Cooper A-2 question

[Flightengineer]

 

[Pdxgeo]

WOW you found a talented seamstress, the fit looks great on you and the patch looks amazing! Nice job all around!

 

[Flightengineer]

Thanks !
This is patch AAF Flexible Gunnery School (Fort Myers, Buckingham Army Airfield 1942-45).
I am very pleased with their hard work

 

[Gamma68]

I'm reviving this thread, since today I've become the new owner of a Cooper A-2. I have a Golden Bear A-2 but the fit is too generous in the chest and sleeves for me.

This A-2 is a size 40 and made for the civilian market. It's in great condition with no scuffs or other marks on the goatskin, and there is only a hint of pilling on the inside of the waistband at the center. The lining is perfect. All snaps and the zipper work properly.

Initial impressions: the leather isn't quite as thick or as nice as the goatskin on my 1968 Martin Lane G-1, the Ideal zipper on this A-2 is rather small and less robust than expected, and my sleeves don't slip in as easily through the cotton/poly lining than they do on whatever the lining is on my Martin Lane. However, I consider these minor quibbles in light of the era in which it was made (1990s?), condition and price (just under $110 + shipping on eBay).

I think the fit is pretty good. Maybe a bit wide at the shoulders and just slightly long in the sleeves.

What are your opinions on the fit and purchase?

 

[Flightengineer]

Hi Gamma68,
Nice jacket!
Fits well, a little broadly in the shoulders as it seems to me. At my Cooper 40L shoulders reduced and very satisfied.

 

[Atticus Finch]

I've owned two civilian Coopers and several of the Saddlery A-2s that were the jackets Cooper made for the USAF. I think you are correct as to the age of your jacket. And for my money, I don't think that you could have gotten a better fit...even with a custom made A-2. Very well done!

AF

 

[Peter 1956]

Nice jacket I too have both the Saddlery and the orange label versions both in 40R. Perfect fit. I am normally a 38 and these do run small. Yep you got a good deal there !


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[Peter Mackin]

I think they look great ...best value for a daily wearer A2 out there...iv love mine a size 44....iv got a great condition 42 looking for a new owner..going cheap..

 

[Deacon211]

I think the fit is perfect. You don't want it to fit like a shirt and there is just enough generosity in the fit to look "war time relaxed" and not like a bag of cats.

Looks good on you!

 

[Gamma68]

Thanks, fellas, for all the nice comments. Deacon211, I had a good laugh after reading the "bag of cats" reference.

I'm trying not to be too picky, but I still have concerns about shoulder fit. I took more photos outside today in better lighting conditions and in different poses to provide a better look. Worn with a medium-weight long-sleeve shirt:

The upper sleeves do not rest against my upper arms below the shoulders. The shoulder seams extend beyond my shoulders by maybe 1". The shoulder epaulettes do not lie flat.

I had thought that a flight jacket is supposed to fit closely, like a sweater. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Without knowing the history of this jacket, it occurs to me that it could have hung in a closet on an improper hanger for years. It appears to have hardly been worn.

Then again, when A2s and other flight jackets were originally issued to military personnel, how much concern was placed on shoulder fit? How much "inexactness" was allowed?

I tried to gain some perspective by finding historical shots of military personnel wearing A2s, focusing on shoulder fit:

^ General Douglas MacArthur

^ Unidentified person, although the jacket is said to be made by Star Sportswear

^ Major Joe Antrim

It seems to me that my Cooper has a similar shoulder fit to Major Antrim's above.

So, should I remain concerned about fit? Or am I being paranoid? LOL

 

[Seb Lucas]

That's a GREAT fit. Even Steve McQueen's shoulders are over a little in the famous Great Escape jacket. Yours fits so well it actually makes the Cooper look good. There a A2's posted here that cost crazy money that don't fit as well. Job done.

 

[Gamma68]

That's a GREAT fit. Even Steve McQueen's shoulders are over a little in the famous Great Escape jacket. Yours fits so well it actually makes the Cooper look good. There a A2's posted here that cost crazy money that don't fit as well. Job done.

LOL, thanks Seb. That's quite an endorsement, so I'll cease with the hyper-analysis. I'm enjoying this jacket quite a lot, and it's only been with me a little over 24 hours.

 

[Deacon211]

Agreed! You don't want it tight and don't forget it will start to conform to you over time.




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[Atticus Finch]

I agree with Deacon. Wear that jacket all day...every day...for a month. Maybe two. Not only will it come to fit you perfectly, it'll also start to have "the look".

AF

 

[morrison2951]

Nicely done! I love my orange label goat Cooper A-2.

 

[El Marro]

Gamma68,
The jacket fits great and the shoulders look just fine. I've found that you need a little bit more room in an A-2 so that you can actually move around while wearing it.
Congratulations on a good score!

 

[Gamma68]

Thanks for all the kind comments, fellas.

Here's what it looks like after continuous wear for the past 10 days (following the advice of Atticus Finch). The grain is only just starting to pop.

 

[Big J]

Gamma68,

That's a great fit for an off-the-peg jacket! I'm impressed. Fits just as well as my order made A-2s.
You said the jackets a size 40, but what's your measured chest size?

 

[Gamma68]

Gamma68,

That's a great fit for an off-the-peg jacket! I'm impressed. Fits just as well as my order made A-2s.
You said the jackets a size 40, but what's your measured chest size?

Thanks, Big J. My measured chest size is 40". My Cooper measures 22.25" pit-to-pit, zipped and lying flat.

I consider myself pretty lucky that my initial flight jacket purchases have worked out so well. My first purchase, a 1968 Martin Lane G-1, fits beautifully. I guess my 5-9, 154 lb frame is suited to the A-2/G-1 styles. Or maybe it's beginner's luck!

 

[DrMacabre]

Hello,

Would you recommand a cooper rather than a gibson and barnes ? Can't decide myself.

Thanks