ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
The PERFECT Leather Jacket For Your Age:
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The Perfect Jacket for Your Age... not those hipster prats...
- Thread starter ausreenactor
- Start date
Harris_HTM
Well-Known Member
well, it is a free society / free marker. Anybody can claim they are experts...
Bremspropeller
Well-Known Member
"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.
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
Well-Known Member
neverending story
busdrivermike
Well-Known Member
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"
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"
FreddyF9
Well-Known Member
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.
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ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
Hartmann is a great jacket. Only jacket I ever got compliments on....
Bobo_the_Sailor
Member
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.
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
Well-Known Member
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
Well-Known Member
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
Well-Known Member
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.
Bobo_the_Sailor
Member
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.
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Smithy
Well-Known Member
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
Member
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
Well-Known Member
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...
