Cowhide Leather Bomber Aviator Flight Jacket

Cowhide Leather Bomber Aviator Flight Jacket

This aviator flight jacket is made in cowhide, which is a deliberate choice and not the only one available. Flight jackets have historically been made from three different hides, each with real differences in weight, feel and lifespan, and knowing which you are buying tells you what to expect. It sits in our aviator and pilot leather jackets range.

• Material: Genuine cowhide, jacket weight
• Fit: Classic flight jacket cut
• Closure: Front zip with knitted cuffs and waistband
• Color: Brown
• Care: Dry wipe, condition twice a year, dry naturally if wet

Cowhide, horsehide, goatskin — the flight jacket hides

Cowhide is the heaviest and toughest of the three, with a slightly coarser grain and real substance in the hand. It takes the longest to break in and then lasts longest of all. Horsehide is dense and firm, historically used on the earliest jackets, and it creases into hard, sharp folds rather than soft ones. Goatskin is lighter with a pronounced pebble grain, more supple from the start, and was the standard on later A-2 contracts. There is no best hide — cowhide is the one to choose if you want weight and durability over immediate comfort.

Breaking in a cowhide jacket

A new cowhide flight jacket is stiff, and it should be. Give it three or four weeks of regular wear and it starts to move with you — elbows first, then across the back, then the collar roll. The mistake is buying a size up because it feels tight when new; cowhide relaxes and does not shrink back, so the jacket you found roomy in week one will be loose by winter. Buy it close.

What the knit trims do

The cuffs and waistband are knitted, and they seal warm air in — the reason flight jackets are warmer than their weight suggests. They are also the parts that wear out first. Good ribbing springs back immediately when stretched; when it eventually goes slack, it can be replaced by a leather workshop without touching the shell.

Stated plainly: this is a fashion jacket in the flight-jacket style, not military-issue equipment, with no insignia or affiliation.

Sizing and made to order

Measure your chest over a T-shirt and buy close. Sizes run XS to 5XL, with Custom taking chest, waist, shoulder, sleeve, and body length.

Shop Related Styles at Leather Outlet

Browse the aviator and pilot leather jackets, our bomber leather jackets, B3 leather bomber jackets, or the men leather jackets range. Everything is at Leather Outlet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does cowhide compare with goatskin?

Cowhide is heavier and tougher with a coarser grain; goatskin is lighter, pebbled, and supple sooner.

Does it need breaking in?

Yes, three or four weeks of regular wear. Do not size up because it feels stiff when new.

Are the cuffs and waistband leather?

No, they are knitted ribs, which is what seals warm air inside the jacket.

Can the ribbing be replaced when it wears out?

Yes. A leather workshop can replace the trims without touching the shell.

Is this military issue?

No. It is a fashion jacket in the flight-jacket style, with no insignia or affiliation.

Do you offer custom sizing?

Yes. Choose Custom and send chest, waist, shoulder, sleeve, and body length.

Is shipping free?

Yes, free worldwide shipping and secure checkout.