Every Man Needs An Aviator Jacket

by Michael Satterfield - Photos by Lucas Kepnet - 03/20/2024

TV shows have a major impact on menswear, and Masters of the Air is no different, inspiring men to pull grandpa's jacket out of the back closet or simply to order one of the timeless A-2 or B-3 jackets, which are made by dozens of clothing brands to this day. Shearling jackets, originally lined with fur, are recognized as the warmest flight jackets used by high-altitude bombers. Even when the fur was replaced with wool, this coat was warm enough to keep Lt. John A. Macready warm when he set a world record in April 1921, reaching an altitude of 40,000 feet in his open-cockpit airplane. Styles range from the B-3 "bomber jacket" to the M-445, the U.S. Navy's shearling jacket. These jackets first gained esteem after General Hap Arnold rejected the A-2 jacket in 1942.

B-3 Shearling Brown Leather Aviator Jacket

While the A-2 might be more widely worn year around, the B-3 features prominently in the show; while you can go out and spend $1,525 on a beautiful Schott B-3, there are much more affordable ways to get a similar look, like the B-3 by NYC Jackets, which comes in at just $270.