AEROSTYLEREVIEWTHE OUTERWEAREDITION

100 Years of Gentleman’s Clothing

What the Brits Wore

Aero Leather;In the Beginning

The Story ofThe Highwayman

Hard Times meantGreat Jackets in USA

From the Bookshelf

The Label Archives

ISSUE THREE

A SMALL SELECTION OF AERO LABELS

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Page by Page: THE CONTENTS

2 100 Years of British Clothing: Saville Row to Scappa Flow

No Century brought so many changes to men’s clothing as the nation went through the Class Divide, two World Wars, The General Strike, Rock’n’Roll, Psychedelia, Punk Rock and the re Birth of proper leather jackets in 1981.

6 Aero Leather Clothing: A Series of “Firsts”

Classic Leather Jackets, how a small Scottish company led the revolution, bringing back lost tailoring techniques while resurrecting Horsehide as the leather of choice.

8 The Story of The Highwayman: Battersea To Greenbank Mill

Perhaps the best known jacket of the last 40 years, how it went from its 1950s inception all the way to the 21st Century and back again, this time to the 1930s.

10 Hard Times but Great Jackets in USA: The Depression Years

While the country suffered The Great Depression, Prohibition and The Dust Storms necessity saw the birth of some of the most outstanding jackets of the Century.

12 From the Bookcase: Essential companions for a rainy afternoon

A selection of reference books recommended for collectors of vintage clothing covering Vintage Leather Jackets, The USAAF, The CC41 Scheme and Aero Leather Clothing.

Cover:Luke Evans wears an Aero “Hudson”.

Photo by Gavin Bond.

Contents Page:Aero founder Ken Calder.

Photo by Oliver Breitwieser.

Aero Product Photos:Dominick O’Donnell and Neil Davidson.

Printing:Footeprint, Jedburgh.

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While researching “What The Brits Wore” during the last 100 years we

discovered that many of the most iconic garments have either been in constant production or have been revived and lovingly recreated by a handful of specialist companies. The further the subject is researched the more obvious it becomes is that Aero, possibly more than any other manufacturer, have played the leading role in ensuring that the very best of 20th Century British design is not merely destined for a place in The V&A but that most pieces remain relevant to this very day.

British tailoring, design and manufacturing had for long been highly regarded across the World from Savile Row suits, Scottish Tweeds and Knitwear to footwear made in Northampton, but in 1919 for the soldiers returning from what was known at the time as “The Great War”, most would have just been glad of a waterproof coat and a decent pair of second hand boots.

The huge demand for boots for the military during WW1 meant that factories all over The UK, but especially in Northampton, had set up large scale production facilities and. without the military contracts, these factories turned to mass producing civilian footwear. Before long a proper pair of boots were available within the range of most folk’s budget but even so, many kids still wore wooden clogs, others relied on boots bought in jumble sales or hand-me-downs, while the conversion of sporting footwear into everyday wear was relatively common.

Some conversions were relatively simple; Skating Boots with the metal hardware removed resulted in a serviceable pair of everyday boots. Old Cricket Boots were similarly given a new lease of life, again by removing the studs, and the

application of shoe dye to disguise the origin of the boots.

Hampden” after the spiritual home of Scottish Football.

For those who could afford a new pair of boots, the first choice would be a seven eyelet ankle boot, as favoured by everyone from the likes of Charlie Chaplin or Ramsey MacDonald to the local Milkman. A boot very similar to Aero’s Jarrow Boot or the slightly dressier Town Boot.

Although there had been many promises made about the new order, Britain in the 1930’s was still very divided by perceived class and wealth distribution, or rather, the lack of it. Despite this imbalance all men basically dressed in a very similar style, a three piece suit, shirt and tie for office work while the manual worker would also wear a three piece suit and shirt with the concession of a scarf or perhaps a pair of Corduroy Trousers and a Fair Isle sweater, either way worn with a Newsboy’s Cap to keep the rain off his head and face.

To some extent Sport and Leisure activities provided a more level playing field and sports clothing became more available, the period illustration from Esquire Magazine in 1931 shows a golfer dressed in a

100 YEARS OF BRITISH CLOTHING:SAVILLE ROW TO SCAPPA FLOW

“Old sports bootswere often converted to everyday footwear”

One of the more difficult conversions was turning a pair of old football boots into a daily wearer; but the results when done well were quite spectacular. The studs were removed, obviously, and a heel was fitted in the place of the back studs. The recycled boots looked great, often the envy of many, especially kids who loved the idea of being able to play football in the street or in the playground wearing a “proper pair” of football boots.

Fast forward nearly a 100 years and what at first glance appears to be a pair 1920’s Scotch Grain football boots with the classic tarsal strap, rounded toe cap, lacing pattern and the early type ankle strap turns out to be a pair of leather lined everyday boots made by Aero and fitted with a Goodyear Welted Danite Sole, chosen, not only for its wear qualities, but also to give the feel of a studded boot. As a final nod to the inspiration of the originals the boot has been named “The Golfer Circa 1931 Esquire Magazine

Hampden Boots and Cloth Caps!

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well cut pair of Tweed trousers worn under a typical sporting suede jacket, the type available from the likes of Gamages or Waring & Gillow, finished off with a spotted scarf.

point values. Items of clothing were assigned point values, each person was allowed sixty-six points a year, which was supposed to equate to one complete outfit of clothing for the average adult.

Certain anomalies occurred, one being that Corduroy trousers which were designated work wear status and therefore needed only five coupons as opposed to eight coupons needed for trousers made of most other fabrics. This lead to cord trousers being very popular during the 1940s, worn for work and leisure these traditional "Utility" corduroy trousers were hard wearing and comfortably cut.

sweaters with Fair Isle being the most popular design.

Original 1940s Fair Isle Pattern

The same outfit is available to this day at Aero, there’s a range of Harris Tweed trousers, Spotted Silk scarves and The Royale, a recreation typical of the British sporting leather or suede jackets available in the 1930s, not an exact copy of any particular one but with the best features borrowed from several archive examples and very similar to the jacket in the famous St Andrews railway poster.

Clothing rationing began in June 1st 1941 with no warning; it was announced out of the blue on the news at 9.00am mainly to prevent a rush of panic buying. Due to the war effort there was a shortage of fabric so clothing rations were controlled on a points system and books were issued containing coupons of various

“Clothing rations were introduced without warning”

Typical 1940s Clothing Advert

To ensure that such clothing that was available was of a serviceable quality, the CC41 scheme was introduced setting not only quality regulations but a book of approved clothing designs, trousers, for example, were required to have a button fly, pleat fronts, high waist line with fishtail back complete with cinch strap and buckle, buttons for braces and turn-ups.

Hand knitting became more popular than ever, in addition to avoiding using up clothing coupons, new garments could be made using wool unravelled old unwearable old

Nobody was excused knitting duty

Detachable collars on men’s shirts were also encouraged for longevity. An artisan in those days probably had two of these so there would always be clean shirt ready to wear for Church on a Sunday, with a collar attached and a tie of course.

He'd remove the collar on Monday, which invariably would be wash day, and put in his six days labour wearing that same shirt. On the following Sunday he'd put on a clean one, whether he needed one or not, and the cycle would continue.

Scarves and Tweed Caps were worn most of the year round, in the cities nobody knew whether or not they’d be spending another night in an Air Raid shelter, and a scarf and cap no matter how humble, were an excellent way of keeping warm.

Silk scarves of the other hand, were a staple piece of clothing in

The Royale –a typical British Sports Jacket

Six Month’s Worth of Coupons

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These stylish jackets, popularly known as "Irvins", were originally made by The Irvin Parachute Co, but by the late 1930s were outsourced to several contractors as the Irvin factory concentrated on making parachutes.

Despite the influence of the American GIs “over here” with their Hollywood inspired manner of dress, men’s clothing in Britain immediately after WW2 had changed little from the 1930s, rationing continued into the 1950s and even the young man about town dressed very similarly to his father.

the everyday British vocabulary even though the term had been first coined by Life Magazine in 1944.

The 2 i’s Coffee Bar –Old Compton Street, Soho

every self-respecting gentleman's wardrobe. Loved by RAF pilots and Hollywood stars alike, during the wartime years these were equally at home in the skies of Europe or worn by film greats such as Cary Grant and David Niven sporting a silk scarf, whether in an action film keeping a stiff upper lip or dipping into a glitzy Mayfair Restaurant.

The RAF fliers were the Glory Boys of the decade, their exploits were watched by millions on Pathe News every week, these brave young men one minute in the skies over Britain, the next dashing from illicit night spot to base at dawn in an open top MG, their Flying Jacket worn over their civvies and an Opera Scarf blowing in the morning breeze.

RAF Pilot in Irvin and Silk Scarf

As the nation found its feet again, Coffee Bar’s started to appear in Soho and rationing finally came to an end in 1954 coinciding with the release of the decade’s seminal sound track, Billy Haley’s Rock Around The Clock and the use of the word “Teenagers”, a new term to describe ……well, teenagers?.... which by then had found its way into

“Coffee Bars, Rock and Rolland Teenagers,it’s 1954”

Aero RAF Comfort Sweaters with WW2 Irvin

Classic CC41 Cotton Work Shirt

The first of the cults emerged, Teddy Boys, who sported “Duck’s Arse” haircuts and dressed in the style of Edwardian rogues and Rockers, whose dress was inspired by The Wild One and the RAF. Those who could find one wore an old WW2 Irvin over a heavy Military Surplus Roll Neck sweater. Those who wanted the look but couldn’t find an original jacket went to Pride & Clark in Brixton who produced a rough copy.

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Eddie Cochran

The British Bike Jacket market was served by the likes of Mascot, Lewis Leathers and, of course, Rivetts who manufactured their own classic “Highwayman” which, some 30 years later, was to be the inspiration for Aero’s legendary Highwayman, an Americanised version of the original British 1950’s Rocker’s jacket.

These jackets were teamed up with Military Surplus white roll necks left over from WW2, Sheepskin lined bike boots inspired by the RAF Flying Boots and a pair of jeans, a much sought after style statement, and if these could be Levis, then so much the better.

Walking through the Aero showroom today could just as easily be taking place in the 1950s.

there are stacks of Fair Isle pullovers which look as if they were knitted on crofts across Scotland, which is no doubt where the hand knitted socks originated. The socks sit in an old display cabinet housing a dozen or so pairs of leather boots and beautiful classic leather travel bag.

“A visit here feels like a trip back in time”

In the background there is the unmistakeable sound of the opening bars of Eddie Cochran’s C’mon Everybody coming from one of the offices while a dummy stands resplendent in Aero’s 59’er Highwayman worn over a Submariner’s Sweater and a pair of LVC 501s, he’s even wearing a pair of typical post war Bike Boots, another Aero exclusive. Next to him a vintage cabinet displays a range shirts bearing WW2 era CC41 labels, although these look to be an attic find, this apparently is not so, these too have been recreated by Aero.

Amongst the racks of clothing in the Aero showroom Harris Tweed trousers sit alongside collarless shirts,

Aero’s Orginal 1935 Hercules

Coming soon at Aero –The 3 Piece 1930s Donegal Suit

1930s Hercules Advert – only the prices have changed!

An old Arts & Crafts Hat Rack is hung heavily with Tweed Caps and a range of scarves and all this is before rail after rail of what appears to be deadstock vintage leather jackets catch the eye. But these are not from the 1950s; they have just been made in the sewing room at the far end of the old stone building!

This is where the magic takes place, the room seems to be buzzing with productivity, it’s certainly bursting

with highly motivated artisans. Young graduates from nearby by Heriot Watt University work alongside traditional clothing workers from families with generations of experience in the local clothing trade. While patterns are being cut for new designs on an adjacent table skins of leather are being cut into panels which will become a jacket by the end of the afternoon! The one synonymous factor is the skill levels and enthusiasm which seem to be shared by one and all.

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Once upon a time, not that very long ago, it was almost impossible to find a leather

jacket of the type that had been commonplace on both sides of The Atlantic during the mid-20th Century. Vintage was out of fashion, the internet was a distant dream but The Thrift Shop in London seemed to have a regular supply coming over from USA.

The inspiration drawn from five years spent restoring the contents of bales full of vintage leather jackets on a daily basis led to the first Aero being made in 1981, a Type A-2. To diversify for a moment, that actual first jacket, having spent the following 30 years with its original owner, is now back in pride of place in the Aero archives and is on display in the Galashiels showroom.

Vintage was still the “day job” at The Thrift Shop, however and until the birth of their first original design, The Highwayman in 1983, the A-2 was the only style made by Aero. Both styles have been in continuous production at Aero ever since although no more than a few jackets a month rolled of the sewing machines tucked away in a corner of The Thrift Shop in those early days.

From 1984 and a move to Scotland, production of Aero jackets increased at a rate of knots, fuelled by the demand not only from dozens of Scottish Indie Bands, but from hoards of Students blowing their grants on a Highwayman. However, it was the re-introduction of Horsehide in 1986, a seminal moment in the revival of the genre, that was to set the global trend for the next few decades.

AERO LEATHER CLOTHING:A SERIES OF “FIRSTS”

In the beginning ...

Initially unable to find any horsehide, the earliest Aero jackets were all made of Connolly Steerhide, although widely regarded as the World’s finest leather and the first choice of the likes of Rolls Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin and Jaguar to name but a few, it was well and truly trumped when Aero’s “new” horsehide arrived.

The Thrift Shop, Battersea, London

The Original “Battersea” Type A-2. (Inset) WW2 USAAF Pilot

Horsehide Label

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The Current Aero Type B-3

It was late 1985, two large front quarters arrived from USA at the Aero factory and within a few hours the first Aero horsehide jacket had been completed, a 1950s Style Half Belt, a jacket that is still in the Aero archives.

Although the go-to leather of choice by the best jacket makers from the outset of the 20th Century, by the early 1960s the use of this amazing leather had fallen completely out of fashion.

“Why Horsehide?”

1942 Advertisment forHorsehide Jackets

It wasn’t until Aero revived this lost leather that anyone had considered the use of Horsehide for the manufacture of jackets for a couple of decades.

For the rest of the 1980s Aero continued to be the only company

in The World making Horsehide jackets but, whether inspired by Aero or not, oh how things have changed over the following 30 years!!! Today, it is considered mandatory for horsehide to be an option from any manufacturer or tannery operating at the very highest level.

Today the Aero range has grown close to one hundred leather jacket designs and while many are Military reproductions, the majority of these designs are original and unique to Aero yet most are indistinguishable from a jacket that could have made during the Golden Age of American tailoring.

Aero Shackleton Waistcoat

Aero Japan Showroom, HakkanoAero Stockist Gasoline Alley, Munich – Photo Jochen Hirschfeld

First Horsehide Circa 1985

Over the years their clothing range has expanded way beyond leather to cover every aspect of a gentleman’s traditional wardrobe, styles that are never in fashion nor out of fashion, indeed have no part in fashion. Exclusive Scottish Knitwear, Footwear made in Northampton, Harris Tweed sourced direct from the Islands, traditional Trousers Made in England, Classic headwear are all part of a unique range of traditional Aero Clothing sold in some of the finest shops across the World, in The UK, Japan, Germany, USA, France, Switzerland, Scandinavia, China, Korea, Australia, the list goes on ...

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Back in 1983, two years after the embryonic “Aero Leather Clothing” had been born

under the wing of The Thrift Shop it was decided that the time had come to introduce a new jacket. The demand for the few reproduction A-2s that had been produced since 1981 suggested there was a market for recreations of vintage jackets, no doubt led by the steady rise in the price of originals as the interest in vintage in general soared.

Rather than copy any original design, and there were dozens in stock to choose from, the decision was made to start afresh by taking inspiration from the best selling vintage UK Bike Jacket, “The Highwayman” made by Rivetts of Leytonstone during the 1950s and redesign and remodel it as it might have been had it been an American jacket of the same era.

While the very first Aero Highwayman was much closer to the Rivetts’ jacket, by the time the sixth one had been made the jacket had become The Highwayman that is known, loved and copied all over The World. Those early jackets were all made in Connolly Hide but in 1986 all was to change forever when Aero added Horsehide to their acclaimed range of leather. (More about this on pages 6 and 7).

Fast forward to 2013, to mark the 30th Anniversary of the birth of The Highwayman Aero added a recreation of the original Rivetts jacket the range, using only British manufacturing techniques, original patterns and materials to produce the quintessential 1950s British Bike Jacket.

A still from the 1964 film –The Leather Boys

THE STORY OF THE HIGHWAYMAN

Initially around half a dozen prototypes were made, each one improving on the previous version until they arrived at the exact design that has now remained unchanged for almost 40 years and has been Aero’s best seller every year since it’s inception, despite being copied by virtually every jacket maker on the planet.

“Two of those first six prototypes are on display in the Aero archives”

The choice of name for this unique version, "The 59'er Highwayman", paid homage to the "59 Club" members for whom a Highwayman was virtually de rigueur and, I suppose, to the year 1959 which was probably the heyday of this style of jacket.

The 59’er Highwayman –The Rocker’s favourite

The very first Highwayman

Hugh Laurie in his Aero Highwayman –Photo Ian White

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The next and most obvious project was to create an "All New" 1930s Highwayman, a "back to the future" version of the Aero classic.

The only way to achieve the slim cut look was to go back a further 20 years and design a new "Highwayman" as if it was an early 1930s jacket.

Using Aero’s new Premier pattern block with it's classic 1930s profile, slimmed down body and sleeves and high cut armholes, the design team made minor changes to the panel configuration. The back yoke was raised and reshaped, the front slightly dipped, the collar was redesigned and instead of the standard 1950s false cuff used on their original, Aero fitted cuffs more typical of the era complete with period Corozo buttons. To complete the 1930s makeover the new Highwayman was fitted with period zippers, a riveted grommet front zipper and a classic 30s looped pocket zipper.

“The word “Highwayman” has been synonymous with the name “Aero” since 1983”

Chromexcel Premier Highwayman after a couple of years wear

Premier Label

Route 66 “That’s what I call a Highway, Man!” Photo: Bill Dic

Even to the most critical eye, the new Highwayman looks and fits exactly as if it been designed and made in the early 1930s and is a worthy addition to Aero’s Premier Range.

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The 1920s and 1930s saw great hardship in America, anyone investing in a leather

jacket during The Depression demanded a practical garment built to withstand whatever came it’s way, the hallmarks of an Aero product such as the 1920s Work Coat, The Mulligan, The Dustbowl, The Barnstormer and the recently introduced “Prohibition Series”.

By the early 20th century Moonshine had become a key source of income for many ex patriate Celts

“cleared” deep into The Appalachian Mountains where the limited road network made it difficult and uneconomical to transport regular corn crop products.

drivers who delivered Hooch from the Moonshiners to the Bootleggers.

Aero Maxwell in Battered Horsehide

THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN LEATHER JACKETS

These guys drove a Whiskey Six, a big-wheeled Buick or Studebaker fitted with souped-up Cadillac ambulance motors to make ridiculously powerful moonshine

The term “Moonshine” refers to illegally distilled liquor made underground, or “in the moonlight” and the first “Bootleggers” were early Colonists who smuggled liquor hidden in their boots. While Prohibition made these terms household words, far less is known about “Hooch Haulers”, the gung-ho

“Nothing could outrun a well driven Whiskey Six”

The Hooch Hauler Typical 1930sBack Panelling

The Moonshiner with late 20’sButton Closure

Three Classic Leather JacketsCirca 1933

Bootlegger –Classic 1930s All Puropse Jacket

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toting getaway vehicles with stripped out interiors to make room for a maximum load of “product”. The top drivers knew every dirt road and short cut on those Appalachian backwoods, they were the original Hot Rodders and many a Customs car ended up wrapped around a tree or in a ditch during the regular high speed chases.

protect the wearer from the harshest of conditions they’d encounter between Oklahoma and The West Coast. Ironically, at the same time Hollywood stars were wearing jackets of a very similar design, for example Aero’s high grade Suede “Majestic” was inspired by jackets worn by Clark Gable and Errol Flynn, yet at the same time virtually identical battered horsehide jackets protected the backs of Oakie immigrants en route to the promised land.

Despite several decades passing since the Wright Brothers era, flying was still in its infancy, Mail pilots flew long and dangerous routes, often in darkness, and Cropdusters risked life and limb spraying fields from less than 50 foot above the ground while the really crazy pilots joined the Flying Circus.

“Who coined thename Barnstormer?”

The Aero Blizzard has its own period style label

Elsewhere, huge tracts of Central America were wiped out by the Dust Storms, poor families headed west to the orange groves of California, many wearing similar horsehide jackets to Aero’s Dustbowl, chosen to

Modified Whiskey Six: “Things go better with” an Auxiliary Petrol Tank!

The Blizzard –A single breasted Barnstormer

over coffee and bacon rolls at 6.30 am in a small Scottish factory became the default name for a 1920s American double breasted Flying Coat, in the same way names like Hoover and Jeep became eponyms of the original invention.

The Majestic – A Hollywood favourite

Low level cropdusting at dusk

When Aero first brought out their classic 1920s Coat Flight Coat in the late 1980s, it was to those hell raisers that they turned for inspiration. The term “Barnstormer” was coined to name their jacket, a word chosen

Over the years a shearling Barnstormer joined Aero’s line-up, if ever a garment truly merited the term “All Weather” this was surely that coat. This was recently followed by the stunning “Blizzard”, a stylised version with a thick Shearling collar and lined in heavy wool blanket with a built in waistcoat.

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“Love – Aero Leather Bible” by Tomi Tsukada A project of true passion from Japanese Graphic Artist Tomi Tsukada, a decades-long Aero fan. This substantial high grade, hard backed Limited Edition publication features a unique combination of art-work and photography detailing the history of Aero and giving readers a sneak-peek behind the scenes.

Printed on the highest quality heavy duty paper this superb Coffee Table tome covers the following sections. History of Aero Leather Clothing (1975 to Present Day) Aero Leather Jackets, the Aero Family. the Aero Showroom, Factory and Archives, Illustrations by the Author plus a chapter devoted to a series of photographs of Aero customers wearing their jackets. Text in Japanese and English.

“CC41 Utility Clothing” by Mike BrownThe Utility symbol, CC41, is one of the most iconic symbols in the history of clothing in Britain, instantly recognisable to anyone who lived in Blighty through the Second World War or the immediate post-war years.

Mike Brown’s superb book offers a fascinating explanation of a little understood scheme with a wealth of knowledge complimented by colour photographs and original illustrations. He looks at the background to, and the evolution of, the clothing scheme and the symbol as it expanded to include more items of clothing, everything from underwear to fur coats.

The Utility symbol grew to be a mark of quality and value, something which sadly deteriorate in the post-war years. A most informative publication.

“Silver Wings, Pinks and Greens” by Jon MaguireOne of the best reference books available on the subject of the USAAF uniforms and insignia during the World War II years, covering a broad range of clothing, collar insignia, rank insignia, shoulder/sleeve insignia and squadron patches. Additionally, there is an in-depth examination of wing qualification badges.

Actual items are presented in nearly 600 illustrations in full colour, and as they appeared in actual war-era photos. Silver Wings, Pinks & Greens and the Author’s follow up, “More Silver Wings, Pinks and Greens” would be useful additions to the libraries of collectors, historians, and veterans alike.

“Motorcycle Jackets: A Century of Leather Design” by Rin TanakaLong out of print but an essential reference book for the study of the title subject, if a copy comes on the market, don’t miss it. With an initial print run of only 2000, these will not be easy to locate, however there is a Revised Second Edition with updated photos which, although also out of print, is not as hard to find. These beautiful books guide the reader through the detail, label designs and close ups of a century's worth of leather jackets, including a vintage Aero jacket from 1994 from Rin Tanaka's personal private collection.

FROM THE BOOKCASE:ESSENTIAL COMPANIONS FOR A RAINY AFTERNOON

WHO MADE THAT JACKET?MEET SOME OF THE AERO PRODUCTION STAFF

Murray Gladstone – Head Cutter

Julie Leitch – Head Machinist

Gail Turnbull – Machinist

Tony Glover – Machinist

Sam Carr – Production Manager

Morgan Wilson – Machinist

Greg Field – Machinist

Christine Harley – Machinist

Ross Sibbald – Cutter

Toni Hogarth – Machinist

Moira MacKenzie – Machinist

Sahv Falla – Machinist

Aero Timeline

1976 : The Thrift Shop opens in Battersea London, later to be the birthplace of Aero

1981 : The first ever Aero jacket is made, a Type A-2, today it’s in the Aero Archives

1983 : The first Highwayman is made, that same style is still Aero’s top selling jacket

1984 : Aero leaves The Thrift Shop and opens their first factory in Moffat, Scotland

1986 : Aero become the first manufacturer to use Horsehide after it’s 25 year hiatus

1986 : Aero design the “Car, Bike & Plane” label which is still in use to this very day

1987 : The first consignment Aero jackets arrive in Japan at Slapshot, Shibuya,Tokyo

1987 : Aero introduce their 20th Leather Flying Coat and coin the name Barnstormer

1988 : Aero open a back-up factory in London to cope with the increase in demand

1989 : Aero stock Lee Jeans to become the first in The UK to import Japanese Denim

1989 : Demand continues to grow Aero moves the London production to Galashiels

1992 : Aero move into the current factory, the historic Greenbank Mill in Galashiels

1992 : Aero introduce RAF, USN & US Army Air Force Military Sheepskin Production

1993 : Aero (Transatlantic Clothing Co) honoured with The Queens Award for Export

1994 : Aero (Transatlantic Clothing Co.) win The British Exporter of The Year Award

1999-2004 : Aero work hand in hand with Levis in the launch and early years of LVC

2010 : Aero re-introduce their range of traditional footwear, discontinued in 1989

2012 : Aero moves all production to Greenbank Mill and an exciting new era begins

2013 : Aero’s first In House trade show marks the introduction of 25 all new designs

2013 : Aero’s exclusive Vicenza Veg Tanned Horsehide is added to the leather range

2017 : Aero introduce their exclusive new range of Knitwear all “Made in Scotland”

Aero Leather Clothing LtdGreenbank Mill

Huddersfield StreetGalashielsTD1 3AYScotland

Tel: +44 (0)1896 755353www.aeroleatherclothing.com

SCOTTISH KNITWEAR HAS A LONG AND FASCINATING HISTORY.IN THIS PUBLICATION WE’VE RESEARCHED THE ROOTS OF SOME

OF THE MOST LOVED DESIGNS OF THE LAST ONE HUNDRED YEARS, SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT THE HISTORIC INFLUENCES THAT COURSE

THROUGH THE RANGE OF KNITWEAR CURRENTLY PRODUCED BY AERO KNITWEAR.

ALTHOUGH BETTER KNOWN AS MANUFACTURERS OF HIGH GRADE OUTERWEAR, AERO HAVE BEEN RECREATING SOME OF THE MOST ICONIC KNITWEAR OF THE 20TH CENTURY FOR THE LAST THIRTY YEARS, ALL CRAFTED BY A HIGHLY SKILLED TEAM OF KNITTERS

SCATTERED ACROSS THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS.

THE FULL RANGE OF KNITWEAR ILLUSTRATED IN THE PAGES OF THIS PUBLICATION IS OFFERED FOR SALE ON OUR WEBSITE AND FROM THE AERO LEATHER CLOTHING FACTORY SHOP, WHILE CERTAIN PIECES ARE

AVAILABLE FROM SELECTED STOCKISTS WORLDWIDE.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE WE WILL LOOK AT EVERYDAY CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR ACROSS THE LAST 100 YEARS AND THOSE ITEMS THAT

AERO CURRENTLY REPRODUCE ALONGSIDE OUR FAMOUS LEATHER CLOTHING RANGE.

Aero Leather Clothing LtdGreenbank Mill

Huddersfield StreetGalashielsTD1 3AYScotland

Tel: 44 (0)1896 755353www.aeroleatherclothing.com