Club Obi Wan

This is a theory I just had. I recently got a new Raiders, so it's won't be useful to me soon but maybe it can help someone out. I was thinking how I could I get a truly perfect fit in my next Wested? I went out to my local thrift store and tried on a few suit jackets until I found one with the exact fit I was after. $15.00 total. It's ugly as heck (plaid) but that's not the point I figure when I'm in the market again (this summer, I hope) I could send it to Wested. No more guess work on their part due to inaccurate customer measurements or assumptions on fitting. They'd have a complete jacket in-hand with your desired specs. And if you buy a really ugly jacket to send them, there's no need to pay return postage

That is a great idea! You can also trim or mark it to exactly the length you want the jacket to fall on you, so no guessing needed.

Or you could run into Peter at the Queen Mary and politely ask him to measure you, as many of us did.
Or take the train out to Kent. Right KT?
Though your idea seems sound enough.
I always thought the best thing to do is to go to a tailor and ask them to measure you. They do a really good job.

Hemingway Jones wrote: Or take the train out to Kent. Right KT?

Or a nice relaxing 30 min 70mph car ride

Any equine sightings yet?

You could always make a full body cast of yourself and mail it in.

Sending in an old jacket would be a cool idea to get the right fit.

Masterfulks wrote:You could always make a full body cast of yourself and mail it in.

There should be a law against how funny this comment is.

Kt Templar wrote:

Hemingway Jones wrote: Or take the train out to Kent. Right KT?

Or a nice relaxing 30 min 70mph car ride

Any equine sightings yet?

Sadly no, and all of these, "I got my Wested in three days and two hours" posts are really getting me down!

Below is the template and measuring instructions I used to get my measurements for my Wested order.

I found it on the net about a year ago but I can't remember exactly what site I got it from.

It worked great and the jacket was a perfect fit when I got it. I hope it will help someone else.



JACKET SIZING:

A) CHEST - Measure high under armpits, spanning the widest part of your chest, bring tape around for one 360 degree complete measure.

B) BACK LENGTH - Measure from nape of neck (at collar seam) to 1 1/4" below BOTTOM of belt line. This is where a waist-length jacket should fall. If you desire a longer length, please mention how much longer and we can see which of our sizes would be close.

C) SHOULDER SPAN - Measure across back in a straight line, from edge of shoulder to opposite edge of shoulder.

D) ARM - Measure from top edge of shoulder to top thumb knuckle.

E) SLEEVE - Measure from nape of neck to shoulder edge, then down arm to bottom of wrist bone.

F) WAIST - Measure 1 1/2" below your navel for a complete 360 degree measurement.

G) HEIGHT - Total height in feet and inches.

It's probably a more complex solution than is necessary. Indeed, given the difference in cut between a Wested and the suit jacket, the guys would virtually have to pull it apart to get the measurements right.

"Hey, that's no problem!" you might say - but please think of all the extra work that would put on the Wested folks. An incredible amount for not much of a gain, if any, on a simple set of good measurements.

Crusader556 wrote:Below is the template and measuring instructions I used to get my measurements for my Wested order.

I think that is pretty comprehensive, I'd use that if ordering remotely.

One thing I'd add on the back measurement is to measure to a point relative to your back trouser pocket that you want the jacket to fall.

Thanks for posting.

Hemingway Jones wrote:Or you could run into Peter at the Queen Mary and politely ask him to measure you, as many of us did.

Yup, that's what I did, and when it arrived, it fit like a glove (I mean jacket).

Thanks Peter!

Crusader556 wrote:

JACKET SIZING:

A) CHEST - Measure high under armpits, spanning the widest part of your chest, bring tape around for one 360 degree complete measure.

B) BACK LENGTH - Measure from nape of neck (at collar seam) to 1 1/4" below BOTTOM of belt line. This is where a waist-length jacket should fall. If you desire a longer length, please mention how much longer and we can see which of our sizes would be close.

C) SHOULDER SPAN - Measure across back in a straight line, from edge of shoulder to opposite edge of shoulder.

D) ARM - Measure from top edge of shoulder to top thumb knuckle.

E) SLEEVE - Measure from nape of neck to shoulder edge, then down arm to bottom of wrist bone.

F) WAIST - Measure 1 1/2" below your navel for a complete 360 degree measurement.

G) HEIGHT - Total height in feet and inches.

Someone needs to draw a picture like this for the main site or perhaps as a sticky???

Some one PLEASE confirm this procedure with Peter as to whether or not it IS the way he wants his jacket measurements to be made. This was done once before, and it did nothing but give Peter headaches from the get go as they never checked with him as to it's 'correctness' for his way of working, to the point he emailed me and requested that it be removed.

Once it's confirmed, it will indeed be made a sticky, but not before.

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:Some one PLEASE confirm this procedure with Peter as to whether or not it IS the way he wants his jacket measurements to be made. This was done once before, and it did nothing but give Peter headaches from the get go as they never checked with him as to it's 'correctness' for his way of working, to the point he emailed me and requested that it be removed.

Once it's confirmed, it will indeed be made a sticky, but not before.

Regards! Michaelson

Now, why didn't I think of that!? Of course we should go by Peter's method. What was I thinking?

I can say this; when he measured me, it took about a minute and I have no idea what he did. But it all came out well in the end.

Hemingway Jones wrote:I can say this; when he measured me, it took about a minute and I have no idea what he did.

Mostly, he rolled his eyes. (Kidding! Kidding! You're looking very svelte!)

Hemingway Jones wrote:I can say this; when he measured me, it took about a minute and I have no idea what he did. But it all came out well in the end.

Clearly he works off very few measurements. Probably chest, waist and arm length... might have sized you up to see if you had an extraordinarily long torso requiring an 'L' fitting (most people don't), and away you go.

The diagram used here is comprehensive, but probably not necessary. I reckon if you sent it to Peter, he'd probably humour it, but still work to the basic measurements he needs.

Indiana Jerry wrote:

Hemingway Jones wrote:I can say this; when he measured me, it took about a minute and I have no idea what he did.

Mostly, he rolled his eyes. (Kidding! Kidding! You're looking very svelte!)

He did ask if anyone had a large tape measure!

How does he put up with you guys and your obsessive measuring/details?






...Your putting his grandchildren through college, thats how.

Obiwampa wrote:How does he put up with you guys and your obsessive measuring/details?

Frankly, I reckon he just agrees... then makes the jacket his way, with the measurements he needs.

Obiwampa wrote:How does he put up with you guys and your obsessive measuring/details?






...Your putting his grandchildren through college, thats how.

hahahaha...good eyes, sir, good eyes.

(And great signature, btw...I love the Marx Bros.... Hail Fredonia! )

I just went into my local Department Store, Famous-Barr went to the mens section and had the man measure me for a sport coat. I tried on a few to confirm his measurements asked him to write all the information on the back of "his" business card and said I would return with my wife as my wife thinks I have minimal taste--and I AM color blind! Sent the measurements to Wested and the rest is history. Not 100% honest but I have purchased clothes from them and getting measured for a possible purchase is not really evil-I know it won't get me to the promised land BUT I did return, okay several months later

Hemingway Jones wrote:

Indiana Jerry wrote:

Hemingway Jones wrote:I can say this; when he measured me, it took about a minute and I have no idea what he did.

Mostly, he rolled his eyes. (Kidding! Kidding! You're looking very svelte!)

He did ask if anyone had a large tape measure!

I do. I have two fifty footers that I used on accident scenes to measure things. That aut'ta work.

RIKRAK wrote:I just went into my local Department Store, Famous-Barr went to the mens section and had the man measure me for a sport coat. I tried on a few to confirm his measurements asked him to write all the information on the back of "his" business card and said I would return with my wife as my wife thinks I have minimal taste--and I AM color blind! Sent the measurements to Wested and the rest is history. Not 100% honest but I have purchased clothes from them and getting measured for a possible purchase is not really evil-I know it won't get me to the promised land BUT I did return, okay several months later

That's certainly one way to do it. Another is simply to call around a few local tailors and ask if they'd measure you up - and whether they'd want any money to do so. Most will say no they don't want money, because (a) It's not a big job and, (b) They'll enjoy someone coming into their shop and perhaps even showing (or letting you see) what they do because you might end up buying something from them one day.

I find negotiations like this are easier on the phone so that when you turn up in person, it's all arranged and you dont have to do any face to face haggling or whatever.

Hemingway Jones wrote:I can say this; when he measured me, it took about a minute and I have no idea what he did. But it all came out well in the end.

I wondered about that myself. Those who got mesured, what/how did he mesure? (and now Hem didn't pay attention!) How about you Minnesota? You've actualy got a photo of the sleeve mesurement. Remember any others?

Got a photo of MN getting something like his shoulder to waist length measured, too...

...but keep in mind that he might measure different stuff on someone due to their body shape. You can get close, but there's still no substitute for really having it done professionally. (And I went and gave Peter a miss...but part of me wishes I'd done it anyway just to have them on file. Oh, well, more ice cream to eat...everything changes. )

Ok, first, I'd want to apologise if I sound like: "Woohoo! look at me I can go to Wested anytime I like." That's not my intention guys, I live about 35 miles away on the other side of London and it takes about 35 minutes to drive there. If I lived in San Franciso I'm sure that Aldens would be as sick of me as Peter is!

Well, you might have noticed I'd been to Wested in person a few times recently. Partly to buy Xmas presents for other people and also to buy one for myself. It's got something to do with cold weather but it's not ready to show to you yet, but I will do when it is ready.

When I was there I took the opportunity to ask a few of the questions that have been floating around here, so here goes:

Duende, is a guy who comes in and buys a few jackets from Peter, he is not an official reseller and Wested is not 'Duendes' factory. The list of leathers is the Duendes own invention making based on jackets he has had in the past, not on Wested's inventory. Peter has seen some of this man made suede but has never used it before, but will investigate in the new year.

Fitting, he says that fitting guide diagram is fine. But most importantly you should give true measurements and not add a bit here and a bit there. Give them true measurements and they will add the rest.

His comments are seeing a person in life is the best thing of course! He said, "I hardly need to put a tape to you." This couldn't be more true. When I got my first jacket he took one look at me and picked one off the Indy rail... It's the one I have to this day!

He said this on the sleeve measurement: "the sleeve is exactly the same as a suit sleeve. Get a good fitting suit and measure it from the top of the shoulder seam to the elbow [not the funny bone or the crease of the arm but the top of the forearm] and then on to the cuff, it should be correct." He also said this for the arm measurement, "not to the first knuckle of the hand, measure to the wrist bone and then add about an inch."

I had him measure me, this is what I could remember, BTW I was wearing my lambskin:

Sleeve. Measuring the sleeve itself he touched the shoulder seam, then the top of my elbow then down to the cuff.

Chest. Under the armpits measuring INSIDE the jacket, holding the tape so his fingers were inside with maybe an inch away from my chest. He wrote down that exact measurement.

Back. From the nape of the neck, where the bottom of the collar joins the neck seam to the bottom of the jacket, just above jeans pocket level - I wear classic cut jeans not low riders.

He didn't take a waist measurement. He said it would help to have the measurement if I were a little "pear shaped."

The height measurement is important. He got that from looking at me. (Tiny!).

So I'm a 41" chest, 34" waist and my sleeve is 23". Back is 24 1/2" for a Raiders.

So follow that diagram folks! And don't lie! If you want it looser say so, if you want eighties cut say so too.

Kt Templar wrote:
He didn't take a waist measurement. He said it would help to have the measurement if I were a little "pear shaped."

THAT'S the measurement that gets a lot of us, er, older guys. When that one isn't factored in, the jackets will flare outward, and you can't zip them properly when you need to.

EXCELLENT report, KT! This will now be stickied.

Regards! Michaelson

Great report KT!

sorry michaelson - but its the simple truth and probably the one measurement that messes up the most costumes ! I used to work closely with a costumer and did a lot of business for him being a second hand dealer, and a lot of our clientele didn't get the fact that the waist measurement was actually the imaginary line at the level of your belly button- which means yes, the widest part on your body

also we would have to ask our clients...are there any odd shapes we should be aware of...oh that was a fun question - but people were honest !

Great summary, KT! Nice field work.

Got Maul wrote:sorry michaelson - but its the simple truth and probably the one measurement that messes up the most costume!

It's also one folks can't really 'plan' for as the jacket ages. I SWEAR my jacket fit me better a couple years ago...now...

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:Some one PLEASE confirm this procedure with Peter as to whether or not it IS the way he wants his jacket measurements to be made. This was done once before, and it did nothing but give Peter headaches from the get go as they never checked with him as to it's 'correctness' for his way of working, to the point he emailed me and requested that it be removed.

Once it's confirmed, it will indeed be made a sticky, but not before.

Regards! Michaelson

I'm glad the sizing diagram has been approved! Great work Crusader556 and KT!

When I made my 'Wested options' post a year or so ago, It was meant to be a helpful 'pulling together' of what was being discussed re. specs and sizes on the forum - the amalgamation of all the various info and theories flying around COW at the time, some of which (it turned out) Peter did not agree with:

viewtopic.php?t=10222&highlight=

In hindsight I should have checked the sizing issue out with Peter before posting, unfortunately it never crossed my mind to do so at the time.

Anyway, well done again Crusader556 and KT - I'm sure this info will be very useful to a lot of new gearheads!

Regards

Al

ob1al wrote:Anyway, well done again Crusader556 and KT - I'm sure this info will be very useful to a lot of new gearheads!

Or gearheads that have, uh...reverse tapered since their last jacket.

I know that feeling...!

Getting a proper fit-out from a qualified tailor ....there is no substitute....