How do I get my A2 to look broken in and worn?

[Micawber]

Just wear the thing don't baby it, wear it doing hard graft, wear it gardening, wear it in the rain and in the sun, get it mucky, wash it off, don't worry about scratching and scraping it, don't worry if the dog jumps up, just wear the bloody thing.

Less posing, more working ...and I don't mean driving a keyboard, pushing a pen or doing the lounge lizard or hotel bar routine

 

[B-Man2]

Well said....!
I think the issue of breaking in a jacket and getting that 100 mission look is easy however, the problem is, that we collect jackets and we often have a couple of them that we like to wear. The guys who were the real deal and whose jackets we are trying to duplicate had one jacket that they wore daily for a few years doing everything in it. So basically, we have too many jackets to ever break one in to our liking.
Wow..... did I just say that

 

[Cocker]

Cannot agree more! There's nothing more rewarding than looking at your beat up jacket, and saying to yourself that it's all been done while you were wearing it, working in it, tossing it around, sleeping on it, whatever! I'm yet to see any "pre-aged" jacket that looks good.

 

[B-Man2]

Just wanted to share a quick photo with you guys of the only A2 repro I own that has developed that 100 missions look. It’s a GW Rough Wear..

 

[Edward]

Just wanted to share a quick photo with you guys of the only A2 repro I own that has developed that 100 missions look. It’s a GW Rough Wear..View attachment 36378View attachment 36379

If ever a jacket could be described as delicious!

 

[Smithy]

Well said Steve, I agree a 100%. I've bleated on a lot about it but it's so true, the best way to get a jacket to look like those we all lust over in the photos from the war is to wear the shit out of it and do everything and anything in it.

All this lying jackets on the floor carefully crap and being scared to hang it over the back of a chair or to eat something in it, let alone do something physical in it is just damn ridiculous.

As I mentioned in the what jacket thread, I carried dirty car tyres and built the kids' trampoline yesterday wearing one of mine. Guess what? Surprise, surprise, it didn't fall apart and looks better for it!

 

[B-Man2]

Well said Steve, I agree a 100%. I've bleated on a lot about it but it's so true, the best way to get a jacket to look like those we all lust over in the photos from the war is to wear the shit out of it and do everything and anything in it.

All this lying jackets on the floor carefully crap and being scared to hang it over the back of a chair or to eat something in it, let alone do something physical in it is just damn ridiculous.

As I mentioned in the what jacket thread, I carried dirty car tyres and built the kids' trampoline yesterday wearing one of mine. Guess what? Surprise, surprise, it didn't fall apart and looks better for it!

Well said again Tim.
I’m bored sitting at home and going a bit bonkers ... let’s start a new thread ...... Show us your most beat up and worn leather jackets...... or have we done that one already?

 

[Silver Surfer]

here ya go. my gw aero 16160 that I had owned for a few years, then sold to Edward, then bought it back from him. all of the wear is from wearing. I had the knits redone, and added a 27th pursuit patch that Sean made for me some years ago. the shoulder patch is an original well Hawaiian home defense hq patch. my go to a-2.....so much so, that I may sell my gw first contract dubow, as it just doesn't get worn very much these days..

 

[B-Man2]

In your own words Vic .....
Dattsa Nice Boss!!

 

[Micawber]

here ya go. my gw aero 16160 that I had owned for a few years, then sold to Edward, then bought it back from him. all of the wear is from wearing. I had the knits redone, and added a 27th pursuit patch that Sean made for me some years ago. the shoulder patch is an original well Hawaiian home defense hq patch. my go to a-2.....so much so, that I may sell my gw first contract dubow, as it just doesn't get worn very much these days..

That's more like it

 

[Micawber]

Well said again Tim.
I’m bored sitting at home and going a bit bonkers ... let’s start a new thread ...... Show us your most beat up and worn leather jackets...... or have we done that one already?

Let's do it! Far to many pristine posing jackets on here of late ....nearly typed pouches

Replying out of order because, well hell yes, I can!

 

[B-Man2]

Let's do it! Far to many pristine posing jackets on here of late ....nearly typed pouches

Replying out of order because, well hell yes, I can!

Hell...… Why not........What else have we got going to break up the monotony.
I mean Im on the 5th watching of Catch 22...…..how many more movies and shows can we watch!!

 

[Micawber]

Hell...… Why not........What else have we got going to break up the monotony.
I mean Im on the 5th watching of Catch 22...…..how many more movies and shows can we watch!!

The last few nights I sat through the whole boxed set of The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings

My Precious!

 

[Silver Surfer]

want some ha ha , I mean, belly laughs, and good feel good ha ha? have a go at "my favorite year". the movie is a modern take on 30s-40s screw ball comedies set in the 1950s, with all kinds references to the Marx bros, Sid Caesar's show of shows, and god knows what else. otoole is a hoot, too.

 

[ausreenactor]

here ya go. my gw aero 16160 that I had owned for a few years, then sold to Edward, then bought it back from him. all of the wear is from wearing. I had the knits redone, and added a 27th pursuit patch that Sean made for me some years ago. the shoulder patch is an original well Hawaiian home defense hq patch. my go to a-2.....so much so, that I may sell my gw first contract dubow, as it just doesn't get worn very much these days..

Cracker!

 

[CBI]

the best way is to just wear it and don't baby it. will take a year or two of hard wear to get what you want

 

[bn1966]

Defo wear the sh*t out of it, you'll enjoy it all the more for it too....

 

[Smithy]

Defo wear the sh*t out of it, you'll enjoy it all the more for it too....

That's the thing that gets me. These guys who are terrified of anything happening to their jackets or who fret about the tiniest mark or crease must be nervous wrecks when they wear the things. That's actually terribly sad too. All the joy of wearing something like a leather flight jacket is developing patina, marks, scars, things that tell a story of how the jacket was used and the things you did in it. Worrying every minute about marks, scratches, creasing, hanging it on a coat hook/chair, sitting on it, getting a drop of booze or food on it, etc, etc, must be thoroughly unenjoyable.

This isn't a tuxedo or a morning suit, it's a bit of workwear which chaps went to war in. Wear it in the same spirit for which it was devised.

Once you stop worrying and just wear the damn thing, you'll not only end up with a better looking jacket but you'll be a happier and far less stressed out jacket wearer.

 

[Officer Dibley]

Agree with the philosophy, a well worn jacket looks cooler. Just factor in the cost of regular new knits and a re-lining (£350) when you mis-treat your £1,000+ jacket..... the lads back in the day probably thought they weren’t going to live long enough to have to get those things done bless ‘em and it was free for them if they did.
For me i’ll let it wear at the speed my life style permits- i’m not going to find & wrestle horses / roll around on concrete to get it dirty any more than a young gunner would have done back in the day. . Also my budget: “abusing” something expensive is a luxury i can’t afford.
It’s also ok to take our time to wear our jackets in and personally, i want mine to last longer than i do. So does my son
Whatever works for y’all

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

. Just factor in the cost of regular new knits and a re-lining (£350) when you mis-treat your £1,000+ jacket.....

Where on earth are you buying your A-2s?????????????????

Knits should last 20 years hard wear, my A-2 ,very badly treated and very regularly worn is still on it's original knits, one tiny hole caused by a blunt needle while they were originally being fitted ................that's it apart from discolouring/dirty marks