GW m422 fit question

[Sideslip]

I picked up via John’s sale page a magnificent m422 last year, which I love. I wear it A LOT. I am on the wait list for a GW (about a year in so making progress!) and was originally thinking Werber, but am wondering about an m422 for a slightly better fit. The thing is, it fits me really well except if I zip up all the way at which point it pinches abit (John had mentioned this when I got it and it was made for someone else so no complaints). Not sure how often I need to zip up all the way in any event.

On the one hand, that seems a slightly silly reason to switch my order, but…

Three quarter zip

All the way

In typing this, I just realised that I should just put down another deposit! Anyways, thoughts?

 

[mulceber]

I vote either a second deposit, or just stick with the Werber. The fit on that one is pretty good already. Would the second M-422 be a Monarch, or one of the other two contractors?

 

[P-47 thunderbolt]

I vote stick with the werber. The fit there looks pretty good as you've already got it layered. Plus that hide is spot on.

 

[Micawber]

That one looks ok. If it pinches [can't see what you mean] then a couple more layers and a bit of hard wear in all weathers will likely 'ease' it a bit.

 

[mulceber]

Good thoughts, Steve. I'll add that you've gotten this leather looking so nice, @Sideslip, do you really want to have to start over with a new jacket? Better I think to do what @Micawber suggested and see if it might stretch a little.

 

[coolhandluke]

Absolutely no need to replace, just don't zip it fully. Look how John wears his USN jackets. Zipper pull is typically at or slightly below the top of the windflap. Your fit is spot on IMO.

 

[Chandler]

I can't remember when I've ever zipped one of my flight jackets all the way up. But everyone has their own interpretation of how their personal item should feel.

 

[B-Man2]

Agree with all the above guys . This one looks good and over time with a bit of wear it will loosen up. We all tend to overlook
( myself included ) that issued flight jackets were not custom made for the pilot they were issued to, but over time with heavy wear the jacket adjusted to the individual wearing it. ( For the most part )
The more you wear this one the more it will stretch in some places and crease up And shorten in others (Sleeves) . Order your Werber and just wear the piss out of this one .

 

[Sideslip]

Sorry for the slight delay after all your helpful responses; my wife slipped at home and fractured a little bone in her hand so hospital, splint, cannot drive etc so a relaxed Sunday afternoon shifted gear somewhat!

In any event, I really appreciate your feedback. @mulceber this Monarch was by chance in conversation with John off the sale page, but the fit is great and when I said I love this jacket, I really mean that. This said, given the quality of John's jackets, having a Monarch or a Foster GW to my fit was what was tempting me. @Chandler @coolhandluke I don't think I have zipped it up all the way (pretty sure I read in the regulations that it had to be zipped up at least 3/4 in any case) so you make a good point. @Micawber I think I read a post from you early on in my time on the forum to treat the jackets "normally" and in all weathers which makes absolute sense to me and have done so with this one. The pinch I referred to was from the armpits pointing to the zipper pull. @B-Man2 your comment on issued flight jackets seals it for me as perhaps those slightly differences to the physique are what make a jacket somewhat more unique.

Now about that second deposit...

 

[MaydayWei]

In my humble opinion, the fit is perfect.
As you rightfully said, regulations required it to be zipped up 3/4s of the way.
A potential solution, I put to you, leave it at 3/4 zip and wear a silk scarf to fill up the last 1/4!
Alternative, wear a shirt and tie underneath, you'll look like old fashioned aviators who wore shirts and ties flying! The 1/4 window will have the same 'neckline' as a suit 3 button suit-jacket might.

 

[Lord Flashheart]

I'm with @MaydayWei on this one. I think that looks just right zipped up 3/4 and the scarf or shirt tie option would be spot on. You've a great looking jacket there so I'm with you on the 2nd deposit

 

[Brettafett]

First off, hope your wife recovers quick! Its always the small breaks/ fractures that annoy the most.

I recon thats a perfect fit. You have real gem there.
YES to the second deposit. You can always change your mind out of the queue, but into it.

Edit: Now Im considering changing one of my GW deposits into an M-422/ G-1
Having seen that GW Monarch M-422 in person at Duxord airshow has left an impression.

 

[Deacon211]

Hey Sideslip,

Sorry to hear about your wife. Hope she’s back on her feet soon!

Beyond that, I think that the jacket looks great on you!

This is a thing that I’ve noticed before and just think it’s worth addressing.

Properly, the jacket should be able to be zipped up and still be functional. This jacket was originally designed as a piece of flight equipment and zipping up is part of it’s function. When I was in, I was issued two jackets, a Cooper and a Pharr. They both zipped up comfortably and had collars that stood up. Though we no longer wore them in the cockpit much, we wore them plenty on the flight line or on deck and it could be pretty damn cold and windy out there!

The idea of having them zipped three quarters up is one of those interesting historical things. I don’t know for certain (but kind of doubt) that, when the jacket was still strictly worn as flight gear, it was even stipulated how far the zipper should zip. The only possible exception being if you stood inspection in your gear.

Once the G-1 became something of a uniform item (though still technically flight gear), then I’d be inclined to think that the specification on the 3/4 zip came with it, as it was in my day.

And that’s 3/4 zip MINIMUM. The idea was not so much that the pilots would wear the jacket zipped to the neck all the time, so much as that the pilots would walk around with them unzipped, like hoodlums!

And this continues into my timeframe and to other uniform items.

I remember distinctly a pack of Staff Platoon Commanders (SPCs) in Quantico descending en masse upon a poor Second Lieutenant who left his field jacket unzipped and flapping in the breeze as he came diddy bopping off the Land Nav course.

Wasn’t pretty.

Now my understanding is that before the mid-60s, there was little in the way of standardization when it came to Naval flight jackets. Some were slim, some large, some short, others long.

So, it may well be that your particular contract was just cut like that.

But, I think It would really take a g-1/m-422 expert, like Dave to tell you that definitively.

In any case, if you have no need to zip the jacket up, it looks smashing on you and I think you’ll get a lot of wear out of it.

 

[bseal]

Contrarian here. That’s a lot of pinch. What size are you?

Speedy recovery to your spouse though.

 

[Lorenzo_l]

Hey @Sideslip,

Not sure I am adding much to what has already been said but, despite the pinch, which is evident, the jacket looks great on you. But at the end of the day, it's all down to how you feel wearing it. Does the pinch make it uncomfortable to wear when zipped up? Other than that, it is one great jacket and, as Brett mentioned, it also caused an impression when I first saw it. One sweet jacket that.
Here is wishing your wife a speedy recovery, btw.