I will say my Himel/Chapman "Californian" Ventura is as useful as any jacket I own. It can be dressed up or down to accomodate almost any occasion I might encounter. I wear my Ventura far more often than I do my G&B Model 43 A-2 jacket. If I were faced with a choice between a GW A-2 repro and a Californian Ventura repro, I would have no hesitation going with the latter. I even like the way the Ventura flares at the bottom to accomodate my IPhone that I wear on my belt.
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