When Ryan Martin — the founder of W.H. Ranch Dungarees — recently watched the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick, he wanted to commemorate the sequel in a special way. “I had this idea for a hybrid Western-influenced bomber jacket that was not made of leather,” he said. “I have the Navy G-1 standard issue [flight jacket] and I love it, but there’s got to be, like, 90 total days I can actually wear it.” So he designed a bomber jacket for year-round wear made with black Cone Mills 13-ounce bull denim.

While the VF-1 Ghost Ryder jacket is inspired by an iconic style, the tailored pattern is all original and features Western-styled double welt flap pockets, single-needle stitching and had-felled riser seams. A nod to Maverick’s original Top Gun jacket, the VF-1 features reproductions of all of the patches on Tom Cruise’s leather bomber.

It also includes a genuine mouton shearling collar and some very unique Navy Anchor buttons from a sixth-generation metal stamping factory in France. “They cost me like $4 a button so there’s about $50 worth of buttons on the jacket alone,” Martin said. “But, I just wanted something super special to cap off the specialness of the jacket.”

Martin is offering only six of these jackets, and, like W.H. Ranch jeans, he is making them by himself, one at a time. The jacket costs $995 and custom sizing is available upon request (they will deliver during the last week of October). For someone who wants a unique piece of outerwear for fall, act fast — you’d be hard-pressed to find a better quality jacket for less.

“If you want to indulge in the nostalgia of your youth by celebrating what appears to be the Second Coming of one of the most iconic movies of that generation, then come join me,” Ryan said. “I’ve got something cool for you.”

The Story Behind W.H. Ranch Dungarees

Some of the best jeans in the world aren’t made in standard factories, but instead, are made by a single craftsman from start to finish. They come with a hefty price tag, but the attention to detail is unmatched. Read the Story