Club Obi Wan

So, I am a pretty short dude, standing at an absolutely huge... 5'7". Reading through previous threads about sizing for the wested raiders hero jacket, it seems everyone is much taller than I (very common problem for me) which makes it hard to relate and find out what my own size is, especially with how the hero jacket hangs differently.

thats not all though... I also work-out a lot, so i have a more muscular physique, with larger traps, meaning i dont fit many standard 'off-the-rack' clothes, so i think my best bet is a custom hero, but this paired with height, means im not sure if the smallest back and arm length (23") is small enough for my build.

So, im wondering, are there any other shorter dudes out there with a hero wested? If not, how does the jacket live and age in terms of shrinking (does a sleeve typically shorten an inch or 2) and how much does it hang off the shoulder on average? what do you recommend for the arm and back lengths?

P.s. i am very new to the forums, so please dont be too mad if i make a mistake or this has been talked about before.

Howdy, if you are a gymbro it may not be the best decision to go for the raiders hero as it has more tapered sleeves than the standard ones and in general most of the people I have seen that look good in a raiders hero are on the slimmer side like harrison ford. As for the sizing, I would measure yourself or get someone else to measure you using wested's sizing guide and I could give you my recommendation on what sizes to order based on those measurements as I own a hero.

So, I am a pretty short dude, standing at an absolutely huge... 5'7". Reading through previous threads about sizing for the wested raiders hero jacket, it seems everyone is much taller than I (very common problem for me) which makes it hard to relate and find out what my own size is, especially with how the hero jacket hangs differently.

thats not all though... I also work-out a lot, so i have a more muscular physique, with larger traps, meaning i dont fit many standard 'off-the-rack' clothes, so i think my best bet is a custom hero, but this paired with height, means im not sure if the smallest back and arm length (23") is small enough for my build.

So, im wondering, are there any other shorter dudes out there with a hero wested? If not, how does the jacket live and age in terms of shrinking (does a sleeve typically shorten an inch or 2) and how much does it hang off the shoulder on average? what do you recommend for the arm and back lengths?

P.s. i am very new to the forums, so please dont be too mad if i make a mistake or this has been talked about before.

Hey there!

I'm a short person who got a wested hero a few months back.

My height is around 5'2-5'3, with a 36 inch chest.
For the back length, I got 21.5. After having it washed to make it look worn in, it shrunk to a 20 - 20.5 which still worked for my height.
If you're worried that your chest size is too big, you can size up since initially the hero is a bit more snug than a standard.

I asked wested back then what their standard shoulder length is for the hero, they told me it's 7 inches (this was during mid 2019). So from there you can estimate your arm length. My first hero had way too droopy shoulders on me given my height, so a year later when I got another hero jacket, I asked for a normal shoulder length ( some would just go for a standard raiders then add the custom features of a hero, I did it the other way around tho, just for the shoulder length). So it worked out there for me, looked much better on my build as well.

If you shower your jacket with hot water and pull up the sleeves, it can shrink it. Was able to shrink a standard raiders sleeves to around 1.5 inches before so I guess 2 inches can be done. Depending on how much you pull your sleeves up after the hot shower.

Hope this helps!

Well it will hang lower than any normal jacket, no matter your build. Generally on the order of 2 inches lower than a normally cut jacket with the same back length. The shoulders and collar are so roomy that being jacked shouldn't affect length too much. And then it also depends on what level of "screen accuracy" etc you want with the fit and length. Screen accurate is pretty short, but if you're planning on wearing it mostly with modern pants I'd go slightly longer than screen accurate. My basic rule of thumb with Wested's Raiders jackets is this: OTR is fine, but if you want something closer to screen accurate while being every day wearable I'd go an inch shorter than the OTR standard size, and then 1.5 inches shorter on top of that for the Hero.

And the other thing, as already mentioned, is that the sleeves on the Hero are quite narrow. If you already have problems with the sleeves on regular jackets I'd definitely get wider sleeves.

And one other thing is the leather. Heavier, stiffer hides will feel tighter.

Cheers dudes for the tips, this was exactly the assurance i was looking for. I know a lot of members of the forum have similar concerns when buying a hero to match their body, but knowing that it will shrink slightly in the shower helps me massively. I've also got to remember the fit on Harrison was very strange anyway, so a little fit discrepancy shouldnt be scrutinised too harshly.

Cheers again lads, i would be so lost without this forum

Hmm, perhaps I should have started a thread especially for the vertically challenged (I'm a 5' 2" lady)

Hi, have you considered a wested last crusade/crystal skull jacket. The pattern is different from the raiders jacket - more roomy in the chest and arms ,perhaps more suitable for a larger guy (or gal) who works out.

donovan wrote:Hi, have you considered a wested last crusade/crystal skull jacket. The pattern is different from the raiders jacket - more roomy in the chest and arms ,perhaps more suitable for a larger guy (or gal) who works out.

yeah i had that thought, since harrison (to me) always looked larger in LC, so it would make sense for the pattern to be more roomy. I think i'd prolly get both eventually, but there's something extra special about owning a Raiders jacket with the correct labelling and such (plus raiders is my fav of the series). So even if it is only slightly tighter than my regular jackets, i'm not sure i'll really mind as much (i couldn't imagine it being so tight that i wouldn't wear it). Perhaps I might even go leaner just to wear it, The things we're willing to do for a film eh?

One thing I would suggest is don't go too short on the sleeves, you can always get sleeve shortened but extending is pretty much impossible and sleeves that are too short on an Indy jacket are a pain.

At 5.7 you may find the standard length on a hero suits you for day to day wear, a slightly long jacket you can live with. One that is too short always feels akward.

At 5'10", 190lbs, 42 chest and jacket, I went with a 24" back which is now about 23.5" after wear, creases and a shower. I think you'd be fine with a 22-22.5" back.

Sometimes the easiest way to determine jacket size is to find a denim or trucker jacket that fits you as you would like an Indy to fit. This will give you good measurements for sleeve, pit to pit and back length. Just measure this jacket from the base of the collar seam to the end of the bottom hem, down the center. Shoulder seam to the end of the sleeve, etc. Plenty of online help for how to measure a jacket.

just to update anyone who may be reading this in the space year 2500AD,

I ordered a 23" back and 25" arms is 'authentic' lambskin with a correct chest size at 5'7", and i absolutely adore the jacket. As brand new it fits fantastic, but with a hot shower and some distressing, it fits incredible. As far as i can tell from certain frames from raiders, it fits exactly as it did harrison (imo) with longer sleeves than usual and hanging about an inch or 2 below the belt. Couldnt be happier with the fit, especially around the traps and neck, as with the jacket hanging back slightly and the larger shoulders, it accommodates my larger traps far better than most 'off-the-rack' jackets. Also the sleeves are not at all too tight and fit slightly loose which is perfect. the only complaint (if you could call it that) is the waist is slightly looser than i'd like, but thats what happens when your chest size grows and waist stays slim.

Madewithtegridy wrote:just to update anyone who may be reading this in the space year 2500AD,

I ordered a 23" back and 25" arms is 'authentic' lambskin with a correct chest size at 5'7", and i absolutely adore the jacket. As brand new it fits fantastic, but with a hot shower and some distressing, it fits incredible. As far as i can tell from certain frames from raiders, it fits exactly as it did harrison (imo) with longer sleeves than usual and hanging about an inch or 2 below the belt. Couldnt be happier with the fit, especially around the traps and neck, as with the jacket hanging back slightly and the larger shoulders, it accommodates my larger traps far better than most 'off-the-rack' jackets. Also the sleeves are not at all too tight and fit slightly loose which is perfect. the only complaint (if you could call it that) is the waist is slightly looser than i'd like, but thats what happens when your chest size grows and waist stays slim.

i forgot to thank all the people who helped me decided measurements and tips for weathering, so thank you all for the help. I love how helpful and non judgmental this community is, even though i am brand new to it all, i feel incredibly welcome.

Cheers,

Congrats on getting your jacket! Now show us some pics please!