Club Obi Wan

Ok so I'm getting ready to order a BK, but I'm having some trouble measuring the "pit to pit" and "chest across." I measured one of my jackets from pit to pit and got 20.5". The only reason I'm having reservations about this is because Harrison's Temple jacket was 22.5" across and there is no way I have a narrower chest than he did. Moreover, his jacket was roughly an equivalent to a size 40 at Wested. I have a few 42s from Wested and they fit pretty perfectly.

(Hopefully this is making some kind of sense)

SO with all of that said, can someone tell me a more accurate way to measure "pit to pit" and/or "chest across?" I've been doing it with the jacket zipped up and laying on the floor with the arms naturally at the side.

I'd appreciate any info.

Thanks!

Kyle

Knibs, I don't want to post that PDF from Kelso until they're back. I can describe how I do it.

I shoot for the maximum width between the pits, that is, where the sleeve seam actually meets the side panel, which should be very close to the seam where front and back are attached. If there are gussets, I measure below them, meaning I don't include them. Just zip it up and lay it flat. Sometimes, to get the chest flat, I might actually need to fold the arms up out of the way. Whatever it takes to get it flat where I'm going to measure across. I usually stretch it at the pits gently, let the leather relax, then measure it.

But everybody's different. I will say, I haven't been disappointed by receiving an order based on doing it this way.

The chest measurement is weird, because the point you measure, below the pits, hits different people at different places, depending on the shoulder measurement, usually, or, the cut in general. So, some jackets with identical chest dimensions will fit differently.

Best I can tell, that's the way Kelso instructs a customer to do it.

Thanks for the info. I wish I could just send them one of my jackets that already fits me well

Kyle

Sizes are not standard. A size 46 Brooks leather cafe racer jacket measures 24 inches pit to pit, A Gibson and Barnes Indy 42 measures 25 inches pit to pit, a size 42 Schott cafe racer measures 22.5 pit to pit. As most jacket collectors will tell you, you have to go by measurements in jackets, not sizes. I have had size 40 jackets that were 23 inches pit to pit.

Some brands will standardize their size across ranges but across brands it's anyone's guess. I am pretty sure Harrison Ford did not wear a specific size, he wore his measurements, tailor made for him. Later on these jackets would have been called, somewhat arbitrarily a 40 or 42. About 12 years ago I remember asking Wested's Peter what size Ford he said, 'the equivalent of a 42" in other words the jacket he built translates to about that size.

CM has it right on the money.

Even within brands, different ranges will be 'sized' differently. Best explanation I've heard is from Barbour referring to the Commander jacket cut compared to other Barbour lines.

To summarize, to Barbour, a large is a large is a large; but depending on which line you are wearing there are differences in the chest tolerances so the fit will be different.


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Regards,

Indiana Jeff

If you want a slimmer look to the jacket measure pit to pit on a jacket you're happy that fits you. I have a Wested Hero that's 46" chest labelled and pit to pit is 23". It looks and feels slimline as I had long arm measurements as a request. I've recently purchased an old pattern ROLA Wested custom again labelled 46" chest but pit to pit is 25.5". The fit is a lot looser and with extra "tolerance" in the pit to pit measurement the jacket looks like a kite with both arms up. I had to lengthen the sleeves that were already fairly long because of the way they moved on that particular pattern. As Indiana Jeff mentioned "a large is a large is a large" depending on the cut of the coat. I'd personally have a jacket that fit me well and was fairly SA than a completely SA jacket that looks wrong on you.

Got all that, Knibs?

So you now have all the info you need!

All that, and you STILL can't know until you try it on!!! Bummer!

Good points about slim fit jackets, though. Bike jackets and cafe racers are usually going to measure a little smaller in the chest. It's just supposed to be a tighter fit. Newer fashion jackets and suits have trended that way. In our hobby, I consider the Wested Hero and the Kelso to be similar to that, but not exactly. You have the smaller arm holes, and a different cut.

I personally don't care if the size tag reads 'L', '44 ', '46', or 'pickles'. If a jacket doesn't measure at least 24" between the pits, I'm gonna think its too tight.

So, if you don't know, measure your chest the way a manufacturer tells you, tell them that measurement, and let them suggest what to order.

Orrr PM some of the BK owners on the forum and ask their advice on the pit to pit compared to the actual "supposed" chest size. Every Indy jacket manufacturer seems to differ with the interpretation of the pattern and it's a bummer when you lay out a wedge of cash and aren't happy with the result. You will get "Jacketmatosis". That awful feeling that you should be satisfied with your purchase but have that sinking feeling that somethings not quite right about it. This will lead into a bad case of "additional jacket requirement" syndrome.

All I can say with regards to that is that with my personal experience with the Kelso's, posting measurements vs. the tagged size would probably only serve to confuse things further, here, and that's only based on 2 jackets!

Based on my order, I'll just say that I should've asked for a jacket 24.5 inches across the chest, whatever that size is, and leave it at that.

Probably 75% of the manufacturers will tell you to measure your chest and order that tagged size. I fall between tagged sizes, so, based on actual chest and shoulder dimensions provided to me before I order, I may go 44 or 46 for a tagged size.

I'm waiting for Kelso to come back from vacation to work out the details on a jacket for this very reason, and they've been very helpful.

Knibs, don't sweat it. Just wait until they're back. I mean, feel free to ask for measurements from other guys' Relic Hunters. I'll give you mine. But bear in mind, there could be variances in the jackets of the same size, and also that every guy is going to measure their jacket differently. I would just ask Kelso for specific instructions on how to measure. Didn't you say you have a Hero? That's the perfect jacket to do take off measurements from. The Hero is basically the same cut. If it fits well, it's the perfect template.

Don't be afraid to ask specific questions. Andy is very helpful.

As has been said above, the marked sizing is all over the place among brands. Nothing is standard. I'd likely have to buy a XXL in a Belstaff jacket to get the same fit as a L US Wings. Heck, I can wear a standard Wested Raiders 44, but I prefer a 46 in the Hero! I wear a L in the US Wings Signature jacket, but need an XL in the Legend! But the concept is the same: get a good chest and shoulder measurement and then translate that to the closest relative manufacturer's sizing. It usually dials me right in, and it will generally get you close.

Ok well I just placed the order. BK had sent me the PDF in an email, so I followed their instructions precisely on a jacket that already fits me really well. So hopefully it will fit

Thanks for all the help, everyone

Kyle

Knibs, glad to hear it. That PDF is pretty cut-and-dry, isn't it? I didn't want to try to post it, because I think they send you that after payment, and are officially a 'client'. It's a good starting point for any jacket order, I think.

Tex mentioned that it's a good idea to customize the Kelso, since you're already paying a custom price, really. I agree, and now that I've ordered one, in the future, I likely will. But the caveat to that is that if you deviate from their standard pattern, the jacket is basically unreturnable, or, not exchangeable. So for my first jacket, I stuck with a standard size.

That said, I still had a wrinkle, so I'm waiting until they answer my email when they're all back from vacation.

Did you go for the striated lamb?

I know it's hard to pull the trigger on these orders sometimes!

Ya I went with the striated lamb. I gave them the exact measurements off of a jacket I currently have, so hopefully it will fit just like it.



Kyle

hovitos loincloth wrote:... I have a Wested Hero that's 46" chest labelled and pit to pit is 23"...

This is amazing! Your size 46 measures pit to pit at 23 inches?

So I'm in the process of trying to get a Wested Hero that fits, the second attempt arrived today. Both the first and second Hero were size 42, the first one fit in the chest and measured pit to pit at 23 inches, however the second one (that I made changes to back/arm length) measure pit to pit at 24 inches... I'm swimming in the new jacket, even though the first one fit...? I'm $568 USD into this jacket, and to be honest, really bummed about it.

Despite the lack of customisation on the Hero I think that,despite the labelled chest size, I did stress I wanted a pit to pit of 23, I'd be interested in their response to your email. As this is the Wested flag ship product they should be more consistent with the sizing.
!

Ok, so long story short, the jacket is fine. This morning the size 42 measures at about 22.5 seam to seam!

Short story long, I took it out of the box, tried it on to check arm/back length was right, then wanted to get started on the fun part... I wet the leather to form the arms, collar, etc. I wore it around and started to realize it felt really big. It was damp, but not wet when I measured and it was 24 inches. The leather had stretched/swollen when it was wet, but it's completely dry now and it is back to fitting great! So a 42 out of the box = 23, a wet 42 = 24, a wet/dried 42 = 22.5 inches. I never would have thought it would change THAT much when damp.

I hadn't received a reply yet, as they have the 48 hour turnaround, so I sent a follow up with another pic explaining that everything was ok. I'm about to head out of town, but I plan on writing up a review of my experience with ordering a Hero. The type of post I wish I could have read before ordering, so hopefully it will help others.

I'd like to end this by saying that the customer service with Wested is really pretty great. I get the impression that they really want to deliver a product that you are happy with and are willing to really work with you to get it right. I'll include more details in my review.

Cool beans! What hide was it?

And I bet when it gets cooler and you want to slip another layer on it'll be too tight!