Creased zipper on MA-1

[TrenchGuy]

So, I own a black MA-1 flight jacket and the zipper has gotten really creased from wearing it, probably because of sitting down with the jacket zipped up. It looks really untidy because of the creases on the zipper area that make the zipper look "wavy", like I had a horribly deformed body that makes the zipper crease, lol.

So, do you have any suggestions on how to cure the problem and get the zipper straight again?



Posted a pic so you can better understand what I'm talking about.

 

[Peacoat]

If it is a repro, I would get a replacement zipper for about $10 and have a seamstress sew it on for about $15. That should solve the problem. I will say that in my years of wearingthe L2-b and the MA-1 I haven't seen the exact problem in your pic. A common situation is the zipper being "wavy" down the length of the jacket because the pilot (or his wife) putthe jacket in the washing machine rather than having it dry cleaned as the tag instructions clearly state. That is one reason the nylon flight jackets are such a tight fit these days--they shrink!

 

[svennex]

That is one reason the nylon flight jackets are such a tight fit these days--they shrink!

That's something that i dont get about Nylon flight jackets like the ma-1. Isnt Nylon fabric supposed to be washable?

 

[Atticus Finch]

That's something that i dont get about Nylon flight jackets like the ma-1. Isnt Nylon fabric supposed to be washable?

Original nylon flight jackets were insulated with wool batting. Wool does two things very well...it slows transfer of heat energy and it shrinks when exposed to moisture. Even repeated, excessive sweating in the jacket (especially in the L-2B) can cause the back of the jacket to shorten up.

AF

 

[svennex]

Original nylon flight jackets were insulated with wool batting. Wool does two things very well...it slows transfer of heat energy and it shrinks when exposed to moisture. Even repeated, excessive sweating in the jacket (especially in the L-2B) can cause the back of the jacket to shorten up.

AF

Yes but modern jackets use polyester batting and they are still listed as dry clean only.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Yes but modern jackets use polyester batting and they are still listed as dry clean only.

Yeah, I'm not sure why a polyester/nylon repro would need to to be dry cleaned. Maybe the maker is trying to be "authentic" to the original...

AF

 

[TrenchGuy]

I've never put the jacket in a washing machine, but I bought it used and the previous owner might have washed it in a washing machine, but the zipper wasn't creased like that when I bought it. I'm pretty sure the creases are from sitting down so much with the jacket zipped up.