{"product_id":"vintage-early-1990s-cirrus-irvin-sheepskin-flying-jacket-golden-fleece-46-xl","title":"Vintage Cirrus RAF Irvin Sheepskin Shearling Flying Bomber Jacket","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ePick this jacket up and the first thing you notice is the weight. It's heavy in the way only real sheepskin is, the leather and the fleece one single hide, thick enough that it holds its shape on the hanger. Then you turn the collar up, and it rises past your ears and closes at the throat with a leather strap, and you understand straight away what it was designed for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eIt was made in the early 1990s by Cirrus, a family firm in Norfolk that had been making sheepskin flying jackets since 1982. Cirrus cut each jacket from at least four full skins, from good tanneries, and fitted them with heavy brass zips and military-grade buckles. The label inside reads \u003cem\u003eThe Spirit of Adventure\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe pattern they followed belongs to an American. Leslie Irvin was born in Los Angeles in 1895, worked as a Hollywood stuntman, and in 1919 made the first free-fall parachute jump in the United States. In 1926 he opened a factory in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, and the sheepskin jacket made there became the RAF's main flying jacket for most of the Second World War. The crews who wore it flew at altitude in unheated aircraft, where the cold was a constant danger. So the collar was made big enough to bury your face in, the cuffs zipped tight at the wrist, and the belt pulled the jacket in against the body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis Cirrus keeps every one of those details. Open it up and you can see it was built the old way, panel after panel of sheepskin pieced together like the wartime originals, every seam on the outside bound in dark leather. The brass Cirrus zip runs the full front. There are angled hand pockets with leather welts, and broad back panels where the grain shows its natural movement. The golden fleece rolls out at the cuffs and hem against the deep brown leather, which is the contrast that makes an Irvin so recognisable from across a room.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWhat makes this one worth having is how well it has lasted. More than thirty years on, there's no cracking anywhere in the hide and no thinning in the fleece, and nothing has been replaced. The leather has softened and creased gently where it was worn, and the fleece is still dense, clean and full. Ones that have survived thirty years this well are not easy to find.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition \u0026amp; Restoration\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eExcellent vintage condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe heavyweight double-faced sheepskin remains strong, supple and structurally sound throughout, with no cracking or damage to the leather. The dense golden fleece is exceptionally clean and well preserved, including the collar, cuffs and exposed lower hem.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe jacket has been specialist cleaned and conditioned in-house, with care taken to preserve the established character of the sheepskin. The main zip and cuff zips have been refurbished, cleaned, waxed and polished, and run smoothly. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Features\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCirrus RAF Irvin reproduction flying jacket, made in England\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCirca early 1990s\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOriginal \"Cirrus Original, The Spirit of Adventure\" label\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in-house by a Norfolk family firm founded in 1982\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeavyweight double-faced sheepskin, in panelled construction like the wartime originals\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeep brown leather exterior with dense golden fleece interior\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOversized shearling flying collar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLeather throat strap with brass-toned buckle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOriginal Cirrus-branded heavy metal main zip\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFull leather waist belt\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo angled hand-warmer pockets with leather welts\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZipped sleeve cuffs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark leather binding on the seams\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposed shearling cuffs and hem\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGarment Measurements, Laid Flat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChest, armpit to armpit: 26.5\" \/ 67.5 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShoulders, seam to seam: 22\" \/ 56 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 27\" \/ 68.5 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnderarm seam to cuff: 21.5\" \/ 54.5 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBack length, base of collar to hem: 28\" \/ 71 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest suited to:\u003c\/strong\u003e 46\" chest \/ Size XL\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFit:\u003c\/strong\u003e A generous Irvin cut, allowing for the substantial thickness of the heavyweight sheepskin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor the best indication of sizing, please compare the measurements above with a similar jacket you already own. For any sizing questions, please get in touch.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Revive \u0026 Restore Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54859577590083,"sku":"EB5148","price":595.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0786\/2232\/7107\/files\/IMG_7006.jpg?v=1790943583","url":"https:\/\/reviverestorevintage.co.uk\/products\/vintage-early-1990s-cirrus-irvin-sheepskin-flying-jacket-golden-fleece-46-xl","provider":"Revive \u0026 Restore Vintage","version":"1.0","type":"link"}