Jovinski Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Okay, after always having textile and mesh, I ponied up for a real leather jacket and it arrived today. I put it on and it feels pretty snug. The arms are long tho. I ordered the same size that I wear for my suit jackets and it fits well, but it's a tough thing to cross my arms infront of me. I took a ride with it, and it felt pretty good, but there's still some tightness. Can I assume that it being snug brand new means it will stretch to the right dimensions eventually? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Shouldn't stretch much. Maybe some Lexol or mink oil will help loosen it up. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Kel Posted August 29, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted August 29, 2008 Jackets really vary from various makers. If you wear, say a 42 dress coat, it's not for sure a 42 leather will fit. Each maker is different, much like helmet makers. I wear a 42. My leather is a 42. Fits great with a thin shirt underneath. Snug in the arms with no flapping in the wind. When things get cold though(and they tend to do that here in NH), there isn't much room for a warmer garb underneath. So I would say, if you can only afford one jacket, get one a little larger if you live in cold climates. As far as stretching, I wouldn't expect much. It will get "softer" but not really bigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer AvalonRacing Posted August 29, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted August 29, 2008 I agree about the maker. A new Vanson can take a year or two to break in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer jeremy556 Posted August 29, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted August 29, 2008 The leather will loosen up a bit in that it won't be as stiff, but the actual dimensions and size are not going to change. How does the jacket work for you when riding? That is what matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Leeworthy Posted August 29, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted August 29, 2008 the leather will Stretch... Get some leather conditioner and apply it and let it stand for 24 hours atleast. Dont be shy on the amount you use. Once the 24 hours is up, wipe it down and off with a soft cloth and then buff it to a shine with a nice soft cloth. Wear it and enjoy it. I do this about once a month and it really makes the jacket a lot more weather proof, confortable, and it stretches it a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer stnick13 Posted August 29, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted August 29, 2008 I have had a Vanson for 4 years. I was told to buy snug as you don't want the armor moving out of place when you"fall". The jacket has gotten more flexible over time (mostly in the arms) but I don't think that it has stretched much if at all. I can wear the Vanson liner when it cools off here in Maine but that liner is quite thin. Can't imagine anything thicker under the jacket. The sales rep told me that the Vanson leather was quite thick compared to most other jackets thus it was stiff and would take 2 years to break in. Don't know about the thick statement but the 2 year estimate was correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon28 Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Its better to be on the tighter side than being loose. Mainly because if the armor doesn't remain in place during a crash, its useless~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Hello. Few months ago I opened up a store specialized in Leather suits and jackets on measure. (I'm not trying to do advertise my activity on the forum, the store is not in USA). As the other guys said, leathers will stretch a bit but as geremy556 wrote "the actual dimensions and size are not going to change". If you wear a leather jacket and you have some problem with the movement of the arms, if it's not really easy/natural to take a deep breath and general if you don't feel comfortable insed of it....it is not for you. The inner protections don't have to move of course, but if it is too tight your discomfort will be a big issue while you are riding. Leather clothes have to fit your body as a gloves fit to your hands. I can speak by experience. If I ride in a track with a leather suit that fit to me "so and so" (a bit small) I get really tired after about 20 minutes. With the perfect leathers I could ride in the track for hours (if just they'd let me in...). It is really difficult to find the perfect "stock" leather jacket/suit since the models used to fabricate the standard sizes don't take in consideration all the parameters that make all of us different. A person that goes 3 times per week to a swimming pool (not just for a coffee) has a completely different body shape than a software developer (no offense, I am a software developer). Let's imagine those two guys wear size 40; sure they will have problem with a leather jacket of the same size. The swimmer will say "it's too large on the belly"...the developer (with 13 years experience on the keyboard) will say "it's a bit small on the belly" (notice the use of "a bit") :mellow: Standard sizes are designed for "standard" people (it sounds apocalyptic)....not so fat, not so lean, not so tall, not so short, a little bit athletic but not too much. We have to find a compromise. Last years most of the companies started to integrate in their leathers some elastic woven parts (kevlar) to help the jackets/suits to adapt more easily to the customer's body shape (those parts make the leathers cheap - kevlar it's much more cheaper than leather). My humble opinion is "this is ok if the non-leather inserts are not too many". In fact, too many elastic components will decrease the safety of the leather clothes (no problem at all when the Kevlar is applied on the inner arms and inner legs). Last thing...the "first quality leather" is a really soft one, so pay attention on what you are going to buy. When you buy leather clothes spend a little bit of time touching it. Squeeze the leather in your hand; it has to be resistant, it doesn't have to strech (visible strech I mean) and it has to be easy foldable. If instead it looks really hard and the jacket is a bit small to you....mmmhh....does not sound really nice. We are looking for a compromise so first quality leathers can help us finding it. Hope this can help in someway. Cheers :fing02: Ciao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer AvalonRacing Posted September 3, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted September 3, 2008 Nice post. :fing02: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.