ELC Star Sportswear fit poll

[Steve27752]

Thanks for all the inputs. Even if I said I would not consider adding inches and go for any long sizes, is the 40 still better? I mean don't the sleeves look weird? Does ELC even offer the Star in 40 Long?

Also: is there a possibility that the 42 would wear in, develop creases and stop feeling like a tent?

NO.

 

[2BM2K]

Both jackets look good. In the end it not how they look but how they feel to wear.
Which jacket do you reach for first?

Don't count on the jacket easing up or suddenly fitting better. The 42 does not look like a tent.

Also try the jackets sitting down as if driving, see which is more comfortable. The A2 is a sitting down jacket!

 

[Smithy]

I wouldn't even sweat the sleeves on the 40 too much Greg. As we've been discussing previously, judging from period photos sleeve length during WWII was generally shorter than what people like to spec today for repros. This is most probably due to the fact that longer sleeve lengths have become the norm and hence punters ordering jackets today like a little more length than what was often seen back then.

I'd personally keep the 40 as it is if it was me. And that 42 isn't going to get smaller, it'll relax more over time which means it could very well look even baggier once the leather is broken in.

 

[Rutger]

Search for a 40 with 1 inch longer sleeves and a bodylength with 2/3 of an inch extra. If the shoulders are tight to the extend that you notice their presence, have a bit extra there as well. That will translate in longer sleeves as well.

The 42 is too blousy, and peculiarly, the sleeves aren't tapered the way the 40 is. That is really strange imo.
The 42 will fit better with time as far as the sleeves are concerned, but I ain't too sure if that also goes for the body.

Some would hotwater the 42, and that will do something. It won't solve everything.

At the PX? the 42 is preferable allowing more freedom of movement.

My 2 cents of course. Learnt through trial and error.

 

[Greg Gale]

Also try the jackets sitting down as if driving, see which is more comfortable. The A2 is a sitting down jacket!

Good point! Sitting down, the following happens:

40: comfy in the torso and armpits, but the sleeves ride up (like on old photos, btw)

42: the knits are not even fully stretched when reaching forward, but the excess leather in the torso feels awkward.

 

[s4rmark]

40 , all day long.

 

[2BM2K]

One thing worth doing is taking the jacket's measurements and keeping them in a spreadsheet for future reference.

It does begin to seem as though neither jacket will fit properly.

The neck hole of the 42 looks a little big.

 

[B-Man2]

The size 40.....too short in the length...….. it rides right at your belt line, when you sit in a car on cold days its going to ride up to the middle of your back,
and the sleeves are short on you with the size 40.
The 42 is a little big on you all around. so...….HWT the 42 and it should do the trick.
Of course its going to take a better person than myself to wear a new $1,200 ELC Star in the shower for a HWT!!

 

[Lebowski]

Last November I bought a size 40 Star Sportswear A-2 at the ELC popup store. As it broke in, the sleeves became a tad on the short side, and the shoulders are a tiny bit snug. I started doubting my decision so I ordered a size 42 so I can compare and decide once and for all. It feels a bit like a tent but it's not broken in at all like my size 40. What do you think, which one fits better? I've created a poll. The one with the whistle is the size 40.

Thanks!

40:
View attachment 5223

42:
View attachment 5224

40:
View attachment 5225

42:
View attachment 5226

40:
View attachment 5227

42:
View attachment 5228

40:
View attachment 5229

42:
View attachment 5230

Greg, first of all - both sizes (40 and 42) look nice on you!
As for me - I personally prefer snug fit in A-2's usually and my humble opinion - size 40 is just spot-on! I'd definitely choose size 40!
Here are some historical photos below, just to illustrate how cool snug fit of A-2's was (and is):

 

[Greg Gale]

The size 40.....too short in the length...….. it rides right at your belt line, when you sit in a car on cold days its going to ride up to the middle of your back,
and the sleeves are short on you with the size 40.
The 42 is a little big on you all around. so...….HWT the 42 and it should do the trick.
Of course its going to take a better person than myself to wear a new $1,200 ELC Star in the shower for a HWT!!

I have no issue with the back length of the 40. It sits below my waistline, exactly where JC's Star sits on the picture I posted above. When I sit down or drive it definitely doesn't ride up. Only the sleeves do. And I would certainly not HWT the 42 :O

 

[Lebowski]

Greg, please look once again at the photo you've posted by yourself recently in another branch here at VLJ (btw, I like that historical photo very much actually)).
Size 40 looks just perfect on you - almost the same way as on that photo! That's what I'm talking about)
That's what I mean:

 

[stanier]

Don't count on the jacket easing up or suddenly fitting better. The 42 does not look like a tent.

Sorry totally disagree. My 40 has eased up. And the 42 looks way too big and tent like

 

[Greg Gale]

Thanks everyone for your inputs, pros and cons, much appreciated! As a comparison, here's a pic of my old Cockpit A-2. (36 long, now belongs to Brett ) 1/2 inch wider shoulders (after 3 years of wear, though) , trimmer torso, 1-1 1/2 inch shorter body (rides at beltline), maybe slightly longer sleeves (my Star reaches just as far on my wrist when I strike the same pose) so I think the Star 40 is overall a good choice. I'll sleep on it, but probably send back the 42.

 

[Lebowski]

Thanks everyone for your inputs, pros and cons, much appreciated! As a comparison, here's a pic of my old Cockpit A-2. (36 long, now belongs to Brett ) 1/2 inch wider shoulders (after 3 years of wear, though) , trimmer torso, 1-1 1/2 inch shorter body (rides at beltline), maybe slightly longer sleeves (my Star reaches just as far on my wrist when I strike the same pose) so I think the Star 40 is overall a good choice. I'll sleep on it, but probably send back the 42.

View attachment 5243

Wise decision definitely, congrats!

 

[Brettafett]

The 40" is the better fit, however it could do with 1" to 1-1/2" on the sleeve length.

Yup.
I would get a 40 with an inch added to sleeves and a half inch added to body. ELC will do that. And now you know how the 40 and 42 compare.
That will solve the sleeve ride-up that will not go away, and in my very humble exp, if it even slightly bugs you now... will only feel worse the more you wear it in.
If you decide in the end to keep the 40 as is, make sure you take measurements of the 42... AND the 40 as is now... You may find down the line, that you change your mind...

ps Sizing a jacket by old photos... Those WW2 pics show jacket fits all over the spectrum! For every jacket with short sleeves or slim-trim fit, I can find you another with overly long sleeves or a baggy fit, etc.
You gotta go with what feels comfortable for you. You're wearing it, not looking at what you look like wearing it.
Would you be comfortable if this was your only one jacket and you had to wear it all the time? If yes, there you go. If somethings niggling you, you owe it to yourself (and your wallet) to nail down the issue and solve it.
You'll save tons of cash and sleepless nights getting it right. You are not a fighter pilot in 1944, you have paid handsomely (in cash) for this jacket, and through the freedom those guys bought us, you do have the prerogative to get a jacket that (honours them) and also fits how you want it too.

 

[Smithy]

That will solve the sleeve ride-up that will not go away, and in my very humble exp, if it even slightly bugs you now... will only feel worse the more you wear it in.

I've had a different experience Brett. My sleeves are exactly the same as Blakeslee's above and initially I thought they were too short and started fretting about it. After trawling through photos and realising that the length was actually fairly normal for wartime A-2s, I thought bugger it and just wore the thing. They ride up slightly when reaching or stretching but the same can be seen in thousands upon thousands of wartime photos. If you'd asked me after I got it, I would have said I wanted another inch, but now several years later, there's no way I'd want to add length. I much prefer the feel and look of how it is.

I think that today we're gotten used to longer sleeve lengths and fully fitting jackets - something which probably grew out of the 80s so that today a lot of people ordering A-2s spec a little bit longer length than what might have been super common. Yes there's photos of longer sleeved A-2s but the slightly shorter length seems to be very common if not the slight majority. Even with the photos in the new guy's post in #29, those jackets are probably shorter than what most today would ask for when ordering an A-2.

At the end of the day it's whatever you're comfortable with and what feels right. I just happened to find that the slightly shorter length often seen with wartime jackets really grew on me (pardon the pun) to the point where now I wouldn't want any extra length.

 

[Silver Surfer]

42 by a long shot. a size 40 would pass muster if it were a 40 long if ya wanted your jac snug.. your 40 is short both in sleeve length and body length, imo. i just cant get me head around sleeves riding mid way up my fore arms while driving, picking my nose, reading the paper, wrastling with the mutt, etc.....it just drives me nutz. btw, i have an elc star, and now that is is some years old, the top dark sealish color has rubbed off a bit and the lighter under color is beginning to show.. most of the shine is gone. also, the hides have "relaxed" to a point that i would call comfortable......as an owner of an original, and having had several originals pass through my hands, i have to say that the elc star color is darker then originals......bfd, they are one of the nicer elc repros. go with the 42.

 

[Geeboo]

40 is better

 

[EmergencyIan]

I voted for the size 40. Neither look to be great fits, but that could be because neither is broken in, yet. You’ll have to make the decision, really. I’m wondering if you took the 42, and broke it in, if it wouldn’t, ultimately, be the better fit. It’s a tough call, I think.

- Ian

 

[CBI]

2/3's of the votes choose the 40. You have two nice jacket options. BOTH are excellent and both have the WW2 vibe. Both fits can be justified as "period correct" options if original WW2 photos are canvased. I do think pilots would choose more freedom of movement if they had the option or were not worried about other things! What is seen most consistently in WW2 photos is the blousing at the bottom, short sleeve lengths and maybe narrow shoulders. The narrow shoulders and short sleeves are the 40, the blousing, the 42. Since either option gives you the wanted WW2/A-2 vibe, which jacket works the best for 2018 wear? Paying this much for a jacket, I would imagine anyone would want it to work in this day and age, wearing it out to dinner, maybe work, out with friends, family, shopping, layering for wear in lower temps, etc. Removing the WW2 vibe/A-2 question and looking at this as a high end leather jacket in 2018, the 42 is the way to go and just IMO, looking at this with 2018 eyes, the size 40 looks ridiculously short and overall too small for you. Arm length and waist height WAAAAY too short/high. Knits on the sleeve, stretched out flat. A waistline that will only almost work with high waisted pants (do you always want to wear your high waisted pants with this jacket?) A jacket that almost looks like a leather shirt. Again, considering BOTH jackets have the wanted WW2 vide, authentic look, IMO, use "today" has to be considered. I can't image anyone used to only "regular" clothes not thinking the 40 is way to small. You can pull off either size I suppose. Sorry I don't have more time to be more subtile or use more literary finesse. Enjoy the heck out of either one!