Morgan were out of stock of my size when we were there but the one I saw I thought fairly basic and expensive.

I tried several jackets at Holden but encountered my usual problem of arm length. I think that for anyone of reasonably standard sizes the Holden jackets offer very good value and have the nice extra of wrist straps to stop the cold breeze going up the sleeves. They seem to use a fleece similar to the Irvin RAF but it may be a fraction lighter as they say it is merino lamb skin as against the Irvin sheepskin. I notice that Holden also offer made to measure but don't advertise the price.

The thing that really decided me is that at MotoLita/Aviation Leathercraft I was able to try for style (heavy Irvin RAF or Lightweight), size, and fit (regular or long). I found that the long fitting is really designed for tall and slim people. For me the long fitting in my size gave me the correct sleeve length but the body was too long and pushed up when I sat down (I am 6ft or 182cm but it is all in the arms and legs). In this way I was able to say that the regular fit was fine for body length but I needed the long fit sleeves. I was able to order this in a lightweight jacket at no extra cost but they charged an extra £15.50 for the belt which is normally only on the heavier RAF Flying Jacket. The real killer was the cost of shipping to Italy, that was an extra £50.

In hindsight I should have asked them to make their Irvin RAF style in the lightweight hide with the long fitting sleves. The Irvin RAF also has the waist belt as standard and zips on the lower sleeves.

I hope this rather verbose discourse helps any intending buyer of a jacket decide what they want and where they want to buy or order it.

Peter

[Linked Image]