Designer Notes: The Arlington Bomber

Like many timeless menswear garments, the origins of the bomber jacket trace back to the military. "There isn’t an enduring silhouette whose origins can’t be traced back to military garb, either ceremonial or designed for battle," explains Oli. "From the Melton wool pea coats worn by naval officers to the long trench and greatcoats via the submariner's boiler suits, the necessities and rigours of battle have literally shaped the evolution of menswear."

As much as the military is about might, it is also about pride, pomp and performance, three characteristics often distilled into parade uniform. But you won't find the bomber doing pomp. The no-nonsense waist-cut blouson marries minimalistic form with a history of function at many thousands of feet in the air.

That today’s bombers are virtually unchanged from their ancestors of the 1950s hints at the perfection of their design. ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ could be the bomber jacket’s tagline. The styles we recognise today, such as our own Arlington bomber jacket, have much to owe the MA-1 jacket of the 1950s, and its predecessor the B-15. But the bomber jacket took to the skies decades before these two styles were ever developed. It was the founding of the US Aviation Clothing Board in 1917 that ensured that pilots of the time were suitably attired for the perils of flying open-cockpit, which was in many cases a cold, wet and miserable business. Hence the first bombers jackets’ primary requirement was to protect the pilots from the elements.

Our Arlington bomber honours the functionality of the original coats, while updating the silhouette for a modern menswear wardrobe. All three styles are simple to style over a plain white tee with tailored trousers for a minimalist look, or can be layered over a preppy shirt and jeans for an off-duty weekend fit.