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Slimmest A-2, and/or A-1

cgreen

Active Member
Hi Everyone,

Hope the weekend was good to you all.

I'm in need of an A-2, or perhaps an A-1 that would fit a size 8 North American woman - this is equivalent to a Euro size 38 or 40 women's jacket. If I go with a slim fitting men's 34 or 36 perhaps I can get away with it, so my question is what manufacturer(s) tends to have the more slim-fitting A-1s and A-2s?

From the Aero website it seems they're pretty trim but I've never owned one so I can't be sure.

Also, how robust are the knits with these jackets? I know they were originally made to be worn hard but this jacket is essentially a fashion type garment for all of these days - perhaps excluding any pilots - and while we all tend to wear them in a wide variety of settings, I'm thinking a woman may not appreciate the wear to the cuffs and neck that comes from extended use. I think we're perhaps a bit more relaxed about that and see the breaking in as a sign the jacket is ours.

Looking for everyone's thoughts, thank you very much.

Oh, and if anyone has an A-1, or an A-2 in a men's 34 or 36 please let me know. Thanks everyone.

Chris
 

mulceber

Moderator
I think the bigger issue you're likely to run into isn't as much the horizontal (pit-to-pit, shoulders) measurements as the vertical ones (sleeve length, back length). Women being on average shorter than men, you might get a jacket that fits, but find the sleeves bunching up around your wrists. My wife, @Nnatalie, got a Five Star A-2, and basically had to do custom measurements.

And if the measurements work out for you, my best advice would be to check Yahoo Auctions Japan - tons of great jackets from top-tier makers like Buzz Rickson or Real McCoy, which would cost $1500-2500 new selling for $300-500.
 

Brettafett

Well-Known Member
What about a G-1? A lot more comfortable to wear.
She could find a decent original in that size.

Have a look at Bronson Mfg page, other options there also, like the Souvenir jacket, L-2 and the MA-1
All very comfy flight type jackets, but also fashionable.

AVI LTHR also has the ANJ-3, a hybrid A-2 and M-422a, best of both worlds.

Otherwise, I think a custom AVI LTHR or 5* A-2 would be the way to go.
 

cgreen

Active Member
Thanks very much, I appreciate everyone's thoughts - and mulceber I asked a similar question in an earlier post and you were kind enough to respond then as well with photos of your wife's jacket, again, very kind of you.

I think ya'll are right in the fact that sleeve and hem lengths might be an issue. I'll check out AVI and Bronson and see what I can figure out there, thanks for the suggestions. Have a good day everyone, speak again soon.

CG
 

JonnyCrow

Well-Known Member
I think the bigger issue you're likely to run into isn't as much the horizontal (pit-to-pit, shoulders) measurements as the vertical ones (sleeve length, back length). Women being on average shorter than men, you might get a jacket that fits, but find the sleeves bunching up around your wrists. My wife, @Nnatalie, got a Five Star A-2, and basically had to do custom measurements.

And if the measurements work out for you, my best advice would be to check Yahoo Auctions Japan - tons of great jackets from top-tier makers like Buzz Rickson or Real McCoy, which would cost $1500-2500 new selling for $300-500.
Or buyee Japan , I've seen lots of small sizes on there Jan
 

cgreen

Active Member
Thank you Jonny and Mulceber, I've looked at Buyee but have not made a purchase yet. What is shipping from Japan to North America like, how does the process work and is it expensive? Also, have you found the language barrier to be an issue with getting honest feedback on pieces?
 

JonnyCrow

Well-Known Member
Thank you Jonny and Mulceber, I've looked at Buyee but have not made a purchase yet. What is shipping from Japan to North America like, how does the process work and is it expensive? Also, have you found the language barrier to be an issue with getting honest feedback on pieces?
I've never had a problem with shipping or the language, Google translate is a handy tool plus buyee works out the charges import etc , I've bought a lot off buyee looking today they had some great A2 jackets
 

cgreen

Active Member
Thank you, I've just seen some good looking A-2s on there this morning. Do you all find that you have better luck with Yahoo Auctions or Yahoo Shopping? I've looked at the Shopping and many of the items I found were already sold.
 

Nickb123

Well-Known Member
The Shopping side is a bit weird, as it tends to show a lot of sold out items. There tend to be current season Buzz Rickson models in abundance, but normally the size 44s go pretty quickly (you’re in luck however, with small sizes usually being available).

They leave the sold listings there strangely. Auctions are where it’s at (using Buyee). There’s even a world of vintage on there - especially older USN jackets.

Basically you bid (or sometimes Buy it Now), and once won the item is shipped to a distributor center hub - at that point you select your method and pay your shipping IIRC.

I’ve never quite understood customs when shipped to USA. If there’s a label affixed to the package on delivery I just tend to ignore it and dispose of the box hahaha

Don’t neglect Toys McCoy either or even used Real McCoys in the auctions. They come up from time to time. I believe there’s some clause prohibiting Real McCoys from being sold as new in the shopping marketplace or some funny business like that.

Run far away from new US-made jackets listed there - Vansons, etc, tend to be sold at far higher prices there for whatever reason.
 
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mulceber

Moderator
Shipping from the distributor varies. It's always REALLY cheap to have the item shipped from the seller to the distributor (800 yen, iirc - $5.73 at current exchange). Shipping from the Japanese distributor to the states varies depending on the item, but I've always been pleasantly surprised by the cost. I've never bought leather jackets on there though, and they might be more expensive, since they'll be heavier and bulkier than the cloth and knit-wear I've been buying. When I got an N-1 on there, shipping from the distributor to me was $60, which was the most expensive I've seen it.
 
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cgreen

Active Member
The Shopping side is a bit weird, as it tends to show a lot of sold out items. There tend to be current season Buzz Rickson models in abundance, but normally the size 44s go pretty quickly (you’re in luck however, with small sizes usually being available).

They leave the sold listings there strangely. Auctions are where it’s at (using Buyee). There’s even a world of vintage on there - especially older USN jackets.

Basically you bid (or sometimes Buy it Now), and once won the item is shipped to a distributor center hub - at that point you select your method and pay your shipping IIRC.

I’ve never quite understood customs when shipped to USA. If there’s a label affixed to the package on delivery I just tend to ignore it and dispose of the box hahaha

Don’t neglect Toys McCoy either or even used Real McCoys in the auctions. They come up from time to time. I believe there’s some clause prohibiting Real McCoys from being sold as new in the shopping marketplace or some funny business like that.

Run far away from new US-made jackets listed there - Vansons, etc, tend to be sold at far higher prices there for whatever reason.
That's great information, thank you - I'll check out the vintage section and see what's what.
 
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