The world wars, both of them, resulted in some
horrific things. A needless loss of life, families torn apart, months and years
of separation from your loved ones, financial crises for the government and the
threat of a crippled economy; such are the effects of war. But human beings are
an amazingly resilient people. Out of bad, they somehow manage to procure some
good. The same is the case with WWI. At that time, the airplanes had no
cockpits and pilots did not only have to focus on the battle, they had to do so
while enduring the cold winds and their pressure at that altitude. The leather flight jacket was invented as a
result. Little did the military know that this particular garment would take
the world by storm and become part of some amazing things.
The durability and practicality of this outer wear was
so successful that it was redesigned and made the official outer wear for WWII
in the form of an a2 flight jacket. They
were mostly made of horsehide and had a distinctive look. There was a snap-flap
patch pocket on either side. But they did not have pockets that one could put
their hands in like outer wear normally does. After all, such a stance was not
military like. There were shoulder straps, a shirt collar, and even a waist
band and knit cuffs. It was also rather cleverly made. This leather flight jacket had a back
created from a single piece of the material to reduce the stress on the item. Another
unique thing about them was that they were
made in only two colours; russet and seal. But the a2 flight jacket was created in several shades and hues of both
these colours. Because this outer wear was specifically made for military
aviators, it was a symbol of honour and was worn with much pride. It was also
one of the first clothing items that used a zipper. The history, the unique style
and the zippers; all these things have ensured that this outerwear becomes a
part of the current fashion trends. These garments became more than clothes.
The leather flight jacket was
treated like a treasured canvas- one over which each pilot painted his story. They
would even add exaggerated artwork to represent the aircraft they flew. After
all, it was their ride. The a2 flight
jacket was an interesting specimen. Aviators would add squadron patches and
rank marks as well. All of this work resulted in this garment having several
stitch marks as patches were added, removed and altered.
As this form of outer wear became more popular, its
demand rose. It helped that this product was only for airmen- making it a brand
of sorts. England became a major provider of these as their demand rose. The leather flight jacket style is commonly
available these days- but genuine garments of that time are hard to come by.
This is for the obvious reason that the a2flight jacket was mainly worn during battle and thus, usually got harmed or
destroyed. However, while they are rare, the style and design is not lost and
still reigns.
