MA-1 recommendations?

[Harris HTM]

Yes, the quality might be “good,” but I don’t think it’s authentic. Also, the following details are identical to those on AliExpress (and different from the official pictures).


It might sound a bit nerdy, but I pay close attention to details when buying online.


For reference, I used photos from this website and from Toys McCoy’s Instagram:

1) The Toys McCoy version has this part in a greener tone, with less contrast to the nylon. Only Buzz Rickson uses a more brownish material.

Ebay:

View attachment 758668

Original:

View attachment 758669

2) Take a close look at the zipper (it’s completely blank) and the stitching quality.

Ebay:
View attachment 758671


Original:

View attachment 758670

3) The letters are "off" (see for example the "C")
Ebay:

View attachment 758672

Original:
View attachment 758673

Yeah, good eye.

 

[Technonut]

This is a vintage Spanish made 80s jacket but the patches on it, the Spanish guy who sold me it years ago bought the official TV movie made patches, anyone recognise the patches?

Looks to be patches from the Stargate series:

Stargate Command SGC (Prometheus) 3.5" Patch - SciFi Geeks

Embroidered Patch 100% Embroidered The Best Collectible Patches You will Find! Iron-On Backing FREE Standard Shipping

www.scifigeeks.com

 

[Jon Crow]

Nice jacket! But this is not an MA1, isn't it? Looks more like a B15

It is more B15, was made 1984 in Spain

 

[Jon Crow]

Looks to be patches from the Stargate series:

http://[URL]https://www.scifigeeks.com/shop/stargate/stargate-command-sgc-prometheus-3-5-patch/

[/URL]

View attachment 758702

Yesss! It's Stargate SG1 Pegasus starship

 

[raf]

You mean the small flap at the L2 series? I didn't know that these flaps were also applied at the ma1 jackets.

Unsure which version(s) of similar jackets have this feature. Having seen many used jackets having damage to lower zippers; suggest that this feature is "useful".

 

[Aloysius]

There are some versions of this general style of jacket which include a small triangular snapped external flap at the bottom of the zipper. Deleted in later iterations, this flap helped prevent the bottom of the zipper being gradually damaged/pulled apart by pressure exerted by the waistband.

As Harris notes, that flap is a feature of the L-2 series.

The MA-1 and its predecessor the B-15 and its predecessor the B-10 don't have this.

 

[bn1966]

Flap absent from my 70’s L-2B service issued ground crew jacket

 

[Edward]

Flap absent from my 70’s L-2B service issued ground crew jacket

The L2 seems to have had more variations on the detail than any other of the jackets I've looked at over the years (certainly any of the textiles, given arguably the most significant changes to the various B15 models was just colour). Epaulettes or no, zip box cover flap, pocket flaps or no.... Quite the variation.

Interesting little jacket, though. I had an Alpha Vintage Series at a time, and the most surprising thing there was how warm it was. Not cold-weather warm like the insulated MA1, but warmer than, say, an A2 or a Harrington, which I believe to be the difference between a more breathable, natural shell and the nylon. Ideal for a wet or drizzly day in Summer.

 

[MrProper]

Here's another MA-1 of the slim fit Alphas. Maybe it's just my imagination, but it seems to me that the nylon used in the Heritage models is a little softer.

 

[itsme]

Here's another MA-1 of the slim fit Alphas. Maybe it's just my imagination, but it seems to me that the nylon used in the Heritage models is a little softer.
View attachment 760766

Looks great, you should do modeling for heritage wear brands

I really like the combination with the sweater – I think it works great. The more I experiment with color combinations, the more I realize how tricky navy can be to style. I actually love navy and own quite a few jackets in that color, but for example blue jeans (though it's usually a one fits all) can easily end up looking too matchy with it. In summer I usually go for beige or ecru pants, but that doesn’t feel quite right for winter.

 

[MrProper]

Looks great, you should do modeling for heritage wear brands

I really like the combination with the sweater – I think it works great. The more I experiment with color combinations, the more I realize how tricky navy can be to style. I actually love navy and own quite a few jackets in that color, but for example blue jeans (though it's usually a one fits all) can easily end up looking too matchy with it. In summer I usually go for beige or ecru pants, but that doesn’t feel quite right for winter.

Thank you very much.
I like beige and ecru too. But I feel the same way as you do, anything too light is not suitable for winter. I sometimes make an exception for beige chinos

 

[Technonut]

Another update.... The Bronson exchange for a size larger (**L) MA-1 is complete... I must say that that the jacket fits very nicely, and should've been the size I went with from the start... It has a bit of blousing, and the fit is now bang-on to MA-1 jacket pics I've viewed of the period reproduced by Bronson:

I ran across a quite interesting and comprehensive article regarding the MA-1's history that's worth the read IMO:

Altitude and attitude: The story of the MA-1 from cockpits to council estates – Part 1

The 1950: birth of the MA-1 The MA-1 flight jacket is also widely known as a ‘bomber’ jacket, especially in Europe. Some never tire of pointing out that, in the fashion world, ‘bomber jacket’ doesn…

creaseslikeknives.wordpress.com

In particular, I wasn't aware that the wool batting insulation it's self was ENTIRELY wool, and NOT a blend of wool / cotton as the label may lead one to believe:

Early MA-1s featured a supremely warm wool interlining, unlike the polyester used in later civilian-market versions. The term ‘wool–cotton blend’ on original labels is a bit misleading: the insulation itself was actually 100% pure wool, grafted onto a cotton mesh backing using a hair-grafting technique. The cotton was only there for structural support, not blended into the wool fibers

I'll do my best to grab a couple of fit pics of the **L MA-1 soon, along with the Bronson B-15C Modified that just quickly arrived from China... VERY nice jacket as well, and basically just an MA-1 in a striking AF blue color...

 

[MrProper]

And yet another color.

 

[itsme]

And yet another color.

View attachment 764340

View attachment 764341 View attachment 764343

The MA-1 jacket also fits very well. Is it an Alpha jacket as well? How do you like the quality?

My Bronson and Red Tornado MA-1s should arrive today. I’m really curious how the wool insulation compares to the polyester padding in the Alpha jackets I used to own.”

 

[itsme]

Another update.... The Bronson exchange for a size larger (**L) MA-1 is complete... I must say that that the jacket fits very nicely, and should've been the size I went with from the start... It has a bit of blousing, and the fit is now bang-on to MA-1 jacket pics I've viewed of the period reproduced by Bronson:

View attachment 761745

View attachment 761746

View attachment 761747

View attachment 761748

I ran across a quite interesting and comprehensive article regarding the MA-1's history that's worth the read IMO:

Altitude and attitude: The story of the MA-1 from cockpits to council estates – Part 1

The 1950: birth of the MA-1 The MA-1 flight jacket is also widely known as a ‘bomber’ jacket, especially in Europe. Some never tire of pointing out that, in the fashion world, ‘bomber jacket’ doesn…

creaseslikeknives.wordpress.com

In particular, I wasn't aware that the wool batting insulation it's self was ENTIRELY wool, and NOT a blend of wool / cotton as the label may lead one to believe:



I'll do my best to grab a couple of fit pics of the **L MA-1 soon, along with the Bronson B-15C Modified that just quickly arrived from China... VERY nice jacket as well, and basically just an MA-1 in a striking AF blue color...

That's really interesting!

I’ll try to post some photos later as well. Bronson’s customer service recommended getting a 3XL.

 

[Harris HTM]

I’m really curious how the wool insulation compares to the polyester padding in the Alpha jackets I used to own

They are heavier, stiffer, thicker and warmer.

 

[MrProper]

The MA-1 jacket also fits very well. Is it an Alpha jacket as well? How do you like the quality?

My Bronson and Red Tornado MA-1s should arrive today. I’m really curious how the wool insulation compares to the polyester padding in the Alpha jackets I used to own.”

Yes, it's an Alpha VF59 (outside Europe, it's called Slim).
I don't have anything to compare the quality to, but it seems good to me. At least, I can't find anything that I'm dissatisfied with. With this model, I get the impression that the lining of the sleeves is slightly thinner than on the Heritage model.

 

[Technonut]

They are heavier, stiffer, thicker and warmer.

It was a VERY chilly and windy 5 F here yesterday morning, and the Bronson MA-1 with a sweatshirt / long-sleeved tee kept me comfortably warm....

I've been quite happy with Bronson's cotton flight jackets as well. I've had one of their B-15A's for a number of years now. It's also actually warm in cold weather, well-constructed, and has held-up nicely... I'm surprised that it's taken me this long to try out their nylon offerings. The nylon used for both the MA-1 and B-15C's appears to be great quality (to me), and is REALLY comfortable to wear. Some may find them a bit bulky looking, but it's just the nature of thick wool batting from what I've seen of originals from the era.

The author of the MA-1 article I linked above has his own pointed opinions regarding one of Alpha's modern representations :

A past that never existed

Today, Alpha Industries offers a modern slim-fit variation of the MA-1, named the VF-59 (‘Vintage Fit 1959’) and advertised as closely resembling the original cut. This is nothing but a marketing myth, invoking a past that never existed. The cropped cut of true MA-1s – which, to my eyes, is a crucial part of what makes them look so cool – is completely absent here. Instead, both the back and front lengths have been adjusted to suit contemporary preferences for lower waistlines.

What you get with the VF-59, then, is a sturdily constructed fashion bomber that passes for an MA-1 to the untrained eye. It’s very slim fitting, with aggressively tapered sleeves. You could politely describe it as contemporary-looking, but you might just as well say it’s for people who are literally afraid of their own shadow (because it doesn’t cast one). In any case, it’s completely inauthentic. The military specifications for MA-1 jackets certainly didn’t require 1950s pilots to look like 21st-century townies – there’s a reason why you won’t even find a military specs pocket label inside the VF-59.


That said, Alpha Industries briefly produced a different ‘1959 jacket’, which was somewhat closer to the original – though the shiny modern nylon wasn’t very authentic, nor was the orange lining...

 

[Harris HTM]

It was a VERY chilly and windy 5 F here yesterday morning, and the Bronson MA-1 with a sweatshirt / long-sleeved tee kept me comfortably warm....

I've been quite happy with Bronson's cotton flight jackets as well. I've had one of their B-15A's for a number of years now. It's also actually warm in cold weather, well-constructed, and has held-up nicely... I'm surprised that it's taken me this long to try out their nylon offerings. The nylon used for both the MA-1 and B-15C's appears to be great quality (to me), and is REALLY comfortable to wear. Some may find them a bit bulky looking, but it's just the nature of thick wool batting from what I've seen of originals of the era.

The author of the MA-1 article I linked above has his own pointed opinions regarding some of the modern representations :

The Bronson jackets are really well made and value for their money, both nylon and cotton. I own a couple of them and I wear them really often.
The article you posted is 100% right about the vf59 jackets. Alpha has become a fashion brand their last years and this version has nothing to do with originals (that does not mean it is a bad jacket).
I have tried numerous brands and versions since the mid 90's: alpha made in the us, alpha made in china, alpha replica series, greenbrier made in the us, bronson, red tornado, toys mc coys... if you ask me the best nylon version I have had (a b15d mod) is the alpha replica series.

 

[Harris HTM]

The MA-1 jacket also fits very well. Is it an Alpha jacket as well? How do you like the quality?

My Bronson and Red Tornado MA-1s should arrive today. I’m really curious how the wool insulation compares to the polyester padding in the Alpha jackets I used to own.”

Did the jackets arrive? What is your impression?