Vintage Sears Work Leisure Shearling Brown Bomber Jacket 80s

Unzip it and the inside is bright orange. That color came out of a military spec revision: the Air Force made flight jackets reversible so a pilot who went down could turn his jacket inside out and become visible to search planes. The zippered pocket on the left sleeve started as a place for pencils and a map. Neither feature had anything to do with looking good.

By the time Sears was selling this one under its Work Leisure label, both details had made the trip from function to styling cue. The orange stayed because that’s what the inside of a bomber jacket looks like. The sleeve pocket stayed because that’s where a sleeve pocket goes. Nobody buying a jacket at Sears in 1985 was planning to signal a rescue aircraft.

The rest is department-store practical: nylon shell, faux shearling collar, knit cuffs and waistband, machine wash warm.

Rescue orange, for a walk to the car.