So I just got my first Wested jacket/order, and uh really want (need) to talk about it.
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:53 am
I ordered a custom Raiders (standard) jacket in brown lambskin, a pre-distressed hide bag, a large shirt, a couple of extra bag straps and a couple of whip holders. When I got the package I only found one whip holder. I emailed Wested and they refunded me for the missing one (they had run out).
I bought this jacket first because I really wanted a generic style Indiana Jones jacket. Something I could wear every day. So far I LOVE this jacket. It fits perfectly. Like literally it feels tailor made to my body. I chose 23.5" in sleeve length and I think it's just right. Hopefully they shrink or bunch up a bit to make it a little bit shorter though organically. This jacket is sort of my casual every day jacket as well as my first really authentic Indy jacket. But because it's a casual every day jacket, I like shorter sleeves and longer back.
I'm just glad that I hadn't ordered the Legacy jacket with the 23.5" sleeves. For back length I chose 27.5". I know when I was deciding my measurements I was comparing it to another jacket that FELT too short. But after I ordered, I was panicking thinking 27.5" would fit like a dress. But the length feels great. Yes I do believe it's too long for an Indy jacket, but it feels right as a regular jacket.
When I opened the package, I was very surprised with how heavy the jacket was. I mean it's not a SUPER heavy jacket, but it definitely has weight to it. I had a Todd's costumes jacket in 2008 for a short while and it was SUPER light. The leather felt like it was light as foam. I was expecting that. Not that this is a bad thing, but just surprising. For my next jacket, I would like a lighter weight though. Also the collar is very wide, it seems very SA to me.
Some of these things may sound like criticisms, and they partially are, but I think my mind is more frustrated about what I will get on my next, more screen accurate jacket. This is a great casual every day jacket. I love it. I love how smooth the skin is. Parts of it are so smooth they feel like pleather and that's not a complaint. Other parts aren't as smooth but still very soft.
It is SO gray. It's barely brown. It matches the dark look of Raiders the movie, but not so much the chocolate brown of the jacket behind the scenes or Hawaii scenes. It would be more apt to say it's a gray jacket with a slight brown undertone. This is honestly disappointing. I was hoping for a brown jacket. I knew it would be a dark brown and not necessarily the behind the scenes chocolate brown, but it kind of leaves me wanting more. In the next jacket, I want something that is lighter and more chocolate brown. I was thinking my only choice for a lambskin Wested is shrunken lamb but it seems SO variable. I've seen some pictures where it's extremely bright brown. Others where it's RED. And others where it's really dark just like this current jacket.
I know, I could buy a Bill Kelso jacket as I think they got the color right. But what I'm really looking for is a Wested partially because of the collectible aspect of it. At first I was thinking about ordering my next jacket with Harrison Ford's specifications, but it may make it hard for me to wear. Especially the sleeve length. And a jacket I can't wear might just really be a downer.
I'm not sure why I ordered D-rings, I kind of just felt like it since this was going to be my generic casual Indy jacket. But once I got it...they just didn't feel right. And the straps pointed forward instead of back. So I swapped them with buckles. I might go back to D-rings after Indy V, not sure.
The shirt is very nice. I ordered a large even though I wear extra large stuff right now. I wanted something for when I lose weight and this is perfect. It doesn't fit yet, but when I lose the weight it will feel fitted. Especially after it shrinks (and I shrink too). I'd really like to get an Indy V version if they fix the buttons.
For some reason, I was VERY excited about the leather Indy bag. And for good reason. I was shocked how floppy and softed the leather is. It's not stiff at all. I was very curious about cowhide so this was a great way to sample it. I was worried it would feel very pebbly and rough. It's actually VERY smooth. Not as smooth as the lambskin, but it is very smooth. It just has a slight bit of texture to the touch. The color is a nice medium rich distressed brown. In the pictures there is this yellow look to it which isn't there in real life. Hard to edit the color correctly to match. Seeing it in pictures on myself, it looks like a great close enough gas mask bag.
Ok so overall - I'm frustrated about the color of the jacket. I want something with the same shiny smooth leather, but in a chocolatey brown. Maybe slightly spongier or foamier to its texture/drape. I had already planned on ordering another jacket anyway, so it's kind of a what leather do I pick when none seem to fit thing. But I really do love that pre-distressed hide. I'm just not sure what jacket to get in it as I think it would be a waste to get it in an Indy jacket instead of branching out. Honestly authentic brown lambskin would have been perfect for my Legacy Hero jacket if it had been more of a chocolate brown. I've seen older pictures and it seems like it used to be a brighter richer brown. At the same time, it looks very Raidersish which is great. It really nails it I think.
Also with all the gear on I feel SO hot temperature wise. I wonder if it's just because it's the weather or it's always this hot.
I've made an album with pictures as there are too many to post here. Please excuse the fatness, weirdness, squatness, perspective and the weird butt wedges. Actually please excuse the entire butt. It's all a work in progress. I blocked out my face, but I wish you could have seen the smile on my face on most of these especially when I first opened it and tried it on. The shirt I'm wearing is the shopDisney shirt. Based on these pictures I'd love to hear what a more screen accurate length would be, especially on the Hero/Legacy.
The first few pictures are the chocolate brown I was hoping to get at some point. The first picture is a picture Wested post in 2014 of their authentic brown.
https://imgur.com/a/4OGWLu9
I bought this jacket first because I really wanted a generic style Indiana Jones jacket. Something I could wear every day. So far I LOVE this jacket. It fits perfectly. Like literally it feels tailor made to my body. I chose 23.5" in sleeve length and I think it's just right. Hopefully they shrink or bunch up a bit to make it a little bit shorter though organically. This jacket is sort of my casual every day jacket as well as my first really authentic Indy jacket. But because it's a casual every day jacket, I like shorter sleeves and longer back.
I'm just glad that I hadn't ordered the Legacy jacket with the 23.5" sleeves. For back length I chose 27.5". I know when I was deciding my measurements I was comparing it to another jacket that FELT too short. But after I ordered, I was panicking thinking 27.5" would fit like a dress. But the length feels great. Yes I do believe it's too long for an Indy jacket, but it feels right as a regular jacket.
When I opened the package, I was very surprised with how heavy the jacket was. I mean it's not a SUPER heavy jacket, but it definitely has weight to it. I had a Todd's costumes jacket in 2008 for a short while and it was SUPER light. The leather felt like it was light as foam. I was expecting that. Not that this is a bad thing, but just surprising. For my next jacket, I would like a lighter weight though. Also the collar is very wide, it seems very SA to me.
Some of these things may sound like criticisms, and they partially are, but I think my mind is more frustrated about what I will get on my next, more screen accurate jacket. This is a great casual every day jacket. I love it. I love how smooth the skin is. Parts of it are so smooth they feel like pleather and that's not a complaint. Other parts aren't as smooth but still very soft.
It is SO gray. It's barely brown. It matches the dark look of Raiders the movie, but not so much the chocolate brown of the jacket behind the scenes or Hawaii scenes. It would be more apt to say it's a gray jacket with a slight brown undertone. This is honestly disappointing. I was hoping for a brown jacket. I knew it would be a dark brown and not necessarily the behind the scenes chocolate brown, but it kind of leaves me wanting more. In the next jacket, I want something that is lighter and more chocolate brown. I was thinking my only choice for a lambskin Wested is shrunken lamb but it seems SO variable. I've seen some pictures where it's extremely bright brown. Others where it's RED. And others where it's really dark just like this current jacket.
I know, I could buy a Bill Kelso jacket as I think they got the color right. But what I'm really looking for is a Wested partially because of the collectible aspect of it. At first I was thinking about ordering my next jacket with Harrison Ford's specifications, but it may make it hard for me to wear. Especially the sleeve length. And a jacket I can't wear might just really be a downer.
I'm not sure why I ordered D-rings, I kind of just felt like it since this was going to be my generic casual Indy jacket. But once I got it...they just didn't feel right. And the straps pointed forward instead of back. So I swapped them with buckles. I might go back to D-rings after Indy V, not sure.
The shirt is very nice. I ordered a large even though I wear extra large stuff right now. I wanted something for when I lose weight and this is perfect. It doesn't fit yet, but when I lose the weight it will feel fitted. Especially after it shrinks (and I shrink too). I'd really like to get an Indy V version if they fix the buttons.
For some reason, I was VERY excited about the leather Indy bag. And for good reason. I was shocked how floppy and softed the leather is. It's not stiff at all. I was very curious about cowhide so this was a great way to sample it. I was worried it would feel very pebbly and rough. It's actually VERY smooth. Not as smooth as the lambskin, but it is very smooth. It just has a slight bit of texture to the touch. The color is a nice medium rich distressed brown. In the pictures there is this yellow look to it which isn't there in real life. Hard to edit the color correctly to match. Seeing it in pictures on myself, it looks like a great close enough gas mask bag.
Ok so overall - I'm frustrated about the color of the jacket. I want something with the same shiny smooth leather, but in a chocolatey brown. Maybe slightly spongier or foamier to its texture/drape. I had already planned on ordering another jacket anyway, so it's kind of a what leather do I pick when none seem to fit thing. But I really do love that pre-distressed hide. I'm just not sure what jacket to get in it as I think it would be a waste to get it in an Indy jacket instead of branching out. Honestly authentic brown lambskin would have been perfect for my Legacy Hero jacket if it had been more of a chocolate brown. I've seen older pictures and it seems like it used to be a brighter richer brown. At the same time, it looks very Raidersish which is great. It really nails it I think.
Also with all the gear on I feel SO hot temperature wise. I wonder if it's just because it's the weather or it's always this hot.
I've made an album with pictures as there are too many to post here. Please excuse the fatness, weirdness, squatness, perspective and the weird butt wedges. Actually please excuse the entire butt. It's all a work in progress. I blocked out my face, but I wish you could have seen the smile on my face on most of these especially when I first opened it and tried it on. The shirt I'm wearing is the shopDisney shirt. Based on these pictures I'd love to hear what a more screen accurate length would be, especially on the Hero/Legacy.
The first few pictures are the chocolate brown I was hoping to get at some point. The first picture is a picture Wested post in 2014 of their authentic brown.
https://imgur.com/a/4OGWLu9