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A2 jacket's how many styles.
- Thread starter Chris 55
- Start date
Micawber
Well-Known Member
Crikey now that's a question and a half, you could write a book on the subject and much of the content of this forum has been devoted to looking at the subject. Look upon the differences as subtle variations in interpreting the same specification. You could take yourself onto John Chapman's Goodwear website where he lists the different manufacturers and how what their jackets were like. There are other websites of course but John knows his subject and manages to sum things up nicely.
Spitfireace
Well-Known Member
Acme Depot
Acme Depot is a distinctive repository for information of historical and general interest. Housed at this site are The Type A-2 Flight Jacket Web Page and Keep 'em Flying: A World War II Retrospective.
acmedepot.com
Chandler
Well-Known Member
All of the stars were wearing Good Wear by Chapman.
Wait -- both cinematic versions of the Tuskegee Airmen were pretty cheesy, of which one do you refer?
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Chandler
Well-Known Member
Marc Weinshenker (sorry if I butchered that Marc), Acme Depot's "proprietor" was one of John Chapman's mentors in the early days of Good Wear. You can bet JC learned much of what he knows about A-2s from Acme.
B-Man2
Well-Known Member
Yeah … I agree with Macawber . That’s really complex question Chris and probably the reason a lot of us have multiple A2 jackets , because we haven’t figured out what jacket is best for us as well.
Just keep reading the forum and a few books like the ELC A2 Manual and you’ll start to have a better idea of what contract and maker will work for you.
Just keep reading the forum and a few books like the ELC A2 Manual and you’ll start to have a better idea of what contract and maker will work for you.
mulceber
Moderator
In sum, there were 40 different A-2 contracts, made by 19 different manufacturers. If you're confining your purchasing options to Five Star, here's my advice:
1. Further narrow the options you're considering to include only the contracts where Shawn has taken his pattern from an original. At the moment, that's just the Dubow 27798.
2. Consider waiting a few weeks, maybe a month or two before ordering. A bunch of people early this year sent original A-2 jackets to Five Star so they could copy them. If you wait a month, in addition to the Dubow, Shawn will be able to offer reproductions of the Star Sportswear, Poughkeepsie, and Rough Wear 27752. If you wait a little longer (say, 6 months, at a guess), the Werber 1729 will be an option too.
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WingAndaPrayer
Well-Known Member
As a general rule, the bulk of A2 patterns are tight across the back in the shoulder blade region. My aero made my shoulders hurt pretty bad after about 30 minutes wear and I could barely put my arms down, think the kid in “a Christmas story.” But my FiveStar Dubow is very easy to wear and doesn’t pinch the shoulders. However it has pretty wide arms that give the sleeves a baggy look. The consensus here from what I’ve seen, is that the Poughkeepsie is the best and most comfortable of the lot. If Shawn does his right, that one might be your best bet. With the Dubow a second, despite the Michelin man sleeves. Just my opinion.
Spitfireace
Well-Known Member
If you are into A-2s and you don't know about this site you should know about it. Probably the most detailed A-2 site on the web for collectors.
mulceber
Moderator
Sorta depends: the Dubow is very comfortable for a slim-fitting jacket, while the Poughkeepsie is a very comfortable "ever man" kind of jacket.
Chris 55
Well-Known Member
WingAndaPrayer
Well-Known Member
I’m very broad shouldered and Shawn made mine very comfortable.
mulceber
Moderator
WingAndaPrayer
Well-Known Member
It did for me. But I’m a big guy and take a size above the off-the-rack stuff. What are your measurements if I may ask?
mulceber
Moderator
As WingAndaPrayer said, it depends on your sizing. My inclination would be to say order from his normal measurements, maybe adjusting the sleeve length to suit your taste, but standard sizes have always worked relatively well for me.
