Bomber Jacket: Leather, Nylon and Knit Versions That Still Look Like Flight Gear

Bomber Jacket: Leather, Nylon and Knit Versions That Still Look Like Flight Gear

A bomber jacket began as flight gear, and this edit sorts the leather and suede versions, the nylon and satin ones, and the wool, knit and cotton styles. I go through the shapes by name and how each one wears, with a note on caring for leather.

The bomber jacket has a very specific beginning. The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum records that in 1931 the Air Corps ordered an update of the A-1 flight jacket, and the new version was named the Type A-2. The museum describes one in its collection as a waist-length seal brown horsehide jacket with knit wool cuffs and waistband and a brass front zipper. That is the whole template: a short body, a snug hem, a zip down the front. Everything in this edit is a variation on it.

 

I like knowing that, because it explains why a good bomber jacket sits where it does. Reviewed says early flight jackets had snug cuffs and waists to keep air out, so the hem was never meant to flop around your hips. Hold that thought when you are in the fitting room. The jacket should end at or just below your waist, and the shoulder seam should land on the bone, not slide toward your elbow.

 

This first group is leather and suede, and it is the closest to that A-2 idea. Manière De Voir is the name to look at first, with three shapes: Ezra in brown leather belted bomber jacket, the Monique Suede Wide Shoulder Bomber Jacket and the Zina Leather Wide Shoulder Bomber Jacket. The wide shoulder ones are for people who like a strong top line over a slim trouser. The ALLSAINTS Orten Leather Bomber Jacket and the Good American Leather Bomber are the straight, no-fuss options, the kind you put on with jeans and a white tee and forget about.

 

Suede is softer and a little more dressed. The Reiss Lottie Suede Bomber Jacket and the Jean Paul Gaultier Black Suede Leather Bomber Jacket both work over a slip dress, and the Avec Les Filles Suede Layered Bomber Jacket adds a second layer of detail at the front. The Studio Nicholson Black & Brown Alph Leather Bomber Jacket is the quiet, tailored one. The St. Agni Brown Suede Utility Cocoon Bomber Jacket is rounder and roomier, the BLANK NYC Midnight Drift High Collar Suede Bomber Jacket has a collar that frames your face, and the Reformation Veda Harrison Leather Oversized Bomber Jacket is the slouchy end of the group.

 

Four newer additions join this group. The LAMARQUE Trevanna Suede Bomber Jacket is a chocolate suede with chest pockets, the closest thing here to the original A-2. The AGOLDE Nahla is a cropped goatskin suede jacket, the rag & bone Eliza is a dark brown faux suede bomber with a knit hem and cuffs, and the BLANKNYC Hot Brew is a black faux leather one with a high collar. Further down the grid, the Khaite Ixin, the NILI LOTAN Aime and the two DARKPARK jackets are the leather ones to look at when you want the A-2 idea with a longer, softer body, and the SLOAN is the oversized one.

Collage of brown leather and suede flight jackets, black and green nylon and satin ones, and knit, cotton and denim versions, and a mood photo of a woman in a brown leather bomber jacket with a burgundy bag.
Leather, nylon and knit flight jackets, sorted by material and by how you would wear them.

Leather and suede bomber jackets

Nylon, satin and the padded shapes

The second group is where the bomber's second life lives. The MA-1 was developed in the 1950s by a defense contractor for US Air Force and Navy fighter pilots, and it was originally available in sage green. The London Museum describes it as sage green or blue nylon, with a later version that could be worn inside out so the orange lining could alert rescuers to stranded pilots. So the bright lining was a job, not a color choice. Remember that the next time you see one with a flash of orange inside.

 

The Alpha Industries Ma-1 is the name that carries that history most directly, and it is where I would start if you want the classic shape in a lighter fabric. After that, the group splits into a few moods. The Courrèges nylon bombers appear twice, and they are the sleek, sporty pair. The HommeGirls Black Nylon and the sacai Black Nylon Twill are the quiet black ones, and the sacai is the one I would pick if you like a little structure in the fabric.

 

The ALAÏA Black Nylon Pleated is the most sculptural of the group, and the GANNI Brown Duchesse Nylon is the softest in color, which makes it easy over blue jeans or a cream knit dress. The BALMAIN Khaki Nylon Signature is the one closest to the original sage and olive army shades. The Golden Goose satin bomber with ribbed hems and collar is the dressy one. Try it with straight trousers and flat shoes so it reads as casual rather than formal.

 

Then there are the padded shapes. The Simone Rocha Black Padded Sculpted and the Green Padded Sculpted one are the same design in two colors, rounded and a little theatrical. The White Mark quilted lightweight bomber is the easy, light quilted choice. Stand sideways to a mirror with the padded ones on, because the shape should look deliberate from the side, not puffy by accident.

 

A few sleeker shells round out the group: the Balmain Peplum Nylon, the Balenciaga Cropped Technical Faille and the ALAÏA Padded bomber jacket are the sculpted ones, while the shiny shells from SEV and Aje are the ones to wear when you want a flash of color.

Nylon, satin and shell bomber jackets

Knit, cotton and wool for easier days

The last group is the softest. It is wool, knit, cotton and denim, so the bombers here trade the shine of nylon and the weight of leather for texture. These are the ones I wear when I want the shape without the sporty edge, with a collared shirt underneath or a long skirt below.

 

Start with the Manière De Voir Ezra in gray wool belted and the Polo Ralph Lauren one. The Ezra is the quietest piece in the edit, and I would wear it open over a black knit. The Polo Ralph Lauren Wool & Cashmere is the polished one, the jacket that works with tailored trousers. The Maje Cotton and the Polo Ralph Lauren are the two I would wear with a collared shirt.

 

The Diesel style with rib-knit and plush trims is the playful one, and the NIC+ZOE knit is the most textured, a knit that behaves like a cardigan with a zip. Three cotton styles round it out: the Avec Les Filles Cotton Layered, the Isabel Marant Beige Julissa Cotton and the Maje Cotton. The Isabel Marant is the softest color, the Maje is the clean one, and the Avec Les Filles has the extra layering. The newer Sixxta corduroy, Tibi fleece, WAYF plaid and Marine Layer quilted styles add more texture, and the NILI LOTAN Redley and DARKPARK Sean are the longer, softer wool ones.

 

What I would skip: a knit or cotton jacket in a size that only closes when you stand still. The ribbed hem needs a little room to sit against your waist, and a tight one rides up the moment you lift your arms.

Wool, knit and cotton bomber jackets

How I would choose and look after one

Here is how I would choose. Start with the material you will actually wear on most days. Leather or suede if you want the original spirit, nylon or satin if you want something lighter, knit or cotton if you want it soft. Then check three things: the shoulder seam, the hem at your waist and the cuffs at your wrist bone.

 

Leather needs a little care, and the advice is simple. Vogue's leather-care expert says never to use a hairdryer or radiator or leave a leather jacket in direct sunlight, because heat makes leather brittle and cracked. Vogue also advises never washing a leather jacket in the washing machine, because it strips the natural oils that keep leather soft and durable.

 

I think that is the quiet appeal of these jackets. A good one lasts through a lot of outfits, and it looks better when it has been worn in. Hang it on a wide hanger, give it room in the closet, and put it on with the thing you wore yesterday. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together The Carhartt Jacket for Women and The Leather Jacket That Works With Everything You Own.