From a military pilot's uniform to the most popular jacket in the world

 A loose fit, slanted pockets, elastic bands at the neck, cuffs and hips - all these are the qualities of a classic bomber jacket.

Fashion historian and expert at the Pentaschool Academy of Design Professions Ivan Shurinov explains how this jacket came about and why it became so popular .

Model A-1: ​​The First Pilots' Jacket

The bomber jacket was designed by order of the US Air Force for pilots during World War I, when aviation was just beginning to develop. The name "bomber" itself comes from the direct purpose of the product - to protect pilots from bad weather during strategic bombing raids.

The first prototypes of bomber jackets were created to protect pilots from cold temperatures and harsh air currents at altitude. Aircraft cabins of the time were poorly sealed or left open. That is why the jackets were tightly buttoned, sewn on a fur lining with a fur collar, had additional safety belts and fastenings for an oxygen mask.

Pilots bombers were made short so that they could be easily maneuvered in the cockpit. The first jackets were made of leather - at that time, designers were sure that there was no more durable and heat-absorbing material. This jacket was called A-1.

Model B-15: World War II Bomber

After World War I, designers and engineers developed many variations of the bomber jacket. Fur linings were replaced by fleece, knitted belts were added, fur collars were removed and then returned again.

When leather jackets like the A-1 got wet from sweat and rain, the water froze on them, making the material stiff and uncomfortable. By World War II, such jackets were no longer suitable for pilots. Newer jet aircraft had more streamlined cockpits, leaving even less room for the pilot to move. This created a strategic need to create a lightweight, thin, yet warm jacket. This is how the B-15 was born.

This jacket, unlike its predecessors, was made of cotton with a fur lining. Later, bombers began to be made of nylon, which was used to make parachutes.

Model MA-1: the first step towards popularization

It was only in 1949 that the bomber jacket became what we are used to seeing: light, comfortable, with elastic bands made of ribana, with pockets and a zipper. This jacket was called MA-1.

In 1963, the MA-1 bomber went into production. The products were supplied to the military and private markets in Australia and the USA. It was from this moment that the bomber began to become popular.

The jackets were especially widespread in Japan. The local population was so keen on everything American that Kensuke Ishizu, who founded the VAN company, began supplying bombers, oxfords and English shirts to Japan as early as 1951.

And the US military serving at Japanese bases embroidered gold and colored patterns on their bombers: tigers, dragons, sakura. They sent these jackets home as souvenirs. Such things were called sukajan. Soon the Japanese themselves began to produce sukajan, simultaneously preserving their own culture and imitating the Americans.

From skinhead clothing to pop culture

In the 60s, youth movements emerged in Great Britain that began to use the bomber jacket as a symbol of identification. British mods from poor areas, who later became known as skinheads, expressed their protest against the government by dressing up in jeans, bomber jackets and combat boots.

In the 70s, skinheads deviated greatly from the working class, promoting radicalism. Because of this, the bomber jacket temporarily became a sign of racial intolerance and nationalism. But everything changed after the penetration of bomber jackets into pop culture. In the 80s and 90s, the bomber jacket became clothing for everyone: it was worn by pop, rock, grunge, hip-hop performers.

Cinema had a particularly strong influence on the spread of such jackets. Even now, you can see many characters in films wearing bombers.

For example, Ryan Gosling appears in the film Drive wearing a silk sukajan jacket with an embroidered gold scorpion on the back.

Bombers and Haute Couture

Since the 80s, bombers have been appearing at fashion shows. One of the "pioneers" of such jackets in the world of high fashion was Jean-Paul Gaultier.

However, Belgian designer Raf Simons was able to look at this item from an unexpected angle, when in 2000 he showed a classic black bomber jacket with the logo of the Dutch group Rotterdam Terror Corps on the back. And in 2003, he also offered an elongated version of the bomber jacket in a Gothic style.

The variety of bombers by the early 2010s was off the charts: long, short, fitted and loose, with belts and bandages, patches and pockets. But they really became popular thanks to rapper Kanye West. In 2016, he collaborated with Alpha Industries to create merch, which included a bomber jacket. Since then, such a jacket has become an integral part of the wardrobe of any fashionista.

Although bombers were originally men's clothing, they quickly caught the eye of women, too. One of the first to try on a bomber jacket was the legendary Amelia Earhart .

It can be said that the bomber jacket became the first unisex item that did not go through the transition stage from the men's wardrobe to the women's.

Nowadays, the bomber jacket is a symbol of practicality, functionality and casualness. A thing that is worn by both the poor and the rich, both men and women. A similar story, by the way, happened with jeans.