16 cool bomber jackets for men and women

By Ronald Gonzales

Sep 28, 2014 | 12:18pm Manila time

One of the biggest fashion trends for men and women this year is the bomber jacket. Everyone from major design labels like Givenchy and Valentino to fast fashion brands such as Zara and Uniqlo have been reworking the iconic jacket, turning it into a chic yet utilitarian fashion piece.

Introduced in 1915, this classic outerwear is also known as the Flight Jacket, named so because it was originally made to shield pilots of the Royal Flying Corps in Belgium and France from the elements because planes at that time didn’t have enclosed cockpits.

The warm coat did not go unnoticed by the American forces for its practicality. Thus in 1917, the U.S. Aviation Clothing Board started issuing its fighter pilots their first leather flight jackets, and the term bomber jacket was born.

Its popularity spread outside the barracks and into Hollywood when actors Marlon Brando and James Dean sported more modern versions in leather and silk in the movies A Streetcar Named Desire and Rebel Without Cause¸ respectively.

But it was Tom Cruise who brought pilot chic to the mainstream public when his Maverick character wore a fur-collared leather bomber emblazoned with military patches in the film Top Gun.

Traditionally done in leather and sheepskin, today’s jackets come in different materials: silk, nylon, neoprene, even lace, jersey, cotton, and linen for warmer weather, and are available in interesting textures and details, and eye-catching colors and prints.

Coconuts Manila scoured the local retail and online stores for some of the chicest pieces available. Go forth and shop!

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