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Most Authentic Irvin Jacket as of 2024?

Otter

Well-Known Member
I love my BOB Eastman, but at £1600, I would buy a 5* if I was buying another now.
I did have an older Aero pre the arm update. Beautiful jacket but the arms were just too long for me. Worth a punt if you can find a second hand one.
 

Lord Flashheart

Well-Known Member
There's a few links here you may already be aware of


I've both Eastman and Aero. You can't go wrong with either IMO and as @Micawber says unless we ever get to contract by contract repro's what we will see will all to some degree be generic.
 
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asiamiles

Well-Known Member
Another question: In measuring for an Irvin Jacket (or any jacket), I don't see any instructions for the proper length of the jacket. Is that somehow interpolated from sleeve length?
I don't think there was a standard length for all Irvins, but like many flight jackets, they tended to be cut quite short, as they were intended primarily for use while seated. I think you have to choose the best chest measurement for you and then check that the length is workable. What size are you? I'm sure someone on here - John Lever may wish to chime in - can recommend which size would be best for you.
 

Jennison

Well-Known Member
It's interesting that you mention the noticeable short length of the of the Irvin Jacket, I thought I was seeing things as it appears A-2 jackets are longer than heavy Irvin jackets (at least in the length). But, they are and you give the reason why. You ask what size I am; I'll give you the extraneous, OCD answer, not knowing what is really important. I have an A-2 that's 24" from collar seam to the bottom of the knit and it is perfect, just covering my belt. I'd like that for the Irvin, too. Chest is 42.5. Sleeve length (t-shirt seam to end of wrist) is 23." I'd rather keep the sleeve at the end of my wrist and completely above my hand, as opposed to the longer Wartime sleeves. In short (no pun intended), I'd like the coat to be on the short side and with enough room to wear over a suit jacket, but no larger. Sorry if that's more than you asked for.

Thanks, Jennison
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
It's interesting that you mention the noticeable short length of the of the Irvin Jacket, I thought I was seeing things as it appears A-2 jackets are longer than heavy Irvin jackets (at least in the length). But, they are and you give the reason why. You ask what size I am; I'll give you the extraneous, OCD answer, not knowing what is really important. I have an A-2 that's 24" from collar seam to the bottom of the knit and it is perfect, just covering my belt. I'd like that for the Irvin, too. Chest is 42.5. Sleeve length (t-shirt seam to end of wrist) is 23." I'd rather keep the sleeve at the end of my wrist and completely above my hand, as opposed to the longer Wartime sleeves. In short (no pun intended), I'd like the coat to be on the short side and with enough room to wear over a suit jacket, but no larger. Sorry if that's more than you asked for.

Thanks, Jennison
Hi
I hope you don’t mind me weighing in here but those measurements that you provided are rather confusing. Most of us here speak about measurements in terms of the following;
Shoulder seam to shoulder seam
Armpit seam to armpit seam across the upper chest .
Shoulder seam down the length of the arm to the wrist bone
Back length measured from the collar seam down the center of the back to the bottom of the knits or the bottom of the jacket .
If you don’t know these measurements you can use a leather jacket that fits you nicely and take them from that or you can have someone take a tape measure and measure you . Your final measurements can easily be associated with the numerical or lettered size of a jacket that will fit you .
I hope that helps .
By the way if you go onto the search function and query it for “ how to size” or something similar there’s a lot of info that can help you with sizing .
Cheers
 

Jennison

Well-Known Member
You're right, the measurements are partly based on my old A-2 and my actual measurements (because the arms are a bit too long, and the chest is too tight from lifting). I'll put in those search words. This sizing stuff has my small brain sparking and smoking. Thanks for your patience. Another question if I may: What leather was generally used for the back of the collar on the Irvin jacket? It looks quite different than the sheepskin body.
 

Southoftheborder

Well-Known Member
It's interesting that you mention the noticeable short length of the of the Irvin Jacket, I thought I was seeing things as it appears A-2 jackets are longer than heavy Irvin jackets (at least in the length). But, they are and you give the reason why. You ask what size I am; I'll give you the extraneous, OCD answer, not knowing what is really important. I have an A-2 that's 24" from collar seam to the bottom of the knit and it is perfect, just covering my belt. I'd like that for the Irvin, too. Chest is 42.5. Sleeve length (t-shirt seam to end of wrist) is 23." I'd rather keep the sleeve at the end of my wrist and completely above my hand, as opposed to the longer Wartime sleeves. In short (no pun intended), I'd like the coat to be on the short side and with enough room to wear over a suit jacket, but no larger. Sorry if that's more than you asked for.

Thanks, Jennison
They were meant to be worn with the high matching shearling trousers in flight. And worn like that they allow movement and are warm. For what it's worth I've had a couple of Eastman Irvins and I always find them a bit too short at the front and they also ride up a bit there - and I'm not likely to walk around wearing Irvin trousers.

If you do want one the early ones are best before the turn of the century. The used a plastic pronged Riri zip for a year or two around 2002 -5 and most people don't like that. Worth asking for pics of the zip. The earlier ones don't have the modern so called broken hide either. That is a good match for wartime US shearling jackets but not Irvins.
 
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