Men’s B-3 Shearling Bomber — Brown Sheepskin, Aviator

Description

The B-3 aviator jacket: dark brown sheepskin outside, cream shearling fleece inside and showing at every edge — a wide fold-over collar, the cuffs, the hem and the front placket. Off-centre zip, a throat strap across the collar, buckled straps at each side of the waist, a zip chest pocket and slash hand pockets.

What the B-3 was for

High-altitude bombing crews in unheated aircraft at twenty below. Every part of it answers that: the fleece lining is the insulation rather than a lining over one, the collar folds up and buckles across the throat, and the waist straps pull the hem tight so cold air cannot get under it. It is the warmest jacket in the leather family by a wide margin, and the bulkiest.

Shearling, in practice

One skin, used both ways — the hide tanned on the outside, the wool left on the inside. Nothing is stitched in, which is why there is no lining to come loose and why it insulates so much better than a jacket with a fleece sewn into it.

How it is cut

Short at the hip, wide through the body, with the fleece taking up real space inside. Take your usual size and expect it to feel substantial — there is no need to size up for layers, because the lining already does the work of a jumper. Over a shirt alone it will feel large; that is normal for the style.

What to wear it with

Jeans or heavy trousers and boots. It is a big jacket and it dominates whatever is underneath, so keep that simple. Collar down for most days; collar up and strapped when it is genuinely cold, which is what it was designed for.

Looking after it

Keep it out of standing rain and never dry it near a radiator — heat ruins both the hide and the wool. Shake the fleece out rather than brushing it flat. Hang it on a broad, strong hanger; this jacket is heavy enough to deform a thin one.

Shipping, duties and returns

Free worldwide shipping, 4–9 working days. Import duties are settled before dispatch where the carrier supports Delivered Duty Paid to the destination country; where it does not, duty is charged locally and we will tell you which applies before you order. Thirty days to return anything unworn with tags attached. Questions to info@cordwainleather.com or +34 614 79 27 86.

Size chart

Measure your chest around the fullest part with the tape level. Jacket chest is the finished garment measurement and runs larger than your body, because the jacket has to close over you. Between two sizes, take the larger.

Still unsure? Email your chest and shoulder measurements to info@cordwainleather.com and we will come back with one size, not a chart to guess from.

Questions about shearling and aviator jackets

What is a B-3 bomber jacket?

A United States Army Air Forces sheepskin flying jacket from 1934, made for crews in unpressurised, unheated aircraft. The defining features are the heavy shearling collar with a throat strap, the buckled waist straps, and the fact that the whole jacket is one shearling skin rather than leather with a lining added.

Is shearling the same as sheepskin?

Nearly. Sheepskin is the hide with its wool still attached; shearling specifically means that hide has been sheared to an even pile and tanned so both faces are finished and wearable. Every shearling jacket is sheepskin; not every sheepskin product has been prepared as shearling.

How cold can you wear a shearling jacket in?

Comfortably well below freezing, which is the whole point of the design — this is the one leather jacket that genuinely handles hard winter without layers underneath. The practical limit is the opposite one: above about 10 degrees it is far too warm to wear zipped.

How heavy is a shearling jacket?

Noticeably heavier than any other leather jacket — expect roughly twice the weight of a plain lined bomber. The weight sits on the shoulders, which some people find reassuring and others find tiring on a long day. It is worth knowing before you buy rather than after.

Does shearling shed?

A small amount of loose wool comes out in the first few wears, particularly from the collar and cuffs, and then it settles. Continuous shedding or bald patches mean the pile has been damaged by heat or over-brushing. Shaking it out is all the maintenance the wool needs.

Is real shearling worth it over a faux version?

For warmth, clearly — a real shearling insulates better than any synthetic pile of the same thickness and regulates moisture rather than trapping it. For looks alone, honestly, a good faux version from a distance is hard to tell apart and costs a fraction. The difference shows when you wear it in real cold, and over years rather than seasons.