Which Belstaff jacket?

[slide13]

I'm 6' 200lbs, pretty big chest which is usually the issue. I just found Belstaff to be all over the place for me, depending upon the model. I was shocked I was able to fit into a small on the Che but not into a large (ok, I could zip it but it was damn tight) on the Panther. Large Roadmaster fits me on the roomy side though, medium would probably work for a very slim fit without the plan of layering it over a sweater or a vest.

 

[NorCal_1]

I have the Brad in the brown/black and love it and recommend the Brad over the Panther - the Panther is just too costumy as are many of the Belstaff's with those shoulder protectors

of all the Belstaff models for men, the Brad looks the least costumy and the most classic, imho

the good news for the future is that Belstaff got bought and needs to pay off the buyout debt the new owner took on, so hopefully they will be adding many more classic and simpler designs (ie a cafe racer in all their leather colors, etc)

in terms of sizing, I had to get an XXL in the Brad and I am a 43/44 in a suit

an XL is for a ~42 suit size

an L for a ~40

etc

that's the way the sizing goes for the Brad

hope this helps

 

[spacemanvt]

NorCal thanks, can you post some pics?

I went ahead and ordered the brad in brown off j crew during their 25% off sale, so I got a decent deal.... I had been drooling over belstaff jackets for ages. I also ordered the 556 bag as I needed a cool looking messenger bag... We will see about the sizing.

I went ahead and post the same question on film jackets and called the Belstaff store in London. Both recommended L so I *should* be ok. For reference, I am a medium in the Panther, L in the Avon Jacket( which looks badass in antique black, may kop that too), and L in the Douglas blouson....

I think the Panther is a badass jacket but its a real motorcycle jacket and is cut to fit a liner underneath and protect your whole upper body from the elements, its a bit tough to pull off in day to day life.

 

[NorCal_1]

spacemanvt - those suit size stats I posted for the Brad are very accurate, so if you are a 40 in a suit, it will fit you perfectly

I don't have any pictures of me in my jacket but I'm 6'1, 195 and a 43/44 suit and the XXL fits me like a glove without being too tight. I could not size down to an XL though

the Brad is a very slim fitting model in the chest, shoulders and arms,,,,but there's no worries for you, since you bought it from JCrew and can always exchange for a different size if you need to

I also have the 556 bag and really love it

since you like that bag, the next time RL has a 25% off sale, consider getting this weekend bag - it was made for their RRL line but 'declassified' down to regular RL so the weight and construction are just insane - it's a steal on sale.

 

[spacemanvt]

wow that bag looks really great, how do you find out about RL sales? mailing list or something? in fact, some of those RL bags look better than the belstaff one.hmmm

i will prob kop that if i can get it on discount... would you say its the size of a 554 or bigger? seems to be alot bigger actually

It sounds like my sizing will be ok as I believe I am 40-41 in the chest, (def not 42 thats too big)... i really need to get measured though.

how long have you had the brad jacket? im curious how the color has changed as you've worn it.

 

[zippyh]

Allegedly RL is having a private sale of some kind starting next week.
Search in Men's Clothing for the thread.
In the past, people have had luck just calling and customer service and asking for a code.

I have the smaller cartridge bag version of that RL bag. It's a really nice bag. Heavy canvas, heavy leather, and heavy brass fittings.
I'd rate it up there with the similar Filson bags. I got it for under $100 at an outlet. I'd been watching that line of RL bags and they come
back every fall and always go on sale at the end of the season.

 

[NorCal_1]



wow that bag looks really great, how do you find out about RL sales? mailing list or something? in fact, some of those RL bags look better than the belstaff one.hmmm
i will prob kop that if i can get it on discount... would you say its the size of a 554 or bigger? seems to be alot bigger actually
It sounds like my sizing will be ok as I believe I am 40-41 in the chest, (def not 42 thats too big)... i really need to get measured though.
how long have you had the brad jacket? im curious how the color has changed as you've worn it.

I've had the Brad for over a year and it doesn't change as it ages because the leather is wax-impregnated so even if you soak it in water, it won't stain or age like normal leathers. Luckily, it looks so good that you won't want it to change! Belstaffs always look great because of it even when very old

th RL bag is better made (heavier, tougher canvas, thicker leather, etc) than the Belstaff so keep an eye out for sales and pick one up

it's also much bigger than the Belstaff weekend bags - the RL site lists the dimensions

 

[spacemanvt]

I received the brad.. the fit of the Brad in L is perfect actually. the medium would have been too small so you were right

i like the black brown color of the one i got but then i saw this: http://www.accentclothing.com/mens/...coats-jackets/belstaff-brad-jacket-rust-41620
and i really really like that color, i tried it on in the panther and it looks great. so im no sure what to do. they dont have my size plus i would end up paying 30% more on this jacket since i got the brown brad on sale.... not sure what to do... hmmm

what do you guys think?

I also received the 556 and its great but it might be too small. I ordered that weekender bag and some RRL bags off the RL.com sale so 556 will probably be going back depending on how i like those.

 

[NorCal_1]

^ I would keep the black/brown Brad....it's a much more versatile / classic color and more wearable at night as well (the rust is too light)

it also pairs well with anything, whereas the Rust limits what you can wear with it and it looks more costumey in that color

you won't regret keeping the black/brown but over time you probably would regret the rust, and then there's the $ savings which essentially paid for your bags

p.s. you're going to love that RRL bag

 

[spacemanvt]

good point, i am going to a belstaff store this week to take a look and see if i can find the rust one to be doubly sure. Your right though, dark brown is probably more versatile.

a couple of questions:
- the brad i recieved smells TERRIBLE, its got this chemical/leather smell that wont dissapear, any idea how to get rid of the smell?
-are your zippers kind of finicky? most of the belstaff jackets i have tried on are a bit hard to zip, and my brad is no exception. maybe i should oil the zippers or something?
-have you seen that 554 on jcrew.com IRL? it looks really light and garish in the pictures?

http://www.jcrew.com/mens_feature/ingoodcompany/Belstaff/PRDOVR~26702/26702.jsp

i might kop if its not too bad looking. i really like the color of the mountain brown 554 though

 

[NorCal_1]



good point, i am going to a belstaff store this week to take a look and see if i can find the rust one to be doubly sure. Your right though, dark brown is probably more versatile.
a couple of questions:
- the brad i recieved smells TERRIBLE, its got this chemical/leather smell that wont dissapear, any idea how to get rid of the smell?
-are your zippers kind of finicky? most of the belstaff jackets i have tried on are a bit hard to zip, and my brad is no exception. maybe i should oil the zippers or something?
-have you seen that 554 on jcrew.com IRL? it looks really light and garish in the pictures?
http://www.jcrew.com/mens_feature/ingoodcompany/Belstaff/PRDOVR~26702/26702.jsp
i might kop if its not too bad looking. i really like the color of the mountain brown 554 though

my Brad smells like the best leathers smell - ie GREAT....so I'm not sure what the problem is with the one you got - you can always return it to JCrew and swap for another and i'd also worry that some idiot returned a fake to JCrew and the warehouse people accepted it. It shouldn't smell bad, that's for sure.

the zippers aren't finicky at all they work great

I own a 554 in mountain brown bought at J Crew 2 yrs ago and I love it - that's the color to get - mountain brown and not that burnt caramel

 

[zippyh]



-are your zippers kind of finicky? most of the belstaff jackets i have tried on are a bit hard to zip, and my brad is no exception. maybe i should oil the zippers or something?

I've got 4 Belstaff jackets.
The zippers range from just a little finicky to one which is

 

[spacemanvt]

NorCal: do you actually use that RL weekend bags on trips? I received and the thing is so massive! I dont know when i would ever even use it, even though the construction is amazing and it looks great. But its so huge i dont know when i would ever use it. If i went on a trip that needed that many clothes I suppose i would just take a piece of luggage instead or a technical backpack.

know what im saying?

 

[PipersSon]

Is there a link to the weekend bag y'all are referring to? The original link on page 1 of this thread no longer seems to go to the bag itself.

 

[spacemanvt]

http://www.stylebop.com/product_details.php?id=241961