Eschew the soccer-mom look and grab something that actually fits well and is made of high-quality fabric meant to hold up over years of wear and laundering!  

Buzz Rickson's premium, vintage-style, all-cotton athletic sweatpants are made from medium-weight, 100% cotton fabricated on 1920's-vintage loop-wheeling machines, styled with all the correct features found on the old sweatpants and cut to hug the body in a flattering form without bulk, just as the vintage originals did.  Limited quantities available.  Take note of these authentic vintage styling features:

• Custom manufacturing of the medium-weight, all-cotton fleece fabricated on vintage loop-wheeling looms
• Vintage wash
• USAF Langley Air Force Base logo silk screened to the left upper thigh in a muted, non-plastisol ink to duplicate the look and feel of vintage ink types
• One side-entry pocket per leg
• Heavy-weight, all-cotton draw ties at each cuff opening and waist
• Exact copy of the original-style rayon-on-cotton labels
• True vintage fit for flattering appearance, not a sloppy, relaxed fit with saggy rear and baggy legs

A note on loop-wheeling looms:

Loop-wheeling looms are special machines that were once common decades ago and able to weave even rows of small loops of yarn on the inner fabric side rather than the typical fleece we see on contemporary sweatshirt and pant interiors that have much more of a solid, flat appearance.  These old looms also can only weave one set diameter per loom; this means the factory needs a different loom for each size - very expensive - which is why you hardly ever see true tube construction in modern-day garments.  Tube construction ensures true shape is maintained, not only during its construction, but during its life of wear.  This is the proper way to make a sweatshirt; in the good old days, the proper way was the only way.  It's cheap and easy to make shirts from a flat piece of cloth and most customers would never notice the difference, though they may wonder why their not-so-cheap sweatshirt seemed to lose its shape after only a few washes - but now you know.

Sizes:  Small, Medium, Large.   Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from Japan

This is no fashion-colored MA-1 Flight Jacket, but the genuine, real deal worn by Northrop Aviation test pilots in the 1950’s & ‘60’s (Northrop’s official color was red and this showed up in a variety of forms and items dating back to the 1940’s).

The MA-1 Flight Jacket’s lightweight construction, comfortable non-bulky warmth and natural good looks made this style an instant success with aircrew at bases around the world, as well as with anyone who could beg, borrow or steal one of these coveted gems, so it’s no wonder Northrop choose this style for their flight crews.

Northrop’s red MA-1 jackets were made to the basic USAF specs. of the era and by a USAF contractor in a limited commercial production, the result being a Blazing-Red MA-1 Jacket that made their elite test pilots stand out, as seen in our vintage photo of the crew of an F-89H “Scorpion.” This MA-1 is a true shade of red. It is not orange, or pink, or magenta, but Blazing Scarlett Red, outfitted with striking-looking black knit parts, making this not just a Northrop Aviation MA- 1, but also one suitable for alumni of Rutgers University and Haddonfield Memorial High School (go Scarlett Knights and Bulldogs!), as well as anyone looking for a rugged, slick-looking jacket in a brilliant color.

Buzz Rickson’s design team have made various MA-1 Jackets over the years, making this a style they have gained world fame for making exquisitely and for which novelist William Gibson even turned into a sub-character in his novel “Pattern Recognition.” The original MA-1 was intended for wear in climates between 25 degrees and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, thus ideally suited for early spring, late fall and winter, and this remains true for our offering.

Buzz Rickson’s heavy nylon twill fabric is never to be confused with the cheap, flimsy flight satin used by lesser manufacturers to produce so-called vintage reproduction USAF flight jackets.  Buzz Rickson's have recreated the original fabric of the 1950’s using vintage looms and following vintage specs. and tests to make their fabric without peer; in fact, the only other flying jackets in the world today made from this nylon are those vintage examples of the USAF!  And full assembly of the exterior is performed with contrasting black thread that looks superb on the red nylon; only the very finest sewing machine operators are up to this task because contrasting thread will blatantly stand out if sewn in crooked form. 

This Buzz Rickson’s MA-1 Flight Jacket correctly captures all the nuances found on MA-1 Flight Jackets once produced in extremely limited numbers for Northop Aviation.  Take note of these authentic features:

• Copy of a commercial-style label in the neck area
• Custom manufacturing of the correct weight and weave nylon twill to precisely match 1950’s USAF specs. and treated to repel water. Outer side dyed to precise shade of Nothrop Aviation’s red and the lining is colored in the earlier shade of silver-grey USAF sage green (this MA-1 is NOT reversible)
• Correct USAF-spec. batting of warm wool-and-cotton fiber filling sandwiched between the outer and inner shell lining
• Full assembly on the exterior with contrasting black thread.  Only the very finest sewing machine operators are up to this task because contrasting thread will blatantly stand out is sewn in crooked form.
• Two snap-down exterior pockets lined with warm 80/20 wool-rayon fabric precisely matching 1950’s USAF specs.
• Two snap-down interior pockets lined with heavy all-cotton twill fabric precisely matching 1950’s USAF specs.
• Exact copy of the heavy-duty 1950’s Crown main zipper and pocket zipper with zip tape made of all-cotton HBT fabric, not incorrect poly-cotton
• Leather zipper pull tabs as found USAF MA-1s, designed for easy functioning with gloves
• Heavy wind flap protector located behind zipper closure with curved top to minimize contact with the chin
• Two snap-down tabs (one on each breast) for retaining headset and microphone wiring leads, exactly as on original 1950’s MA-1 jackets
• Custom manufacturing of the correct, two-ply, 100% worsted-wool knit collar, cuffs and waist skirt in jet black
• Heavy-weight parachute harness nylon in black, correctly sewn to left front chest for attaching oxygen mask retainer clip
• Zippered pocket on left sleeve outfitted with four pen/pencil slots reinforced with heavy bar tacks and outfitted with two anti-puncture pencil caps made of USAF-spec. brass

Sizes: XS – XXL.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Buzz Rickson’s goods are imported from Japan

The master designers at Buzz Rickson's have recreated a GI classic made famous in the early years of the Vietnam War, commonly called the "jungle jacket."  This is the highly desirable, rare 1st model made of poplin with exposed gloss-finished buttons and outfitted with epaulets as worn during the early days in Nam, though sometimes seen still being worn even at war's end.  This style clearly had its design rooted in the WWII U. S. Army parachutist's jacket, though issue of the "jungle jackets" was to all troops and not specific.  The jacket was made instantly recognizable and famous in the 1967 film "The Green Berets," prominently worn by John Wayne and the rest of the cast portraying members of the 5th Special Forces while "in country."  

The overall design is incredibly practical, stylish, and so very functional in many capacities, thanks to the expandable cargo pockets with drain holes.  Combat attrition, post-service life among the veterans, sales in surplus stores for hunters, fisherman, photographers and the like, plus relatively low production numbers before it was replaced by the 2nd model, rendered the 1st-model jackets scarce not long after the events of the era; today, vintage examples in new condition will fetch a hefty price in the collector market.

No design detail has been missed on this Buzz Rickson's copy, which includes custom manufacturing of the lightweight all-cotton poplin on vintage looms to perfectly match U. S. Army specs., including assembly using vintage industrial sewing machines.  The buttons have also been custom made of genuine urea, and inside the jacket you'll find all of the authentic labels that appeared on these early jackets, making this the ultimate copy of an all-time classic.  Of course, this Buzz Rickson's jacket copy comes crispy new and unwashed, so if you don't want to look like some FNG who just got in from the World, you'll want to wash it a few times before wearing it.  

The only other 1st-model "jungle jackets" to match the precision of Buzz Rickson's masterpiece are those prized, vintage examples in collections and veteran's attics.  Please note all of these authentic features and details:  

• Four expandable, bellows pockets outfitted with exposed buttons

• Custom manufacturing of genuine, gloss-finished urea buttons precisely matching the buttons of the 1st-Model  Tropical Jacket

• Button-down epaulets

• Two-position adjustment tabs at waist-back area

• Custom manufacturing of the exact weight and weave all-cotton, water-repellant poplin produced on vintage looms

• Custom manufacturing of the exact type of all-cotton labels found on 1st-Model Tropical Jackets

• Pencil slot with separate compartment in each breast pocket with corners correctly bar tacked for extra strength

• Two-position adjustment on sleeve cuffs

• Concealed buttons on frontal closure

• Internal flap with buttons behind frontal closure

Sizes available: Med., Lg. & XL

Buzz Rickson’s products are imported from Japan

The designers at Buzz Rickson have added the famous removable liner to their offerings, thus enabling their masterpiece M-65 Field Jacket to be enjoyed with all the versatility the vintage jacket made famous. The Buzz Rickson removable liner is complete with all of the features found on the vintage liners, including the inner batting made of 100% polyester for cold weather and the button holes that allow the liner to be married to the buttons on the inside of the M-65 Field Jacket. But this Buzz Rickson liner goes even further, being made in genuine U. S. Army camouflage and adding a few features sometimes added on an individual basis by the wearer to make the liner even more versatile, such as a frontal zipper with snap-down closure, an interior pocket, and two exterior pockets; these additional features allow the liner to be worn as a jacket on its own!

The liner outer shell is crafted from high-quality, 100% cotton in camouflage, which was not a feature found on the vintage liners but the Buzz Rickson design team thought this would look awesome when worn either as a liner or as an outer jacket.

Whether worn in conjunction with a Buzz Rickson M-65 Field Jacket as part of the military’s time-proven layering system or on its own, this Buzz Rickson M-65 Removable Liner is sure to please on many levels. Please note the following features found on this Buzz Rickson masterpiece: 

• Precision copy of a vintage label design (though the label states that the liner should not be dry cleaned, Buzz Rickson only endorses dry cleaning of their liner, thus the label text is reproduced purely for authenticity)
• Custom manufacturing of the all-cotton fabric using vintage looms, and screen printing of the original U. S. Army camouflage pattern
• Two open-top pockets on liner exterior
• One interior pocket
• Exact copy of a vintage CONMATIC zipper in brass with zip tape made of all-cotton HBT fabric and not incorrect poly-cotton. The HBT fabric is light olive drab, creating an attractive contrast against the camouflage outer shell.
• Blackened-brass press studs on the liner closure to secure the wind flap over the zipper
• All attachment tabs and buttonholes to provide for securing the liner correctly to the  M-65 Field Jacket
• Assembly using vintage sewing machines

Even sizes XS-XXL Regular.   The fit is generous, thus a 46” chest measure can be comfortably accommodated in size XXL. Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Buzz Rickson goods are imported from Japan

The USAAF A-3 Mechanic's Cap is one of those items of clothing from the 1940’s that is synonymous with the WWII G.I. Though designated for aircraft mechanics, the A-3 was just too comfortable, practical and sharp to not be worn by anyone in the USAAF who could obtain one. It was the perfect item of clothing that lent itself so well to personalization: caps were painted or inked with names, rank, pin-up and cartoon art, and worn at a jaunty angle or with the visor turned upwards in true 1940’s G. I. fashion.

Buzz Rickson's  resurrected this classic to their usual exacting standards: 8.5-ounce all-cotton herringbone twill in the early, light shade of olive drab, heavy stitching and reinforcing throughout, taped seams inside the crown, flexible visor, authentic label, and USAAF ink stamp on an exterior back panel.  The cap is given a subtle vintage wash by the factory so that it isn't starchy new in appearance.  A high-quality cap of true 1940’s character available again today!

Buzz Rickson's products are imported from Japan.

Sizes: 7 1/4 (Med.) & 7 1/2 (Lg).  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Summer Blowout Clearance Sale - Regular price $175.00, now sold at our TRUE cost of $100.00 to make way for fall/winter items - This is as good as it gets for buyers!!!

These low-top basketball shoes (sneakers) were a true item of athletic issue for U. S. Army basketball players in the 1970's, but produced in white and never in camouflage.  The designers at Buzz Rickson's decided to reproduce these sneakers in exacting form utilizing their amazing "Golden" tiger-stripe camouflage all-cotton twill, resulting in a unique, stylish, cool-as-hell sneaker that marries design authenticity and fabrication in a limited-production offering.

Fabrication is completely performed in Japan by hand at one of Japan's last-remaining factories (there are only two left) that still produce classic sneakers using the old machinery with true vulcanization of the rubber parts.  So great is the worldwide demand for old-world quality, vintage-style sneakers made on vintage machinery, that these last two factories are booked solid for no less than two years before they can even generate a sample!

Tiger-stripe camouflage was deemed the "stuff' during the Vietnam War, any it was highly desirable back then just for informal wear as a status symbol; now it's considered an icon of style, far transcending its original military application.  Rock a pair of these limited-run, vintage-style sneakers while they last!  

Please note these authentic features of quality and workmanship found only vintage sneakers and those produced using the highest production standards today in conjunction with vintage machinery:    

• All-cotton twill uppers produced on vintage shuttle looms (just like in the 1960's and '70's) and authentically dyed and printed in the highly sought-after "Golden" tiger-stripe camouflage pattern made famous by U. S. special forces during the Vietnam War
• Steel eyelets lacquered black
• Natural rubber sole vulcanized in place
• All-cotton laces
• Double-stitched stress points
• Taped heel seam in olive green all-cotton canvas for extra strength
• Fully lined in all-cotton canvas
• Reinforced heel
• Reinforced toe
• Exact reproduction of the issue style, including mid-sole glue markings, a testament to the use of vintage production techniques
• Original-style military shoe box

Sizes available:  7 -10 in half sizes.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Hand made in Japan

"Tiger-Stripe” camouflage uniforms were developed in Southeast Asia in the early 1960’s and issued to military forces, most notably, special forces of the Army of the Republic of Viet-Nam (ARVN). When the U. S. Army began sending military advisors to assist the ARVN and its related government and other military forces, the U. S. Army had no camouflage uniforms of their own, thus they were given permission to wear the camouflage uniforms of the ARVN units to which they were attached or assigned.  The style of trousers seen here became known as the "Advisor" pattern due to its early association with these personnel.  

This “Advisor” pattern became the typical tiger-stripe camouflage uniform worn by U. S. forces, though the coloring of the camouflage and the shape and density of the camouflage pattern itself led to a multitude of varieties as identified by collectors today, one of the rarest and most desirable being the golden-hued pattern now called “Golden Tiger.”

“Advisor” jackets and trousers have been prominently featured in films depicting the war in Viet-Nam, the most notable include: “The Green Berets” with John Wayne, “The Deer Hunter” with Robert De Niro, and “Apocalypse Now” with Martin Sheen,” naming but a few.  Eventually, the exotic nature of the “Tiger” camouflage and its association with elite Special Forces and personnel of authority, power, and those having seen combat, spawned a huge demand for even more tiger-stripe camo. uniforms, as anyone seen wearing this camo. pattern in “Nam” was considered “hot stuff."  Today, vintage tiger-stripe camo. from the Viet-Nam war is very rare, highly collectible, and very costly to purchase, as well as being just plain cool looking, making a perfect summer-weight trouser for wear with tee shirts and sneakers.

Buzz Rickson’s, a brand highly respected worldwide for its pursuit of fanatical, penultimate authenticity, has recreated the “Advisor” trousers in the coveted “Golden Tiger” coloring. Never before has this camo. pattern been recreated to such an amazing degree of authenticity, including the employment of vintage shuttle looms to generate true selvage fabric as was used to fabricate the vintage sets in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, vintage-type dyes to craft the screen-printed colors and patterns of the camo. pattern, and vintage button dies to make genuine urea buttons that precisely match those typically encountered on the “Advisor” sets.  And to preclude you from looking like some “FNG” who just purchased a set of “Tiger” camo. while in Ben Hoa, Buzz Rickson’s “Golden Tiger” comes in a one-wash finish, giving it a very slightly faded vintage appearance that deftly matches the coloring and overall “been-there” look observed on vintage sets.

Please note these authentic features and details found only on a genuine Buzz Rickson’s “Golden Tiger” “Advisor” trousers of this pedigree:

• Two two-button bellows butt and leg pockets
• Compass/lighter pocket on leg
• Bar tack reinforcements on all major stress points
• Double-stitched seams throughout
• Two-button tab at waist to allow for decreasing the waist size 
• Custom manufacturing of genuine urea buttons produced on vintage dies that precisely match the size and shape of those observed on vintage “Advisor” jackets
• Custom manufacturing of all-cotton twill selvage fabric produced on the original, narrow shuttle looms of the type employed to produce this fabric in the 1960’s and 1970’s
• Base color of the fabric dyed to a shade of golden sand, precisely matching vintage examples of “Golden Tiger”
• Screen printing of one of the most typical tiger-stripe patterns to a high level of precision using vintage-type dyes to re-create the rare, highly desired “Golden Tiger” color shade, then washed once for a “been-there” look of an “In-Country” veteran
• Exact copy of the original-style printed-on-cotton size label sewn on the inside jacket closure
• “U S” ink stamping with the size, thus denoting a distinction between trousers of the same size but in a different size grade from those for Asian forces

Sizes available: Sm. - XL, fitting up to 38.5" waist measure. Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Buzz Rickson’s products are imported from Japan

We are very excited to offer this vintage tee-shirt graphic featuring the Bell YFM-1 Airacuda.  The Airacuda was one of the most intriguing, attractive, innovative fighter planes of the 1930's; while less than 20 were produced, it was highly trumpeted and published at the time, though graphics on tee shirts, pillow shams, and matchbooks are all but non-existant today.  Even the better vintage-aircraft aficionados will likely be stumped when you wear this tee shirt!

Buzz Rickson's tee shirts take us back to when tee shirts were not moo-moo dresses outfitted with short sleeves that flirt with our elbows; rather, these are vintage-style tee shirts of the 1930's - 1970's that are trim fitting, shorter in the body length, and with quarter-length sleeves.  

The original tee shirts were made on “body-size” looms which yield a shirt with no side seams, thus weaving a perfect tube.  To do this requires special looms that are only used by specialist manufacturers these days; subsequently, the looms are hard to source and expensive to produce garments on because you need one loom for each size you want made - but it's the proper way to make a vintage-style tee shirt, and it's the only way they were made in the 1930's - ‘70's.

The expertise for making such a garment is largely only found in one place in the world these days - Japan.  The Japanese have become renowned as world experts in vintage-style garment manufacture and home of body-size construction, being able to produce super-accurate, vintage-quality fabrics. 

These tee shirts are made of a robust cotton, heavier than typical undershirts, and the cotton is washed for a softer hand, a vintage look, and to eliminate guesswork in fit vis-a-vis shrinkage.

Available in sizes Sm - XXL.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from Japan

We are very excited to offer this vintage tee-shirt graphic featuring the Bell YFM-1 Airacuda.  The Airacuda was one of the most intriguing, attractive, innovative fighter planes of the 1930's; while less than 20 were produced, it was highly trumpeted and published at the time, though graphics on tee shirts, pillow shams, and matchbooks are all but non-existant today.  Even the better vintage-aircraft aficionados will likely be stumped when you wear this tee shirt!

Buzz Rickson's tee shirts take us back to when tee shirts were not moo-moo dresses outfitted with short sleeves that flirt with our elbows; rather, these are vintage-style tee shirts of the 1930's - 1970's that are trim fitting, shorter in the body length, and with quarter-length sleeves.  

The original tee shirts were made on “body-size” looms which yield a shirt with no side seams, thus weaving a perfect tube.  To do this requires special looms that are only used by specialist manufacturers these days; subsequently, the looms are hard to source and expensive to produce garments on because you need one loom for each size you want made - but it's the proper way to make a vintage-style tee shirt, and it's the only way they were made in the 1930's - ‘70's.

The expertise for making such a garment is largely only found in one place in the world these days - Japan.  The Japanese have become renowned as world experts in vintage-style garment manufacture and home of body-size construction, being able to produce super-accurate, vintage-quality fabrics. 

These tee shirts are made of a robust cotton, heavier than typical undershirts, and the cotton is washed for a softer hand, a vintage look, and to eliminate guesswork in fit vis-a-vis shrinkage.

Available in sizes Sm - XXL.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from Japan