The jacket donned by Mr Tom Cruise, aka Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, in 1986’s Top Gun has the sort of screen presence to upstage its A-list wearer. The item in question is a classic G-1 – the shearling-collared bomber introduced by the US Navy and Marines in the late 1930s, as a cold-weather upgrade on the A-2. It’s a lighter take on the bulkier, all-shearling B3, originally worn by 1940s RAF crews.

Like its predecessors, the G-1’s practical qualities make it a perennial hit on Civvy Street, too, evidenced by the array of brands producing tributes to the design, including Yves Salomon, Dunhill, TOM FORD and AMI PARIS. A shearling bomber is one of the biggest wardrobe investments you’ll make and material quality is everything to safeguard a lifetime of wear. Feel the body of the jacket – it should have a good density to the pile as well as a luxurious handle.

“A good quality shearling should be extremely soft and warm, but also not feel too heavy,” explains Mr Yves Salomon, owner of the eponymous luxury outerwear brand. “You don’t want it to weigh you down when you’re out and about. Also, check how the stitching on the shearling has been executed – it should be seamless. If it’s reversible, it should be flat-stitched, so it looks neat.”

How to wear a shearling bomber

Wearing an insulation heavyweight, you don’t want to bulk up too much with your under layers, so your chunky knit sweaters are best left out of the equation. But, as a statement piece in its own right, it has a transformative quality. “A shearling bomber can turn a simple combination of olive cargo trousers, a white tee and sneakers into a look that commands attention” Mr Salomon says. And as the cosy-looking chap in the picture above proves, a nonchalantly draped lightweight scarf will add instant flyboy charisma.

The choice of leather as the material for the first bombers was one born of necessity. The jacket needed to withstand the rigours of military life and in the days before manmade fabrics, leather was the only material that could pass muster. A range of skins were used, including sheep, goat and horsehide, and while undeniably hardy, they didn’t make the most forgiving of garments – at least until they’d been broken in.

Today’s leading names in leather, including Loro Piana, Tod’s, TOM FORD and Valstar, source buttery soft hides to create designs that up the ante for comfort. But how do you separate the grade-A hides from the rump?

“A good piece of leather should feel soft, almost oily and should have a naturally uneven grain,” says Mr Luigi Fila of Valstar. “If it feels overly slick or plasticky, it’s likely to be corrected leather, which is sanded and chemically treated to hide defects. With suede, you want a velvety handle – one that doesn’t feel too dry. Cheap suede will have visual imperfections and feel rough.”

It’s also worth noting the jacket’s construction. “Look out for unnecessary cuts and seams,” Mr Fila adds. “This indicates less hardy leather offcuts have been cobbled together to create a jacket as imperfections needed to be cut out of the hide.”

How to wear a leather bomber

For a New Age, rockabilly vibe, take your cue from the gentleman in the photo above and pair it with a natty camp-collar shirt and Western belt. But you could stray into formal territory, too, and pair it with a shirt and tie. The key here is to equalise the clash of conventions, so go for softer, less starchy style companions, such as a linen-blend Oxford and knitted tie.

While not strictly a bomber, the varsity or letterman jacket borrows much of its DNA from the flight jacket. It first appeared on campus in the 1930s and quickly became a rite of passage for every budding college jock. The jacket was an evolution of the letterman sweater – the pullovers worn by Harvard athletes in the 1880s, which sported a large chenille letter patch of the university’s initials on the chest. This bedrock of the Ivy League look comes in a glut of variations today and while it may no longer denote your school pedigree, it has a cachet of its own.

“There’s something really cool about the old tradition of earning a varsity jacket,” says Mr Gary Williams, owner of the Golden Bear showroom, New York, referring to the custom of awarding a college athlete a jacket once he’d proven his sporting stripes. Its look is distinctive: a wool-felt body – originally in house colours – leather sleeves, striped knitted cuffs and a lettered chest patch.

“A well-made varsity jacket is a hand-me-down piece, so the wool should feel soft, yet sturdy – a 24oz weight is ideal,” says Mr Williams, whose brand makes its varsity jackets entirely by hand in San Francisco. “You also want to make sure the sleeve leather feels robust, not too lightweight. It might take some initial seasoning, but it will age handsomely over time.”

Mr Williams adds that you can tell a well-made varsity jacket instantly from its decorative elements. “The stitching and embroidery of the patches should be sharp and clear – there should be no bleeding of colours or loose threads. Also, the size and quantity of the patches should look balanced overall.”

How to wear a varsity jacket

A varsity jacket was designed to be lived in all hours and colour is central to getting the most from yours. “A black-on-black design will work for all occasions, whether you’re wearing it with a tee and sneakers in the day, or out to dinner with a shirt and tailored trousers,” says Mr Williams.

To get year-round service from your jacket, leave a little room to layer it with thicker items, such as a preppy red rollneck, as the gentleman shown above adeptly illustrates. While a varsity will work with most genres of clothing, steer clear of anything too busy that could jar with the decorative elements of the jacket.

While the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is one that carries a great deal of weight in menswear, there’s always room for tweaks. The first revamp of the bomber could be credited to the souvenir jacket – so called because they were made from exotic printed fabrics brought back by demobbed veterans as mementos of their campaigns. Fashioned from silky cloths in bold hues and embellished with ornate embroidery, this distinctive design has enjoyed a return to the style limelight in recent seasons, with powerhouse brands from Gucci to SAINT LAURENT all issuing fresh, modern takes.

Additionally, if you’re no shrinking violet, then brands such as AMIRI, CELINE HOMME, Etro and Billionaire Boys Club offer riotous jacquard and plush embellished designs that have contemporary clout in spades. Styles that combine the original utilitarian appeal with technical advantages will ensure you get the most from your investment. A quilted bomber, for example, is a great transeasonal option for tackling fickle weather patterns, while a reversible cashmere and nylon style doubles up on practical worth.

How to wear a contemporary bomber jacket

A quilted style, like the one we see here, strikes a subtler note, so it’s easier to pair it with bolder pieces, like a neon-orange tee and chunky sneakers. But if you’ve gone all-out with a chinoiserie souvenir jacket or kaleidoscopic number á la Gucci, then clean, minimalist pieces like poplin-cotton shirts and technical athleisure separates will help your prize bomber hold focus.