WWII A2 Sleeves

[PLATON]

Guys I need your help.
I am considering buying an A-2 repro and need some advice about the measurements of the sleeves.

I like the sleeves narrow and tight like in the original WWII jackets.

Any of you who wear 38 or 40 and owns an Aero, Eastman or Real McCoy can you please let me have the following measurements?

1. Arm hole.
2. Maximum diameter of the sleeve.


Thanks and regards,

PLATON

 

[Alan Eardley]

Aero

Guys I need your help.
I am considering buying an A-2 repro and need some advice about the measurements of the sleeves.

I like the sleeves narrow and tight like in the original WWII jackets.

Any of you who wear 38 or 40 and owns an Aero, Eastman or Real McCoy can you please let me have the following measurements?

1. Arm hole.
2. Maximum diameter of the sleeve.


Thanks and regards,

PLATON

Aero 38" Anniversary 15142-P
Diameter of head of sleeve at shoulder seam = 19"
Diameter of sleeve at elbow = 15"
Diameter of sleeve above cuff - 11"

Eastman 38" RW 25575
Diameter of head of sleeve at shoulder seam = 20"
Diameter of sleeve at elbow = 16"
Diameter of sleeve above cuff - 12"

See www.acmedepot.com for a range of repro A-2 measurements - you'll see how variable they can be!

Alan

 

[PLATON]

Thanks but,
from your reply, I see that you don't know what the diameter is.

What you are giving looks like circumference measurements to me, but yet there is no way to measure that efficiently.

Also, acmedepot.com does not have diameter measurements, that's why I asked here.

 

[Raymundo]

Just for reference, WWII original flight jackets did not all have narrow sleeves. Many Airmen back then were skinny young kids so pictures may depict their A-2's as having narrow looking sleeves. Sleeve circumference varied widely by size and manufacturer. There was no one defining sleeve measurement. Some originals had plenty of room in the sleeves. This misconception of military fit for A-2s has been around for a long time. Some guys had a more trim fitting jacket and some did not. If you like the trim fit and have the build to wear it then go for it.

Ray

 

[Fletch]

The thing WW2 A-2s never had was the puffy, ski-parka look with rounded shoulders and sausagey sleeves.

 

[green papaya]

The thing WW2 A-2s never had was the puffy, ski-parka look with rounded shoulders and sausagey sleeves.

but people are not built as lean as they use to be back in 1930's 40's era, modern day people tend to have broader shoulders, and thicker builds, if they made jackets with a "slim fit" only teens and early 20's aged people would buy it

unless your lucky and you have naturally lean slender build, like some people have.

 

[Fletch]

Some of it has to do with our changing builds, yes. But mostly it's changing fashion. Modern A-2s fit big on everybody. It's an outerwear fit, meant to go over bloopy sweatshirts and big-cut shirts.

Look at WW2 aircrew pictures. You rarely see any of the boys wearing anything more than a wool shirt and cotton flight coverall under their A-2s. A-2s were the "intermediates" - for cold or altitude they had sheepskins and heated suits.

Leather is a luxury purchase for most consumers. They'll want to get the most wear out of one jacket - thus the loose fit to layer big sweats and sweaters.

 

[PLATON]

Is it so hard to answer my question?

 

[SamReu]

Spokes Man

Platon, I rummaged about last night and found the bride's measuring tape. I grabbed an old Eastman A-2, house label, size 40. I measured the top of the arm hole, where the sleeve joins the body, from one side of the circle to the other. It came out 7.25 inches.