STOP Wearing Bomber Jackets Wrong [0:00:00]
So, one of the biggest mistakes I see guys making when they're trying to style a bomber
jacket is they're wearing the wrong size.
The reality is that most guys are buying a size that's too large for them.
Now, having gone through the fitting process of getting a bomber jacket, I understand why.
When most guys are buying a winter jacket, they expect to layer with it, so they want
enough room underneath that they could wear a bulky sweater.
Unfortunately, this rule of thumb doesn't work when you're buying a bomber because of
the elastic on the arm and on the waist area.
You see, bomber jackets are an interesting mix of a loose fit in the body and then a
closer fit on the arms and on the waist.
And the reason goes back to its military history.
You see, the elastic around the waist and around the wrist was meant to be able to keep
the cold out and the warm in, while the excess room in the torso area was for the equipment
a pilot would often carry.
This could include a sidearm, breathing equipment, or maps, or important information the pilot
would need if he had to ditch the airplane quick.
In fact, when it came to layering, usually a pilot was wearing only his flight suit underneath.
So, how to get the perfect fit?
Pay attention to the shoulders.
Don't wear bulky clothing underneath and go ahead and simply put the jacket on and look
how it fits you in the shoulder points.
When you zip it up around the waist, it should be snug.
But in the chest, in the torso area, you should have some room.
Gents, this is key, fit is king.
You've got to get it right.
[Music] Now, a few clothing historians out there,
I know there is a difference between a bomber jacket and a flight jacket.
A bomber jacket is a variation of a flight jacket.
Flight jackets include everything from A1 jackets to A2 jackets, B3 jackets, B6 jackets
and even G1s.
But, in today's video, we're going to focus in on the A2 bomber jacket, that leather jacket
that has been a style icon for almost a hundred years.
Yes, gentlemen, this jacket was designed in the 1930s for the Army Air Corps.
And they wanted the jacket that pilots could fly at higher altitudes at.
The current A1 jacket just wasn't good enough, wasn't meeting the standards they need and
so, the A2 jacket was created.
And that takes me to the next mistake that guys make when it comes to styling a bomber
jacket is they don't even have one in their wardrobe.
They think, you know, that's a fad that's a fashion flash on the pan.
Guys, almost a hundred years, this jacket has been around.
Yes, it has its ups and downs.
But if you invest in a good bomber jacket, one that, again, fits you, looks good, is
classic in design, you can bet this thing is still going to be fashionable 50 years
from now.
Now, if you're in the market for a bomber jacket, a lot of options out there and some
of them can cost you thousands of dollars, especially if you're looking old school vintage.
You also want to be careful about the style, you're going to find some bomber jackets out
there that look good in pictures, but when you get them in your hands, no, they're just
poor quality.
They just are not what you expected.
So, where to find an affordable bomber jacket that looks good and is styled classically?
Guys, check out today's sponsor, Thursday Boots.
Now, gents, for years, I've been talking about Thursday Boots.
I wear their boots.
I love their boots.
But, maybe you don't know, they they've got a whole line of jackets.
Now, this bomber jacket you can see right there I had sent to me and I absolutely love
it.
It looks good, it's warm, they're not bulky.
And that's what I love about this jacket is that you can wear this with a t-shirt, you
can wear this with a henley.
You just simply style this how you want with a dress shirt.
Throw this on top and all of a sudden, you've got a more rugged stylish look.
The zipper is smooth, easily goes up and down.
And I really like the elastic.
You can tell that they actually use a good material.
This is going to last a long time.
I love the shearling collar.
This thing right here just it's warm and it just adds a whole bit of texture and style
to the overall look.
They've got a really nice layout on the interior with the leather lining.
The lines are clean, the stitching is on point.
And the total number of pockets by the way is five.
They've got the inside pocket, they've got the two flat pockets on the outside, classic
in design.
And you've got also two hand warming pockets.
When it comes to colors and options, gents, go check them out, they've got these flight
jackets in anejo black coffee and in black.
And the leather, the jackets made from is a full grain leather that's going to look
better over time.
And, gents, if you're in the market for other types of jackets, check out their motorcycle
jackets.
They come in a wide variety of colors.
And check out their denim trucker jackets.
And, of course, if you're looking for boots, they're going to work perfect with your bomber
jacket, check out all the selection that Thursday has.
You guys know I love the president collection.
I really like their loggers, they're just a bit heavier, rugged.
I just really like the style.
And their chelsea's for me are a go-to.
I love the slip-on convenience and just a really nice style, especially if you pick
them up in one of those weatherproof suedes.
All that being said, gents, on their jackets, they do have limited quantities.
So, to get the color you want and the size you want, go over to the website.
I'm putting a link down in the description with the best deal you're going to get on
the web.
Seriously, gents, use that link, go over to Thursday Boots, an awesome company.
I've been in New York, I've met the owners.
I know these guys and for years, we've worked with Thursday Boots because I love what they
bring to the table.
Affordable, great quality pieces whether they're jackets, whether they're boots, whether their
shoes that are going to make your wardrobe look amazing.
[0:05:08] Really quick, a little bit of history note.
The blood chit and the A2 bomber jacket, they used to go hand in hand.
In case you're not familiar with blood chits, these were a notice that were carried by aviators
whenever they were flying over an area that they didn't speak the language.
And it basically asked that the person who engaged with the aviator to take him to safety
and it promised a reward.
Now, the bloods chits were first pioneered by the British in World War I, but in World
War II, the blood chits were made famous by the Flying Tigers.
And the Flying Tigers in case you're not familiar, these were American pilots that went over
to China, fought for the Chinese against the Japanese before the United States entered
the war.
With these blood chits, they would often read in Chinese, “I am an American.
My plane is destroyed.
I cannot speak your language.
I am the enemy of the Japanese.
Please give me food and take me to the nearest allied military post.
You will be rewarded.”
Yeah.
So, if you're ever in a thrift store and you find bomber jacket with a blood chit in it,
guys, grab it.
That is a high value item.
Now, gents, if you're enjoying today's video, you like a bit of history mixed in with a
classic menswear item, do me a favor and smash the like button.
It lets the YouTube gods know that this video is worth watching.
All right, gents.
So, the next mistake a lot of guys make when they're trying to style a bomber jacket is
they wear the wrong type of trousers.
So, there are many options and I'm not saying one is better than the other.
You may prefer chinos, you want to go with your jeans, maybe probably not shorts, but
I am going to say a lot of guys for some reason seem to gear toward, oh, I'm going to wear
some cargo pants.
Don't do that.
Okay.
We've already got the big pocket right here.
You also don't want to wear skinny jeans and you don't want to wear oversized jeans.
It's going to be more straight fit jeans, maybe something with a bit of trim.
You could probably wear a looser fit if that is your style, but don't go with baggy.
Again, one of the extremes here, it just doesn't work with this particular jacket style.
Perhaps the best bit of advice I can give you right here and this applies actually to
wearing any type of outfit is to look at yourself in a full length mirror straight on.
This is going to enable you to see just any mixed matched proportions.
And that's what we're watching for it because, again, with the bomber jacket, we're going
to have a little bit of excess material around the midsection, but you're going to be tighter
in and around the waist and the wrist.
And this can cause the wrong type of trousers especially, again, if they're a loose or a
really close fit, it can throw the whole look off, so you want to avoid those.
Again, straight fit jeans, maybe a bit of a trim fit or, you know, like that not – not,
again, not skinny, but slim is fine.
Next up, let's talk about formality.
Bomber jackets are casual.
Even in military circles, they are casual, especially if you've got patches on the jacket.
Just a little bit of history.
On the left hand side, you would usually have are you in the United States Air Corps.
Historically, are you in the navy, that would be over here.
And then over on the right, you would have the patches of the squadron.
Now, the air force, the chair force, you guys would actually change it out depending on
what squadron you're at.
You know, I'm making fun.
I love the air force, air power.
The navy, on the other hand, they would actually stack the patches depending on what squadron
you’re with, because every couple of years usually you’re switching squadrons.
So, on a navy flyer, you would often see a series of patches going down.
But, in general, gents, anything you wear a bomber jacket with is going to be a casual
outfit.
So, you’re wearing it with a dress shirt, you’ve got some gray flannels, you like
the look and the combination, that’s fine.
But, it is going to bring down the formality level of the outfit.
The next mistake when buying a bomber jacket is a lot of guys buy a cheap one and they
try to pass it off.
Here’s the thing, everyone can tell that that is a fake leather, it’s a cheap leather.
It just, yeah, doesn’t look good.
Now, historically the A2 jacket was made from a variety of different leathers because it
was civilian contracted, through various contractors over the years.
Initially, they used tanned horsehide.
Cowhide, of course, was used, but we’ve also seen goat skin used.
In fact, in 1988, the United States Air Force reissued the A2 jacket in goat skin and it
was only available to a select few.
In a nutshell, you had to have completed your mission qualifications.
And, unfortunately, they weren’t allowed to throw a bunch of patches on and stuff and
make it look really cool.
I’m not going to say one leather is better than the other.
In general, goat skin is going to be softer, more supple, but it’s not going to be as
tough.
I really like a nice cowhide.
Horse is going to be much harder and also thicker, but in any case, make sure that it’s
a leather that you condition and over time is going to actually pick up a bit of patina
and is going to look good fifty years from now if you take care of it.
The next styling mistake I see is not choosing the right color.
And this is relatively easy, go with a jacket color that’s already in your wardrobe.
You want it to work with everything you’ve got.
Most of the jackets you’re to see out there are going to be variations of brown, dark,
medium.
And, again, going back to these are manufactured over the years by various manufacturers and
they had different colors.
And when you’re working with leather, every hide is going to be slightly different.
But, there’s nothing wrong with going with a black bomber jacket.
[0:10:03] Is it traditional?
No, but if all the jackets in your wardrobe are black, your shoes are black, you really
like that color, then wear it because when you choose the right color, you’re going
to be able to wear it with confidence because you actually know how to pull that color off.
Now, I talked about this earlier, but I want to make sure I give it its own point and that
is don’t overlayer with a bomber jacket.
Historically, people just wore a flight suit underneath.
I like wearing it with a henley with a t-shirt, maybe with a long sleeves, you know, t-shirt.
Have something underneath that is relatively light because that’s when I think a bomber
jacket looks really well.
And these are going to be thick, they’re going to be warm.
They come in different styles.
But, understand this isn’t really like a -30 degree winter jacket.
For that, wear a parka.
So, to be specific, yeah, in general, I consider bomber jackets lightweight jackets and there’s
nothing wrong with having lightweight jackets in your wardrobe, especially those of you
guys out in California, maybe down in Texas.
Yes, I know occasionally in Texas it gets below freezing and you guys aren’t ready
for it.
Come on, I grew up in Midland, I get it.
But, no, this type of jacket is going to look great especially just simply when you can
throw it on, look good, feel good.
Oh.
And if you spend a lot of time commuting, this is a great jacket as well because of
the elastic, it keeps the jacket out of the way when you get into the vehicle, you get
out of the vehicle.
I actually like, you know, be able to show off the watch.
Yeah, it’s just a good overall style and fit.
Now, this next mistake, not everyone is going to agree with me here, but I like to wear
a bomber jacket unzipped, which goes against most jackets when I talk about when you stand,
a sports jacket you button it up when you stand.
A lot of my other jackets, I like to actually zip them up a bit when I’m walking around,
but I find with the design of the bomber jacket, it looks best when it is just left open.
That being said, you want to make sure that you can zip it up in inclement weather if
you do have to, you know, keep yourself warm and you’re wearing the jacket for practical
purposes.
But, when it comes to looking good in a jacket if you’re going to be walking in meeting
up with some ladies, guys, I really like it when you just leave it open.
It is a casual just creates a timeless look.
On top of that, I really do like it when you go with solids, you don’t try to overdo
it with prints and colors.
This style is in of itself enough.
I think it would be subtle and to grab a bit of attention, I don’t think you need to
do it with shirts that have too much attention, have too much color.
Go with simple dark colors.
Yeah, it’s just is a really clean timeless look.
So, what video to watch next?
How about another classic aviator item, the scarf, and how to style it correctly?
So many guys don’t even try to style the scarf.
Guys, come on, scarves, aviators, and many other people throughout history have loved
the scarf.
Yeah, check it out, in this video, history with how to wear this and look good.
Boom. [0:12:37] End of audio