Goodwear Acme 38-1711-P

[Grayland]

Yep.
A2s were a piece of military equipment in set sizes specified by the US Army Air Corp...not custom made fashion items. You got what you got that "fit" so you could do your job.
Pilots et. al. wore shirts/flight suits under their A2s, and had be able to move around unimpeded while wearing them. I suspect "a bit baggy" was the norm rather than "skin tight and short".

A problem with "authentic" modern re-creations of this design is that our phsiques have changed fairly dramatically since WWII. Not to mention these were designed to fit young men in good physical condition rather than middle aged men who could stand to loose 20 or 30 lbs. :lol:

Keep in mind that the US School Lunch program was started in 1946 as a result of the huge numbers of malnourished young men who couldn't even pass the physical. These were young men born into the Great Depression and even soldiers who were admitted into the military were quite skinny.

 

[ButteMT61]

All this is true. Hence, the "proper fit" myths are just that - myths. You got what they gave you and I imagine a lot of trading went on. I know the B3/D1's got swapped by flyers and ground crews so you know A-2's did as well. People don't change. I'm sure we'd have done it way back to get the most comfortable jacket we could. But there certainly were no custom orders (unless maybe you had enough brass?)

 

[Jeff M]

Keep in mind that the US School Lunch program was started in 1946 as a result of the huge numbers of malnourished young men who couldn't even pass the physical. These were young men born into the Great Depression and even soldiers who were admitted into the military were quite skinny.

Yep.
My father served in WWII, Army Medic in Europe.
I remember being about 14 years old trying on is "Ike" jacket and how tight a fit it was. And I was by no means large!
My wifes father was in the US Coast guard during the war...at Normandy escorting the invasion fleet. She could barely fit into his pea coat in high school, at which time she was a gymnast.
It ended up in the possession of one of his grand daughters who ran cross country in HS and college..skinny as a rail. It fit perfectly.

 

[regius]

what jacket is Steve McQueen wearing in the famous Great Escape? Or should I turn and ask the Japanese?

 

[archbury918]

Most A-2 jacket geeks (like me), tend to have a consensus of the Rough Wear 27752

 

[Deleted member 16736]

I like the dude with the pencil mustache and popped-up collar holding the gun. I wouldn't mess with him.