Mens Leather Bomber Jacket - Still Hot Today

The modern mens leather bomber jacket is fashioned after that leather jacket worn by US Army Air Corps bomber pilots during the Second World War. When the war broke out newer bomber were soon being built that could fly higher and faster than ever before. The problem with this is that the air temperature at these heights was very cold, often below freezing. On top of this many of these bombers flew with open doors for the gunners and spent time with the bomb bay doors open.

With these open doors the temperature inside the aircraft often reached well below freezing and the crew needed extra protection to keep them from becoming too cold to do their jobs. To solve this, the military came out with mens leather bomber jackets that were made from goatskin with the wool left on the hide. Sewn together with the wool on the inside these leather jackets kept the crew warm enough to survive in the harsh conditions of the aircraft.

Still in Use Today

While the jet powered bomber replaced the propeller driven aircraft and the cockpits and crew quarters were well heated, the mens leather bomber jacket is still in use. The Army Air Corps moved on and became the Air Force and replaced the mens leather bomber jackets with ones made from nylon that wear far more flexible and lighter in weight. However, in the United States the US Navy still issues an updated version of the same leather bomber jacket to its pilots.

From Bomber to Biker

After the end of the war a great number of men who had been mustered out of the military found themselves still looking for their next rush of adrenaline and not finding what they needed. Many of them bought surplus Harley Davidson motorcycles and took the roads. To keep warm when the weather turned cold they took to wearing surplus mens leather bomber jackets. In 1946 a man by the name of Ross Langlitz created the first mens leather biker jacket and then several years later took the bomber jacket and recreated it.

The look he achieved was first brought to the attention of the American public when Marlon Brando burst onto the silver screen in "Rebel Without a Cause" racing into town and getting himself and his "biker" gang in trouble while wearing a black mens leather biker jacket complete with the big heavy duty zipper and epaulets. What was missing from these new biker jackets was the wool lining and the extra high collar; instead they were designed with short collars and a front flap that snapped over the zipper to keep both the wind and rain out.

The modern version of the mens leather bomber jacket, while only a little different from the ones worn to win the war over 60 years ago, the only major difference is that most of them are made from cow leather rather than goat skins and the lining in artificial. However whether you choose to wear a bomber jacket for riding your bike or as a casual jacket, it will still help you to achieve that handsome rugged look that all the ladies swoon over.