Thanks to Top Gun, in which Tom Cruise played the hunky Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, men have been lusting after the G1 Flight Jacket for decades. What you may not know is the jacket was first introduced as uniform for the American Navy and Marine Corps back in WWII. Over the years, the classic jacket has since been updated and appropriated and hangs in the wardrobes of many men. Even on eBay one will find pages and pages of ‘authentic’ G1 Flight Jackets, but in our eyes, none come close the version recently introduced by British heritage brand Private White VC.
When the horror of knowing that a British brand has created a superior version of an American jacket subsides, it’s not hard to understand why the Private White VC version is one of their most sought after pieces. Sure, the G1 Flight Jacket was first made in leather – the Private White VC version comes in tweed, herringbone and wool – but their modern twist breathes fresh air into a classic jacket.
This season, Private White VC have teamed up with Ireland’s Valley Mills to craft Winter season iterations of the military outerwear, complete with a 3M Thinsulate wadding for heat retention. We love the detachable shearling collar which can be flipped up for wind protection. The fit is also slimmer and eschews the boxy silhouette of the original G1 Flight Jacket, making it perfect for weekends and possibly the office.
The jacket is finished with Private White VC’s signature military-grade copper zips from RIRI, Switzerland and branded copper studs – proving once again that the brand pays attention to even the most minute detail.