It’s easy to take for granted a jacket like this L2-A Flight Jacket from Buzz Rickson’s. The thing is, the standard L2-As is already extremely rare, as the more “common” olive drab L2-B accounted for most of these specialized bombers during the 50s and 60s. But this isn’t just any L2-A faithfully brought back to life by the leader in military repros – it’s one that accounts for a special modification that only a minute number of original examples had: customized knit ribbing.

Meant to distinguish one squadron from another, not only are we getting style points for the satisfying contrast – this mod speaks to a level of military history that is not so well known. So sure it has period-correct features like a spring-loaded front zip, reverse flap snap closure pockets, that iconic shoulder pocket, and a scary accurate contract tag, but its existence and Buzz’s willingness to share it with the public is also a lesson in obscure customization that now gets to live on.

Available for $490 from Hinoya.