The MA1 Bomber Jacket: From Jet Pilots to Every High Street

October 12, 2026

Few pieces of military clothing have travelled as far from their original job as the MA1. It was designed for jet crews in the United States in the 1950s. Seventy years later it is on every high street, worn by people who have never been near an aircraft.

Almost every detail on it was put there for a reason.

Why the collar is knitted

Earlier flight jackets had big fur or fleece collars. In the cramped cockpit of a jet, wearing a helmet and a parachute harness, a bulky collar got in the way. The MA1 swapped it for a knitted rib collar that sits flat and stays out of the way. The cuffs and waistband are knitted for the same reason: they keep the wind out without catching on anything.

Why the lining is orange

Turn a traditional MA1 inside out and the lining is bright orange. The idea was that a crew member who came down could reverse the jacket and be far easier to spot from the air. Most people now wear it the green side out, but the orange lining is the detail that marks the design.

The pocket on the sleeve

The zipped pocket on the upper left sleeve, with its little pen slots, is where aircrew kept pens and small items they needed to reach while strapped in. It is still the most useful pocket on the jacket.

From airbase to scooter club

The MA1 spread through military surplus shops in the decades that followed. In Britain it became a fixture of the scooter and mod scene, and then of almost every youth style that wanted something tough, warm and cheap. It has never really gone away.

Choosing one

The jackets we sell are military-style reproductions, made to the classic pattern in a range of colours:

Sage green, the original colour and still the classic.
Black, the easiest to wear every day.
Maroon, a favourite of the scooter crowd.
Camouflage, in woodland and urban.

There is a children's version as well, and the MA2 / CWU style pilot jacket if you prefer a different collar and cut.

Getting the fit right

An MA1 is meant to be roomy in the body and close at the waist and cuffs, so it gathers into a blouson shape. Check the chest measurement in the listing against a jacket you already like. If you plan to wear a thick jumper underneath through winter, go up a size.