RL A-2 Jacket Opinion

Looking to possibly buy an
A-2 Ralph Lauren leather jacket.
Features a 1-piece back section & set-in sleeves.
brown wool cuffs & waistband. No side entry pockets.
Sleeves are single piece from wrist to shoulders.
Dark seal color, cotten wound thread, heavy wt. leather.
Jacket design is very true to original in style & fit. ($300).
Any info from those that may have one similar, Thanks

woodiedeluxe39 said:

....
Jacket design is very true to original in style & fit.......

Click to expand...

If going by the standards of the A-2 aficianados that populate this forum....I'd have to wonder about that.
FWIW, I believe the RL line is manufactured in China.

I stated "jacket design is very true to original", not to confuse with "exactly as an original".
Do you own this style jacket…if yes, please enlighten me…..Thanks.

Nothing can be said without pics or links. It's a fashion coat, so don't expect a lot.

woodiedeluxe39 said:

Looking to possibly buy an
A-2 Ralph Lauren leather jacket.
Features a 1-piece back section & set-in sleeves.
brown wool cuffs & waistband. No side entry pockets.
Sleeves are single piece from wrist to shoulders.
Dark seal color, cotten wound thread, heavy wt. leather.
Jacket design is very true to original in style & fit. ($300).
Any info from those that may have one similar, Thanks

Click to expand...

I temporarily owned one like this one. It was made for a taller person, but I liked it.

ButteMT61 said:

Nothing can be said without pics or links. It's a fashion coat, so don't expect a lot.

Click to expand...

"a picture is worth a 1000 Words"

Please do not presume my not posting pics or links…
Numerous attempts have only yielded the following;
"you can only post a new thread, you do not have
sufficient privileges & require permission from the
forum administrator.
Have tried to make contact with no success.

RL A-2 Jacket

It's a real nice looking jacket & the pics are great…I envy you !

Presume? You posted none. You can still
Post a link. We can't judge a jacket we can't see can we?

Gentlemen - sometimes people do have problems & computer glitches.
Also, make allowances that voice tone/intonation is always missing when one types, so 'try' not to misread people's tones, ...please

Right!! The main thing is that the RL A-2 photos have been kindly posted as a reference in this thread.
Basically, for $300, is this a good buy for the Gent in question? (he doesn't care that it's not a stitch-for-stitch replica, only that it's a nice 'vintagy' jacket that pays reasonable 'homage' to the iconic A-2).
Help the man out with a balanced view from your 'deep wealth' of knowledge chaps sound reasonable?

Thanks!!

$300 is not bad and the one that Jaguar 66 posted pics of looked okay.

I personally would buy one of the big makers (Eastman/Aero/Goodwear...etc), not because I like an incredibly close replica but because they have an unbeatable look and there is a wealth of reviews from FL members which makes it easier when choosing.

Hopefully someone might have some more information on the RL jackets.

For $300 I'd buy one in a hart beat!

If they're cut long for a tall person then a large might be a good fit as a regular cut is always too short.

If the one you're thinking about purchasing is the RRL A-2 shown in the photos, then $300 is an excellent bargain. I have always seen them in this distressed russet so I'm curious to see a seal brown version. These jackets have a retail ticket price of $995 but sell on ebay for $549-599 on a regular basis. I personally like the look of them and think the unusual knit weave pattern is sharp. Ralph Lauren did a better job of making the distressing look genuine than all those bomber jacket makers did in the '80s. I always thought that mottled look was not realistic. If you belong to VLJ forum there are a couple of threads that review the Ralph Lauren A-2. These RRL A-2s may be made in China, but I've heard they're quality made. I've never bought a Ralph Lauren item that I was disappointed with, although you can't go by the tagged size of their chinos.

Hello Jaguar66;

I can understand why you liked that jacket.........looks good!


Regards,
coffee

I saw this kind of RL jacket in a store, I was really impressed by the patina and the overall look... The quality was here! Really nice jacket IMHO.

Not long ago I scored a black cowhide Polo A-2 off Ebay for about $275. It's a very high quality jacket that obviously sold for much more originally.

It has no size markings whatsoever, but would be a 44 in a high-end repro line. It's about a 48" chest, but does have a taper from chest to waist - I'd say about a 5" drop. That's the only fit issue I have with it. It is not oversized anywhere - shoulders are square, armholes and sleeves snugly comfortable.

The cut is faithful to wartime A-2s - one-piece back, non-handwarming pockets, and the collar, pockets, and epaulets are well proportioned to the jacket. There is a correct type flat-strip hanger and a collar latch (black anodized, as are the zipper and snaps). The sleeves are set-in, ie: the seams don't meet the side seams of the jacket.

The knits are probably all wool (not marked on the label), in an authentic fine rib weave, with lines of elastic on the inside. The sleeve knits are seamed. The liner is all cotton, lightweight black sateen. Label is a standard blue Polo tag, not the WW2 type shown upthread.

Added features include wide leather facings inside both halves of the zipper (about 2", broadening toward the neck to run about 1/3 of the way inside the collar on each side) and a leather-trimmed, buttoned pocket on the left inside.

This is a fairly heavy cowhide (±3 1/2 oz), fine-grained, with a smooth drape and a nice dull finish. Not necessarily a dressy jacket, but it could go that way if you liked.

Best of all, the little man on a horse does not appear anywhere.