I just was wondering where you came up with all those numbers.
Several places actually.
First, when I want a jacket from a certain vendor, I ask them what kind
of fit their jackets have, whether it be trim/military or loose/modern.
The internet is also a vast pot of knowledge, and doing simple searches for
things like "military fit" or "modern fit" in any of the latest search engines
will get you just about any of the info you desire. This site being one
of those places to find info.
Besides asking questions, research is your friend.
By doing just these two simple things, I have found most of the info I
need to make my jacket choice from every vendor.
A typical military fit is 4 inches of incorporated movement room in the
garment. This means that whatever the tagged size of the garment is,
the actual chest measurement will be 4 inches bigger than that. Thus a
size 44 military fit will have a 48 inch chest.
This gives the garment a trim fit, with enough room to move around,
but not be too tight. Jackets like vintage WWII A-2 jackets, repro A-2's
by places like Eastman and Aero leather, and the Indy jackets
from Wested have this fit in their regular sizes. If you plan on wearing
multiple layers under this type of jacket, it will get tight fitting very
quickly. This fit is also what most people have never experienced before,
and it WILL seem tight to them at first, because they are used to the
modern cut of todays clothes. So, most people will "size up" to get a larger
jacket because they think its too small, when its actually just right. But
if you like your jackets to be looser, then by all means, "size up".
People who have large stomachs, are overweight, or just not in the
same shape as they were like when they were 20 do not usually look good in
military fit clothing, so, the modern fit is more tailored for them.
A typical modern fit is 6 to 8 inches of incorporated movement room in
the chest of the garment. So a tagged size 44 will have a chest measurement
ranging anywhere from 50 to 52 inches. That makes it fit very loose and
baggy, and thats what most people are used to these days. Most jackets
from people like LL Bean or LandsEnd are like this. US Wings Indy jackets
are more of a modern fit, and even some of the repro A-2 jackets made by Flightsuits are made like
this, as seen by the measurements posted on websites like VLJ forums
or the Fedor Lounge, and even this website.
This type of modern fit is good for layering multiple items underneath it
and still have room to move around in very easily. But again, it looks
baggy and sometimes quite silly on very skinny people who look as
though they are wearing an oversized sack.
There are other factors like how much a garment tapers down from
the chest to the waist. A military fit will usually taper down 4 to 6 inches
and a modern cut will taper usually just about 2 inches to nothing.
That means a military fit jacket, in a regular size 44, will have a chest
measurement of 48 inches, and a waist measurement of about 42 inches.
A modern cut 44 jacket will have a chest measurement of 50 inches,
and the waist will be anywhere from 48 to 50 inches, as it does not
taper as much.
Thats why people with a nice pasta belly will not fit correctly into a military
fit jacket, as there is too much taper from the chest to the waist, and they
end up looking like a stuffed sausage.
You get the point...
Flathead
Anyone out there have experience with standard and 80's cut.