Latest News

Photo by Douglas James Scammell

Fashion For Men – The Bomber Jacket & Boots

By Douglas James Scammell

Published 11:30 PST, Fri February 28, 2025

Last Updated: 11:41 PST, Fri February 28, 2025

—

In this article I am going to talk about the bomber jacket which is a timeless addition to your wardrobe and casual boots. First the bomber jacket originated from military issued clothing, then through out the years, fashion designers and clothing manufacturers added the jacket for men into casual everyday fashion and made it’s way to high-end fashion as well.

The military bomber jacket was made to be versatile for functionality as it was a lightweight jacket that kept aircrews warm. There were many different models of bomber jackets issued to all of the military air forces.

The A-2 is without a doubt the most famous of all the WWII flight bomber jacket designs. Standardized on May 29th 1931 as the regulation Army Air Corp intermediate flight jacket that was used until the end of WWII. The official color was seal brown shown here. But this was also represented in many various shades.

This particular jacket was worn by many WW II heroes notably Colonel James Doolittle who lead the first attack on Tokyo Japan for the United States, after the attack on Pearl Harbour, and warn by movie star Jimmy Stewart and most famously warn by actor Steve McQueen in the classic WW II film The Great Escape (1963).

Seen below is a picture of one particular model the A-2 Jacket which was a standard issue for the U.S. Army Air Force during WW II.

Today this jacket is an iconic piece of clothing that goes great with a pair of jeans or a nice pair of dress pants. It is perfect to wear on cooler days during fall and early spring.

Mens Casual Boot wear

There are many types of boots that a gentleman can incorporate into their everyday wear.

Anywhere from the traditional cowboy boot, chelsea boot, chukka desert boot, the classic moc boot, and many different styles of a military combat boot one of my favorite is the iron ranger.

Finding the right boot for both comfort and look as well as wearing the right boot for the right type of recreation will make every gentleman feel great.

Chelsea Boot: The Chelsea boot is a great boot for both dressy or casual wear that goes with a pair of jeans and sometimes I like to wear them with a suit. If the weather is a bit wet outside I will wear the Chelsea boots instead of my best pair of dress shoes with a suit to help keep my feet dry.

The Chelsea boots often have a snug fit and are ankle high that has a loop or tab of fabric at the back of the boot, allowing the boot to be pulled on and off as shown below.

The Chelsea boot’s history dates back to the Victorian era. The boot became popular for horse riding as well as walking. The name “Chelsea boot” was named by a London cobbler Thomas Cotton in the 1800’s and had an enormous resurgence in the UK in the 1960’s when it was worn by British bands like The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.

Chukka Boot / Desert Boot: Looks a little similar to the Chelsea boot. But the Chukka / Desert boot has laces and is often made out of suede fabric.

The boot looks great dressed up with a suit as well as casually worn with a pair of jeans. I suggest you don’t wear them in the rain as I learned from experience the rain will ruin the suede finish.

The history of the Desert Boot goes back to the 1940’s where south African soldiers’ old military boots failed them out on the desert terrain. They wanted something that was both lightweight and grippy which led to the creation of a boot with a suede upper on a crepe sole.

The Chukka boot was very popular with actor Steve McQueen who wore them on and off the screen as featured in his classic movie The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). The same boot made resurgence with Daniel Craig’s James Bond in the movie Spectre (2015) where he wore the same model boot that Steve McQueen wore back in 1968.

Moc Toe Boot: The classic Moc style boot shown in the photo below along with a Bomber Jacket.

The Moc toe boot originated in the early 20thcentury as a work boot for farmers, hunters and factory workers. They became popular as a fashion statement and are now worn for a variety of purposes. They are known for their durability, comfort because they are very lightweight.

These boots are a perfect accent to a casual fall appearance when paired with a pair of jeans. One of the reasons for its popularity is that a decent pair of moc-toe boots may be worn on the job or out on the town.

Iron Ranger Boot: The Iron Ranger is a work steal-toe laced-up boot that is manufactured in Minnesota, U.S.A. originally as a work boot for miners in the 1800’s.

By 1922, the model that remains unchanged to this day was launched. The boots are incredibly great when working on a construction site or on the ranch or a personal work project.They also look great dressed up with a pair of casual dress pants or a nice pair of jeans.

Photos by Douglas James Scammell