Why you love Bomber Jackets. (its bomber jacket season again!)

Johnson Leathers in San Fran will make one of the highest quality and at a good price. Can't look past them.

People love jackets with knits, as long at they are A2 or other military styles. I'm with you - the civilian style is much nicer and cleaner looking. But Fonzie is very far form my mind as I hated that preachy show back in the 1970's.

Interested in the various patterns for late WWII Irvins. Wonder if I can find one I really like for when it comes to getting my Aero made...

Seb Lucas said:

Johnson Leathers in San Fran will make one of the highest quality and at a good price. Can't look past them.

People love jackets with knits, as long at they are A2 or other military styles. I'm with you - the civilian style is much nicer and cleaner looking. But Fonzie is very far form my mind as I hated that preachy show back in the 1970's.

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Johnson will make you an A-2, G-1, or whatever style you want from what I've seen.

Must just share this, when I was a very young man & the bug first bit I passionately wanted an Irvin. The internet hadn't been invented yet (I don't think...80s). The local 'vintage shop' (only one I knew of) knew a woman that allegedly made custom leather jackets (didn't see any samples). Measurements were duly taken (as was a large deposit).

Several months later I got a call to say my 'Irvin' was ready for collection. Much excitement followed & a bus ride down into town to collect this wonderful garment. "Irvin" went down to my knees and the collar was a 'hide end' & shaped like part of the globe. In a severe case of the 'Emperor's New Clothes' a young me was subjected to 'oohs & aahs;' from the shop owner & his 'sixth form' assistants.

I proudly wore this 'thing' home & was asked by my mother why I felt the need to dress as a 'caveman'. I could have fitted the cave-man's family in there too. The 'Irvin' went back to the vintage shop the following day. An angry me realized an N2B 'on account'. The 'Irvin' was eventually purchased by a 'viking' (shop-owners words ..not mine). I lost a bit of money..but learned a valuable lesson.

majormajor said:

The Aero one looks like everything you wish for.....

Not sure why you think it is not popular. Ken wouldn't make it if it wasn't

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Yes, this is what I think of as a 'bomber jacket,' but it's actually way, way nicer than what I have in mind. The archetypal bomber of my schooldays was made of some God-awful thin, primitively distressed hide and bagged out around the waist, offsetting the hideous skintight/balloon effect of black terylene Oxford bags. The Fonz had a lot to do with it. And there were cloth bomber jackets as well, elastic-waisted Harrington things.

I bought my own bomber jacket in my very early twenties. Went into one of the only shops in London that sold Schott, decided on one that looked very like Eastman's Air Comfort but for some reason was talked into buying the classic Schott AN-J4-type model with the detachable fake-fur collar and lining. More Fonz than Flying Tiger. I'm not sure if it ever looked good on me and I never stopped regretting that I hadn't bought the other one but I wore it for many years and through several adventures, soaked it with beer and blood (mine) and finally let it go in a grand, cathartic clear-out after realizing I hadn't worn it for almost a decade. I sort of miss it...

Why do I love bomber jackets? Well, when I was about ten or eleven, B/Gen. Frank Savage (Robert Lansing) taught me how wonderful a bomber (flight) jacket looked. So all these years later I still were my bomber/flight jacket as often as I can - mine even has the ciggie pocket on the left sleeve, just like Gen. Savage's. -dixon cannon

Seb Lucas said:

Johnson Leathers in San Fran will make one of the highest quality and at a good price. Can't look past them.

People love jackets with knits, as long at they are A2 or other military styles. I'm with you - the civilian style is much nicer and cleaner looking. But Fonzie is very far form my mind as I hated that preachy show back in the 1970's.

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Johnson Leathers. Hmm. I wonder how many other jacket makers I'll discover.

I was a kid in the '70s. I enjoyed "Happy Days" a lot. Never gave much thought about a leather jacket back then - Fonz's or any others.

Now when I watch the show, I really like the first couple of seasons. It seemed a lot more down to earth. Fonz was more of a thug. Eventually, he evolved into a sort of goody two shoes "superhero".

Got my first leather jacket when I got out of the military in the mid/late '80s. Went to the store and I didn't like most of them. Most of them had zippers and flaps all over the place. I wanted something "plain" yet classy. I don't remember the brand name of the jacket for which I settled. But it was black, had a zipper up the middle, a cafe racer type of collar, and I don't remember much else about it.

My second jacket was purchased about 3 years ago. But I had done a little research in the year or two prior to buying it. Using the internet, I tried to find out the brand name and style of Fonz's jacket. I learned that it was a "modified A2" produced by the studio. So I looked up A2s. And I liked them. But I didn't really care for the cargo pockets in the front. I thought "How are you supposed to stick your hands in those?" And I wondered where I could get one with side entry pockets instead of cargo pockets.

I found the Aero version. But I didn't want to pay the Aero price. The wife wouldn't like it. I decided I'd just get an A2. But I wanted a "real" one - the brand used by the USAF. I asked a USAF pilot I knew if he had a leather jacket. He said that he did. I asked him the brand. He said Cooper. But I found out that Cooper isn't making them anymore. I found out that Avirex was the supplier, and they became Cockpit (or was it US Wings?). So, three years ago. I bought a Cockpit A2, with side entry pockets under the cargo pockets. I've been pretty happy with it, except the stitching on one of the pockets is coming loose.

I bought it as my main riding jacket. And I planned to buy the Aero "Happy Days" later. I planned to use the Cockpit for riding, and the Aero for "style". I didn't want to use the expensive Aero for riding and get rain, road grime, etc on it.

I started looking for a "winter" riding jacket. Because the A2 didn't cut the mustard riding when the temperature got below the low 40s. The fur collar looked appealing.

So Earlier this year, I bought my 3rd leather jacket - a Gibson & Barnes M422a. It's a 46, and physically the same size as the Cockpit, which is a 48. Both are about two sizes too big for me. But OK when I "layer" for cold weather riding.

Then I went on a leather jacket buying spree, because I found some cheap ones on ebay. I got two suede "bomber" by Members Only. They're styled like A2s, but with plaid linings. Nice looking jackets actually, but I don't know about quality. They made in east Asia. And they're not too big.

I also saw a couple of Members Only leather "cafe racer" jackets, which I bought. One in dark brown, and one in black. Both with the "rainbow" tag. Now I remember those Members Only cloth cafe racers from the '80s. I never had one. But they were, and still are, stylish in my opinion. They're snug on me. And thus, they look pretty good on me. I like them. Again, I don't know about quality. Supposedly, the quality of the "rainbow" tagged ones is a bit better than the later "non-rainbow" tagged ones.

I also bought a brown leather trenchcoat I saw on ebay. I can't recall the brand off the top of my head. It's from the '70s and made in the USA. It was relatively cheap also.

I saw a couple of vintage Fonz-style "bombers" on ebay. Just what I've been looking for. I have an ebay sniping program, and missed the first one. Either the program failed, or I didn't have the computer on when the auction ended for some reason. It went really cheap. It wasn't "quite" what I was looking for, as it had the "half belt" back.

The other is a Sierra horsehide. Red quilted liner. Pretty worn. But expensive. Too expensive. I've made offers, but they weren't answered. Ebay won't let me make any more offers on it. So if it gets relisted, then perhaps I can make another offer. And maybe the seller will be more motivated to let it go.

I just bought a Cooper A2 on ebay - cheap. About $100. It's more my size. But it hasn't arrived yet.

There are a couple of Cooper "Fonz" jackets. One has damage, paint specs, and would fit me snugly, like the Members Only cafe racers I have. I'm checking to see how much repairs will run before I buy it. It needs a zipper and possibly a liner. And a hole under the armpit repaired.

The other - the seller did not list measurements. Not even when I sent him a message. It's more expensive, but appears to be in good condition.

I want to get the pocket on my Cockpit A2 fixed, and list it, and my M422a for sale, since they are too big for me. The Cooper, even though it doesn't have the side entry pockets, will be my "real deal" A2.

Some other jackets I've purchased were a USN "eisenhower "jacket: a Creighton windbreaker. It has side entry pockets and epaulettes, in black. "Eisenhower jacket" is what we called them in the military. I had one, but I don't know what happened to it, or my peacoat. Now I have one in good condition, and it fits. It's black, and I'm looking for another in khaki (worn by CPOs and officers).

I liked those cotton A2s, with the leather collars. But now they're made in China or Vietnam or someplace like that. I found a "vintage" one on ebay, by Avirex, made in the USA. So I bought it, fairly cheap.

I bought a khaki "Harrington" with plaid liner. Slash pockets, knit cuffs and wasteband. I liked the style. It's by Lacoste. Has the alligator on the chest. Made in east Asia. Oh well - I don't think they were ever made anywhere else. I'd like a UK-made Baracuta Harringotn, black with plaid liner. But they sure are expensive.

I've also got hankering for a USN bridge coat. Seems I've got a jacket-buying bug. That, and vintage straight razors and strops. Ugh.

Lansing really ruined his jacket because of his addiction to cigarettes He had somebody sew
a pocket on his left arm for his pack of smokes. Boy did that irritate me!!!!

I wouldnt say Ruined, no, more like Modified, personally I would have kept my Luckies in a smoke Tin for the duration of the mission, and a couple spare packs in my kit bag, you gotta give him points though for innovation.

I would say Ruined is more like what Price did to his D-1 Jacket at the end of Stalag 17.

or what happened from Sefton Crawling under the barracks etc..:eeek:

Physicist said:

I bought a khaki "Harrington" with plaid liner. Slash pockets, knit cuffs and wasteband. I liked the style. It's by Lacoste. Has the alligator on the chest. Made in east Asia. Oh well - I don't think they were ever made anywhere else. I'd like a UK-made Baracuta Harringotn, black with plaid liner. But they sure are expensive.

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If you watch eBay, with a little patience you should eventually find a Baracuta G9 for about GBP70/just over USD100. (They're normally GBP120 odds - far too much for me). I am a fan of the Merc of London take on the Harrington, personally. Good combination of lower price point and quality. Doesn't have raglan sleeves like the Baracuta; I don't care, but it does matter to some folks. Mind you, if you think the price for the Baracuta is nuts, you should see the Grenfell equivalent - they're double that again. :eeek:

Depending on your size/taste, there are Baracutas on just now starting at £1!

Sloan1874 said:

Depending on your size/taste, there are Baracutas on just now starting at £1!

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Perfect fit for you, Craig. Get it bought

PS - for our non UK FLers, "Bomber Jacket" in the UK generally means a cotton Harrington, rather than a leather flying jacket

majormajor said:

Perfect fit for you, Craig. Get it bought

PS - for our non UK FLers, "Bomber Jacket" in the UK generally means a cotton Harrington, rather than a leather flying jacket

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When I was growing up in Northern Ireland, the term immediately conjured up what I now know as an MA1. Either that, or one of those beastly denim mutations thereof.

Merc of London, ay? They look good. Don't like raglan sleeves. Where are they made?

Seb Lucas said:

Merc of London, ay? They look good. Don't like raglan sleeves. Where are they made?

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Like a twit, I just spent a few minutes googling that, before realising I have one hanging on the chair behind me.... lol Modern world, eh? Yes, I don't care for the raglan sleeves on one of these either, to be honest. Merc started up in the Sixties and is really a mod label, but it's a really nice iteration of the Harrington style jacket, and of course as Baracuta brought the original out in the Thirties, it's a flexible look... I particularly like the shape of the collar on the Mercs; nice and neat, close to a shirt-collar style. According to the label on mine, they're made in China. Not an issue for me (coincidentally enough, I'm sat in a room in Beijing as I type this), but if you want made in Britain or USA, you'll have to look elsewhere. FWIW, I've got two of the Mercs, cracking jackets. Definitely a notch above the cheaper versions I also own (some of those are grand too, but much more hit and miss, especially in fit). I briefly had a Ben Sherman version, but sold it without ever wearing it out - just too baggy for my tastes.

I had a brief flirtation with Harrington's about a year ago. Purchased a couple of 'Made in UK' versions but moved them on due to concerns about quality (funnily enough). Mind you, on the other hand I didn't pay a lot for them either (an old saying now springs to mind).

'Jump The Gun' in Brighton: http://www.jumpthegun.co.uk/ do some reasonably priced good quality (IMHO) versions (another Mod shop). I went for a visit and ended up purchasing one. Don't find I wear it much (too many flight jackets...too little time).

I was up in the 'smoke' (London) recently & noticed the 'Merc' has left Carnaby St though is still trading (web sites still up http://www.merc.com). I have purchased their products in the past & like Edward have been impressed.

alfyman said:

In the 70's when I was in Elementary School, one of my best friends owned several Bomber Jackets, I was just fascinated by the style and the look, I just wanted one. I remember one day I was asked by my friend to bring his brown leather fur collar and fur lined jacket home for him, I was so ecstatic and shocked. I Clearly Remember that at that time I was going through puberty.. so I think I may have had an episode as I held this Leather Jacket lined with brown fur and collar. I know this sounds weird but ever since then i just tried to pursue that same feeling that makes me keep loving my bomber Jackets.

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Mine was also puberty stage. Age 13 or 14 I would browse through the mail order catalogue called Exchange & Mart - it had everything. I was looking for bowie knives and similar, but every issue they had these leather jackets with fur collars. I know realise they were Irvins, but they also had Schott ones I recall - perhaps they were the motorcycle cop ones.

We couldn't afford them then, but boy did I want one. In my early 20's I bought an inexpensive fashion jacket (ie in the style of a flying jacket, but not trying to be authentic). This was stolen by a tramp when I was moving house 20 years ago. I then treated myself to a G1 from a shop in Paris - nothing special, just a shop sellin all styles of leather jackets. Its also a fashion one as the maker is "Harry Layne", but I can't find out any other information - Its the one in my avatar pic.

Now that I have had th mid-life crisis and both the open top sports car, I feel its time to indulge into a Irvin - can't decide between Eastman and Cirrus.

Hi Biopro,

I've had the Cirrus Irvin-type & currently have an Eastman Battle of Britain Irvin. If you don't mind a civilian take on the Irvin (which is my view of the Cirrus) then the Cirrus is a good jacket (& you can have pockets). Personally I prefer Eastman Irvins for their historical accuracy & quality.

Biopro said:

Now that I have had th mid-life crisis and both the open top sports car, I feel its time to indulge into a Irvin - can't decide between Eastman and Cirrus.

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All depends what you want, really. Of those two, ELC's are by far the more historically accurate. Might also be worth looking at the new Aero options when they start filtering out - they've corrected their pattern, hopefully they'll look as good now as they will be well made. Higher-up, a little, pricewise is the Flyboys(?) or Aces High.... gah, can't recall the name. Andrew will know.... Really lovely jackets. Big money, but as close to a faultless repro as you'll ever see. If you want a quality sheepskin jacket in that general style and you're not worried about it being an exact copy of an original, Cirrus do produce what seem to be very nice quality jackets (Aviation LeatherCraft too - the only company licensed to use the actual Irvin name, though they're far from historically accurate in look). I'd probably suggest looking on the used market if you want a Cirrus or an Aviation Leathercraft. They do come up here and there, and because they're not as popular with those who want a very historically accurate jacket, they tend to go for a lot less on the used market.

Edward said:

All depends what you want, really. ... (Aviation LeatherCraft too - the only company licensed to use the actual Irvin name, though they're far from historically accurate in look).

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Absolutely.
My first jacket was an Aviation leathercraft - I bought it new in 1987 for a mere 245 quid! It was pre-internet research and I saw their ad in a Fly Past magazine and was taken in by the Irvin Air Chute trade mark and I thought it was how they should be - and I loved that jacket! It cost me an entire month's wage as a mere 2nd-year apprentice. I wore that thing for 18 years and, with lots of TLC, it was still going strong and looked great - until it started to get too tight on my chest and I decided to retire it - and I discovered ELC - and only then just how inaccurate my Aviation Leathercraft jacket actually was ...!
Now I wish I'd looked at ELC or Aero back then ... and I love my ELC Irvin. I think I would have gone ELC back then - as I would again today.

And getting back to why I love the bomber jackets ...
As I'm sure it is for so many others here, it's simply because of what I saw on the telly in the 1970s - films like The Battle of Britain, 633 Squadron, Mosquito Squadron and The Great Escape et al - and made for TV stuff like Sole Survivor and even Sapphire and Steel (the wartime ghosts on the railway platform in Assignment 2- very scary!), where I realised I was mesmirised by the jackets as much as the actors and the drama. The characters looked sooo cool - and I so dearly wanted to look as cool as them. And of course, this was the 1970s and very early 80s - when clothes for kids were crap but I thought adults looked cool - not like today where the kids all just wear mini-versions of what adults wear. I aspired to dress like a grown up - and the flying jackets just looked masculine and cool and spoke to me of service, honour, sacrifice, bravery, cameraderie and duty - like the wartime heroes I admired.
What's not to love?
And today I feel lucky to have one of each of the jackets that I loved back then - an ELC Irvin, an ELC Luftwaffe, an ELC RW B-3 and RW B-6 and an Aero ANJ-3 (having had an ELC A2) and those feelings still remain when I wear them ... to me they all feel like old time armour for a crazy, fickle modern world.