me and my A1

[capt71]

Marcel,

Great looking A-1!

Sorry we missed you in New Orleans. It looks like you had a great trip and I'm glad the weather cooperated for you (no hurricanes or tropical storms). Isn't the WW2 Museum fantastic? I hope you were able visit a few of the excellent restaurants in New Orleans.

Hey, don't listen to the "Flight Jacket Fashion Police". I think your A-1 looks just fine with the camo cargo pants and the T-shirt (a good one, by the way!). Who cares whether your jacket "properly" matches the rest of your clothes (whatever that means). You're not in the military now and don't have to answer to their uniform regulations--wear it with whatever is comfortable for you!! If you want to wear a flight jacket with jeans--or even Bermuda Shorts--by God do it! Some folks seem to be way too obsessed with "proper" fit of flight jackets and "proper" clothing and accessories to wear with them. You're not on a movie set people! I feel you honor the memory and history of a jacket by simply wearing it.

 

[Dr H]

Give me a break...I'm not a re-enactor nor obsessed with accessories.
Not fashion police, more a question of proportion.
Marcel's concern is that the jacket is too short, so raising the waistline a little makes it more comfortable and works with the cut.
Yeah, Bermuda shorts, good call :roll:

 

[capt71]

Jeez, lighten up Dr. H. I'm not talking about whether the jacket sleeves or waist length are too long or too short. Marcel went on to say in a subsequent post that the A-1 fit him perfectly. The comment that he should dump the pants he was wearing in the photo and wear a "higher waisted" pair of pants with it, and forget bluejeans is what I was referring to. If he's comfortable with the jacket and whatever else he wears with it, who are you, or me, or anyone else to judge? That's all I was saying.

As for the Bermuda Shorts....well....on second thought...maybe not. :? Although--and I promise that this is a true story--when I was stationed at Torrejon Air Base in Madrid, Spain, back in the late 60's, three Israeli Air Force Mirages landed at the base. When the 3 pilots climbed out of their aircraft, they were wearing (again, I swear this is true) leather flight jackets (A-2s I think, but not sure), Bermuda shorts, and shoes (not boots). They then proceeded to pull golf bags out of their baggage pods. Believe it or not.

 

[FlyingYankee]

Love that T-shirt. A-1 is growing on me if I can only get used to the buttons

 

[Skip]

Yep, give me a zipper any day

Which poses the question, going from an A-2 to an A-1 does not one hanker for the convenience of a zipper and that smart looking collar, or am I missing something altogether about an A-1? Just curious, never had the pleasure of trying one, so its an opinion based without experience.

 

[CBI]

Skip - In about 5-6 weeks I will post pics of a Lincoln Brigade jacket that Mark at Superior Flight Apparel is making for me right now. It was worn by resistance fighters in the Spanish Civil War in the mid 1930's (they were American made jackets). They were basically A-1's style jackets WITH a zipper instead of buttons and larger almost A-2'ish pockets. There were a number of variations.

The traditional A-1 is a pretty cool jacket as well.

 

[zoomer]

Yep, give me a zipper any day

Which poses the question, going from an A-2 to an A-1 does not one hanker for the convenience of a zipper and that smart looking collar, or am I missing something altogether about an A-1?

I end up wearing the jacket differently - like a kind of leather cardigan or turtleneck. I sometimes leave the waist unfastened and just fasten a button or two low down. Other times (today in fact) I button it up right to the top and feel well protected from cold.

Like any garment, it will tell you how to wear it comfortably.

 

[Skip]

Lookin' forward to seeing it John.

Dr H has been trying to persuade me in the ways of A-1's and from what I have learned and what Zoomer just explained seems a little bit like a leather jerkin, and I'm getting the impression of a slimmer fit than most A-2's, yes?

Of what I've seen they look sensational, but I'm not a fan of buttons, nor the knit collar. But nonetheless I'm interested to see how you guys fare, as one day I may change my opinion on buttons. During the early 90's it was fashionable downunder to wear one of those American football/baseball jackets with the knit collar. was never a fan, and I stood out like a soar thumb with my G-1 mouton, but I was happy being the soar thumb, certainly drew attention from the female side of things.

 

[dmar836]

Looks good to me Marcel.

 

[Persimmon]

Skip - In about 5-6 weeks I will post pics of a Lincoln Brigade jacket that Mark at Superior Flight Apparel is making for me right now. It was worn by resistance fighters in the Spanish Civil War in the mid 1930's (they were American made jackets). They were basically A-1's style jackets WITH a zipper instead of buttons and larger almost A-2'ish pockets. There were a number of variations.

The traditional A-1 is a pretty cool jacket as well.

Here is Mark's posting from a few years back from over at the Hat Place which may give a taste on what is heading John's way

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthre ... et-size-44

 

[CBI]

thanks Alan. Here is a VLJ link. About the tenth photo down with Ryan and Robertson (the guy/jacket on the left). The jacket will be in the new GW cape.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3767&p=37033&hilit=lincoln+brigade#p37033

 

[Skip]

I'm sold on the the zipper, I think it just finishes it off extremely well (just my opinion), and those period shots are excellent.