Supermarine Soft Core Bomber

Additional Information

Story

They say "don't fuck with a classic" but we've never been good for following the rules around here, so we've gone ahead and fucked with another classic. This is a simple, ruggedly cozy upgrade to the MA-1 Bomber jacket.

First we swapped in Supermarine Cotton as the face fabric, windproof and highly water resistant, this is one of our favorite shell fabrics around. Then we messed with the insulation and lining, building it using our Soft Core construction which combines a non-migrating, infinite filament Primaloft Infinity insulation with a lining made of nature's finest performance fabric, merino. Then we added X-open two-way zippers to both side seams, allowing for loads of ventilation. And of course it's all done using our Pivot Sleeve for movement.

Fabric

Outlier Soft Core Technology is a three layer system designed to produce optimal balanced insulation. The inner layer is a merino knit (Ultrafine 17.5 micron, 200 gram) for a beautiful soft feel and merino's incredible moisture and odor management properties. The mid layer is a 120 gram Primaloft Infinity insulation. The outer layer can vary but in this particular case, we used a yarn dyed Supermarine® Cotton from Switzerland. It's quiet, highly water and wind repellant and incredibly breathable.


The secret to the future, they say, is hidden in the past. Supermarine® Cotton is a 21st century edit to a nearly forgotten World War II fabric. You can think of it as the pinnacle of cotton technology, extremely breathable, highly water resistant and completely windproof. 100% Cotton fibers woven together in a complex weave that swells up and seals when exposed to water. The result is a beautiful cloth that we think is the best rainy day fabric around.

For decades it's been obscured from the public, kept alive mainly by demand from a few Air Force units, Antarctic explorers and funnily enough, bird watchers; all who have different understandings of its unique properties. Supermarine® Cotton stays comfortable under pressure and there is none of that sweaty/clammy feeling you get with GoreTex and other synthetic "waterproof-breathable" fabrics. The dense weave combined with the premium fiber results in a fabric that is simultaneously tough and supple and it breaks in beautifully.

Historically this fabric is an updated version of a fabric the British invented in World War II to keep their pilots alive in the North Sea if they happened to get shot down. It was later used by the British Navy, in Antarctic exploration and by Edmond Hillary during the first ascent of Mount Everest. It was even used to make firehoses and eventually found its way into high-end hiking gear. Since it requires a very dense weave of the most expensive cotton fibers on the market, it never quite broke through into the mainstream and with the advent of GoreTex it faded from the general marketplace. Bird watchers still sought it out since it's significantly quieter than the loud synthetic fabrics that took over, while Antarctic teams prized it for its amazing windproof quality. The main customer of the past few decades however has been various Air Forces who understood just how superior a fabric it is, and are willing to pay for it.

We source this version of Supermarine® Cotton from Switzerland and it differs from the historical British version in two important ways, it is lighter and it is treated with a premium durable water resistance (DWR) that is not wax-based. The water resistance in the historical formulation comes from two factors, the denseness of the weave and the fact that cotton fibers swell up when exposed to moisture. Adding the DWR treatment into the mix results in a significantly superior rain repellant and breathable fabric that far outclasses both the synthetic "waterproof-breathable" fabrics of the world and the heavy, clammy Barbour-style waxed cotton. It looks better, wears better and is dramatically more comfortable.

Details

Supermarine Soft Core Bomber

Face: Supermarine Cotton (100% cotton, made in Switzerland)

Insulation: Primaloft Infinity 120 gram (100% polyester, made in Taiwan)

Lining: Ultrafine 17.5 micron, 200 gsm, merino jersey (100% merino wool, made in New Zealand)

Soft Core construction

Highly breathable

Windproof and highly water resistant

One-way front zip

Two-way X-open side zips for ventilation and access

Zip pocket on sleeve

Two large inside pockets

Pivot Sleeve construction for freedom of movement

Hanging loop

Fits true to size

Spot clean or dry clean only

Made in New York City

Sizing

Fits true to size.

Please refer to the table below for garment's exact measurements.

Garment measurements in inches, measured flat

Size	XS	S	M	L	XL
Shoulder	19.75	20.25	20.75	21.25	21.75
Length high shoulder to bottom	26.75	27.38	28	28.63	29.25
Sleeve length CENTER BACK TO CUFF	36	36.5	37	37.5	38

Body measurements in inches

Size	XS	S	M	L	XL
Chest	34	36	38	40	42

Colors

Olive