What exactly defines an aviator jacket

[Rgcards]

Stupid question, but I see certain cross zips defined as aviator jackets and other as motorcycle. Other than the belt what characteristics differentiate these styles?

 

[Marc mndt]

Stupid question, but I see certain cross zips defined as aviator jackets and other as motorcycle. Other than the belt what characteristics differentiate these styles?

Collar / lapel snaps, sleeve gussets.

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

To me, it just looks more like a stripped down/muted version of a cross-zip M/C jacket:
No epaulets, no zips on sleeve ends, no visible snaps on collar/lapels, inclusion of handwarmers

 

[Marc mndt]

No epaulets

Some Aviators do have epaulets.

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

Some Aviators do have epaulets.

View attachment 662154

That's right, I didn't mean for it to be a checklist.
It sort of has to be taken as a whole.

For instance, the Trojan and Star Glove below don't have exterior facing collar/lapel snaps, but it's clearly meant to be a M/C jacket.

EDIT: On a side note, they don't have epaulets either. Maybe they're just not a good criteria lol

 

[Canuck Panda]

for me the safer word is xzip.

 

[Herrvallmo]

Nothing to add really, but here is Y'2s aviator style D-pocket jacket that I own

Question for you guys that seems to be like a leather jacket wikipedia haha, what model is this jacket a repro of, if any?
I know that Block Bilt did a very similar model but without the double back gussets, but did any maker do this exakt model

Cheers!

 

[tmitchell59]

This is an Aviator jacket we know to this day...This is the first documented use of the Aviator jacket in popular fashion. This is from the 1939 Sear Roebuck catalog.

In short; the Aviator is a Fashion style, the motorcycle is not. They both use the off set zipper, but differ from there in many ways.

!939 Sears Catalog

 

[navetsea]

I bet aviator won't have kidney panel, and probably has more halfbelt design back, the hemline probably has more front drop compared to MC jacket, and the belt and side lacing is probably more on MC.

 

[Marc mndt]

what model is this jacket a repro of, if any?

Ralphs-Pugh?

Photo credits @jeo

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Some Aviators do have epaulets.

View attachment 662154

That's a nice jacket

Not to self promote, but coincidentally I'm releasing a YouTube video soon on this exact subject. I'll post it here when it's out if I remember.

To me, it's about design intention. Was it meant to be worn on a motorycle or is it meant to be a casual/work jacket that supposedly is inspired by early aviator jackets?

In general, motorycle jackets will often have snap passants (what people usually call epaulets), zip sleeve closures, belt loops or a sewn in belt at the bottom, snaps on the collar to keep it down, and the pockets usually snap close or zip close. They rarely if ever stay open.

Aviator jackets tend to have no snaps on the collar, no passages, no belt or belt loops, button, strap, or plain cuffs (no zippers), a half belt design at the back, and usually has some front pockets that do not zip close, even if they often have some pockets that snap or zip close.

As @Marc mndt pointed out, my Sears Topline does have passants, but theyre not snap down. They're sewn in fully and in the ad for the jacket, it specifically talks about them being aviator inspired. In fact, it also has zipper sleeve closures, but it has many other traits that make it clear that it's an aviator jacket. It has a half belt with a fancy back, side cinches, open handwarmer pockets, and a pretty long front length. I don't think most people who are into leather jackets would confuse it for a motorycle jackets.

 

[TartuWolf]

@dudewuttheheck Bravo, fantastic summary, case closed. Love my Hooch Hauler, wearing it now.

 

[Herrvallmo]

Ralphs-Pugh?

View attachment 662235 View attachment 662236
Photo credits @jeo

That's it! Y2's version being longer but looks like the same model otherwise

Thanks for that Marc, you are a star

Cheers!

 

[dudewuttheheck]

@dudewuttheheck Bravo, fantastic summary, case closed. Love my Hooch Hauler, wearing it now.
View attachment 662261

Thank you! The Hooch Hauler is a great example of a civilian aviator. My favorite Aero model in fact.

 

[tmitchell59]

Aviator style

 

[tmitchell59]

 

[tmitchell59]

 

[TartuWolf]

Related question:
From the currently available options - what would be your top 5 or top 3 aviator jackets? I've seen a lot of them from JP makers.

 

[Canuck Panda]

I went to bed with this question on my mind, and I came up with a few different points.

Pre war years the motorbikes weren’t very fast by today’s standards. Post war motorbikes are obviously more updated but more importantly, the roads also gotten a lot better.

The coolest jackets I see around here are both motorcycle jackets and aviator jackets imo, for example the Peters and the Trojan. I could also say that they’re motorcycle jackets with some aviator design cues.

When the word motorcycle jacket comes to my mind it usually rhymes with the Brando style jacket, or more people known them as Perfectos but they’re not that’s a totally different discussion so let’s just call it Brando jacket. Yet the very movie that made it popular also had riders in shearling flight jackets and another iconic one, the Hercules cossack jacket.

Does chopping off the sewn in belts make a Brando jacket into an aviator jacket? To me that’s a no. For me a Brando styled jacket can only be considered a motorcycle style jacket through belt or not. This is strange logic but that’s how my mind is wired. Yet I would also consider a lot of aviator jackets with through belt a motorcycle jacket.

And then there’s the super niche jackets like the ones from LASC I don’t even know how to categorize those. I actually have a pictorial system I use to keep track of my jackets, and I gave up on sub categorizing them long ago. Even I only got the three category of xzip, straight zip and military, I still find myself messing with the orders within each when I open the file up. Most jackets are easy to categorize but the special ones are special.

 

[Rgcards]

Related question:
From the currently available options - what would be your top 5 or top 3 aviator jackets? I've seen a lot of them from JP makers.

I like this orgueil