Style guide
The bomber jacket, explained
Shirt collar, ribbed knit at the hem and cuffs, room through the body: the bomber is the relaxed one. What to look for, how it fits and when to choose the aviator instead.
What makes a bomber
A bomber is a short jacket with a straight centre zip, a shirt collar or a knit collar, and ribbed knit at the hem and cuffs. The knit is the point: it seals the jacket at the waist and wrists so warmth stays in, and it lets the body of the jacket sit loose. Flight crews wore the original version because it kept them warm in an open cockpit without restricting the arms.
- Straight front zip, sometimes with a storm flap
- Shirt collar (the leather bomber) or sheepskin collar (the aviator)
- Ribbed knit hem and cuffs
- Two patch or welt pockets with flaps, a sleeve pocket on some
- Relaxed through the chest and body, short at the waist
Our Pilot is the leather bomber: shirt collar, flap pockets, ribbed hem and cuffs, in three colours. The Aviator and Aviator Women's are the winter version with a sheepskin collar.
Who it suits
Anyone who finds the biker too fitted. The bomber is cut with room through the body, so it layers over a hoodie or a heavy knit without pulling, and the short length suits most heights. It is the easiest leather jacket to wear with sneakers.
How it should fit
Relaxed, not baggy. The shoulder seam should sit on the bone or just past it, the knit hem should sit at the waistband of your trousers and grip lightly, and the cuffs should sit at the wrist bone. The chest should have room for a fist between the zip and your T-shirt. If the hem rides up above the belt when you lift your arms, the body is too short; go up a size or use the size guide to check your back length.
Leather, colour and lining
Pilot is cut in sheepskin nappa, which keeps a loose jacket from feeling heavy. In the builder you can order the bomber cut in cowhide for a stiffer, more structured jacket. Cognac and dark brown are the classic bomber colours; black makes it a city jacket. The quilted lining makes the bomber the warmest of our jackets short of the aviator; satin makes it an autumn one.
Bomber or aviator?
If you run cold, or your winters have real frost, choose the aviator: the sheepskin collar turns up against the wind and the quilted body does the rest. For everything short of that, the bomber's shirt collar is lighter, easier to wear indoors and better under a coat.
Embroidery
The bomber's plain back and clean chest take embroidery well, and the sleeve pocket does not get in the way of an arm piece. Varsity-style lettering on the chest is the classic. The artwork guidelines have the sizes.
Make it yours
Build a Pilot in your leather, colour and size in the builder, from €249,99, at your door three to four weeks after you approve the spec.
