Alberto Ricci Bespoke Sheepskin B-3 Flying Jacket, Made in England

The label inside doesn’t name a brand. It names a tailor. “Alberto Ricci, Bespoke Tailor” belongs to an Italian master tailor with more than forty years’ experience, who worked in London for some of the great fashion houses, Tom Ford among them, before opening his own workshops in Britain. This jacket was cut and made by hand in the UK, and there isn’t another like it.

You feel the difference the moment you lift it. The sheepskin is exceptionally thick and heavy, the kind of skin seldom used now because of what it costs. Inside, the wool is deep and dense from collar to hem. Outside, the leather has a rich, dark brown finish and a soft natural grain. It’s real luxury, in the old sense of the word.

The pattern follows the B-3, the jacket that kept American bomber crews alive. It was introduced around 1934 for open cockpits and unheated aircraft, where the air at altitude fell far below freezing, and it became the favourite of the crews who flew through the Second World War. Every detail answers that cold. The huge wool collar turns up and fastens with a leather strap and twin rings to seal the neck. The wool turns out at the cuffs and hem to close off the wrists and waist. Every seam is bound in darker leather tape to strengthen it and keep the wind out.

The finishing is a tailor’s. The deep slanted pockets are lined in the same thick wool to warm the hands. A heavy brass zip runs the full length of the front, and a gilt chain hangs inside the collar. These are the precise, bespoke touches you only find on a jacket cut by hand for one person.

A bespoke sheepskin of this weight runs into the thousands to commission. This is a one-off, made by hand by a master tailor and built to outlast its owner.

Condition & Restoration

Excellent condition, seldom worn.

The jacket has seen very little wear and shows it. The sheepskin is soft and supple, with an even dark brown finish and natural grain. The wool collar, cuffs and hem are full, thick and clean. The brass zip runs smoothly, and the collar strap, rings and hanging chain are all complete.

It has been lightly conditioned in-house and is ready to wear and be cherished.

Key Features

• One-of-a-kind bespoke sheepskin flying jacket by Alberto Ricci, Bespoke Tailor
• Handmade in the UK by an Italian master tailor formerly with Tom Ford
• Exceptionally thick, heavy genuine sheepskin
• Classic B-3 style bomber pattern
• Dark brown leather with natural grain
• Seams bound in darker leather tape
• Large shearling collar with leather throat strap and twin rings
• Turned-out shearling cuffs and hem
• Deep slanted hand-warmer pockets lined in wool
• Full-length heavy brass zip
• Gilt hanging chain inside the collar
• Fully lined in dense natural sheepskin wool

Size & Fit

Measurements, laid flat

• Chest, armpit to armpit: 24" / 61 cm
• Shoulders, seam to seam: 21" / 53.3 cm
• Sleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 26" / 66 cm
• Underarm seam to cuff: 20" / 50.8 cm
• Back length, base of collar to hem: 26.5" / 67.3 cm

Best suited to: 42" chest, regular / Size Medium

Fit: The label reads size 40, but it fits more like a 42. It’s the classic B-3 shape, cut full and roomy across the chest and shoulders, with the shearling hem finishing at the waist. Please go by the measurements above rather than the label, and compare them with a jacket you already own.