SIZING TIPS

About this Style:  This jacket style has been made more tailored in how it fits vs. the original full-cut style 1957 MA-1 Jackets offered by Buzz Rickson’s:  The body/chest cavity  has been reduced in circumference, the armholes have been raised higher, and the sleeves are more tapered.  And if you are looking at the long-body version, the body length has been increased.

It is important to keep in mind that this jacket style is heavily padded between its two nylon layers with wool batting, thus the external chest measures listed here are just that – EXTERNAL measures – and don’t account for the lesser amount of room on the inside of the jacket.  Likewise, if you plan to wear heavy layers under this jacket style, that application will further subtract from the room inside the jacket.  However, if you follow the Sizing Tips, the MA-1 can be a very easy-wearing style that creates very few sizing issues for the overwhelming majority of individuals.

Tip 1:  Follow the instructions entitled “How to Use Product Measures to Obtain a Good Fit” listed under the PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS tab for this product.  After finding no substantive conflicts with your body measures obtained from the tab entitled BODY MEASURING, order this garment with 6” of external room in excess of your chest measure if you prefer a trim fit in the chest and shoulders.  Even those with lean builds should not order this jacket with less than 6” of room in the chest so as to allow for the high-cut armholes and heavy wool batting.  If a roomier or longer fit is desired, then order the next available size after reviewing all relative measures that pertain to that size.  It is best advised for most customers to order a size that directly equates to their chest measure:  Chest measures 40”, order size 40.  Those whose chest measure falls on an odd number, such as 41” or 43”, will have to determine if they want less room or more room when selecting a jacket size.

Tip 2:  Please note that your chest circumference measure is not necessarily the labeled size you wear in another jacket you may own from a different maker or even the same maker, so please take the time to obtain your true chest circumference measure so as to compare to our chart of jacket measures; this will enable us to perform a better job getting you the right size and minimize your chances in having to deal with the hassle and cost of exchanges.

Please ask us for fitting advice if in doubt.

Tip 3:  This style lends itself best to lean and medium-build individuals; those with a hefty build, especially in the mid-section, may find this style too restrictive and confining.  Individuals who prefer looser fits and/or those with a waist measure that is nearly equal to or greater than their chest circumference measure may jump up   one – two sizes in this jacket for comfort and desired fit (when we refer to waist measure we do not mean your trouser size; we mean the actual circumference measure of your waistline at its widest point).  If you are unsure of the size to order we will assist you; please contact us with the following information:  Height, waist circumference measure, chest circumference measure, body weight, and type of clothing to be worn beneath the jacket most of the time, as well as the type of fit you prefer:  Trim, roomy or oversized.

PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS

The following table provides actual product measures.  These measures are provided as an aid because, in conjunction with the information found under the SIZING TIPS tab for each product, they can sometimes be very useful when comparing the measurements from this garment to the measures of your body; however, acting as an armchair tailor should be done with caution, as well as with knowledge of other important areas of fit that are not displayed here.  Armchair tailors frequently fail to take into account other significant elements that impact fit; following the information found under the SIZING TIPS tab for each garment on this web site is strongly suggested, which can be very useful in supplanting or supplementing the listed measures below.

Our measures were derived from averaging measurements taken from many garments of the same size from each specific size in the range of any given product, thus the measures provided are representative for each size but they may not be exactly what you will receive.  Some fluctuation in size is normal and to be expected, especially in these garments that have been manufactured on the bench by hand.  Size fluctuations are rarely encountered in the width measures and more typically encountered in length measures, and particularly with respect to leather jackets and  jackets with knit cuffs and waistbands.  Fluctuations in width measures are very rare, and when they are encountered they are typically insignificant:  1/8” – ¼”.  Normal fluctuations in sleeve and/or body length + /-  a ½” are more common but still rare, and such fluctuations in that increment range are within spec. for jackets of the same size and style.

This MA-1 Jacket is available in either a Regular-Length fitting or a Long-Body fitting (only the body length increases versus the Regular-Length fitting).

How to Use the Product Measures to Obtain a Good Fit:

1)   Using the measurements listed for this product and information found under the tab entitled MEASURING GARMENTS to understand our measuring technique, please double the chest measure to obtain the total external chest circumference of this garment.  For example:  If the chest measure listed for size 40 is 23”, doubling this measure yields a 46” external chest circumference.

2)   Measure your chest circumference as per the tab on this web site specifically addressing BODY MEASURING, then compare your chest measure to the chest measure of this product.

3)   Many jackets are cut in such a way that the wearer requires no less than 4” of room in the jacket for a sleek fit that is also comfortable, while other jacket styles require the wearer to have more than 8” of room.  If your chest circumference is 40”, a product with a 23” chest width has a 46” external chest circumference and would provide 6” of external room in this scenario (chest measures 40”, external chest measure of jacket is 46”, thus 6” of external room would be realized).

4)   Again, using the measurements listed for this product and information under the MEASURING GARMENTS tab to understand our measuring technique, add half of the shoulder width to the arm length.  For example:  If the shoulder width is 18” and the arm length is 25”, adding 9” (half the shoulder width) to 25” (the arm length) will yield an overall sleeve length of 34” in this product.

5)   Measure your overall sleeve length following the instructions on this web site under the tab specifically addressing BODY MEASURING, then compare your overall sleeve length to this product.

6)   If desired, repeat the measuring comparisons for back length.

7)   Compare your body measures to the listed garment measures and follow the advice found under the SIZING TIPS tab to obtain a good fit.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Because you need room in a garment for comfort, garments with a 44” chest circumference are NOT a size 44, nor are they intended for anyone with a 44” chest circumference.  Tee shirts and thermal shirts tend to have the most body-hugging fits of our product offerings because these were originally intended to be undergarments, thus these can be ordered to stretch to fit if that is how you wish to wear such garments.  Other shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, jackets, etc. will all have some amount of room incorporated in their designs, thus these will all measure larger than your actual chest measure by varying degrees.

Sometimes-Problematic Way to Determine a Good Fit:

Due to differences in how even near-identical garments are cut by different manufacturers, it is not necessarily a good idea to compare the listed measures of this product to the measures of an existing, similar product in your wardrobe to determine the correct size to order in this product.  Though such comparisons can indeed work some of the time, and maybe even most of the time, vast experience with and knowledge of the products we market has proven such practices will sometimes fail.  This inaccurate measuring methodology doesn’t factor in other key variables of fit relative to you and the garment that includes:  Armhole opening, shoulder slope, high-point shoulder, high chest, width of sleeves at all points including the all-important elbow, waist measure, and the thickness, plumpness, and rigidity of the material the garment is made from, naming just some variables influencing fit that do not appear on any list of measurements for a garment or that a customer is likely to account for.

It is best to compare your actual body measures to the listed measures of this product AND follow our advice listed under the SIZING TIPS tab specific to this product to obtain a good fit in this style.

A Good Fit:

This is highly subjective – what one person may think is too big, another may think fits perfectly.  Some garments are cut quite generously and others are cut quite trimly.  If comparing measurements of one of our products to another you may own, some individuals will surely find that none or maybe only one area of measure is commonly shared or remotely close to being the same.  Ultimately, chest measure is the most important area to properly fit, then all other areas of measure will have to fall into place.  And some individuals who are extremely tall may find that body and/or sleeve length are more important to accommodate than even chest measure.

It is best to compare your actual body measures to the listed measures of this product AND follow our advice listed under the SIZING TIPS tab specific to this product to obtain a good fit in this style.

We strive to create a crisp fit between our products and the customer, and not a loose, sloppy look.  If you prefer your clothing to fit more loosely, then we will do our best to work with you to that end, though, by the very nature of our product designs and fits it may not be possible to duplicate the slack looks found in many mainstream clothing brands even if you go up one or two sizes in our products.

MEASURING GARMENTS

This section will explain and illustrate the measuring techniques we employed to derive the garment measurements found under the PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS tabs related to each of our products; additionally, this section provides the educational tools to enable the accurate measuring of any garments you may have access to for comparison. Garment measurements are invaluable when used in conjunction with the instructions found under the tab BODY MEASURING, as well requisite for following our advice found under the tab SIZING TIPS.

Please click on the appropriate link below that relates to the product category for which you wish to ascertain garment-measuring instructions:

BODY MEASURING

Measuring for Jackets and Shirts

Please take these measures wearing just a thin shirt or undershirt or with no shirt at all. Simply note the following measures on a sheet of paper so you can comapre your findings to our listed measurements found under the PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS tab or so you can request assistance from us. Please always refer to the information found under the SIZING TIPS tab that is specific to each product.

A) CHEST—Measure high under armpits, spanning the widest part of your chest, then wrap tape around for one 360-degree complete circumference measurement.