ANOVOS Captain Picard Jacket (Alternate Uniform aka: PNNUJ)

[mazdachris]

I've got one of these excellent jackets hopefully landing in my mailbox tomorrow, after a distressingly long wait for it to clear customs.

I see you're saying about the undershirt there, so I guess you've already done a bit of research into it? One thing I'd like is that, although as you say this isn't a pure costume piece and something that could (and will!) be worn regularly, it would be brilliant to be able to complete the ensemble with a decently accurate undershirt. If you do have some detailed information on the undershirt, would you be happy to share it? There are a few details I'm trying to nail down, and screen-used pieces are necessarily elusive.

 

[Ruddigger]

Mine just arrived and I have to say I'm terribly disappointed. The "small" i ordered is huge. It fits like a large that they lopped the bottom off of. It looks ridiculous on me. Completely unwearable. Sigh.

 

[mazdachris]

Mine arrived yesterday. Overall I'm very happy with it, but I do think there are a few issues. The fit for me was perfect. Literally, it couldn't have been better if it had been tailored for me, so I'm very happy about that. However, comparing it to the excellent images here - http://www.startrekpropauthority.com/2014/06/special-photo-study-patrick-stewart.html - there are a few things which I think are noticeably different from the original. Obviously the addition of a zip and a pocket were concessions to practicality, but there are a couple of other things which don't appear the same from the construction:

On the original, the fabric on the interior (not the lining) changes from red to black underneath the yoke. On the Anovos version, all of the interior fabric is red, meaning that there is a small piece of visible red fabric around the neck opening.

The padded sections around the cuffs and waistband look too puffy. This may well settle down after a while, and from a repeated pressing. However when you look at the original you can see that the waistband (and presumably the cuffs too) show the topstitching on the inside as well as the outside - on the Anovos version there is another layer of interior fabric making these areas thicker than they probably should be.

On the front panel of the yoke, around the neck opening, the Anovos version has an extra topstitch, creating a 1\2" piece of quilting running around the neck opening. This isn't present on the original - the lines of quilting can be seen running all the way into the neck opening.

The quality of the reproduction is slightly questionable. It seems to suffer from a slight lack of attention to detail. For instance on the original, all of the rows of quilting on the yoke line up front to back, whereas on my Anovos one, they don't. Also, on mine, the cuffs and waistband aren't finished very well, making the edges a little irregular. The edges on the original are very neat and straight. You can actually see this on the pictures of the prototype on the Anovos site, but it is far more pronounced on mine.

Speaking of the cuffs, if you look on the images of the original you can see that the seams on the sleeve line up perfectly with the topstitches of the quilting on the cuff, on the original. On mine, the seams don't line up with the topstitch, and it makes the cuffs look a little bit sloppily constructed.

I don't want anyone to think I'm saying this isn't a great jacket. It is, and I will really enjoy wearing it. However, on the Anovos site it claims that this is a faithful replica of the original (barring the addition of the zip and pocket), following the exact patterning and construction. This definitely is not the case - there are some very big differences between the Anovos version and the original. I would say that the jacket is a nice piece to wear every day, but it couldn't be considered a replica costume piece at all. I also feel that at a $300 price point, things like the detail of the cuffs and the waistband and the yoke, should all be better than they are. For $300 I was expecting I would get something near perfect, whereas I feel like this looks a little bit sloppily constructed, which is a little bit disappointing.

 

[PHArchivist]

Mine just arrived and I have to say I'm terribly disappointed. The "small" i ordered is huge. It fits like a large that they lopped the bottom off of. It looks ridiculous on me. Completely unwearable. Sigh.

But you said yourself that you were already planning on altering it, right? Better to be too big than too small then.

 

[PHArchivist]

I don't want anyone to think I'm saying this isn't a great jacket. It is, and I will really enjoy wearing it. However, on the Anovos site it claims that this is a faithful replica of the original (barring the addition of the zip and pocket), following the exact patterning and construction. This definitely is not the case - there are some very big differences between the Anovos version and the original. I would say that the jacket is a nice piece to wear every day, but it couldn't be considered a replica costume piece at all. I also feel that at a $300 price point, things like the detail of the cuffs and the waistband and the yoke, should all be better than they are. For $300 I was expecting I would get something near perfect, whereas I feel like this looks a little bit sloppily constructed, which is a little bit disappointing.

Nice write-up and review.

Though, to the contrary, I think it absolutely is a replica. It is as close to the original item as any licensed replica we see here everyday, all of which can be picked apart for their differences from the original props (or costume items) ad naseum. Mass production and overseas production take their toll. My MR Falcon is far from perfect...

I'm sure you understand, but truly the only way to attain the degree of perfection your post suggests you expect, you would need to design, cut, and create your own. Similar to a studio-scale Falcon model - to get as close to personal expectations and screen-used perfection as possible, it would be necesary to scratch-build and paint your own.

I opened my jacket today. At 6'4" the XL is a tad small...

Overall body fit is fine, but the sleeves are a tad short. Fine when standing but if I extend my arms out (like when driving) the sleeves creep up at least two inches. I'll check with a tailor to see if there is enough material to extend them, though I doubt there will be. I'm fine with the smallish fit, as I think Stewart's was likely small on him, even though it was likely hand-build and custom-tailored for him. And mine was not costum-tailored for me!

Also, I really don't see myself wearing it too often - just too sci-fi for me to wear out of the house. Will probably display it on a torso mannequin.

There are indeed areas of this hobby that I sweat the details almost to the degree that it takes the fun out of it (seen my Death Star thread?), so I respect observations like what was shared above. For me personally, this jacket is not one of them. I looks and feels to me just like what was on screen, and I'm good with that.

 

[Ruddigger]

By that I meant remove the zipper and maybe a little from the front to make it more screen accurate. That will not suffice, I will have to completely remake this thing to get it presentable. Take out like 4 inches from the back, fix the shoulders (they're too droopy and the ribs on mine dont line up either,) redo the lining after all the reconstruction, basically it would be easier to start from scratch. My tailoring skills are pretty limited, which is why I bought this instead of making one in the first place. Hopefully this can be returned.

Here are some pictures of me wearing a standard small blazer for comparison. On the Picard jacket my shoulder stop about 1 inch into the sleeve, there rest is all air. I feel like I'm wearing football pads. What do you guys think?

 

[PHArchivist]

Totally see what you mean. And yeah - I'd imagine it would be a total "rebuild" of the jacket to have it fit you. And you said that's a Small? You're probly wondering if - over in Taiwan - they slapped a Small tag on a larger sized coat.

Mine is clearly tagged XL but fits me like EVERY other Large jacket I've owned. Again, as if they mislabeled (mis-tagged) a Large as an XL.

 

[Ruddigger]

I did wonder that. But it could also be that Anovos just doesnt put a lot of thought into fit of small sizes. I'm tall and thin, this is for someone short and stocky.

At least I learned this on sonething that cost me 160 bucks, and not the 1400 dollar TWOK uniform I had been wanting. So disappointed.

 

[Apollo]

You would make a good Naussican Rob.

The costume would probably fit you to a T! :lol

It is extremely hard, as been already touched upon here, to "Mass" Produce Costumes for the general public, let alone anything Trek.

All costumes were individually tailored to the Actor and of course throughout the Season some had to be taken in and some let out.

In an ideal world we would all have tailors and indeed even dressers who would be at our beck and call.

As you know Anovos will make it right if you are unhappy with any of their finely crafted items just reach out to them

 

[Apollo]

Wow I see what you mean Ryan sorry the small did'nt work out for you.

I think the TOS Tunics would fit good on you with your build, even the TNG ones would look good but that one is a whole other story in itself

 

[mazdachris]

Nice write-up and review.

Though, to the contrary, I think it absolutely is a replica. It is as close to the original item as any licensed replica we see here everyday, all of which can be picked apart for their differences from the original props (or costume items) ad naseum. Mass production and overseas production take their toll. My MR Falcon is far from perfect...

I'm sure you understand, but truly the only way to attain the degree of perfection your post suggests you expect, you would need to design, cut, and create your own. Similar to a studio-scale Falcon model - to get as close to personal expectations and screen-used perfection as possible, it would be necesary to scratch-build and paint your own.

There are indeed areas of this hobby that I sweat the details almost to the degree that it takes the fun out of it (seen my Death Star thread?), so I respect observations like what was shared above. For me personally, this jacket is not one of them. I looks and feels to me just like what was on screen, and I'm good with that.

I understand what you're saying, but I have to disagree. When we're talking about Anovos, we're talking about a group of people who have gone to massive lengths to recreate, on other outfits, the exact fabric, dye combination, construction, and so on. When you look at their Imperial uniforms and the Premier line TWOK jackets, they've made a big deal out of creating something which should be, for all intents and purposes, indistinguishable from the costumes you'd have seen hanging in the wardrobe departments of those productions. This is a company which has built a reputation for studiously replicating outfits based on original pieces, so when they advertise a piece and specifically say that it has been created using patterns taken from original costume pieces, then I think it's reasonable to think that what you're going to receive is pretty much an exact replica. And for just about everything else you can buy from Anovos, that would be absolutely true. When I was at DST3 a few months ago, I was able to compare one of their TWOK jackets to an original costume being displayed in the same hall, and I was blown away by how perfectly they had recreated the original. I do totally get that not everyone cares about that level of detail in a replica, and that's totally fine, but I wouldn't class this as a replica personally because there are so many differences from the original. It's not a replica in the true sense of the word - a sense that Anovos themselves have built up over the years. What this is, is a jacket you could wear every day which recreates the basic look of the original costume, while making a umber of concessions (way beyond just the zipper and the pocket) in order to make it durable enough to wear every day, while presumably also keeping it at an affordable price point. Though on the latter point, I think this was probably the thing I found disappointing - I didn't feel like this looked at all like a jacket costing $300. It looks handmade, with lots of imperfections. But the point really is that for Anovos to describe this as a replica made from patterns taken from an original, you would reasonably assume that means the same as it means when they say it about their other Trek outfits. For some of us, that level of detail is the thing that really appeals about the Anovos products.

Sorry to sound negative. As I say, I really do love the jacket, and love how it looks on me. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect fit. I do love wearing it. It just wasn't what I was expecting, and I know a lot of people who are also interested in having exact replicas, and will find it useful to know that this isn't what they would class as a true replica. There are way more changes than just the zip and the pocket. Like I say, not everyone is bothered by that, and I'm sure that most people would be absolutely happy with this.

 

[Ruddigger]

Wow I see what you mean Ryan sorry the small did'nt work out for you.

I think the TOS Tunics would fit good on you with your build, even the TNG ones would look good but that one is a whole other story in itself

Maybe, but after this Anovos experience I won't be spending that much money to find out. Odds are, I'll be in the same boat.

 

[mazdachris]

Well look at it this way - One person is tall and skinny, the other is short and fat. How could the same XL jacket fit them both? The answer is obviously it can't.

But then that's just buying clothes in general. Usually it doesn't matter - If a t-shirt is designed with tall skinny people in mind I can just get a size larger, and it still looks ok. But when you're trying to recreate the look of a piece of clothing which was specifically tailored for one person, the fit has to be perfect in all areas otherwise it'll always look wrong.

 

[PHArchivist]

I understand what you're saying, but I have to disagree. When we're talking about Anovos, we're talking about a group of people who have gone to massive lengths to recreate, on other outfits, the exact fabric, dye combination, construction, and so on. When you look at their Imperial uniforms and the Premier line TWOK jackets, they've made a big deal out of creating something which should be, for all intents and purposes, indistinguishable from the costumes you'd have seen hanging in the wardrobe departments of those productions. This is a company which has built a reputation for studiously replicating outfits based on original pieces, so when they advertise a piece and specifically say that it has been created using patterns taken from original costume pieces, then I think it's reasonable to think that what you're going to receive is pretty much an exact replica. And for just about everything else you can buy from Anovos, that would be absolutely true. When I was at DST3 a few months ago, I was able to compare one of their TWOK jackets to an original costume being displayed in the same hall, and I was blown away by how perfectly they had recreated the original. I do totally get that not everyone cares about that level of detail in a replica, and that's totally fine, but I wouldn't class this as a replica personally because there are so many differences from the original. It's not a replica in the true sense of the word - a sense that Anovos themselves have built up over the years. What this is, is a jacket you could wear every day which recreates the basic look of the original costume, while making a umber of concessions (way beyond just the zipper and the pocket) in order to make it durable enough to wear every day, while presumably also keeping it at an affordable price point. Though on the latter point, I think this was probably the thing I found disappointing - I didn't feel like this looked at all like a jacket costing $300. It looks handmade, with lots of imperfections. But the point really is that for Anovos to describe this as a replica made from patterns taken from an original, you would reasonably assume that means the same as it means when they say it about their other Trek outfits. For some of us, that level of detail is the thing that really appeals about the Anovos products.

Sorry to sound negative. As I say, I really do love the jacket, and love how it looks on me. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect fit. I do love wearing it. It just wasn't what I was expecting, and I know a lot of people who are also interested in having exact replicas, and will find it useful to know that this isn't what they would class as a true replica. There are way more changes than just the zip and the pocket. Like I say, not everyone is bothered by that, and I'm sure that most people would be absolutely happy with this.

Solid points; fair points. And not negative, per se - more so objective...

 

[Ruddigger]

Well look at it this way - One person is tall and skinny, the other is short and fat. How could the same XL jacket fit them both?

True, but I ordered a small. It shouldn't be made for a George Costanza, and I have a feeling my small jacket would fit him perfectly.

 

[PHArchivist]

True, but I ordered a small. It shouldn't be made for a George Costanza, and I have a feeling my small jacket would fit him perfectly.

How tall are you? I'm really curious how my so-called "XL" would measure up to your Small. Would be very interesting to compare the two in person.

By the way, (and to cement your point), the pic of you from the back makes me think of Marty McFly's auto-sizing jacket prior to auto-sizing!

Feel free to drop me an email if you like PHarchivist@aol.com

 

[Ruddigger]

I'm 5'10

 

[Got Maul]

Hi Ryan, These are all valid points and I've copied and pasted your remarks to our manufacturer.

The issues you bring up with this jacket is two fold:

1. We designed the jacket to be broad use jacket, meaning it strays far from the original pattern. Perhaps the wording in the sales page should have been scaled back, but the measurements of the piping and patterning of the yolk was taken off the screen used as mentioned. BUT, the obvious changes were the boxier cut jacket (which is a departure from our more slendering/european cuts of our typical uniform) targeting a more american cut. For someone of your slender build, this boxier cut becomes even more pronounced, unfortunately.

2. As for the hand cuts and sewing issues, the reason why this price was $300 was because the amount of manual stitching labor that went into those pipes. Each one of those pipes is hand sewn and hand stuffed. The labor costs shot through the roof on this and even the famed quality of Taiwan was challenged. While we can normally guarantee the consistent quality from uniform to uniform, when this much is hand sewn and hand stuffed (just as the original), there will be variation and we knew this going into the run.

Regardless, we stand by our word and if you feel it necessary to pull the ripcord on this, just email me for a refund, joe@anovos.com , and I can forward it to the CS team for processing and get you a 10% coupon on your next purchase.

 

[AshGL1914]

Sorry guys I was off grid for much of the Holidays.

Got Maul is of course quite correct and I'm only stepping back in to offer a couple of additional pieces of info.

It's worth remembering that this is a Standard Line item and as such have a little latitude regarding fit and finish for the masses. Indeed we choose a standard American body shape when manufacturing goods because maintaining every size in all three of the major human body styles is simply not possable for a company like ours.
And so on someone tall and thin the sleeves of this jacket are going to be a tad short (and I'm sorry, due to the construction of the Picard Jacket's cuff design-not really something that can be extended).

The other note I wanted to touch on was the shoulders. It was mentioned that the shoulders are wide creating a look similar to football shoulder pads. I know exactly what you mean. My wife says the same thing when I wear mine. However, that is the design of the original jacket. I assure you that Sir Pat's shoulders are not nearly as wide as what we saw in Star Trek:The Next Generation.

Additionally, this costume piece is a product of its time coming as it did at the bottom end of the "wide shoulder" era of clothing in the '80s and '90s. That's the way it was designed back then. The effect is slightly more pronounced visually because of the contrast between the red body and black quilted shoulders.

As for my personal jacket I'm going open up the shoulders and have my tailor alter the shoulders to suit me.

However, if you need help or support with this or any products or orders you can create a Customer Service ticket here: http://www.anovos.com/pages/support

Or I can also be reached at john@anovos.com

 

[Ruddigger]

I appreciate you guys taking my feedback into consideration, I still hold that this is not a standard small, american cut or otherwise.

My girlfriend wants me to keep it, so she can practice altering with it. Guess it's gonna be an expensive teaching tool. Lol.