Bomber and Flight Jackets
The History of the Bomber Jacket
Bomber jacket history in one timeline: leather A-2, sheepskin B-3, nylon MA-1, then punks, skinheads and runways. Dates sourced, disagreements shown.
The bomber jacket started as cold-weather gear for military aircrew. It moved from leather to sheepskin to nylon as planes flew higher and jets arrived. Surplus stores and street subcultures then turned it into everyday wear.
This page is part of our bomber and flight jackets guide.
Key takeaways- The U.S. Army began issuing heavy leather flight jackets in 1917.- The A-2 of 1931 swapped the A-1's buttons for a zipper.- Jets pushed jackets from leather to nylon, which led to the MA-1.- Sources disagree on when the MA-1 first appeared: 1948–49, around 1949–50, or the 1950s.- Punks, mods and skinheads took it up in the late 1970s, and runways followed in 2001.
Bomber jacket history at a glance
Here is the timeline in one table. Where sources disagree, both dates are shown.
| Year | What happened | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| 1917 | U.S. Army Aviation Clothing Board formed; heavy leather flight jackets issued | – |
| 1927 | Type A-1 becomes standard issue (buttoned front, knit collar) | – |
| 1931 | Type A-2 adopted (zipper, leather collar) | – |
| 1940 | Navy M-422, the start of the G-1 | – |
| 1940s | B-15 introduced, later made in nylon | – |
| 1948–1950s | MA-1 appears (sources differ, see below) | – |
| 1951 | A-2 specification cancelled, per Wikipedia | – |
| Mid-to-late 1950s | First MA-1s reach Europe | – |
| 1963 | Alpha Industries wins the MA-1 contract | – |
| Late 1970s | Punks, mods and skinheads adopt the MA-1 | – |
| 1986 | Top Gun puts the G-1 on screen | – |
| 1988–1990 | Last MA-1 spec revisions, for ground crew only | – |
| 2001 | Raf Simons takes the MA-1 to the runway | – |
Open cockpits and the first leather flight jackets
It started with the cold. Most World War I airplanes had no enclosed cockpit, so pilots needed clothing that kept them warm.
In September 1917 the U.S. Army set up its Aviation Clothing Board. It began issuing heavy leather jackets with high wraparound collars, snug cuffs and waists, and in some cases fur linings.
Where did the name come from? Alpha Industries says "bomber jacket" likely came from the bomber aircraft of that war and their pilots, but even the maker hedges. The full early story is on our history of the flight jacket page.
A-1 to A-2: buttons give way to a zip
The A-1 became standard issue on 7 November 1927. It was chrome-tanned sheepskin with a buttoned front and a knitted stand-up collar.
On 9 May 1931 the Army Air Corps adopted the A-2. It kept the idea but swapped the buttons for a zipper and the knit collar for a leather one. The A-2 started in horsehide; cowhide was approved in 1940 and goatskin in 1941.
In World War II, crews often decorated their A-2s with squadron patches and painted artwork on the back. The Navy built its own leather jacket, the G-1, starting with the M-422 specification in 1940.
Is the A-2 still in service? Sources split. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum says the Air Force still issues it, while Wikipedia says its specification was cancelled in 1951.
For what an A-2 looks like up close, see what a flight jacket is.
World War II: did bomber crews wear bomber jackets?
Yes, and they needed them. Some heavy bombing raids flew at 25,000 ft (7,600 m) or higher, where the air could reach −58 °F (−50 °C), inside cabins with no insulation.
Shearling flight jackets are counted as the warmest type, and the Air Force's B-3 carried the "bomber jacket" name. Bomber crews also wore and painted the leather A-2.
So the name fits the history, even if today's bomber looks nothing like a thick B-3. The British sheepskin side of this story belongs on our history of the aviator jacket page.
From leather to nylon: the B-15 and the MA-1
The B-15 arrived in the 1940s with wool-knit cuffs, a mouton fur collar, oxygen mask straps and a pen pocket on the sleeve. It was first made in cotton, then in nylon, a fabric that had not been used in flight clothing until after the war.
Jets made nylon the answer. A wet leather jacket could freeze at jet altitudes, and cramped jet cockpits needed something slim and light. The MA-1 was built from the B-15 for that job, using nylon with a polyester interlining so it could be worn open on the ground and zipped in the air.
When exactly did it appear? Sources give three answers:
- Alpha Industries says its predecessor, Dobbs Industries, created it in 1948 and the military received it in 1949.
- Heddels says it reached cockpits around 1949 or 1950.
- Wikipedia says it was developed in the 1950s.
The first MA-1s went to Air Force and Navy pilots and crews. In 1963 Alpha Industries won the contract to make it. To compare the A-2, B-3, MA-1 and others side by side, see types of bomber jackets.
What changed and why
Each change on a bomber had a reason. This table pairs them up.
| Change | Why it happened | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Buttons to zipper (A-1 to A-2) | A redesign of the A-1 in 1931 | – |
| Leather to nylon | Wet leather froze at jet altitudes; jet cockpits were cramped | – |
| Dark blue to sage green | Green blended with the ground if a pilot had to hide | – |
| Bright orange lining | Reversed, it helped searchers find a downed airman | – |
| Wool collar to acrylic (civilian) | Wool drew moths in home closets | – |
| Nylon to Nomex (military) | Current aircrew jackets, the CWU-45P and CWU-36P, are Nomex | – |
Retirement from the cockpit
The MA-1 design lived in a military specification, MIL-J-8279, revised over the years. Its last revisions, in 1988 and 1990, were for ground crew only, because aircrew had moved to the CWU-36/P and CWU-45/P.
The U.S. military no longer issues the MA-1. Its replacements, the CWU-45P for cold weather and the CWU-36P for warm weather, are made from Nomex.
From surplus store to street
Surplus is how the bomber left the base. Military clothing reached surplus stores and civilians in the 1950s and 1960s, and the first MA-1s in Europe likely came through the black market and surplus sales.
Why did skinheads wear bomber jackets? In Britain, mods and working-class skinheads took up the bomber as part of a tough, military look. Punks joined them in the late 1970s, and in the 1980s the jacket filled the pages of The Face and i-D.
The jacket also spread in other directions:
- In Britain, the LGBTQ community later adopted it too.
- In the U.S., hip hop took up military styles, bombers included, in the 1970s and 1980s.
- In post-war Japan, the embroidered satin souvenir jacket, the sukajan, grew up around the Yokosuka naval base.
- Film helped: Steve McQueen wore a sage MA-1 in The Hunter (1980), and Top Gun (1986) put Tom Cruise in a G-1 that boosted G-1 sales.
Runways and the 2000s onward
Were bomber jackets popular in the 2000s? Yes. In 2001 Raf Simons showed his "Riot, Riot, Riot" MA-1, which moved the bomber into high fashion.
It had already stayed popular in grunge and streetwear through the late twentieth century. In the early 2000s it was popular casual wear in hip-hop fashion, and it came back in 2010s street fashion. Prada showed it again in its men's fall 2023 collection.
Through all of this, the shape barely moved: a fitted waist, a generous body, bulky sleeves and extra pockets. If you want to put that shape to work, read how to wear a bomber jacket.
Wearing the history today
You can pick which chapter you want to wear. Leather points back to the A-2 era, while nylon points to the MA-1. Our page on what a bomber jacket is explains how the modern version is defined.
For a leather version cut to your own size, Leather Collection custom leather jackets are hand-stitched and made to measure, and "flight and bomber styles" are one of the listed options.
Related guides
- For how the bomber fits into the wider story, read a brief history of jackets and their styles.
FAQ
Did bombers actually wear bomber jackets?
Yes. Bomber crews flew at altitudes where the air could reach −58 °F (−50 °C), and the Air Force's sheepskin B-3 carried the "bomber jacket" name. Crews also wore and decorated leather A-2s.
Who makes the original bomber jacket?
No single maker owns the whole story. For the MA-1, Alpha Industries says its predecessor Dobbs Industries created it in 1948, and Alpha won the military contract in 1963. Other sources date the MA-1 to around 1949–50 or the 1950s.
When were bomber jackets a thing?
They were military issue from 1917 onward. As fashion, they took off with punks, mods and skinheads in the late 1970s and have stayed in streetwear since.
Were bomber jackets popular in the 2000s?
Yes. Raf Simons brought the MA-1 to the runway in 2001, and it was popular casual wear in early-2000s hip-hop fashion.
leatheride Editorial Team
leatheride articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.