SCHOTT NYC® AND THE BOMBERS
The Bomber jacket, an iconic item in the Schott NYC® wardrobe, takes its origins from World War II. It was during this period that the US Air Force introduced the A-2 model, marking the beginning of the history of this emblematic jacket.
The original bombers were made from leather and lined. Inside was a personal identification plate for each soldier. They frequently customized their jackets by painting pin-ups, crew logos or even cartoon characters on them.
With the arrival of modern jet aircraft, finding an alternative to the uncomfortable leather jacket was essential. As the cockpit becomes narrower and colder humid leather jacket is particularly inconvenient to use …
In 1950, the US Army abandoned leather for a lighter, easier-to-maintain material : nylon. The first MA-1s were introduced with a distinctive label containing U.S. government specifications "Jacket, Flyers, Man's Intermediate Type MA-1 (MIL-J-8279) ".
The two original colors are explained by their function : in the event of an emergency landing, the kaki color blends into the surrounding environment, and the orange lining is easily identifiable by rescue teams on the sea.
Meanwhile, the nylon Bomber jacket was adopted by more and more people. At this time, stores selling military surplus uniforms became popular in Europe, particularly among working-class youth.
In 1970, the MA-1 was replaced by the CWU in the US Air Force.
Over time, the nylon Bomber jackets made their appearance in the cinema, notably in Top Gun with Tom Cruise, and has progressively entered the world of fashion, even appearing in luxury department stores and being adopted by haute couture brands.
For a few decades, Schott NYC has manufactured dozen of thousands of MA-1 and CWU jackets for the civilian market and somehow turned out those original jackets into genuine icons of the pop culture and fashion.
The most famous of these, the MA-1 Bomber, has transcended its original use to become an iconic piece of fashion that seduces people of all generations.
