Fallen from the sky

Tom Cruise must have been an unforgettable character for whoever happens to have watched Top Gun. Riding his motorbike in style, speeding off into the sunset, in a bomber jacket redefined sexy in the late 80s. Like, a rather big percentage of our wardrobe’s character, the origins of this jacket run back to different-era uniforms such as jeans, raincoats and peacoats and although it has its own particularities deriving from the air force passing through cinema into being a casual outwear it became a myth, shaping 21st century. It was created during WWI as a result of most of the planes lacking enclosed cockpits, so the daring sky shooters had to be outfitted with suitable jackets for the freezing weather and altitude. While the British Army's Royal Aviation Corps favoured long leather coats, the United States Army began issuing heavy-duty, leather, flight jackets. This is when Leslie Irving, a Hollywood stuntman, came into play. For one of his jobs, he had to parachute out of a moving plane. His experience impacted him so much that he began designing and selling aviation-related products. In fact, it was him who created the first aviator jacket in 1926: a short, fur coat and was established as the official distributor of the British Royal Air Force. From the aviator jacket to the bomber that’s worn all around the world today in a shorter version, without a collar and made of nylon. A material that is warm, waterproof, easy to clean and everlasting as well as made to retain its shiny finish and avant-garde appearance. The American company Alpha Industries was inspired by Irving's flight jacket creating a padded and, most importantly, lighter version thanks to this material. This is how the mythical MA-1 was born, less bulky for narrower cabins and with the flexibility to get it dyed reflecting army colours, although the most famous is the classic military green. They, characteristically, featured high, wraparound collars, zip closures with wind flaps, fitted cuffs and waist. In the early 1930s, years before WWII, the United States Air Corps received the A2 bomber jacket, and it became standardised in 1931. These jackets were made of sealskin and cotton lining. However, as demand for these jackets grew, the supply of sealskin was deemed impractical and they began to be made from horse hide, which was plentiful at the time.

From airplanes it jumped to the movies. The 1950s were all about Marlon Brando, found in movies such as A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) or On The Waterfront (1954); he was one of the first to bundle up with the bomber jacket in both movies. Steve McQueen also wore it in The Great Escape (1963) and much later Sylvester Stallone in Rocky (1976). However, the most recent memory may come to us from Tom Cruise in Top Gun (1986), a look re-enacted in the sequel Top Gun: Maverick (2021).

In the last two decades of the 20th century, it fell into the hands of “urban tribes”, from skinheads to punks, becoming democratised to the extreme. In the 21st century, streetwear revived nostalgia for updated 80s and 90s pieces, making the bomber one of the star jackets. Nowadays government presidents would even be seen giving it a go. Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, infamous Vladimir Putin or notorious Kim Jong-un have been spotted wearing one. It is possibly one of the most “generous” jackets in one’s wardrobe, it relaxes a formal look and elevates a casual one. As a uniform element that it is, it dresses and arms you, narrating a character’s story and a personality genre. The catwalk has never forgotten it and in recent seasons brands like Ambush, Celine, Y/Project, Boss, Dsquared2, Juun.J, Alexander McQueen, Sacai, Canali or Martine Rose have had it as part of their collection. Everyone loves the bomber, from the most classic i.e. tailored trousers/white shirt to the most modern because it never fails to deliver and turn around a sweatshirt/wide jeans look.

I am wearing this must-have, vintage piece from the forever-favourite restaurant Planet Hollywood. A brown oversize with the known logo, beautifully embroidered on the back. Its green details match the tailored blazer, belted around the waist making this garment contemporary while keeping classic and underneath, a white shirt with a brown, wool tie complimenting the jacket. The bottoms are tailored in dark grey with lighter grey shade socks in Toy Story soldier print and metallic silver loafers. To break up the grey-brown-green palette, a bold, almost-neon pouch in electric blue and fluorescent orange accompanies the whole look to make it more relaxed but still elevated.