Good Wear Leather

Good Wear Leather makes reproduction leather flight jackets based on American military aviation clothing from the 1930s to the 1950s. The company opened in 2007 and makes its garments by hand in Seattle, Washington, United States. Its work includes Army Air Forces and Navy jacket styles, as well as civilian clothing from the same period. The company studies original jackets to reproduce their construction, materials and appearance.

Reproduction Military Flight Jackets

Good Wear Leather focuses on reproducing clothing from an earlier period of American aviation.

Its jacket range began with military designs and expanded to include civilian styles from the same years.

The company studies original jackets to understand how the different designs were made.

It has examined jackets produced under different manufacturing contracts, including variations in their patterns and leather panels.

These differences matter when reproducing a particular jacket.

Two jackets from the same general period may have different shapes because they were made by different contractors.

Good Wear Leather uses its research into original garments when developing reproduction patterns.

This approach is relevant to customers who want a jacket based on a particular historical design rather than a general flight jacket style.

Leather and Jacket Construction

The company makes each garment by hand in Seattle.

Its jacket construction includes leather, cotton linings and wool knit components.

Good Wear Leather uses 100 percent cotton for its linings and wool for its knitted parts.

Its cuffs include the two-weave design found on the jackets it studies.

The company also allows customers to choose their preferred leather for individual jacket contracts.

It notes that some original World War II contracts used only one type of hide.

These details allow customers to consider the materials as well as the appearance of a reproduction jacket.

The company has studied original garments closely to understand their shape and construction.

Vintage Zippers and Fasteners

Zippers are another area of interest for Good Wear Leather.

The company has sourced working zippers from World War II, including unused old stock.

Its collection includes Talon, Conmar and Crown zippers.

Some original Talon zippers are associated with A-2 flight jackets.

The supply of original fasteners is limited, so the company also uses newly produced Talon reproductions.

This gives customers another detail to consider when choosing a jacket based on a historical design.

The Company's Background

Good Wear Leather opened in 2007 and has continued expanding its jacket collection.

Its work draws on research into American leather jackets made during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

The company also discusses the differences between original manufacturing contractors and their jacket patterns.

Its name shares a connection with a historical manufacturer, Good Wear Leather Coat Co., which produced B-10 and B-17 jacket contracts near the end of World War II.

For pilots and aviation enthusiasts, Good Wear Leather provides handmade jackets connected to American aviation clothing history. Its attention to original patterns, materials and fasteners is relevant to people interested in the details of older flight jackets.