Family recommendations

[zoomer]

My relatives think any flight-type jacket that's a) in a catalog and b) with a sufficiently inflated price is much handsomer than anything I own, wear, or picked out myself.

One just sent me this page, saying "why don't you get a jacket like this?"

Thing is, I've got two.

They're just not shown in styled photos, worn by lean scruffy dudes. They're not this year's colors. They look like gear. They're also used. Didn't cost enough. Not "classy." So to the fam, they're an affectation...
*(grumble)*

 

[tibor]

Why, that’s just lovely. What the heck’s wrong with you? Now get to the gym, get lean and scruffy and stop being such a pain.

 

[zoomer]

One of my jackets, the ANJ-4, is even sueded! It happened when the previous owner (a horseman) put tack oil on the sheepskin, which ate off the finish.

 

[tibor]

There, see... exactly the point. They’re fine for raking out stalls, but for God’s sake man, show a little decency.

 

[MikeyB-17]

There you go-I know it’s hard for us to get our heads around, but the rest of the World doesn’t necessarily see flight jackets the way we do. I forget the details, but back along somebody was selling an Aces High Irvin or similar because they wanted one from Aviation Leathercraft. To normal people, the fact that the Aces High is one of the most accurate repros around doth butter no parsnips-it’s got no pockets, and when you’re out in your Morgan or whatever, that’s a practical consideration. We wouldn’t touch that thing Zoomer posted with a barge pole, but a lot of folks would have that over a Goodwear any day of the week. Each to his own.

 

[B-Man2]

Mikey
I think about your words of wisdom every time I find myself dumping a load of cash into one of these high end repros. We are a different kind of crowd aren’t we?

 

[zoomer]

We wouldn’t touch that thing Zoomer posted with a barge pole, but a lot of folks would have that over a Goodwear any day of the week.

"Goodyear makes jackets? Great, if you wanna look like a tire salesman. HAW HAW!"

 

[Thomas Koehle]

Man that jacket looks so shitty ...

 

[Stony]

If I tried to put on a jacket like the one in the ad, my body would automatically reject it.

 

[CBI]

My family dislikes all my leather jackets - been that way since day one!

 

[ties70]

I might be the lucky one:

My wife tolerates all my flight or military inspired jackets, knows which jacket is meant when I say A-2, B-3 or G-1 ("B-3? That's the sheep, right?"), and only gives me the look when I combine jackets and ... olive HBT pants, for example.

Our 7 year old wears a navy blue MA-1-ish jacket.

And my Dad wore an M-422a from Orvis (see below, shortly after being outfitted with his first "robot leg" after blowing off his own...) and a painted Cockpit A-2 for a while ("Pawhuska Princess"), wants to replace it with a proper A-1, soon.

Not so sure why flight jackets / military jackets / uniforms have this fascination....maybe "to fight" is in our genes, maybe it's a hidden wish to be "like all the others", belonging to something...maybe it's just a fashion statement...

In my family, we have chosen to wear uniforms for generations, sometimes for a "shady" cause, sometimes drafted, sometimes voluntarily:

Yours truly, in a lightweight version, back in 1990.

My Dad, in 1970.

Grandpa Hans.

Grandpa Karl.

To be honest:
The last two had definitely lost their taste for uniforms after 1945.

No propaganda intended here!

Best regards,

Ties

 

[Smithy]

Not so sure why flight jackets / military jackets / uniforms have this fascination....maybe "to fight" is in our genes, maybe it's a hidden wish to be "like all the others", belonging to something...maybe it's just a fashion statement...

There's probably a bit of all of that for a lot of us here.

My like of flying jackets comes first and foremost from my interest in WWI and WWII aviation history, and that's probably been subconsciously strengthened by having family members flying in those conflicts, and also with my own father being in the air force. Plus they don't look bad which doesn't hurt.

My wife is pretty long suffering but does happen to hate jackets with knits. She also says "you don't need anymore jackets" which is ominous but probably very true.

 

[Cocker]

There's probably a bit of all of that for a lot of us here.

Same here! Always been fascinated by WW2/Korea/Vietnam, and my dad is a huge aviation fan. He built loads of model kits and had tons of books that I used to read while I was a kid. As far as I can remember, I've always loving military aviation. Then, after the planes, the next step was to have a look at the gear those guys were wearing, especially those badass leather jackets. And voilà, the bug was there!

@ties70 you're indeed one of the lucky ones! My wife doesn't like my A-2 or B-10, at all. It's too "old" for her liking. But she admited multiple times that the style does suit me, which is already good!

 

[Brettafett]

Great jackets Ties... As above, can't afford an aircraft, so... next best thing. Jackets.
For me, the flight jacket represents the spirit of adventure and courage in all of us... the ultimate symbol of a swashbuckling aviator. Both student and master of the winds and skies, tied down to no man