Flight or Bomber Jackets on a budget!

[flat-top]

Hey all! After spending ALL of my money on vintage clothes and accesories, I'm now interested in purchasing a WWII style jacket. What are the most authentic, but LEAST expensive repro jackets out there? flat-top

 

[STHill]

Flight Suits in California, without question. The're not cheap, but the other jackets out there that are cheaper just don't cut it.

 

[Doctor Strange]

No question, Flight Suits (aka Gibson & Barnes) make some beautiful repro jackets, but they're pricey - maybe not quite up in the Aero/Eastman/Lost Worlds/Real McCoy's range, but pretty substantial. However, it's definitely worth looking at the Flight Suits web site clearance page periodically, as one of their historical jackets in your size may turn up for a substantial savings.

However, I'd like to put in a good word for an outfit that gets very little respect in places like the Yahoo jacket forums (which I've been a member of for a couple of years) - US Authentic.

No, they're not quite in the premium repro league, but if you want to talk best-buy, I think their goatskin A-2 at $270 is about the best you're gonna do. It's much more accurate than anything else in that price range: cotton lining, wool knits, collar-stand construction, trim cut. I can't speak to the quality of their goatskin (mine is the horsehide model, which costs $100 more), but it's probably very good.

Anyway, after reseaching the lower end of the repro A-2 market for a few years (not all of us can drop $500 on a jacket so easily y'know!), I strongly suggest that you look at the US Authentic:

http://www.usauthentic.com/detail.aspx?ID=1

BTW, this is my first post. I've been lurking here for a while - and for a couple of years at Club Obi-Wan (yeah, I got a Wested jacket and a Federation!) - but this thread pushed me into joining... I've got nothing against Flight Suits (I have one of their modern "civil" A-2s and love it), but nobody ever says anything nice about US Authentic, and they make some good stuff. (For example, re the other thread on A-1 jackets, take a look at USA's tunic-front "Barnstormer" jacket.)

 

[MikeyB17]

IMHO, another 'budget' jacket that's well worth a look is Aero's Indian goatskin A-2. It has Aero's trim WWII style cut and reasonable detailing, and it's not too pricey at £175 ( about $314), and I believe they're still offering free shipping to the US due to the differing exchange rate at present. Goatskin is extremely hard wearing (possibly more so than horsehide), and I've heard nothing but good things about this jacket. And of course Aero are excellent to deal with.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Yeah, those Aeros made in India are definitely a good bet too. I hadn't heard that Aero was offering free shipping to the US. That's cool (though I guess you still have to pay an import duty, right?)

I still say that the US Authentic goatskin is the only under-$300 offering that fits the bill. Of course, as the George Harrison lyric goes, "It's all up to what you value, down to where you are"! What's "a good enough repro" for one guy simply won't be for another.

For example, a couple of years ago I got one of those $199 Bradley Associates A-2s as a gift for my Dad. He was actually in the Army Air Corps during the war, though not as a flyer - he was a ground support mechanic, then later on, a photographer. When I had told him that I was getting interested in flight jackets, he got all misty, saying, "Gee, I always envied those beautiful leather jackets my flyboy buddies had!" Well, he was overdue for an 80th birthday present anyway...

Once he got it on and looked at himself, he pronounced the Bradley to be "exactly" like the jackets he recalled. He didn't care that it was cowhide instead of horse or goat, that the lining and knits were synthetic, that the pockets and collar were too big, the zipper was all wrong, etc... An actual WWII veteran, and he was thrilled with it!

Goes to show, you don't ever know!

 

[STHill]

Hey Doc, you've got a point about U.S. Authentic. They're not bad, especially considering the price. I ordered one 4 or 5 years ago. It fit really squirrelly on me, but that's probably a "me" problem rather than a "them" problem. I do recall that they seemed to be well made and reasonably authentic--much more so than anything else in that price range. The company was really easy to deal with. I sent mine back because of the fit problem, and had no problems at all.

Mikey also has a good point. I haven't seen an example of Aero's Indian Goat, but I have one of their regular A-2's and it's wonderful. Having had several pleasurable dealings with Ken and Mark (Aero's U.S. agent), I would expect it to be a great value, especially at that price.

So I'll amend my statement about Flight Suits. They are a great value, but not the only one out there. One really nice thing about Flight Suits and U.S. Authentic, they are both in the U.S., which makes exchanges much easier than the international companies. That is a big deal with A-2s, because it is just about impossible to find the right fit without trying on a few.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Yeah, every jacket maker's sizing is different, and that makes things more interesting!

In my case, gut-girth is always the deciding factor. I'm only 5'8", but 210 lbs. I'm usually a size 46, but it's because of my 42 waist, not my height, arm length, or shoulder/chest size.

My Flight Suits A-2 (the one I'm wearing in my avatar pic, BTW) is a 46, and it fits just right at the waist - but the chest/shoulder/arms are made for a Schwartzeneggarian physique that I simply don't possess! It's definitely a bit oversized, not the desired authentic trim cut. And it's borderline short, the bottom of the knit barely an inch below my beltline.

OTOH, my US Authentic A-2 is only a 44, and it fits me nearly perfectly - though the arms are still a little long, and, even odder, the body length is almost 2" more than the "larger" Flight Suits. (Luckily, I live nearby, so I actually went and tried a couple on. I was *lost* in their 46.)

And, for the record, my Dad's Bradley Associates A-2 is also a 44... but I can't even zip it!

So yeah, correct sizing is definitely a struggle...

 

[MikeyB17]

Uh-oh, slight mistake on my part-should've checked-Aero are actually offering free shipping to the US on orders over £200(about $359), so order a patch (they do one with patch already on if you) or a pair of gloves or a t-shirt or something. Still not bad !

 

[flat-top]

Thanks for all that info guys!! I'm checkin' em' out as we speak! flat-top

 

[PADDY]

One other thing Flat Top, re: Aero site...

Look at the SALE ITEMS and USED AERO too, as you can pick up a decent jacket that either has been returned due to it being the wrong size (so Aero have a policy of not reselling it at full price), or a test item, or ones that have been traded in against a new jacket! all saving you money in your pocket.

Lost Worlds also have a 'sales page,' as do Eastmans, but personally I'd go with the Aero site to look at.

And LET US KNOW what you go for in the end!!