Club Obi Wan

Probably the most common frustration we Wested owners have is the way the back pleats hang open, giving an otherwise nice jacket a sloppy appearance. I went into a crafts store the other day and found some stuff called Peek n Stick. It is a thin, double sided adhesive that scrapbookers use for applying fabrics onto their pages. It comes in sheets and you have to cut strips to size. I placed a 6" or so strip inside the pleats just above the side straps. The pleats did not ballon out and helped give the jacket a more tailored look. The adhesive is fairly strong.

I also used it on the inside of my collar. My ToD jacket seems to have come with a LC collar, causing it to droop flat and, again, look sloppy. I attached the back of the collar to the outside band, helping not only the collar to stand up as it should, but also give it that nice inward curl. These little fixes improved the look of the jaket dramatically.

I would post some pics, but do not have access to a server at the moment. I will revisit this later with pics if you folks are interested.

All I can say is, thank you for posting this. I have had the same problem with my LC collar hanging out in the breeze, it refuses to be trained, even after foding the collar in half and leaving it for several days....


I J

I had to have my wested sent back to have the pleats fixed. The thread was lost in the last crash. Peter put elastic banding inside my jacket. Yes, he said he would never do that, but had to try it. My leather inside the pleats had become too soft to keep the pleat stiff. It has helped quite a bit, but now there is a bit of a dent where the band is. I may try some of this sticky stuff you are talking about. It seems the jacket is trying to bulge out again around the elastic. I'm not bothered by it this time though.
If you look at Raiders, the pleats are open most of the time.
Janice

I kind've like the way the action pleats on my jacket (3 years old) stay open. It's pretty "Raidersish" if you ask me. I've seen tons of screen grabs, and of course the film, to suggest to me that at least some of the jackets Ford wore had the same "problem."

Then again, I never was voted best/neatest dresser...

Cheers,
Cassidy

Well, I'm not exactly Mr. GQ myself, but I love the sleeker look of the jacket (I need all the help I can get). I am even considering taking the jacket the local leather shop and having them throw a couple of stitches in alonf the seam. The upper pleat still open, but they will close back up when standing normally.

If you want to get into screen accuracy, I love the appearance of the jacket during the Raven bar scene, which appears to have closed pleats toward the bottom. However, I try not to concentrate on that too much, as it will be a cold day in #### whenever I even closely resemble Mr. Ford.

Ok, I'm about to ask a question that will probably get me lynched (wouldn't be the first time, so big deal, right? ) Seriously now, without having a mirror in front of you to see yourself, how do you KNOW when your action pleats aren't working, or hanging open? I mean, you can't see them unless you crane your head around like an owl. No matter how fast you spin around, you'll never SEE them (ever see your back. NO. I know, I've tried it! 8-[ Wife thought I was nuts, spinning around like a top! ) You can't feel them hanging open, as they react to your movements. (They're 'action pleats')The ONLY time I was aware of an open pleat in 22 years in this hobby was once when I hung up on a shirt display in a store. It was my FS, and I had the elastic repaired. Haven't hung up since. SO, without a reflection at an angle to show you this 'problem', HOW DO YOU KNOW, and since you CAN'T see them, does it really matter? Ok, bring the rope, I'll go quietly. Regards. Michaelson

Out of interest, exactly how is elastic used on the action pleats? Is it vertical or horizontal? Does it actually work?

In my case, it would usually end up being horizontal anyway after a few G&T's

Just interested,

Al

Don't worry Michaelson, I've got your back.
I too would have to agree. If the action pleats are doing they're job,
they'll be open quite a bit.
I'll admit to looking in the mirror when I first got my jacket, but since
then I haven't given them a second thought. All I know is my jacket
fits like a glove and feels great whatever those pleats are up to when
I'm not looking. They don't bother me, and I don't bother them.

Glad SOMEBODY is back there, indybil, and without a knife in their hand! (grins) The elastic band goes horizonally from shoulder to shoulder, and is between the lining and the leather back (but only on the Expedition. Wested does not install it) It has been standard in G-1 flight jackets for years. Regards. Michaelson

So after all the sewing and taping of the pleats are they now called "inaction pleats"? Doesn't really sound Indy-ish does it?
Lindiana

Well, personal preference will rule the day here. I just thought I'd show a way to those who were interested. As I said before, the look and shape of my jacket improved enormously. The upper part of the pleat is still open to allow room for movement. Take it for what it's worth. I'm off to pursue other matters.

Regards,
Ben

The elastic is also in the U.S. Wings Indy jackets as well.

There is a one inch wide piece of elastic webbing that is actually
placed about 6 to 8 inches down from where pleats start up
near the horizontal seam that attaches the back piece to the shoulder
piece.

It really does work! When relaxed, your arms down at your sides,
this elastic is just slightly stretched across the back of the jacket in
order for it to pull the pleats in.

When you move your arms, the elastic stretches with the pleat,
and when you bring your arm back, it makes the pleat return to
its original position.


You can not feel the elastic if its done correctly. You have to lay
the jacket out flat and run your hand in the lining in order to feel it.

Also, no, you can not feel it when you are wearing the jacket. Because
its inbetween the lining and the outer leather, when you move your arms,
the elastic will move with the leather and the lining.

Almost all military jackets with pleats have had, or do have this feature.
The ones that don't are the shearling jackets like the B-6. They rely on
the way the pleat is made, and the fact that the shearling has been
shaved away under the pleat, for it to work properly.

Flathead

I hope Peter doesn't get angry at me for posting this!
Below is his message to me when I asked about 'action pleat problems'.
Maybe once he was against putting elastic in there but not anymore apparently.

I answered with a 'yes please', and got a 'no problem' response. Wested have put elastic in my action pleats.

We changed the design of the action pleats some months ago and since
that time have had little, or no, trouble with them at all. We are
constantly looking at ways to improve our products and if you would
prefer elastic in the action pleats we can do this if you wish.

Cheers Peter

Just another reason why Wested rule!

FLATHEAD wrote:....When relaxed, your arms down at your sides,
this elastic is just slightly stretched across the back of the jacket in
order for it to pull the pleats in.

When you move your arms, the elastic stretches with the pleat,
and when you bring your arm back, it makes the pleat return to
its original position....

My pre-distressed cowhide Expedition looks great when I have my arms down to my side. However, my pre-distressed cowhide Wested pleats flare out like Batwings when my arms are down at my side. Maybe it's because my shoulder blades stick way out my back?
I think elastic would be great as an addition so as to prevent the Wested wings. I really like the Raiders Wested as I ordered it and the pleats are the only thing I would change or, shall I say, improve upon.
I.J.

My pleats actually turned them selves inside out and my husband just said "what is happeneing to your jacket? I t looks terrible" I got him to wear it and he was right. It was an extreme case.
The pleats was bulged out all the time.
I wouldn't recommend the elastics in a new wested. Peter says he has improved the pleats and I haven't heard of any complaints lately.

The elastic is about 3 or 4 inches wide and does slightly change the "feel" of the jacket. When I stretch out both arms, I can feel the elastic across my back. It can't be any longer or it won't hold the pleats in place.

The leather in my pleats was just too soft to hold it's shape at all.
I would see what you get from Peter without the elastics.

Just my .02

Janice

I have one of the recent Wested authentic lambs, and even asked Peter to make the action pleats 3-and-a-half inches deep in hopes of helping to prevent the bulging batwings.

It didn't work.

Now they stay open even more.

So, the problem hasn't been completely solved, at least on mine.

Too bad, because I really love everything else about my Wested.

Could putting Pecards on the action pleats cause them to soften up and stay open?

Mine is Pecards-free.

(Sorry Michaelson)

Indiana Janice wrote:My pleats actually turned them selves inside out and my husband just said "what is happeneing to your jacket? It looks terrible" I got him to wear it and he was right. It was an extreme case.
The pleats was bulged out all the time......Peter says he has improved the pleats and I haven't heard of any complaints lately....
...The leather in my pleats was just too soft to hold it's shape at all.

My Wested pleats are 2 inches deep and the Expo is 1 1/2". My Wested doesn't have elastic and the Expo does. I'm not sure what the Wested improvements are/were but I didn't think of it until Janice mentioned "too soft." Looking into the Wested pleat, the part closest to the wearer's back is nice and firm, like the cowhide should be. However, the part away from the wearer's back (again, looking inside) is really soft, wrinkly, and doesn't hold form or shape---like it's trying to make itself inside out.

Could this simply be a case of mistakenly putting a piece of softer cowhide as part of the action pleat, thus not holding its shape?

I.J.

My jacket is lamb (I have never used any sort of treatment on it) and the leather in the pleat is very soft. I wonder if using a stiffer leather (like cow or goat) in the pleat only, would make a difference. Or maybe leather that is cut thicker, just for the pleats would work better. I don't know. I'm sure Peter will come up with the solution. I have total faith in his abilities

Janice

I find that if I just make sure that the action pleats are tucked in nice and flat when I hang my jacket up, they tend to work better while I'm wearing it. Other than that, I don't really worry about them.