The Ultimate Bomber Jacket

One of the most interesting peculiarities about men’s fashion is its ability to continuously materialize into mainstream garments, specific designs from non-fashion universes. In fact, some of today’s established menswear staples derive from garments associated with such distinct branches as the Military (Army and Navy), Hunting, or Construction, to name a few. Personally, I tend to favor styles inspired by Military history, which manage to preserve original functionality whilst providing an updated, contemporary interpretation of the core design. On this note, I would like to present to you Craftsman Clothing, a Hong Kong-based label specialized in Made-to-Measure garments with history.

The young entrepreneur duo behind the brand, Tobe Fong and TC Ng, adopted an extremely smart initial approach to their business model, focused on developing a single product to perfection: the leather jacket. Passionate about iconic styles, their collection features outstanding versions of the A-1, A-2, and G-1 flight jackets, along with their signature Hemingway, a leather version of the safari jacket – if you’re unfamiliar with these styles, suffice it to say they became popular thanks to likes of Steve Mcqueen or Paul Newman. By focusing on one product category at a time, Craftsman Clothing was able to slowly tweak each model to perfection, incorporating the know-how and client feedback from one iteration to the next. This kind of attention to detail and concern with its clientele’s opinion, further emphasized by their social media and presence in mandatory events such as Pitti Uomo, allows the brand to establish a distinctively close relation with its clients. Their made-to-measure system is quite comprehensive and accounts for a range of measurements often overlooked by other brands, while the assortment of leathers available is more than enough to build an extensive wishlist.

I had the pleasure of meeting Tobe and TC during last Pitti and shooting a few of their jackets, after browsing them extensively during previous months. I ended up placing an order for the A-1 Grant Bomber in burgundy suede, one of the few shades I was missing in the suede jacket department. I love the supple, luxurious feel of the material, which along with its versatility made it a personal favorite for both casual and polished outfits. After 4 weeks the A-1arrived at my place: the fit is impeccable, the burgundy shade is amazing and the overall construction and finishings are of the highest quality. Snug-fitting as requested, to wear over light layers, its weight adds to the luxurious feel without compromising comfort. True to the original design, pockets are placed high on the torso perfectly balanced with the shorter length of the jacket, being ideally meant to store your essentials rather than keeping your hands warm. Having exceeded my expectations, the A-1 Grant Bomber has been on heavy rotation lately definitely ranking amongst the best suede bombers I’ve ever tried.

Details: MTM Burgundy Lamb Suede Grant A-1 Bomber Jacket by Craftsman Clothing, denim button-down shirt by Our Legacy, vintage white denim trousers by Fortela, “Gabardine” shades by The Bespoke Dudes Eyewear, vintage braided leather belt, boots by Buttero, vintage Moroccan turquoise bracelet and watch by Rolex.

Model and Styling: Miguel Amaral Vieira

Ph: Dulce Daniel