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A Fashionable Trip Through Time


Published: March 24, 2005

THE A-2 flight jacket, familiar to fans of World War II memorabilia, is a model of utilitarian fashion. Adopted by the United States Army Air Corps in 1931, the A-2 is a lasting symbol of 1940's aviation with its collar style and russet color.

To Michael Goldfarb, however, the A-2 replica he bought at www.flightjacket.com is more than just a copy of the original. After the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. Goldfarb, 50, who works for a software company in Rye, N.Y., wanted something to reassert his patriotism.

"I was casting around for a new look as part of reimagining myself, and I decided that I needed a new leather jacket," he said. Not just any jacket, mind you, but the sort worn by aviators before the age of high-tech flight suits and oxygen masks.

For FlightJacket.com, which sells jackets under the label U.S. Authentic Manufacturing Company, authenticity of design and materials is crucial, said its owner, Shaul Dover. Mr. Dover, 44, who lives in Goldens Bridge, N.Y., started the label and the site nine years ago.

In addition to selling off-the-rack pieces, Mr. Dover also offers custom designs and reproduces vintage jackets using new materials.

"Some families are left with a jacket from a relative in one of the wars that they want to preserve, so they want to duplicate it," he said.

Mr. Dover's site offers a number of military-issue replicas, starting at $44 for a children's replica MA-1 jacket with orange lining. Prices reach $900, with custom work sometimes costing more, he said.

"We use the original specifications for most of the jackets, but each jacket had 20 different manufacturers," Mr. Dover said. "There might be a slight difference in each version, so everyone wants the one they consider original." John Biggs


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