Vintage RAF Irvin Pattern Lambskin Shearling Flying Jacket – 1970s/80s, Made in England

Made in England in the late 1970s or early 1980s, this is a lambskin shearling flying jacket cut to the RAF pattern, with the fleece turned inwards. It has the pattern's defining details: a large shearling collar with a buckled throat strap, ventilation eyelets under the arms, zipped forearms and a belted waist, along with two slanted hand pockets added for life on the ground.

The pattern goes back to the RAF's sheepskin flying jacket, designed by the American parachute maker Leslie Irvin and in service from the early 1930s. Shearling holds heat better than anything a tailor can cut, but in a cramped cockpit that becomes a problem, as a man working the controls for hours would soon be damp inside his own warmth. The answer was to let the air out through eyelets under the arms, and there are six on each side here, set in a triangle of leather. The collar stands up and buckles across the throat, so the wind meets fleece, not skin.

In the summer of 1940 the pattern went to war. It was worn by the pilots who flew Spitfires and Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain, and it is still the jacket most people picture when they think of them. Demand ran so high that other makers were brought in to keep up, and the design stopped belonging to one firm. This one carries no maker's name, only a small printed tag with a Union Jack and MADE IN ENGLAND. The wartime jackets had no hand pockets, and these were added for a wearer who would never sit in a cockpit.

The lambskin is the heart of this jacket. It is soft and gives in the hand like a heavy shirt, and the brown finish has worn back to a warm rust at the shoulders, down the forearms and across the chest, wherever an arm swung or a strap pulled. The creases at the elbows have set into deep folds. The trim along the zip, the pocket edges and the belt is a darker, smoother leather, and it has held its colour, so it frames the worn lambskin and shows just how far that has come.

The construction follows the original pattern closely. The body is panelled, with raised taped seams. The front zip has a leather pull tab, and the forearms open on zips set into leather-faced panels, so the cuffs can be spread wide over a glove. The belt fastens with a brass-tone buckle and leather keepers, and the slanted hand pockets are edged in darker leather welts.

Inside, the cream shearling runs through the body and carries on into the collar, cuffs and hem. There is a stitched leather hanging loop inside the collar.

This is an English-made RAF-pattern jacket that has worn in the way only years of real use allow, and is ready for plenty more.

Condition & Restoration

Very good vintage condition.

The lambskin is soft and supple, and the finish has worn back to rust at the high points. That is the character of the jacket, not damage.

The shearling is full and cream, with some light natural marking to the fleece inside at the underarms. The belt, buckle and collar strap are all sound. All zips have been refurbished and run smoothly.

Professionally cleaned and dressed in-house using our own Workshop Blends, made for sheepskin, with the leather left soft and supple and its natural character intact.

All photographs show the actual jacket for sale and form an important part of the condition description.

Key Features

• RAF pattern lambskin shearling flying jacket, made in England, late 1970s to early 1980s
• Printed Union Jack tag reading MADE IN ENGLAND; no maker's name
• Soft lambskin outer with a deep, worn-through rust patina
• Full cream shearling lining, collar, cuffs and hem
• Large shearling collar with buckled throat strap; wear it open as wide lapels, or stood up and closed
• Six-eyelet ventilation gusset under each arm
• Forearm zips on leather-faced panels, opening wide over a glove
• Belted waist with brass-tone buckle and leather keepers
• Two slanted hand pockets with darker leather welts
• Raised taped seams on a panelled body
• Leather pull tab on the front zip
• Stitched leather hanging loop inside the collar
• All zips refurbished
• Very good vintage condition

Size & Fit

All measurements are taken with the garment laid flat.

• Chest, armpit to armpit: 22" / 56 cm
• Shoulders, seam to seam: 20.5" / 52 cm
• Sleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 26.5" / 67.5 cm
• Underarm seam to cuff: 18" / 45.5 cm
• Back length, base of collar to hem: 23.5" / 59.5 cm

Best suited to: 42" chest / Size Medium to Large

Fit: Cut short in the body in the RAF way, so it sits at the waist rather than over the hips. It is broad across the back and shoulders, with room for a jumper underneath, and the belt pulls it in at the waist so it doesn't look boxy. Mid-weight lambskin shearling takes up less room inside than a heavy sheepskin, so it wears true to the measurements and moves easily.

For 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.