The ever lasting bomber jacket

The bomber jacket or flight jacket’s birth dates back to as far as World War 1, serving as a functional attire for pilots, balancing their body temperature at high altitudes. The jacket later evolved to suit the needs of the pilots’ jet model; it too also evolved moving at greater speeds and reaching higher heights.

Warm and able to withstand minus zero temperatures it quickly becomes a popular choice for those outside of the military.

Now finding itself on the fashion runways the jacket not only graces fall collections but spring summer collections too.

Overgarments are currently trending, long or short they can be spotted everywhere from the red carpet events to basketball games. Various Nigerian designers have translated their own style take towards the rebirthing of this piece. Using lace and traditional fabric, more relatable and fitting for hotter climates.

I would have paired the bomber jacket with jeans, which would have worked too, but I opted to sew a skirt instead. I had some glossy green fabric hidden somewhere in my room, I cut the fabric and took to my sewing machine. A high side slit brought more character to the skirt, showing a little leg never hurt anyone right? lol.

The bomber jacket in the image was the inspiration for this particular look. The brand who designed it introduces a new twist, the choice of using a lighter fabric with an ethnic print. The traditional print has also been rocked by celebrities from Chris Brown to Wiz Kid and continues to influence fashion designs in many other styles across the World.

Some of the today’s most popular styles/trends were invented on the basis of solving a functional problem in a working environment. These styles were pulled into the ever evolving World Fashion and in time we often forget where they came from … Fascinating!

Written by Iyanu Akinremi

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