Okay, all...here goes!
Now, those of you who know me, know that I give as thorough and objective a review as possible, meaning I go over the good, the bad, and the ugly. I hope that no one takes anything I have to say personally, as I never mean to insult...I just have always felt like an objective review is the best way I can help my fellow gear-heads and friends here make educated decisions about the jackets they buy, and from whom they buy them.
With that caveat, for all its shortcomings, this jacket has quickly become one of my favourites in the closet, hasn't really been off my back in the last 24 hours very long, and is, as I said before, honestly the best Wested I've ever seen...with the possible exception of the very first one I ever owned...but that great white whale has eluded me since 1998...and I won't bemoan that loss here...you're welcome, M
!
The leather, as I noted before, reminds me of a dark bourbon, poured up neat, with a little honey, and, perhaps a couple of tablespoons of chocolate...and when I look at it, not only do I want that drink in my hand, I get the sense that if this leather had a taste, it would taste like that drink, too!!!
I am thrilled with the grain, too...it's truly reminiscent of some of the Italian cowhides I've seen in some of the Nowak jackets I've had the good fortune to see in person. Wrinkled and cracked looking, it has the character of a 50 year old jacket, but the finish of a new one...and, again, would not look out of place in any setting, really...except, maybe, black tie
And crazy-soft, too...but not so soft you get the sense you have to be careful with it...as it's a light-weight cowhide, and drapes extremely well, but certainly doesn't feel weak.
And the construction is spot-on, too...only a couple of instances of slightly straying stitch lines, and those are on the inside facings along the zipper, so you don't really notice them...might be why it was on the clearance page?
In short, I'd have to have one in the exact same leather, in pretty much the same size, with pretty much the same measurements--AND that corrects the few shortcomings I'm about to hit on--to really replace it...
The cut of the jacket is too full. It's tagged a size 42, and I wear a 40-42 depending on the cut of the coat I'm wearing...but, one of the design "flaws" that Wested incorporates (at least, it's been this way with every 42R I've owned, and I had hoped they'd have corrected it by now) is the building in of too much extra material in the chest...the chest on this jacket measures 24" from pit-to-pit...which makes the jacket really more like a 48R in the chest. BUT, the shoulders and waist all fit fine...which makes the jacket, when you put your arms out to the side, turn you into something that resembles a flying squirrel. Again...not necessarily a HUGE issue, and it certainly makes layering a good bit easier...BUT, my other 42s have, at most 22" chest measurements...and, so, this is an area I'd like to see Wested address on their off-the-rack jackets, and not just in custom orders.
The only other flaw is in the construction details, and it deals with exposed leather edges. Every other Indy jacket company I have owned a jacket from folds all the leather edges under before stitching. Pocket flaps, side straps, everything that comes to an edge, has the edge folded before stitching. It's neat, clean, and looks good. Not Wested...why? How hard is it? Really? Pocket flaps...the top piece of leather that forms the flap is folded under...why not the bottom piece? Where the side straps attach? Check your other Indy jackets...folded before stitching, I guarantee. Why not with Wested? It's a little thing that makes ALL the difference.
All shortcomings aside, though...unless I do decide to go with a custom jacket in this leather, and request the corrections above, and perhaps some additional niceties like a map pocket or red silk lining or something (this would look GREAT with that salmon coloured lining Aero uses for their M422
), I imagine this one will stay with me a good while! I'm going to have to sell off my US Wings Collector's Edition to cover the cost of it, but I think the jacket actually fits me a little better than the Wings does, anyway, so...win-win, and someone gets a shot at a half-price deal on a GREAT Wings jacket. Be watching the classifieds here
And, here are some pics of just the jacket to whet your appetite...fit pics later when my wife gets home...oh, and I included a shot of the Wings CE for colour comparison...keep in mind it's cloudy as all get-out today here, so the natural light conditions are not 100%...and the Wings has had ONE coat of Pecards since I got it back in the early Fall...so, it's a little darker than it might normally be.
Enjoy, folks! I know I'm enjoying this one!!! Now, maybe one of those honey-chocolate-bourbon thingies...
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Cheers!
ID
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Wested...just...wow.
Good luck 
