Why do modern Indy Jackets seem so Short?

[rick5150]

Even if you do not have a bit of a gut, I would order the extra inch in front. That gives you the best of both worlds. It will look longer when viewed from the front, and you can get the Raven Bar scene look from the back. I am not kidding here.

Trying to compare the length of the Raiders jacket by looking at one picture from the front and another from the back is not accurate. Many A-2's that I have seen are longer in the front.

Check this X-Men jacket out. Compare the length in the front with the length in the back:





I realize that it is not an Indy jacket, but wouldn't you rather have it like that than riding up in the front? I know I would.

All but one of my Westeds rides up in the front and I absolutely hate it. I do not really feel like I have a big belly either. Ride up is a very common problem with these Wested jackets. It has been for a long time.

[todd]

Guys, do you expect too much from Wested for $300 (or so) bucks? Peter claims that he made 2,000 Indy jackets last year. Think about that. That's one per hour (assuming a 40 hour work week). You know he has a small shop with (maybe) a half dozen workers. If he has 6 workers, that means that he has each jacket down to 6.6 hours each. I'm telling you, that is warp 10. That is 1/5th the time it takes me. His workers make 5 jackets in the time it takes me to make 1! That is INSANELY fast!

If these numbers are amiss (the 2,000 is from Peter himself) please feel free to correct me. You can do the math. The best-case I can imagine is perhaps 16 hours per jacket. Laying out the hides, cutting, skiving, and assembly. It takes about three hours just to sew the lining in!

I'm not offering this as a criticism! I think that is bad manners from one vendor to another. I'm just offering a little insight that might explain some of the complaints you are making here. I think you still have to look at the price and consider it a good deal.

[platon]

As you may know, I sold my latest SA Wested because it didn't fit. One of the problems with its fit was that it appeared to be short.

I measured it and compared to my off-the rack Wested and they were the same length. Same front, same back, same everything. (Both are size 40).

The only difference was that the old one was a standard cut and the new one was an 80s fit.

All the measurements were the same, sleeves length and diamtere etc, except three things

1. waist
2. pleat depth.
3. side panels

I concluded that the 80s fit rides ups because it's narrower than the standard cut.

This effect could be offset by increasing the side of the waist, or the side panels or both, I don't know.

Otherwise, I would suggest to those who order 80s fit to request one 1inch longer. That will of course be longer, but don't know how it will affect the overall look.

Also, I have to point out that the 80s fit as we know it and I mean what we see in the photos of the people who buy it has absolutely nothing to do with Ford's jacket. And don't give me that ..... about people not having Ford's built etc. I have seen people with normal type bodies (incl myself) and the jackets are to tight on them. There are many screen caps out there showing Ford's jacket to be loose on him and baggy.

I was also thinking that if Ford is wearing the jacket he fell into the river with, maybe it's original fit was distorted from the water. But this also may not right because at the temple scene I see a loose jacket but then again we don't know which scene was filmed first.

[Kt. Templar]

todd said:

Guys, do you expect too much from Wested for $300 (or so) bucks? Peter claims that he made 2,000 Indy jackets last year. Think about that. That's one per hour (assuming a 40 hour work week). You know he has a small shop with (maybe) a half dozen workers. If he has 6 workers, that means that he has each jacket down to 6.6 hours each. I'm telling you, that is warp 10. That is 1/5th the time it takes me. His workers make 5 jackets in the time it takes me to make 1! That is INSANELY fast!

If these numbers are amiss (the 2,000 is from Peter himself) please feel free to correct me. You can do the math. The best-case I can imagine is perhaps 16 hours per jacket. Laying out the hides, cutting, skiving, and assembly. It takes about three hours just to sew the lining in!

I'm not offering this as a criticism! I think that is bad manners from one vendor to another. I'm just offering a little insight that might explain some of the complaints you are making here. I think you still have to look at the price and consider it a good deal.

Yes, I always wondered how much time they took to make. The cutting is done by a separate person. (Used to be Bill, but he's semi retired so they may have someone else working there now).

I always thought that his machists could probably assemble 2-3 a day each but maybe that's me being totally unrealistic.

[rick5150]

todd said:

I'm just offering a little insight that might explain some of the complaints you are making here. I think you still have to look at the price and consider it a good deal.

I realize that at $300, the Wested is a great deal, for the most part. An Indy jacket that is affordable and from the original maker to boot. That in itself is a huge part of the appeal. Prices easily double and quadruple for other makers of movie jackets.

But it is all relative to how happy the consumer is, right? $300 is not that great a deal if the jacket will sit in a closet unworn because it does not fit the person who bought it. Profwex's jacket is too short in front, regardless of the cost. This has been a problem for better than 5 years - at least going back to MK's site.

Some people can live with it and some cannot. I do not want a jacket that I have to slouch in to make it look right. Then I don't look right. ;D

Personally, I would wait longer or gladly pay double to have the jacket perfect in every way, rather than having to settle for the screwy little things here and there. I have owned at least 7 Westeds now trying to get one that I can call perfect. The fact that they are pumping out jackets quickly at the expense of quality does not impress me by any means. It kind of scares me, actually.

I appreciate that you understand Wested's efforts better than most, though. It is only my opinion that it should not be manufacture quality vs. cost. I am not talking about using more expensive hides or better quality materials either. Just do the best you can with what you have.

There are a lot of people coming forward with complaints about the way their Westeds fit. Not just the Indy Westeds either. Ride-up in the front, the stitching comes loose, or the pockets come apart when you put your hands in the handwarmer pockets.

I like many aspects of the Wested, but fit is a vital part of any jacket to me. Especially an Indy jacket. If it does not fit right, it does not look like an Indy jacket.

I am not trying to be an asshole, but if Wested had everything on the ball, you probably would not have replicated the jacket trying to incorporate screen accurateness into it. That is the appeal of your jacket. The pictures I have seen of it kick ass. It looks terrific, drapes well and I have said so from the start. You have a winning jacket. But what would you do if you could make them three times faster, yet have quality issues because of it?

[Tyrloch]

I agree. I have absolutely zero patience, but I would rather wait twice as long for a jacket, and pay more, than get get it fast & cheap & not be completely satisfied with it...

~Jace

[Kt. Templar]

I don't think speed is the issue. If you look at the 2000 jackets number from the other side. In a year you have roughly 250 working days (taking away public holidays and weekends). That gives 8 jackets a day, split that among, say, 5 machinists that 1.6 jackets a day that doesn't seem to be totally unresonable to me.

If people are busting their seams then he needs to use a stronger thread, the current thread seem to be pure cotton, perhaps he should use a poly cotton blend. Also he needs to look at strengthening the stress points.

Ride up absolutely needs to be looked at, I will bring it up with him next time I see him.

[Prof.Wex]

Hey Guys,

I must have missed something, These jackets are way more than $300. I payed $371.00 for this jacket and another $47.00 dollars to send it back, thats not chump change, If you pay nearly 400 bucks for a jacket it should be correct, I also don't want to pay another $47.00 dollars for shipping that I know now Peter want refund. I emailed Peter several times asking to please check everything on the jacket before he sent it out to me, and never got any replies back from him. This isn't a deterrent for me though I'm still gonna order more jackets from him, However I think he needs to pay more attention to his paying customers when they have concerns. I'm a very nice guy, but I will complain when I ask for a well done steak and it comes out bleeding.

Sincerely, Prof.Wex

P.S. I have no gut what so ever, Im 5'4' 155 pounds I could stand to gain some weight.

[pastimesteve]

Interesting thread...

Profwex -- I never noticed the too short problem in your initial photos, but I see what you mean now. I'm not saying the fit is perfect on me, but have you thought about trying a G&B Expo if you can sell or return your Wested? I'm also impressed with what Todd is coming up with.

I desperately wanted to give Peter my business, but the recent fit issues scared me A LOT since I live in the U.S. I didn't want to experience Profwex's woes and the shipping issues. Like I said, the fit of my G&B Expo goat could be a touch more snug when unzipped and drape a bit better, but overall I am thrilled with the jacket and I got it in about 2 1/2 weeks. It will only get better with time and seems amazingly well made.

Steve

[Kt. Templar]

All this talk of short jackets and the high number of people ordering 'TOD' jackets has caused Peter to cut the Worn Look Authentic maybe 2 inches longer, it'll never fit me! Boo.

[Prof.Wex]

ok,

so my jackets too short according to some of my friends, and people I dont even know. This is what Ive decided, Im not gonna let a few shrewed comments keep me from wearing this jacket, ( By shrewed comments, I mean just the people who saw it in person.) yeah it is a bit to short, but every time I slip it on it just feels right. Ive got several Indy jackets, this is the shortest of them all, I still think it was a mistake in the cutting process, but man its just too nice in every other aspect to not wear it. so I wore it all day today, and the same people that said it looked short changed their tune when I explained that it was a 30's style jacket. so I guess what Im saying is this, Even though it is the shortest Indy jacket I own, I still like it, and Im gonna wear it till the sleeves fall off, so next time someone tells me its too short, Im just gonna give them a and a .. then say bet you wish you had one heh.

Sincerely, Prof.Wex

[Kt. Templar]

profwex said:

P.S. I have no gut what so ever, Im 5'4' 155 pounds I could stand to gain some weight.

BTW I'm 5' 2" (yup, I said I was tiny!) and weigh 145lb, my Doctor want's me to loose 20lb.

[todd]

I don't think speed is the issue. If you look at the 2000 jackets number from the other side. In a year you have roughly 250 working days (taking away public holidays and weekends). That gives 8 jackets a day, split that among, say, 5 machinists that 1.6 jackets a day that doesn't seem to be totally unresonable to me.

Yeah, it is totally unreasonable - I say impossible. I'd have to see it to believe it. He'd have to move like Superman. But then, I couldn't "see it" because he'd be moving too fast for the human eye. I've sewn jackets. Start and finish a jacket in 5 hours? 16 hours for someone skilled is fast. Ten hours is nearly impossible. 5 - I HIGHLY, HIGHLY doubt it. They should get a camera crew there. Either he didn't make 2,000 jackets or he has a lot more than 5 or 6 workers, perhaps working off the premises.

I don't know the reasons for the inconsistencies. I'm just putting two and two together.

I don't blame anyone for being unhappy with a jacket that doesn't fit. But if anyone suggested to Peter that he raise the price to $600 so he could make them perfect, can you imagine the howl of protest? He does a VERY brisk business, so I guess plenty of people like what he offers for the price. The numbers speak for themselves.

[rick5150]

todd said:

I don't blame anyone for being unhappy with a jacket that doesn't fit. But if anyone suggested to Peter that he raise the price to $600 so he could make them perfect, can you imagine the howl of protest? He does a VERY brisk business, so I guess plenty of people like what he offers for the price. The numbers speak for themselves.

Peter has suggested that he do just that. One price for off-the-rack jackets, another for small adjustments like he does, and a third price for a totally customizable jacket with all the bells & whistles. You can say a lot about Peter, but not that he does not try to satisfy as many people as possible...

[Kt. Templar]

Funnily enough I was pretty on target. I want over to see him today and asked him exactly this question. He said that his fastest machinist can probably make just over 2 jackets and the rest about 1 and a half a day. They are cut by Bill and some have the linings put in by another person depending on which machinist it is.