Men’s Shearling Sheepskin Flying Jacket

Men’s Sheepskin Flying Jacket

The RAF and USAAF flew in these because nothing else kept a crew warm at altitude. This one is built to that pattern. One hide with the wool still attached, turned so the fleece sits against you and the leather takes the weather.

Flying jacket, flight jacket, aviator or pilot jacket?

Four names, one garment. A sheepskin flying jacket, a sheepskin flight jacket, a sheepskin aviator jacket and a mens sheepskin pilot jacket all describe this shape. Aviator tends to get used for the shorter cut and flying for the original military one, but nobody applies that rule consistently. Search whichever you like. You will land here either way.

What it is made of

The outer is 100% genuine shearling sheepskin in a vintage brown. Ginger fur runs right through the body. That fur is part of the hide, not a lining stitched in afterwards. It is why the jacket weighs what it does. It is also why it holds heat in a way a padded coat cannot.

A fur lined leather flying jacket built the other way round, with a shell and a separate fleece, is lighter and colder. Worth knowing when you compare prices, because the two look similar in a photograph.

What the original WW2 pattern gives you

The collar folds over and fastens with a strap across the throat. Turn it up and the wind stops at your jaw. A heavy duty zip runs up the front. The cuffs and hem both adjust. That lets you close it off at the wrist and waist instead of letting cold air track up the sleeves. Pockets sit on the outside and the inside.

Sizing

Sheepskin is thick before you add the wool. This takes up more room than a plain leather jacket. Most men keep their usual size and wear a jumper underneath rather than going up. Measure round the fullest part of your chest over a jumper rather than a shirt. Then check the table on this page. Sizes run XS to 3XL.

When you will wear it

November to February. It will handle anything a British winter does. For milder months it is simply too much jacket. If you want the same warmth in black, the rest of our sheepskin flying jackets cover it, and the wider men’s sheepskin jackets range has shorter cuts.

Looking after it

Keep it away from direct heat. No radiators and no tumble dryer. If it gets wet, hang it somewhere airy and let it dry on its own. Use a cleaner who handles sheepskin. Brush the fleece back up with a suede brush when it flattens.