The Perfect Jacket for Your Age... not those hipster prats...

[ausreenactor]

The PERFECT Leather Jacket For Your Age:

 

[Harris_HTM]

well, it is a free society / free marker. Anybody can claim they are experts...

 

[Bremspropeller]

"All leather jackets are casual". Yeah, no.

The A-2 and G-1 actually look very good with a shirt (and even with a tie). So does the Hartmann.
Now if you think that wearing a suit (which used to be "casual" wear in the 19th century) makes you feel more like business, be my guest. Anybody asking me where I left my suit will be asked by me where they'd left their hat and their dress-cane.

To me, a well fitting "bomber" style (no circus-tent oversizing or lavashly large pockets/ collars) certainly looks business-like and makes you stand out from all the into-line-fallers.

 

[Flightengineer]

neverending story

 

[busdrivermike]

I can agree with some points
But overall the right jacket for your age made me think
Of a song lyric by Judas Priest :

Don't you remember what it's like to lose control
Put on my jacket - for you get too old
Let's rock n' roll

And John mellencamp :

"Growin' up leads to growin' old and then to dyin'
Ooo, and dyin' to me don't sound like all that much fun"

 

[B-Man2]

So ... let me understand this ...... the guy who’s wearing a green suede and a purple suede zip up jacket........ and asking for our fashion advice and opinion of them ....is giving us fashion advice..... ? Does anyone .... see anything wrong with this besides me ?

 

[FreddyF9]

"All leather jackets are casual". Yeah, no.

The A-2 and G-1 actually look very good with a shirt (and even with a tie). So does the Hartmann.
Now if you think that wearing a suit (which used to be "casual" wear in the 19th century) makes you feel more like business, be my guest. Anybody asking me where I left my suit will be asked by me where they'd left their hat and their dress-cane.

To me, a well fitting "bomber" style (no circus-tent oversizing or lavashly large pockets/ collars) certainly looks business-like and makes you stand out from all the into-line-fallers.

Totally agree, A-2 and G-1 were supposed to be worn over a shirt, if it was a military one. Still, they’ll look great along every modern dress shirt, some time ago I used to attend most of my business meeting wearing my best Oxford shirt, necktie and seal brown A-2 or G-1. Nobody has ever said that I was dressing inappropriately; just make sure you avoid weird color combinations, also wear matching leather belt and shoes.

 

[foster]

A lot more tolerable than the millennial couple that was saying older men should not wear leather at all.

 

[ausreenactor]

"All leather jackets are casual". Yeah, no.

The A-2 and G-1 actually look very good with a shirt (and even with a tie). So does the Hartmann.
Now if you think that wearing a suit (which used to be "casual" wear in the 19th century) makes you feel more like business, be my guest. Anybody asking me where I left my suit will be asked by me where they'd left their hat and their dress-cane.

To me, a well fitting "bomber" style (no circus-tent oversizing or lavashly large pockets/ collars) certainly looks business-like and makes you stand out from all the into-line-fallers.

Hartmann is a great jacket. Only jacket I ever got compliments on....

 

[3NMa]

I think the thing that makes the A-2 and the G-1 is the webbing in the bottom and the collar. The waist is more pronounced and the collar is widely recognized as a dressed up detail.

I think A-2 or G-1 with shirt and tie is a great style!!

 

[B-Man2]

“The webbing at the bottom ”?
For clarification, You’re talking about the knits right?

 

[Bobo_the_Sailor]

I don't think a leather jacket can ever be considered formal-I don't have a problem with that observation. Just because you can wear a tie with it doesn't make it formal-smart casual at best. The guys wearing A2 or G1 derived bomber jackets with a tie in the 50s would never wear one to an interview unless it was for a job at the docks and probably not even then! If it is just your outerwear to and from the office then that is another matter-it is certainly neater than a mountain warehouse ski jacket.

Also, don't take this as snarky but giving the perspective of someone who dabbles but isn't obsessed with leather jackets: it is easy for the niche subject enthusiast to find flaws in guides for the general normie public. But for the purposes of the average person, it's a good video in my opinion. It is important to understand the intended audience.

It's like criticizing a movie about WW2-'Oh, that particular model of T-34 wasn't in service at the time' well yeah, but it conveys the gist of the story to the general public.

 

[FreddyF9]

I don't think a leather jacket can ever be considered formal-I don't have a problem with that observation. Just because you can wear a tie with it doesn't make it formal-smart casual at best. The guys wearing A2 or G1 derived bomber jackets with a tie in the 50s would never wear one to an interview unless it was for a job at the docks and probably not even then! If it is just your outerwear to and from the office then that is another matter-it is certainly neater than a mountain warehouse ski jacket.

Also, don't take this as snarky but giving the perspective of someone who dabbles but isn't obsessed with leather jackets: it is easy for the niche subject enthusiast to find flaws in guides for the general normie public. But for the purposes of the average person, it's a good video in my opinion. It is important to understand the intended audience.

It's like criticizing a movie about WW2-'Oh, that particular model of T-34 wasn't in service at the time' well yeah, but it conveys the gist of the story to the general public.

You have a point. And surely in the fifties nobody would have worn a A-2 or whatever leather flight jacket for any formal occasions but remember that we are in 2021; even formal clothing has evolved and now garments that some decades ago were a no no for formal occasions are considered ok (under some circumstances). Surely, even nowadays, you shouldn’t show up to a wedding in your nice A-2

 

[B-Man2]

If I can offer an opinion, I’m with you guys in that an A2 or G-1 is not acceptable as anything other than casual wear . Sure you can dress it up with a shirt and tie, but you can do the same thing with jeans and a sport coat and call it business casual . It really isn’t a dress up jacket. Keep in mind that it was issued as a piece of flight gear / survival equipment. It wasn’t formal or semi formal attire then or now . However , it does look good with a lot of different clothing styles .

 

[FreddyF9]

I completely see your point @B-Man2 and I agree with you with what you said, maybe it sounded like I called “formal” leather flight jackets but I wasn’t. What I meant to say is that under some formal circumstances they are accepted, for me it mostly depends on what are other people going to wear. Let’s say that you are going to have a business reunion with people that you know for sure that will wear harrington jackets or stuff like that, your A-2 will be well accepted. If I’m going to super serious business meeting I’ll of course wear a suit. It’s all about the circumstances.

 

[Kermit3D]

I would think it would be really cool if my banker wore an A-2, but that's not going to happen...

 

[Bobo_the_Sailor]

Of course-in a 'smart casual' work environment where for examples chinos and polos are worn it is more than ok to wear a neat leather jacket-I think we can look at it this way: In the 50s leather jackets and jeans were right at the bottom of the formality scale, whereas now there are a bunch of technical hiking jackets and tracksuits worn for leisure that have taken that position and simply looking well put together is a sign of making an effort.

 

[Smithy]

If I can offer an opinion, I’m with you guys in that an A2 or G-1 is not acceptable as anything other than casual wear . Sure you can dress it up with a shirt and tie, but you can do the same thing with jeans and a sport coat and call it business casual . It really isn’t a dress up jacket. Keep in mind that it was issued as a piece of flight gear / survival equipment. It wasn’t formal or semi formal attire then or now . However , it does look good with a lot of different clothing styles .

Exactly Burt. By the same token you could wear an old Barbour which has been around the paddock more than a few times with a tie, some nice strides and a pair of bespoke brogues but they won't let you into the gentlemen's club wearing it.

I think people can forget what an A-2 or G-1 jacket is, it's a piece of operational flying kit.

 

[Bobo_the_Sailor]

I would add to the above that when some people save their leather jacket for a night out as opposed to wearing it to the supermarket, on a hike etc they are denying themselves the joy of thoroughly breaking it in and giving it unique character.

 

[Bremspropeller]

Surely, even nowadays, you shouldn’t show up to a wedding in your nice A-2

Funny, because I once did show up at a friend's wedding in a Hartmann and a bowtie. That certainly did turn some heads
But then again, I'm not artificially ageing my jackets and they're all still looking pretty neat and nice - certainly those I'd consider wearing as a part of a "smarter" outfit.
I wouldn't wear my pre-owned 50s and 60s G1s to a wedding...