the
jackets they have there to get a better idea of what you want in the fit.

Hope this helps. Its always better to try on a bunch of jackets, like you
are doing, to see how they fit, and what their measurements are before
you order!! In construction, the saying is, "Measure twice, cut once".
And that hold true with exspensive jackets as well.

For reference, I am 6 feet, 1 inch tall, I have a 42 inch chest, 36 inch
waist, and my arms are about an inch shorter than what most places would
call "regular". I ordered my Indy jacket in a size 44, with a back length of 26 inches,
I added an extra inch in the front for ride up, I had Peter make the
sleeves 23 inches long, and the jacket fits great!!

Also, the Indy jacket is made to a slimmer fit, like back in WWII. These
jackets have 4 inches of movement room in them over what the size
tag says. So, for example, if you order a size 40 Indy jacket, the actual
chest measurement will be 44 inches. If you order a size 42 Indy jacket,
the chest measurement will be 46 inches, and so on.

So, you can also use this to determine if you want a close fitting jacket,
or go one size up if you want alittle more room for wearing heavier
clothes, or if you just like a slightly roomier jacket like I do.

Flathead

Here's some info that I use when ordering Westeds. So far, it's worked with a great deal of success. For some cases, you may need to add distance around at the belly.

Jacket Size:
Jacket Style:
Height:
Chest:
Shirt Neck Size:
Desired Jacket Neck Size:
Shoulder to Shoulder:
Sleeve from Shoulders:
Sleeve from middle of back:
Waist at the belly:
Pants Size (Below the belly):
Length from Neck to Belt Buckle:
Desired Jacket Length:
(Measured from throat down the front center.)
Leather Type:
Zipper (leftside or rightside):
Lining:
Collar:
Rings:
Zipper for the inside pocket (yes/no):
Gussets under sleeves for better arm movement (yes/no):
Extended back panel for larger sizes (48+):
Action Pleats Elastic Bands (yes/no):

Addtional Notes:

Thanks for the great responses guys, they helped out a lot. I've made
my final calculations and decisions and I'll be ordering my jacket today
or tomorrow online. Here are the specs, am I missing anything, or does
everything look good and accounted for?

Jacket Fields:
Height: 5'8"
Chest: 40"
Sleeve: 24.25"
Jacket Size: 40 (USA)
Style: Raider's
Leather: Authentic Brown Goat
Lining: Cotton Body w/ Satin Sleeves
Side Fastener: Black Sliders


Special Requests box:

Weight: 160lbs. (72.5 kg)
Waist size: 34"
Neck size: 13"

Extend the zipper so it goes all the way to the bottom of the hem.
Please use "X-box" stitching where the side straps connect.

Please taper the jacket slightly (towards the bottom/waist) to give it
a slightly more fitting look.

If possible, allow a tiny bit of extra room in the jacket to make room for a
thin sweater to be worn underneath (in the arm holes or whatever is
necessary).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know the last two requests seem a bit contradictory, but they serve
different purposes, so it should be ok, right?

On a side note, here are some things I didn't include:

Back Length -- The default length of the raider's jacket (24.5 inches)
seems perfect to me. I don't mind a short jacket in case it's a bit shorter
than expected, but I'm pretty short as well, so I don't think it'll look
strange on me at all. (Short jacket = longer looking legs )

Extra inch in the front -- My current leather jacket has what looks to be an
extra inch to an inch and a half in front, and it hangs ridiculously farther
down in the front than in the back when unzipped (how I wear it most of
the time).

Nickel / Aluminum Zipper -- Brass is stronger, isn't it?

Gussets -- Trying to save a little money here, plus I've heard mixed
feelings on their usefulness.

Sounds good. You have chosen wisely. As regards the zipper, I don't think they can actually extend it all the way to the end of the jacket due to the lining. The best they can do is extend it as close to the bottom as possible. If I were you I would explicitly ask them to extend the zipper as far down as possible otherwise you might just get a message saying that it is impossible to extend it all the way to the bottom. I'd also call Wested and confirm that they got and understood all of your requests after you place the order online. Good luck, and get ready for a tough wait!

Ah ok, so as far down as possible. I'll make sure to specify it that way. I'm
so glad that the overly-long delay for authentic goat skins (and any others
that happened to be held up) is over. I'll make sure to post pics when I
receive it.