elc | type a-2 reissue 'escape a-2'
the type a-2 reissue 'escape a-2' by eastman leather is the exact reproduction of the famous a-2 leather jacket worn by steve mcqueen as captain virgil hilts in 'the great escape'. for this purpose, eastman leather carefully analyzed dozens of stills from the film and was able to determine with the utmost certainty that mcqueen's jacket was originally manufactured by the rough wear clothing® company under contract number 16159. the jacket in the film was also a so-called 'reissue a-2', i.e. jackets that went back into quartermasters inventory after active service and subsequently went through a refurbishment process to give them further serviceable life. this refurbishment would include such things as replacement lining, knit cuffs/waistband, zip, and crucially, a re-coating of the leather shell with a very dark brown polyacrylate lacquer to give the garment a new uniform appearance. this lacquer was applied by hand, literally with a brush, and certain hard-to-get-at areas, such as down inside the pockets, back of the windflap etc, were not reached. the finish was often unevenly applied, giving rise to mottled shading and varied texture. as the garments went back into service the painted coating proved not to be so permanent as was originally envisaged. the finish would wear off in irregular patterns bearing the lighter shade of the nap beneath giving a distinct contrast between those areas, and where the coating remained. all of this however is what has given these garments their latter-day vintage appeal.
- color: seal brown re-coating over the original havana shade.
- leather: veg-tanned warhorse® horsehide
- lining: 100% plain weave cotton, matched to the correct usaaf spec.
- knit: 100% worsted wool, in authentic wartime spec and colour.
- zip: authentic talon m-42
- label: original maker rough wear® clothing co. contract 16159
- made in england
thomas is 180cm tall, weighs 72kg and wears size 40
write us (info@stuf-f.com) if you have questions about fit | sizing | washing.