The bomber leather jackets popular types based on style is timeless and are associated with design, rebellion, and practicality. Its path involved politics, pop culture, and history. It provides a fascinating look at how clothing can serve purposes beyond what it was designed for. Bomber and flight jackets were initially designed as highly effective workwear for military personnel, just like many other iconic male fashion items. However, what makes bomber outerwear unique from one another? What are the bomber jacket’s popular types based on style? Let’s explore this blog to know more about it.

What is a Bomber Jacket?

The most typical kind of jacket that is equally well-known everywhere, regardless of culture, language, or geography, is the bomber jacket. A bomber jacket’s stylistic features typically include a cropped length, slack shoulders and arms, as well as ribbed waistbands, collars, and cuffed sleeves.

Flight Jackets

The men’s bomber jacket, also known as a flight jacket, has its roots in World War II. It was designed to warm American pilots during combat because some aircraft had open cockpits. Over time, bomber leather jackets continued to gain popularity. Regarding the latest leather trends, a men’s bomber leather jacket portrays style, sophistication, and an aura. Also, it offers the ideal comfort level to ward off the chill.

How Bomber Jacket was Introduced?

Most people consider that the bomber jacket’s history started during World War I, despite controversies about its exact origins. As aircraft reached higher altitudes and aviation technology advanced, pilots had to deal with extreme temperatures. Therefore, the bomber jacket was made in response to their demand for something warm that wouldn’t limit their height.

Flight Jacket or Bomber Jacket’s History

The bomber jacket evolved into what it is today during World War II. The US Army first introduced the A-2 flying jacket with a waistline and tight cuffs. In addition, it was trendy but practical, and it came to portray the brave American pilot. The Bomber Command jacket was the name given to the British version as well. It was made for British RAF crew personnel and was better padded to withstand the chilly climate of Northern Europe. The B-15 and MA-1 jackets had leather replaced with premium nylon, which was lighter and better suited for wet weather. Similarly, the MA-1, with its bright orange lining, became especially recognizable. Therefore, the orange layer was reversible for emergency use, allowing a downed pilot to turn it inside out and signal for help.

1980s -1990s Pop Culture and Bomber Jacket Era

When the bomber jacket made the move from military to civilian wear in the 20th century, Hollywood was a major factor in its popularization. From Tom Cruise’s iconic role in Top Gun to Steve McQueen’s effortlessly cool demeanor in The Hunter, the bo­­­mber jacket came to represent a rebellious edge. By the 90s, the jacket was no longer just for rebels. Hip-hop culture embraced it, making it a part of its style language.

Above all, brands began crafting with numerous styles, colors, and materials, assuring the bomber’s place in fashion. By the 90s, the jacket was no longer just for rebels. Hip-hop culture embraced it, making it a part of its style language. Brands began crafting with numerous styles, colors, and materials, assuring the bomber’s place in fashion.

Bomber Jackets Popular Types Based on Style: Before and Now

Different styles of flight or bomber jackets would be created during the ensuing years. American aviator and businessman Leslie Irvin designed the first sheepskin flight jacket made for the severe weather encountered at high altitudes in response to the evolving needs of pilots. In the US, “A” model jackets were lined with silk, cotton, or wool, and “B” type jackets were usually made of sheepskin. Here are popular types based on the style that make a statement and still have an impact on the latest fashion.

The A-1 Flight Jackets

As aviation technology advanced between the two World Wars, so did flight jacket design. Many designs were fashioned from goats, sheep, and occasionally even horses. The A-1 was the world’s first flight jacket created between 1927 and 1931.  There was no standard for leather type.  New styles emerged, such as knitted wool cuffs and a waistline, which would later become a regular feature on flight jackets. However, not all of the material was composed of leather. Because the waist and sleeves were knit, the jacket fit snugly. Therefore, it provided insulation from cold air and gave the jacket a particularly attractive fit, sitting high on the waist.

Jimmy Doolittle and other gliding celebrities of that era modeled it. The pilots were kept warm by this concentrated heat nearer to their bodies. The A-1 also set the example for the modern bomber jacket, which features a knitted collar, cuffs, and waistband (though the 1927 A-1 had a button-up closure). It also included two flapped cargo pockets, a thick cotton inside, horn buttons, and an exterior made of capeskin, a type of sheepskin. Ultimately, the military gave up on capeskin because it was too thin to fulfill the practical purpose for which it was designed.

The A-2 Flight Jackets

The US Army Air Forces was launched the Type A-2 flight jacket in 1931 to replace the A-1 flight jacket. Up to 1943, it was made by many US businesses, using various materials and design changes. Some of WWII’s most well-known military organizations, such as the Flying Tigers, an American volunteer group that took to the skies in 1941 to defend China, wore the A-2 jacket, which was the direct sequel to the A-1. After WWII, the Air Corps adopted it as its official uniform, and the Air Force was born. In 1945, people noticed their jackets when the soldiers returned home. Leather bomber jackets became popular among civilians, and this flight jacket gained recognition.

During WWII, type A-2 were made of cotton and goat leather. The Type A-2 was lined with silk and horsehide leather. It was far more resilient than Capeskin. The robust snaps and strengthened pockets remained in place for use in open cockpits. The somewhat narrow, functional design of the A-2 collar was perfect for small cockpits, and it could be fully closed to shield the wearer from the wind. However, this jacket created history in many ways. As the 1950s drew near, men’s bomber jackets gained even more fame because of the brand new fashion, the greaser look.

In our shop, you may even customize your A-2 jacket.

Model B-3 Flight Jacket

During the early 1930s, Leslie Irvin designed the model B-3. Therefore, sheepskin flight jackets served as an inspiration for the American military. The heavy type B-3 flight jacket had a broad sheepskin collar. It could be securely fastened around the neck using two leather straps. Like A-type siblings, this flight jacket underwent a lot of changes in the 1930s and 1940s.

Pilots required a lot more insulation at higher altitudes of 25,000 and up. Therefore, B-3 was a bulky coat in the mid-1930s. It was made of sheepskin and lined with heavy-duty sheep fur. Moreover, it had a straight waist instead of a knit waistband. It was featured on the G-1 and previous flight jackets.

Model B-6 Flight Jackets

In 1943, the B-6 replaced the B-3. B6 maintained much of the warmth offered by the bulky B-3 but with a more wearable cut. (Cockpit temperatures were rising. So, the B-6 had to sacrifice some insulation for a more streamlined appearance.) With plane cockpits now closed, there was a need for a less weight sheepskin flight jacket. This led to the investment in the streamlined model B-6 jacket. B-6 flight jacket had an angled slash pocket, a single leather throat latch, and a slimmer cut.

Model B-10 Flight Jackets

The model B-10 first appeared by the military in 1943 to replace the A-2 and B-6 jackets. It was designed to be lighter, less bulky, and more versatile than the previous models. Although it was only helpful in temperatures between 25 and 55 degrees, fighter pilots quickly came to love it. In fact, the B-10 was so famous that many non-flying generals chose to wear it even though it wasn’t part of their uniform.

The MA-1 and MA-2 Model

The type B-15 swiftly replaced the B-10 in late 1944. This jacket was short-lived, as the Jet Age was starting about 1950, and soon afterwards, the military switched models to the lightweight cloth MA-1 and MA-2 variants. These jackets usually had knitted cuffs and a waistline. They were colored dark blue or sage green and had a bright orange lining inside. Whereas the MA-1 had a knitted collar, the MA-2 had a fold-down collar. In terms of modern fashion, the MA-2’s appearance is similar to what most people consider to be a “bomber” jacket.

The MA-1 debuted in 1949 and is the most replicated bomber jacket style. A knit collar replaced the fur collar, which was no longer needed for warmth. It was more suitable for use with parachute harnesses. Nylon was the exterior material offered by the original MA-1. Since it was affordable and easily cleaned. Throughout the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the exterior was also constructed in colours other than the Air Force’s regular issue of dark blue, especially in camouflage green. The interior was lined in bright orange, which could be reversed and exposed to help rescue visibility in a plane crash.

G-1 Flight Jackets

In the 1930s, the Army and Navy adopted the G-1, sometimes called the Top Gun Jacket. In 1943, the G-1 top gun jacket was made mandatory for Air Corps pilots. Unlike the A-2 variant, The G-1 lacked the wind flap while having a zip closing. The mouton fur collar and the bi-swing back are its most visible features. These days, several versions of a G-1 flight jacket, with or without a fur collar, are referred to by the informal title “model G-1.” Beginning during World War II, the jacket found widespread use in the years that followed in various variants.

Hooded Bomber Jackets

A leather bomber jacket with a built-in hood adds practicality to the traditional bomber jacket design. Because the hood offers additional weather protection, it is appropriate for erratic weather situations. Hooded bomber jackets combine fashion and functionality with materials such as leather, fabric, and textiles.

Bomber Jackets for Varsity

Men’s varsity bomber jackets combine the classic features of college outwear with the stylish design of a bomber jacket. They frequently use a mix of materials, like a wool or cotton body and leather sleeves. For a young and sporty style, varsity bomber jackets usually have striped patterning, a ribbed hem, and cuffs.