AERO LEATHER CLOTHING
STORY SO FAR
Family-owned Scottish maker of hand-built leather jackets, founded by Ken and Lydia Calder. The roots of the company go back to 1975 as a trader in original WWII flight jackets and vintage US workwear; the first own-label Aero jackets were produced in 1981 and put on general sale in 1983. Forty-plus years on, the company is still run by the Calders from Greenbank Woollen Mill on Huddersfield Street, Galashiels, in the Scottish Borders. Aero is regarded by collectors as one of the great leather makers in the world, specialising in faithful recreations of 1920s–60s American work jackets and authentic WW2 military flight jackets, and was one of the first modern makers to revive horsehide (Horween Chromexcel American front-quarter horsehide) over the more common cowhide.
DESIGNED BY
Aero Leather Clothing — Ken & Lydia Calder, Galashiels, Scottish Borders, UK
MADE BY
Every jacket is entirely hand-built in the company's Galashiels factory in the Scottish Borders. Hides are inspected and hand-cut panel-by-panel by specialist leather technicians; each jacket is then sewn end-to-end on a traditional walking-foot machine by a single experienced craftsperson. Leather (notably Horween horsehide) is sourced from American tanneries — typical for high-end horsehide, which has no equivalent UK source — but all garment-making is done in Scotland.
TO BUY
Further information
Further research reading
Region Made
Galashiels, Scottish Borders
