The piece

The A-2 is one of the most enduring silhouettes American military design ever produced.

Originally specified in 1931 for officers of the US Army Air Corps, it became the jacket of WWII bomber and fighter pilots — and a permanent fixture of American aviation iconography.

This particular jacket is a Perrone Aviation Apparel production, Made in USA, faithful to the original spec : russet-brown leather shell (likely goatskin, in the tradition of Perrone's heritage productions), knit cuffs and waistband, two flap pockets, epaulets, snap-down collar.

The brass Talon zipper is a key marker of build quality. Talon was the original contractor for WWII A-2s — and its presence on this jacket signals that Perrone built it with the same components that defined the originals.

The interior is fully lined in beige satin-finish, aged into a soft, slightly burnished tone.

The "Flying 58th" patch

The chest carries an embroidered patch of the 58th Fighter Squadron of the United States Air Force — known as the Flying 58th, an authentic USAF unit with lineage tracing back to WWII.

The squadron's emblem — a winged red fox striking with lightning — is one of the more distinctive insignia in American aviation.

The patch shows real age : softened edges, white field gently yellowed by time, embroidery slightly raised in the way that only decades of wear produce.

This is not a fresh reproduction stitched yesterday. It carries the patina of a real squadron patch that lived a life — likely on a service uniform before being applied to this jacket — and that history is stitched directly into the leather now.

Provenance

We sourced this jacket in Japan, the most exacting market in the world for vintage American garments.

Japanese collectors have been hunting and preserving American aviation pieces since the 1970s, often with more discipline than their American counterparts. When a heritage A-2 surfaces from a serious Japanese seller, you know it has been judged worthy of keeping.

We brought it back to Barcelona because we believed it deserved a second life in someone's wardrobe — not in a glass case.

Condition

Excellent.

The leather is supple, deeply patinated, and shows only the soft scratches and shading that prove a piece was worn rather than displayed.

The brass Talon zipper runs cleanly. The knit cuffs and waistband retain their elasticity. The lining is intact and clean. The squadron patch is original to the jacket and securely affixed.

This is a jacket that was made well, kept well, and is ready to be worn well again.

Wear

The A-2 is one of those rare garments that has never gone out of style because it was never about style to begin with.

It was built to do a job — keeping bomber pilots warm at altitude over Europe and the Pacific — and every detail came from that purpose. Eighty years later, it still works.

Wear it the way it was designed to be worn : over a sweatshirt, a knit, a thin shirt. The leather will continue to soften against you, the brass will continue to dull, and the patch will continue to age. That is the point.

Spec & measurements

• Type — A-2 Flight Jacket
• Manufacturer — Perrone Aviation Apparel, Made in USA
• Era — Late 1990s / early 2000s production
• Leather — Russet-brown supple grain hide (likely goatskin)
• Lining — Beige satin-finish
• Zipper — Brass Talon (original American military contractor)
• Patch — Flying 58th (58th Fighter Squadron, USAF) — authentic vintage patch with period patina
• Tag size — US 48
• Pit to pit — 61cm
• Total length — 75cm
• Condition — Excellent