Enigma1938
Well-Known Member
First of all I'm not too over-cautious neither I always babying my jackets.
I don't want to explain why I love flight jackets because I'm sure you all know what makes them so attractive to us. But when It comes to all day practicality of my flight jackets there are a few little "issues" I have with each model except two types (I'll explain later).
A2's are nice and good but there are some compulsions about it when I'm about to wear them. First one is the collar or better said the lining of the collar. I always have to wear collared shirts underneath because the lining in that area tends to get dirty / greasy pretty fast (even if you keep yourself clean of course) what leads to damage sooner or later. To clean the lining is not an easy task without rubbing it through with time no matter how careful you are. This issue is even bigger if your A2 has a collar stand. You cannot always wear just a T-shirt underneath.
Next are the knits, especially the cuffs. You all know it's better to grab the sleeve by the leather instead of the knitted cuff when you turn off your jacket because the knit will become weak and torn over time.
So even it's a relatively durable jacket you have to pay attention to a few things to increase the lifespan of the jacket.
I love my french cyclist jacket or Hartmann or Luftwaffe flight jacket, but I always have to wear high waisted pants with it because of the original short cut of this kind of jacket. Also layering under the jacket is pretty limited.
Cloth flight jackets like my B10s for example are relatively sensitive for dirt and stains what is not always easy to remove.
I wear my Shearling jackets like my B3 or my Luftwaffe channel jackets too seldom to add them here in the "issues" list. That's because of the relatively mild winters here. So I cannot say what problems they will bring up if they are going to be worn all day.
My Reichs defence jacket is nice and robust too but here again you have to take care for the collar. It’s velvet like nature tends to wear off fast if worn daily.
The only two flight jackets I own who are able to go through nearly everything are my G1 and my nylon L2A. They are robust, have durable collars and so are their rayon liners. Because of the wider sleeves they have the knit cuffs are not going to be stressed that much when turning on and off the jackets. The goat leather on the G1 is extremely robust and forgiving, the thick nylon shell of the L2A is also like that. When it comes to the shape or measurements of both jackets so the G1 is a little ahead of the L2A because it has a bit more length so you can wear it with all kinds of pants in everyday life.
So when it comes to durability and practicality the winner for me is the G1. I can wear it in all conditions and with all clothing styles whitout thinking about it that much and without worries I could damage something.
I'm curious to hear what are your thoughts and issues with flight jackets in everyday life or what type you prefer at all.
Thank you
I don't want to explain why I love flight jackets because I'm sure you all know what makes them so attractive to us. But when It comes to all day practicality of my flight jackets there are a few little "issues" I have with each model except two types (I'll explain later).
A2's are nice and good but there are some compulsions about it when I'm about to wear them. First one is the collar or better said the lining of the collar. I always have to wear collared shirts underneath because the lining in that area tends to get dirty / greasy pretty fast (even if you keep yourself clean of course) what leads to damage sooner or later. To clean the lining is not an easy task without rubbing it through with time no matter how careful you are. This issue is even bigger if your A2 has a collar stand. You cannot always wear just a T-shirt underneath.
Next are the knits, especially the cuffs. You all know it's better to grab the sleeve by the leather instead of the knitted cuff when you turn off your jacket because the knit will become weak and torn over time.
So even it's a relatively durable jacket you have to pay attention to a few things to increase the lifespan of the jacket.
I love my french cyclist jacket or Hartmann or Luftwaffe flight jacket, but I always have to wear high waisted pants with it because of the original short cut of this kind of jacket. Also layering under the jacket is pretty limited.
Cloth flight jackets like my B10s for example are relatively sensitive for dirt and stains what is not always easy to remove.
I wear my Shearling jackets like my B3 or my Luftwaffe channel jackets too seldom to add them here in the "issues" list. That's because of the relatively mild winters here. So I cannot say what problems they will bring up if they are going to be worn all day.
My Reichs defence jacket is nice and robust too but here again you have to take care for the collar. It’s velvet like nature tends to wear off fast if worn daily.
The only two flight jackets I own who are able to go through nearly everything are my G1 and my nylon L2A. They are robust, have durable collars and so are their rayon liners. Because of the wider sleeves they have the knit cuffs are not going to be stressed that much when turning on and off the jackets. The goat leather on the G1 is extremely robust and forgiving, the thick nylon shell of the L2A is also like that. When it comes to the shape or measurements of both jackets so the G1 is a little ahead of the L2A because it has a bit more length so you can wear it with all kinds of pants in everyday life.
So when it comes to durability and practicality the winner for me is the G1. I can wear it in all conditions and with all clothing styles whitout thinking about it that much and without worries I could damage something.
I'm curious to hear what are your thoughts and issues with flight jackets in everyday life or what type you prefer at all.
Thank you