Probable chaqueta de vuelo A-2 de las Fuerzas Aéreas del Ejército de EE. UU. de Perry Sportswear, cremallera CONMAR original y parche del pecho, Segunda Guerra Mundial, talla 36–38

A wartime A-2 whose authority comes from substance rather than spectacle: a heavy, supple brown hide, its original CONMAR zipper and knits, leather rank insignia and a layered chest history. Tentatively attributed to Perry Sportswear from its collar and pattern, it rewards close handling and conservation-minded ownership.

The Piece

This WWII U.S. Army Air Forces A-2 flight jacket is tentatively attributed to Perry Sportswear on the basis of collar shape and pattern logic. It is notable for a materially strong leather shell, an original CONMAR zipper and surviving insignia layering. Though it lacks its maker label, it presents a substantial brown leather body with retained suppleness, original knit components, surviving shoulder rank devices, and a left chest that shows both removed insignia history and a later U.S. Army Air Forces leather patch. These accumulated traces make a garment that feels lived rather than curated.

Perry Sportswear jackets hold an important place in A-2 collecting because their visual grammar can be recognized even when documentation is incomplete; without the label, however, the attribution remains an argument rather than a fact, and it is offered here at exactly that level of confidence.

The hide is the core of the object. Wartime A-2s often fail in one of three ways: they turn dry and papery, they are over-conditioned into falseness, or they split at stress points until the silhouette collapses. This one appears to avoid all three. The shell still has thickness, surface character and life, and the grain and depth of the hide suggest a jacket that has survived materially rather than only visually. The functioning original CONMAR zipper matters too: original wartime zippers are often the first system to fail, and a working one preserves both usability and integrity.

The left chest records a jacket that moved through identities. A removed name tag and earlier removed insignia were followed by the application of a U.S. Army Air Forces leather patch, a sign of alteration and re-presentation during or shortly after its service life. The leather rank insignia on the epaulettes, modest in visual impact, preserve the garment’s place in the military hierarchy. Rather than the graphic drama of a painted A-2, this jacket offers proportion, hide character and integrity of substance.

Details

• Maker: Perry Sportswear (probable; tentative attribution from collar shape and pattern logic; tag missing, so not definitive)
• Model: WWII USAAF A-2 flight jacket
• Era: Circa 1940s
• Origin: United States
• Material: Heavy brown leather, likely steerhide, with horsehide a secondary possibility until handled in person
• Hardware: Original CONMAR zipper, functioning
• Size: Estimated US 36 or small 38
• Measurements: Shoulder 41 cm · Chest 49 cm · Sleeve 60 cm from shoulder / 48 cm from pit · Length 59 cm
• Chest: Evidence of a removed name tag and earlier removed insignia, over which a U.S. Army Air Forces leather patch is now attached
• Epaulettes: Leather rank insignia present
• Type: Original wartime A-2 with later-era service traces and surviving insignia layering

Condition

• Not pristine, not theatrical, not over-restored: a genuine wartime survivor whose strength lies in its leather quality and preservation potential.
• Thread separation at the left shoulder / sleeve junction; additional lighter seam weakness at the right shoulder junction. Both appear repairable by a specialist without aggressive reconstruction.
• Original lining with damage at the neck area; broad survival remains strong for the category.
• Knits likely original, damaged but extant; conservation-oriented repair is recommended rather than full replacement.
• Leather retains suppleness and thickness, without dry, papery or over-conditioned surfaces.
• Original CONMAR zipper functioning.

Repair Ethics

A good wartime A-2 should be stabilized so that original material can continue to exist, not improved into false youth. The shoulder seam separations are visible, understandable and repairable, preferable to hidden panel damage or amateur repair, and a conservation-minded specialist can stabilize them without violating the jacket’s wartime personality. The original knits, even damaged, preserve silhouette, fiber age and historical honesty, so repair rather than exchange is the correct path.

• Minimal intervention
• Structural respect
• Repair in service of continuity

In-Hand Inspection

Points worth examining on the leather:

• Panel stiffness versus suppleness
• Grain compression at the elbows and sleeve pitch
• Finish continuity around the pocket mouths
• Dryness at the collar base and side seams

Authenticity & Care

The maker label is missing; the Perry Sportswear attribution is tentative and rests on collar shape and pattern logic. Points for in-hand verification include collar and pocket pattern comparison with known Perry examples, thread age at the shoulder seam failures, zipper tape and box, patch attachment chronology, and knit fiber consistency. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our published policy.

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